Sports
Dante Exum body-slammed by ex-Celtic in Euroleague basketball … – USA TODAY
A Euroleague basketball game devolved into a massive on-court brawl Thursday, with punches flying and one former NBA player body-slamming another to the ground.
The incident came in the closing minutes of a playoff game between Real Madrid and Partizan Belgrade, following a hard foul by Real Madrid guard Serio Llull on Kevin Punter with Partizan Belgrade up 95-80 on the road.
Both benches quickly cleared, and several players were seen pushing and throwing punches. The ensuing fracas saw Guerschon Yabusele wrap his arms around former Utah Jazz and Cleveland Cavaliers guard Dante Exum before throwing him to the ground.
Officials ultimately called off the game with 1:40 remaining, putting Partizan Belgrade up 2-0 in the series. Euroleague said in a statement that, with the ejections that followed the brawl, neither team had the number of players required to finish the game.
“Euroleague Basketball strongly condemns the events that happened at the end of the game,” the league said in a statement. “Such events do not represent the values of respect that the league and its clubs promote and that the sport of basketball embodies.”
Yabusele, who also played in the NBA briefly with the Boston Celtics, later issued an apology on Instagram.
“I deeply regret my behavior at last night’s game,” he wrote. “Basketball is about sportsmanship and friendship. My sincere apologies to Partizan, a club with which we have always had a great relationship, to Dante Exum and his family, to my teammates, my club and all the fans.”
Exum, the No. 5 overall pick in the 2014 NBA draft, had not commented on the brawl on social media as of Friday morning.
Partizan Belgrade team doctor Moma Jakovljević told Serbian news outlet Mozzart Sport that Exum ruptured a tendon in his foot and suffered a tooth injury. The doctor called Yabusele’s body slam as a “judo move” that should result in a permanent suspension.
“Exum could have broken his spine, seriously injured his head and ended his career,” Jakovljević told Mozzart Sport. “This was terrible. I have never seen this in my life.”
Euroleague said it had referred the incident to an independent disciplinary judge, who will hand down any additional punishment for the players involved.
Partizan Belgrade coach Zeljko Obradovic said the fight was something that “should never happen” and that the two teams had always had a good relationship.
“We are speaking of emotions, right? The players have emotions and this has happened,” he said. “But on the other hand, after the game, they greeted each other, and no problem. This happened during the game, it’s finished and it was discussed between them.”
