The NBA suspended J.R. Smith for seven games, and Jason Richardson for two games, after both players recently pleaded guilty to separate driving offenses.The timing of the suspensions seems rather random -- Smith's reckless driving incident (from 2007) was resolved by the courts this past July, while Richardson served one day in jail for his DUI conviction back in December. But you knew they were coming at some point, because, well, leagues tend to suspend players who get into trouble with the law.
I'm wondering, though, if the length of the suspensions doesn't seem almost as random as the timing of the announcements. When looking more closely at the details of the incidents, the punishments come across as being a bit disingenuous.
Before we get started, this is in no way an attempt to moralize or pass judgment on these individuals. Most of us have made questionable decisions behind the wheel at some point in our youth, and just because we're talking about high profile athletes, that fact in and of itself doesn't make their actions any more egregious than those of our own.
The incidents we're talking about, however, do happen to be more serious than your run-of-the-mill traffic stop.
Smith's unfortunate reckless driving ended up killing one of his best friends, who was a passenger in the vehicle that he piloted through a stop sign at over 67 miles per hour, where the posted speed limit was 35 mph. He served 24 days in jail earlier this summer after pleading guilty to reckless driving, and must also complete 500 hours of community service.
Richardson's DUI didn't end up hurting anyone, but the second time he was pulled over by the police while driving, he certainly could have. In February, Richardson was cited for doing 90 mph in a 35 mph zone, with his unrestrained three-year-old son in the back seat.
Again, we're not here to judge. But in the official release which announced these suspensions, it was mentioned that Smith's was for the 2007 incident, "and for prior and subsequent motor vehicle offenses."
Based on that line of reasoning, shouldn't Richardson have gotten more than two games, considering the DUI in December was followed up with the excessive speeding and child endangerment less than two months later?
The bottom line here is this: Considering the violations in these cases, the suspensions just seem too light for us to believe that the league is serious about punishing players for off-the-court legal issues. It seems like they feel they need to do something, but honestly, they do as little as possible.
It's clear that the league is much more interested in protecting itself, as the 10 games that Rashard Lewis received for taking an over-the-counter supplement (that happened to be on the league's banned substances list) would attest. So why not just stick to doing that?
There's no problem with the league continuing to punish its players for breaking its own rules. But unless they're willing to take a much tougher stance when those same players break society's rules, they would be better-suited to stay out of the punishment business, and just let the legal system sort things out.
Comments (Page 1 of 1)
These last two suspensions, for matters the police had already dealt with, seem like a publicity stunt, and/or illegal double jeopardy to you? Next thing you`ll be saying it is a cruel, calous, calculating, illegal publicity stunt for the Nba to insincerely excrete claims its prior restraint of trade, in violation of the Spencer Haywood court decision, isn`t meant to force young men to flunk out of colleges for their own good, but being exposed to the drug culture, since students abuse drugs 3 times as much as non students, is spiritually enlightening, as is being molested by men who rent other men for sex, pay them blackmail, won`t charge them, and lie to the public they engaged in public exhibitionism with the man`s wife, though the only one who even overheard the alleged public heterosexaulity was another man working for the adulteror. Really prepares the young men for the Stern realities, doesn`t it?
What jerks ! I just finished serving on a jury for a DUI offense . The pics were bad, but lucky for the driver no one was killed in a head on collision. It could have been a whole lot worse . I defend a lot of these star athletes because I believe if you make a mistake "sometimes" you can get a second chance , but these jerks are just stupid . You kill a friend and you want to keep playing ball as if nothing happened ? You can drive 97 mph with your child in the car , and its ok ? I don't know what the correct punishment should be but a start would be to miss "EVERY" game without pay , to attend the funerals of people that die as a result of driving drunk . They should see the pain the drunk driver has cause from the people who were hurt or killed to the family of the dead that were left behind . I have driven drunk and I was stupid . I have stopped and vow to never act that way again . I pray "ALL" athletes call a driver or get a friend to drive them home . Just be smart about the choices you make . Peace !
I can't believe Smith got only 24 days!! Was the DA his brother, or another family member. He killed someone for God's sake!!!! If you or I did that we'd be going away for years. It really pisses me off.
Actually, sadly, no. If you or I killed someone, maybe a buddy, by intentionally getting drunk, and maybe officially UNintentionally getting into a crash. We would NOT get sentenced to the years of rehab, and maybe prison, we maybe ought to, probably. We`d probably get a judge, even if we only had a dumb public defender not a smart private attorney, who would say, "Shame, know exactly how it is, C`mon buddy, let me buy you a drink". Which is why the killings continue. Bridges with no railings, skyscrapers a hundred stories higher than emergency ladders can reach. Folks just don`t care. They witness preventable tragedy, and say, "Bottoms Up", now let`s have another preventable tragedy, so we can have another excuse to take another legal, or illegal, or semi legal, drug. A shame. Harshly cynical? I wish.
He needs to suspend Nate Robinson of the Knicks.
Look at the severity of their driving violations!How can one (INTELLIGENCE QUESTIONED)complain with any length suspension.This is one reason that the "hood" is loaded.We can do what we want and never suffer any loss time.They're blessed to not be serving longer jail time!
Still can not help yourself, can you? Bad behavior by professional athletes has become so commonplace that you knuckleheads readily accept it! Poor babies with their millions, how dare anyone ask them to behave properly. Grow the hell up already, demand a code of conduct for these mopes!
I dont know why everybody wants to make it seem like athletes are some kind of enigma. They are just like anybody else who commit wrongdoing. Common factory workers, teachers, police officers, politicians and etc all commit wrongdoing. This dont mean I condone what they did. I do find a problem with these sports organizations trying to be social police.
what does driving offences have to do with playing basketball they should not have been suspended at all
If I was caught drunk driving 97 miles an hour with an unrestrained child in the back seat I would go straight to jail. No not even pass GO and then when I did get out I would lose my job because of the time lost with me being in jail. SO what does it matter if they are our childrens example? They did wrong and in this world we are ALL SUPOSEDLY EQUAL. I say that the NBA should protect it's reputation [yea right what's left] and drop anyone and everyone that can't act like an upright normal citizen.
These bums should be working at Burger King where they belong instead of racing around in Ferraris...
As for the offences themselves, not the Nba`s scene stealing hypocracy, the law is much too lax. When we had prohibition of alcohol in this country, the real crime rate plunged way down, except in the movies. It was good for the country. But the economic depression in Europe sent literally millions of alcoholics to the US in search of an easier way of keeping in beer and wine and whiskey money. So they became citizens and the law was changed. Prohibition was repealed. A victory for crime, civil liberties, and alcoholism. The drunks could agree to cars with breathalizers which would prevent them driving unless they were sober. The don`t want that. They WANT to kill folks. Those deaths are crashes, but they AREN`T accidents. The law gives them slaps on the wrists. Paris Hilton was given several days for driving drunk without a licenses, which was several times MORE than usual. Several days, when she was lucky she didn`t kill herself, and others. A similar, and related problem, with speeding, since it is often alcoholism which leads to the speeder being so out of touch with reality they just blast right past a marked cop car. Sober speeders generally have the sense to take their pedal off the metal when a cop car is in evidence. I am not saying the punishment of drunk athletes is too severere, just that the courts should require more stringent rehabilitation measures, and the leagues should only get involved preemptively when the police haven`t, the athletes should only face two standards of justice, not three. The individual teams can suspend/fire employees, and the courts can convict them, that is like it is for the rest of us. The associations should be working within the system, within the law, not as law breaking vigilantes, dogpiling on those arrested as mere publicity stunts. Would the franchise owners suspend the Commissioner if he drove fast or drunk? They ought to, he is their employee. But they wouldn`t. Hypocrites.
cheitan123watever do u really think som body want to by ur crap cheap ass garbage go stand on the corner with ur cart and get off the net. sheesh...
too late ron next well take ovr the board rooms bwa haha haha...;^) yea right so what u cant shut down ur weak bladder if u wanted to mr pee his pants. i bet ur watching a game now.
Because these sports commissioners like to play God