NBAPA certainly would fight it with everything they had.

In any case, this one's going back to Denver 2-2 despite 51 points on 19/29 shooting from Jokic. Booker and Durant were almost as good themselves tonight.

Yes. Series over if they do. Likely a different story if it were in regular season. I still like Denver in this series. IF they suspend him, I'm out dough.

Jokic Definitely should be suspended if the NBA has any consistency but I bet he won’t.

He shouldn't and he won't. If anything, the owner should be barred from sitting courtside like the Warriors' idiot owner who shoved Lowry in 2019. Don't get involved in the play, it isn't that hard.

Owner had his hand on Jokic first, while trying to take the ball from live action. Get real lmao

Owner didn't want to release the ball so that Denver couldn't get a fast break basket and then completely flopped to draw a technical after confronting Jokic. Nothing is gonna happen to Jokic.

yeah that's my point, owner initiated first and is clearly at fault

Regardless whether the owner/fan is being an idiot you can’t go into a crowd and start shoving people. That could have escalated real quick.

If this was the regular season he would definitely be suspended.

If a fan is not releasing the ball and confronting you, sure you can. He's not getting suspended for that "shove" and I don't know why anybody would think differently.

Regular season he definitely is getting suspended. It is no different than what Davante Adams did. He is lucky thee owner is super rich and seemed ok if that was a regular fan charges would be pressed and lawsuit happening.

This is America this ain’t Canada

https://media.tenor.com/rB1OlzMIERYA...as-america.gif

Charges LMAO

Don't hold onto the ball and put your hands on a player next time and maybe you won't get nudged and have to flop into your seat.

He put his hand on a spectator. Absolutely deserving. I don't even think you can argue otherwise. But he will probably get the star treatment.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Mike Malone: &quot;I think it&#39;s crazy that Nikola [Jokic] got a technical foul… He&#39;s going to get the ball and some fan is holding onto the ball like he wants to be apart of the game.&quot;<br><br>Reporter: &quot;The fan was the owner of the Suns.&quot;<br><br>MM: &quot;I don&#39;t give a sh*t.&quot;<a href="https://t.co/pMrfe1HUGE">pic.twitter.com/pMrfe1HUGE</a></p>&mdash; ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPointsApp/status/1655408794808078336?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 8, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Haha this is amazing.

He should be suspended or fined. You don’t run over and rip the ball out of someone’s hands then shove them. Let the ref get the ball.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Phoenix Suns Owner Mat Ishbia getting into it with Jokic and selling the chicken wing. Absolute cinema.<a href="https://t.co/pU9Em4dJRC">https://t.co/pU9Em4dJRC</a> <a href="https://t.co/AOZY5ZZPnv">pic.twitter.com/AOZY5ZZPnv</a></p>&mdash; Rob Perez (@WorldWideWob) <a href="https://twitter.com/WorldWideWob/status/1655377461864206336?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 8, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Only in the NBA can an owner of a team flop for a technical foul. Unreal<br> <a href="https://t.co/Um4kknu72z">pic.twitter.com/Um4kknu72z</a></p>&mdash; Justin Adams (@justinadamsTV) <a href="https://twitter.com/justinadamsTV/status/1655381016960458753?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 8, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

This looks like an owner not releasing a live game ball and then stepping to a player after knocking the ball away. He deserved worse than what he got (which was nothing at all despite his sell job) and Jokic deserves nothing.

I love that the coach just thought it was some random guy. I’m guessing most of the world thought the same. No one has a clue who that owner is. I’m guessing the refs knew who he was though because if that was a random fan playing keep away from one of the players they would have been ejected.

Laughable nonsense. He's trying to get the ball quickly to get out on the fast break while they have numbers. If he lets the ref go get it, they won't be able to do that. The owner has no business holding onto it and was only doing it to prevent said fast break.

Jokic is a soft bitch like every athlete in Denver.

Let’s go Suns!

Not sure what that says about the Suns then if they're letting him average 37-14-10 in the series through four games.

Go back and watch Davante Adams shove video at Arrowhead and he was arrested and sued.

The owner didn’t touch Jokic he was holding the ball and Jokic knocked it out of his hands then shoved him. The fan that got ejected put his hands on Jokic.

Need to find that video of Dillion Brooks shoving the cameraman right before the playoffs and he got suspended 1 game.

Comparing this to what Davante Adams did in two-handed shoving a cameraman unprovoked after a game in front of him might be the most laughable and bad faith thing you've posted in this thread.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/fIajV9KKeVc" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Phoenix Suns Owner Mat Ishbia getting into it with Jokic and selling the chicken wing. Absolute cinema.<a href="https://t.co/pU9Em4dJRC">https://t.co/pU9Em4dJRC</a> <a href="https://t.co/AOZY5ZZPnv">pic.twitter.com/AOZY5ZZPnv</a></p>&mdash; Rob Perez (@WorldWideWob) <a href="https://twitter.com/WorldWideWob/status/1655377461864206336?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 8, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Jokic also didn't knock the ball out of his hands. Jokic tried to grab the ball from him, he wouldn't release it, and then knocked it away so Jokic couldn't get out on the fast break while the Suns player was down. The owner inserted himself into live game action to try to benefit his team, which he successfully did because he prevented the fast break and the refs bought his ridiculous flop.

FYP

It's the refs that have allowed Jokic to shoot 57 for 100 this series in only four games? Durant has shot 5 more FTs than Jokic in this series.

I couldn't disagree more. There was nothing the fan did to warrant anything. The ball bounced to him, Jokic came over immediately and tries to grab it out of his hand. Let the refs do their job big guy. Absolute horseshit.

The only horseshit on that play was the owner involving himself in the game when he had no business doing so and getting away with it. Actually release the ball next time instead of holding on to it and then knocking it away to prevent the Nuggets’ fast break.

It is the refs that let him commit countless offensive fouls with no calls. Sorry, but when you dribble through the defender, push off, and elbow your way to the basket over and over with no call, the only conclusion is the officials are allowing you to commit offensive fouls.

Rule 12B, Section II, page 45 of the NBA rule book states:

a. A dribbler shall not (1) charge into an opponent who has established a legal guarding position, or (2) attempt to dribble between two opponents, or (3) attempt to dribble between an opponent and a boundary, where sufficient space is not available for illegal contact to be avoided.

b. If a defender is able to establish a legal position in the straight line path of the dribbler, the dribbler must avoid contact by changing direction or ending his dribble.

c. The dribbler must be in control of his body at all times. If illegal contact occurs, the responsibility is on the dribbler.

Jokic routinely throws his ass, shoulder, or elbow into defenders who have established legal position, or just flat out pushes the defender away with his off arm, forcing his way to the basket.

IDGAF what you think. The NBA literally has a section in the rulebook that outlines what Jokic does as an offensive foul.

I am not saying he isn't extremely talented, or that he isn't an extremely skilled player. I am saying he violates the rules, AS THEY ARE WRITTEN BY THE NBA AND NOT BY KC_Connection, and he very rarely gets called for it.

that is not what I saw. Watch the clip. First of all, it happened within like 5 seconds. He’s not intentionally hogging the ball. He is looking at Okogie and looks shocked when Jokic is trying to rip the ball out. His protecting the ball was a split second reaction. Secondly, where is his left arm? It’s wrapped around a fan okogie dove into trying to help him get up. He’s not thinking to himself how to disrupt the play. It’s obvious the only thing he’s paying attention to in the moment is making sure the fan and player are ok.

It’s a dead ball. Refs have to touch the ball before Jokic can do anything. Think the refs are going to allow a quick 5-4 while a player is being helped up, maybe injured? Jokic was in the wrong for going over there but there was nothing malicious. Suns owner did nothing wrong reacting to a ball that fell into his lap and holding the ball while trying to help a player and fan up. Suns owner flopped but he lightly touched Jokic too. Right call for a technical with no ejection, no need for suspension, suns owner has nothing to apologize for, Jokic and Malone need to acknowledge Jokic was wrong and can’t just barge into the crowd like that.

He went into the stands and shoved a spectator. I have no dog in this fight but that is what he did. Ask yourself if that was Draymond Green would you have a different reaction? I assume you would.

The video is clear, a Suns player went flying into the seats and knocked over the guy sitting next to Ishbia and the ball ended up in his lap. He stood up holding the ball while looking over to the spillage next to him, wasn't even paying attention to Jokic. Jokic tries to grab the ball, a little tug of war happens and it goes up into the stand. Some words were exchanged by Jokic who basically says get the **** out of here, shoves Ishbia with an elbow. Another fan pushes Jokic and I believe Isiah Thomas grabs his jersey. BTW that is not Jokic job to get the ball, it is the refs and the ref has to start the play.

Here is the rule.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Jokic should’ve been ejected and possibly suspended for Game 5. Rules are rules and they were ignored. <a href="https://t.co/Lu4KEf1Yll">pic.twitter.com/Lu4KEf1Yll</a></p>&mdash; BismackMuse (@BizzyMuse) <a href="https://twitter.com/BizzyMuse/status/1655402897520353281?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 8, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>


Here is a good closeup

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Jokic shouldn’t have went over there to begin with <a href="https://t.co/GTHf3IjkVK">pic.twitter.com/GTHf3IjkVK</a></p>&mdash; J.Bonèt (@JBonet91) <a href="https://twitter.com/JBonet91/status/1655417288529698816?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 8, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

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Here’s an example of how it should have went down. Fans and officials make sure lebron and any fans are ok. They help lebron up. Ref holds the ball until everyone is confirmed ok. Imagine if in the heat of that moment a fan was holding on to the ball and someone from the pelicans snatched the ball from the fan as they were helping lebron up. And the ref sure as hell isn’t letting that play continue as 5-4 while lebron is shaken up. I don’t necessarily fault Jokic for trying to exploit a down player. But he simply can’t do that.

yep. I have watched alot of NBA games, so when a player goes flying into the stands play is usually stopped and the ref has to handle the ball. The only exception to that is when it is under the basket and a player runs into the cameraman, play seems like it always continues.

I don't even think the Suns owner clearly flopped. It's not like this was some premeditated plan. He got up and got shoved by a guy who was much larger than he was and who had leverage. Much more likely he was just off-balance and caught offguard by being shoved - hence the reaction - than he was actively trying to draw a technical for his team.

You want an offensive foul called on Jokic for posting up and backing down players? LMAO

You wouldn't have liked basketball much a few decades ago.

Absolute nonsense. The owner is a former walk-on basketball player at MSU. He knows the game and has been around the game for most of his life. There's not a doubt in my mind that he recognized immediately what Jokic was trying to do in taking the ball (getting out on the fast break while his player was down). He refused to release the ball because of it and then literally knocked it away from him so he couldn't take it down the court (and yes, the refs have to touch it but Jokic would have tossed it quickly to the refs who would have put the ball back into play unless they deemed the Suns player to be injured). The owner is lucky he is who he is, though, because a regular person is getting kicked for doing it.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith questioned Nikola Jokić receiving a technical and Mat Ishbia not being ejected. &quot;If another fan wouldn&#39;t have let the ball go, he would have got tossed,&quot; Barkley said. <a href="https://t.co/C9mMFOhxVM">pic.twitter.com/C9mMFOhxVM</a></p>&mdash; Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) <a href="https://twitter.com/awfulannouncing/status/1655566703714091013?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 8, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Not a chance. My issues with Draymond are with dirty plays on court (i.e. kicking players in the balls repeatedly and stomping on their chests), not with trying to make a quick high IQ decision to get out on a fast break only to be prevented from doing so by an owner who wanted to get involved in the action.

It went up into the stands because the owner refused to release the ball to an actual player on the court and then knocked it away further into the crowd so Jokic couldn't get it. This is obvious from watching the replay.

After knocking the ball away from Jokic, the owner then proceeded to step to Jokic (instead of sitting down as most people would have done), putting his hands on his back, and then Jokic moves him out of the way with his arm before he flops and exaggerates the contact (no doubt to draw a technical foul or ejection on the best player in the series, which he accomplished).

Also, it is Jokic's job to get the ball if they want to get out on the fast break while they have a numbers advantage. If he left it to the ref to get it, the Suns player would have gotten up and gotten back into the play. There is nothing about the play that is unusual (many players do this when they sense a fast break opportunity or numbers advantage) other than the fact that the owner refused to release the ball and got involved in the action.

That was the kind of flop I'd have expected from a Duke walk-on, not a MSU walk-on. Izzo is a better teacher of the trade than I thought.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Great win for the Suns last night in an amazing series so far! <br>That should be and is the only story. Suspending or fining anyone over last nights incident would not be right. I have alot of respect for Jokic and don’t want to see anything like that. Excited for game 5! Go Suns!</p>&mdash; Mat Ishbia (@Mishbia15) <a href="https://twitter.com/Mishbia15/status/1655586477676412934?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 8, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Tweeted like somebody who knows he's most at risk of facing discipline over this incident from the league. I'm sure he doesn't want to give up his courtside seat for the rest of the playoffs.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Investigation from 3 different angles:<br>1. Ishbia saw Jokic before he tried to take a ball so he didn&#39;t let him take it<br>2. When Ishbia lost possesion of the ball he threw the ball to the stands<br>3. Ishbia and guy in the blue put their hands on Jokic before elbow contact and flop <a href="https://t.co/FPl7sRfydV">pic.twitter.com/FPl7sRfydV</a></p>&mdash; THE JOKER(S) ������ (@SerbsInSports) <a href="https://twitter.com/SerbsInSports/status/1655575030342864899?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 8, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

That’s selective editing of the clip. If you watch everything leading up to it he isn’t paying any attention to Jokic. He is paying 90% of his attention to okogie and he even has his left arm hooked around the fan okogie ran into to help him up. His reaction seemed way more surprised than it seemed intentional. It looked like he was holding the ball focused on helping the fan and okogie get up, and was surprised when Jokic tugged at the ball.

Would you agree that in the lebron example I posted it would have been weird for a pelicans player to sprint into the crowd, take the ball from a fan, and push a 5-4?

I am pretty sure since it wasn't a made basket the ref has to have the ball first then give it back. I will pay attention more tonight when it happens.

Have Jordan or Lebron ever scored 50+ in a playoff game and shoved the opposing team's owner?

I don't think so.

There is nothing selectively edited about the owner not releasing the ball and not knocking it away so Jokic can't initiate a fast break. That happened and it doesn't take much to reason that he did it quite deliberately given his basketball background.

And I watched that LeBron play as well and strongly believe Jokic would have attempted to do the same thing in that situation too if it was a playoff game. Jokic is a ruthless and cutthroat high IQ player in a way that most guys in the league simply are not. He takes advantage of any team's disadvantage and it would have been on the refs to stop play in that situation (which they obviously likely would have done because it was LeBron James, the greatest the sport has ever seen who was potentially injured, and not some random player). Now the refs may have well stopped play yesterday too if the incident never happened, but Jokic was going to force them into making that call for themselves.

This is correct (although this rule is beginning to slowly change internationally to make it more like soccer: https://basketnews.com/news-178262-a...xt-season.html).

Jokic was no doubt planning to grab the ball and throw it to the ref for a quick exit while Okogie was down and out of the play. It would then have been on the ref to either stop play (if they were worried about Okogie being hurt) or to allow play to continue.

I’d say there is way less tolerance for a player entering the crowd. Jokic shouldn’t have gone there let alone initiate contact by trying to grab the ball away. Ishbia has every reason to have the ball but in the moment didn’t react well to Jokic… including clutching the ball. But he is not the one to initiate the confrontation. Jokic also knows the rules. He knows there is zero tolerance about entering the crowd and that it was a dead ball. Glad he wasn’t ejected or suspended but he’s pretty lucky he wasn’t.

It is because it looks as if he’s looking at Jokic the entire way and like a petulant kid was stomping the ground refusing to give the ball up. This happened in practically a split second. He had the ball for what, 3 seconds? Ishbia wasn’t even looking at Jokic until he felt the ball getting tugged. In the moment it’s not surprising that he would react wondering “wait what is this guy doing?” The narrative that he was clutching the ball for some advantage is a bit extra. He looked like he was focused on helping the fan and okogie get up. Every clip showing the lead up shows that he wasn’t even watching Jokic. The way he reacted I’m not sure he even realized he had the ball in his hand.

I don't think it's extra at all, especially from somebody with a basketball background. It's one thing not to release it, but it's quite another to literally knock it away from Jokic which he did.

https://globalnews.ca/news/5360337/k...wner-warriors/

My suspicion would be that the owner wants to avoid anything like this happening to him. These two situations obviously aren't the same, but both involve altercations between owners and players arguably precipitated by the owner.

How much time did Ishbia have to think about this?. He didn’t realize Jokic was even there until he felt someone tugging the ball away. Basketball background or not, you’re going to react when someone catches you by surprise like that. Even with a basketball background, you think a basketball player wouldn’t react badly if he was holding a dead ball and a player snuck from behind and yanked it from them?

It looked like a split second reaction not some kind of premeditated bratty move.

He looks right at Jokic as Jokic is trying to take the ball from him, doesn't release it, and then knocks the ball away from him. How are you making excuses for this?

Most people would not react like that to a NBA player trying to take a ball away from them at a NBA game. They would just hand it over. It doesn't take much to figure out what his reasons were for not doing so. He knew what Jokic was attempting to do.

He was also aware of his senses enough to flop on any contact with Jokic. That exaggeration drew a technical foul but it could have easily been an ejection too. All indications are that he knew what he was doing.

And that goes double for Jokic who knows there has been close to zero tolerance for players getting into it with fans. Isaiah was ejected for something very similar with no physical contact. Anthony Davis was ejected for getting into it from mid court. That zero tolerance is in place because of malice at the palace and the nba isn’t gonna want to give any leeway to players going into the crowd during a dead ball, let alone physically interacting.

Yeah of course shoving a player is electable. That’s why the one fan was booted. That’s ridiculous to even imply an owner should get even a slap on the wrist when it looked like his worst infraction was not paying attention to what he was doing while helping a fan get to his feet after getting plowed into.

Show the full clip. Ishbia doesn’t know Jokic is there until he feels the basketball getting tugged away. he reacted the way you might expect when someone catches you by surprise.

Most people standing literally right next to a player who barreled into the stands and into a few fans will probably, oh I don’t know… help the player and fan up. And that is obviously what ishbia was doing. His left arm is literally hooked around the fan and he is trying to help him up as he’s holding the basketball in his right arm. This happened within split seconds. Everything points to him reacting out of surprise in an instant, not some premeditated bratty move.

Wait...this is 'an incident'?

I was expecting to see something interesting. That was a huge nothingburger.

Moving on.

Look at this ****ing twerp standing up with his chest out then flopping back like he'd been shot.

What an asshat.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">I ****ing love Mat Ishbia <a href="https://t.co/7nrL3SN9jy">pic.twitter.com/7nrL3SN9jy</a></p>&mdash; andrew leezus (@AndrewLeezus) <a href="https://twitter.com/AndrewLeezus/status/1655377229369716736?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 8, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Here's pretty much the best view of how the thing went down. Minus the few seconds where Ishbia is looking at Okogie/the fan (not looking at Jokic). He pretty much double takes when Jokic tried to take the ball away. Acting like this was premeditated is a stretch and a half. He reacted not the best way but it looked mostly out of surprise.

I've posted the full clip multiple times here. Even if you give him the benefit of the doubt (for no good reason I can see), it is very unflattering to the owner however you look at it. He doesn't release the ball to Jokic, then knocks it away from Jokic, and then steps to Jokic and puts his hands on him before flopping at the slightest contact into his seat. How is anybody making excuses for that guy in this situation?

Thank you. The guy is a clown and he's lucky Jokic didn't actually engage with him for real after pulling that shit.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Nuggets fans: Ishbia touched him first!<br><br>Reality: Jokic initiated everything by running up and ripping the ball away. If he would have just let the refs do their jobs and stayed away, literally nothing happens. The fact that they choose to not realize this obvious fact is crazy! <a href="https://t.co/kLWMeXWoFx">pic.twitter.com/kLWMeXWoFx</a></p>&mdash; Bryce (@BryceBreakers) <a href="https://twitter.com/BryceBreakers/status/1655603719470292999?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 8, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Here is a better clip. You're crazy if anything like this looks even remotely premeditated. He's obviously paying full attention to his player and the fan who got run into.

He's gonna have to go see the LeBron James of Backs after that violent confrontation...

(I'm sorry but I can't allow any possibility that you and I stay in alignment for too long a period of time...)

Another topic where Zilla is a complete ****ing idiot. Color me shocked.

Premeditated? Is he somehow incapable of making a quick decision when seeing the star player of the other team trying to take the ball from him and go on a fast break?

He had two choices. Behave like a normal person and release the ball to the NBA player playing a live game; or insert himself in the live game by not releasing the ball to the NBA player, knocking the ball away from the NBA player, and then stepping to the NBA player and putting his hands on him. He idiotically chose the latter and is now trying to avoid any repercussions arising from that.

I don't think it's premeditated.

I think he's a douche that tried to pull off some sort of 'don't you know who I am' shit with a guy that has 18 inches and 150 lbs on him.

Douche is gonna douche - it's gonna come flying out of you in moments of confrontation when you're as loaded with it as a guy who literally stands up with his chest out like that is.

From the moment the ball squirted out, everything else he did (even setting aside the 'swipe of the ball for the moment) was completely intentional. And that was the most cornball shit that happened in the entire exchange.

Don't worry, I'll be blaming LeBron's teammates if they lose tonight soon enough.

Oh at this point I'm wholly content with stating they live and die with Anthony Davis.

So long as you'll be sure to credit Davis with the win should they advance. I suspect that won't be the case...

Yes. But that is an entirely different point than kcc is trying to make acting like he was trying to play keep away for a competitive edge. It’s damn hard to blame ishbia for clutching on to the ball. The douchey flop on the other hand is something else.

I did say before the playoffs started that AD had to be the best player on the floor for the Lakers to advance in any series they play. I still maintain that. LeBron is done carrying any team through a playoff run at this point, but AD (if he plays like he does in odd numbered games) is capable.

Color me shocked you have nothing to bring to the discussion except just sniping people you don’t like. ****ing worthless

If clutching onto the ball was all he did, maybe. But he also knocked it away from Jokic too.

KCC is speaking for KCC.

I'm simply pointing out that the guy is preening little shitweasel who probably can't satisfy a woman.

He reacted exactly how you might expect when someone catches you by surprise and tries to grab something out of your hand. And it’s not like Jokic eventually got it and he knocked it away. He flicked it away in the split second where they were fighting for the basketball. He was preoccupied trying to help someone up and within split seconds reacted to a ball in his hands he probably forgot was even there. That’s it.

Yeah, not buying that at all. Most people aren't knocking that ball away from the player in that instance.

Yeah, and by then he knew full well who was reaching for the ball.

Moreover, how 'surprised' could you be by a player being next to you when another player - and the officials - have just gone into the crowd.

Trying to act like he was just walking down a sidewalk and got bumped into doesn't wash.

Jokic sprinted from across the court and immediately reached for the ball. There was no buildup and ishbia was preoccupied with helping the fan out. As in… not even looking at Jokic. We’re talking about a few seconds and from the time ishbia spots Jokic, feels the basketball being tugged and flicks it away. There was no time to think about what he was doing. You can watch it in real time and see that he was caught completely off guard and everything happened very fast.

What escalated after that with the shoving, which i don’t think is at all a big deal, is something different. But that shouldn’t bias an opinion of how ishbia acted when he was holding the ball.

If someone collided with two people walking right next to you you’d probably help them out. And have been so preoccupied processing what was happening that you’d react strongly if your friend tried to grab something out of your hands while everyone’s gathering themselves. We are talking about seconds, not Jokic casually walking up and asking for the ball.

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ROFL

I saw that too. Amazing.

They definately sped up the altercation part of that video. Looks like a harder "shove" here.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Jokic will be fined $25K, source tells ESPN. <a href="https://t.co/L6M9cSWxfl">https://t.co/L6M9cSWxfl</a></p>&mdash; Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1655681245546975234?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 8, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Good.

That’s the right call. Fine him. T him up. Glad they didn’t suspend or eject because that would be over the top.

From here send a clear reminder to players not to make contact with fans. It’s a pretty simple rule to just let the refs handle that. Then place more accountability on owners who get physical with players or who don’t listen to the refs. I think this situation was unique enough that it may have been more of a lack of awareness from either of the two who were focused on other things.

Jokic should have whipped his ass.