MANILA, Philippines – It’s easy to speculate stiff sanction will be handed out in the aftermath of the fracas that marred the San Mig Coffee-Globalport match Wednesday, the worst hard-court violence seen in the PBA years.
Never had players really thrown punches at each other since Jondan Salvador decked Carlo Sharma in their fight during a Purefoods-Red Bull match in 2008.
And never had opposing players attacked one another since James Yap kicked on the butt Talk n Text import Terrence Leather to spark a bench-emptying incident in the Purefoods-Talk n Text tiff also in 2008.
In among the most brutal fights seen in the local pro league, Marc Pingris and Kelly Nabong engaged in a virtual mano a mano Wednesday in the height of the unfortunate incident triggered by Joe Devance getting into action after a double-foul between San Mig Coffee import Marqus Blakely and Globalport rookie Marvin Hayes.
See related story: Nabong claims he's just trying to protect Hayes
The referees had called the double-T but Devance still charged into Hayes, nudging him down to the floor.
As Nabong and Pingris joined the fray, all hell broke loose – reminiscent of the Red Bull-Ginebra free-for-all with Jay Mendoza and Boy Valera as main protagonists.
Also read: Pingris feels sorry as son watches him fight
Still worse were the Shell-Swift Mighty Meaty rumble sparked by Ricky Relosa’s cheap shot on import Ronnie Thompkins in the 90s and the Presto-Anejo riot that went all the way to the stands with chairs flying onto the court in the 80s.
There were also Wynne Arboleda and Danny Ildefonso charging into jeering fans and the recent Renaldo Balkman caper.
Severe punishments were handed down by the PBA Commissioner’s Office in all these incidents.
PBA commissioner Chito Salud met in his office Thursday Pingris, Nabong, Devance and Hayes who are likely to draw stiff sanction.
Salud said he would announce his verdict Friday.
It will be remembered that Salud imposed a lifetime ban on the case of Balkman.
But this is the first time he’s faced with a fight between opposing local players.
Under then commissioner Noli Eala, Sharma and Salvador were both meted a game suspension plus a combined fine of P45,000 on the heels of their fight.