Shaquille O'Neal suspended
Shaq suspended; Lakers fall to Pacers
The NBA suspended Los Angeles Lakers center Shaquille O'Neal for one game without pay Monday, one day after he criticized the officials and used obscene language during a TV interview.
The suspension was announced after O'Neal issued a statement apologizing for the comments he made in the wake of the Lakers' victory Sunday against the Toronto Raptors. He sat out the team's 85-72 loss to the Indiana Pacers and forfeited $295,000 in salary.
Lakers coach Phil Jackson called the punishment ''rather severe and childish in some ways.'' He said he thought that a fine would have been appropriate and that the fans would be penalized by not being able to see O'Neal in the Lakers' lone trip to Indianapolis.
O'Neal scored 36 points against the Raptors, but he was angered by the officiating. He made that clear by using two profanities in a live interview after the game. When he was reminded he was on live TV, O'Neal responded with another vulgarity.
''My comments were made out of frustration in the heat of the moment,'' O'Neal said in the statement. ''But I realize that my choice of words was inappropriate, and I would like to apologize.''
The NBA suspended Los Angeles Lakers center Shaquille O'Neal for one game without pay Monday, one day after he criticized the officials and used obscene language during a TV interview.
The suspension was announced after O'Neal issued a statement apologizing for the comments he made in the wake of the Lakers' victory Sunday against the Toronto Raptors. He sat out the team's 85-72 loss to the Indiana Pacers and forfeited $295,000 in salary.
Lakers coach Phil Jackson called the punishment ''rather severe and childish in some ways.'' He said he thought that a fine would have been appropriate and that the fans would be penalized by not being able to see O'Neal in the Lakers' lone trip to Indianapolis.
O'Neal scored 36 points against the Raptors, but he was angered by the officiating. He made that clear by using two profanities in a live interview after the game. When he was reminded he was on live TV, O'Neal responded with another vulgarity.
''My comments were made out of frustration in the heat of the moment,'' O'Neal said in the statement. ''But I realize that my choice of words was inappropriate, and I would like to apologize.''
Comment