NBA star from Upstate NY jailed for hitting opposing player in pregame fight…
Detroit Pistons center Isaiah Stewart (28) reacts after committing a foul against the Brooklyn Nets during the first half of an NBA basketball game on Saturday, Dec. 23, 2023, in New York. Stewart was arrested Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2024, after reportedly striking a Phoenix Suns player. (AP Photo/Noah K. Murray)
A basketball star from Upstate New York has been jailed after reportedly hitting an opposition player before an NBA game on Wednesday night.
The Associated Press reports Detroit Pistons center Isaiah Stewart was arrested for assault after a pregame scuffle happened at the Phoenix Suns’ arena hours before tipoff. Stewart assaulted Suns reserve Drew Eubanks in the face in the back tunnels of the Footprint Center, according to The Athletic.
ESPN reports Eubanks stated the altercation happened as he was entering the arena. An altercation erupted and they were chest to chest when Stewart punched him in the mouth. Security intervened before it escalated further.
Phoenix police said Stewart was issued a citation and released. Stewart did not play in the game and was previously classified as out due to a sprained left ankle.
Eubanks suffered a slight injury, according to authorities, but nevertheless played in the game. He recorded six points and eight rebounds in the Suns’ 116-100 victory over the Pistons.
“The attack on Drew Eubanks was unprovoked, and acts of violence such as this are unacceptable,” the Suns said in a statement. “We unequivocally support Drew and will continue to engage with local law enforcement and the NBA.”
The NBA is likely to review footage of the incident. It’s unclear if Stewart may face extra sanctions.
The Pistons said the team is “in the process of gathering facts about what transpired and what triggered it, and responding to the NBA and local authorities.”
Pistons coach Monty Williams, dismissed by Phoenix after last season, told the media he thought it was “irresponsible” for the Suns to term the incident “unprovoked” until an investigation is concluded.
Stewart, a Rochester native who played college basketball under former Syracuse assistant Mike Hopkins at Washington, is a 22-year-old power forward for the Pistons. He was drafted 16th overall in the 2020 NBA Draft by the Portland Trail Blazers and joined the Pistons early in the 2020 season after deals with the Houston Rockets and Detroit.
Stewart had also been embroiled in a bloody altercation with Los Angeles Lakers player LeBron James in 2021. Stewart, who had to be held back by many referees and players, was suspended for two games, while James was suspended for one.
