Bear-Arms
Mentor
Fan to sue Davis, wife for more than $1 million
The Associated Press
Published January 19, 2006, 2:57 PM CST
As New York Knicks forward Antonio Davis awaited word Thursday on whether he will be suspended for climbing into the stands to confront a man during a game in Chicago, that fan said he did nothing wrong and was attacked by Davis' wife.
The altercation came in overtime Wednesday night of the Bulls' 106-104 victory. Davis said he thought his wife was in danger and later released a statement saying the fan was drunk.
"It's a lie," 22-year-old Michael Axelrod said in a phone interview with The Associated Press.
Unlike last season's melee when Indiana Pacers, Detroit Pistons and fans were involved in perhaps the worst brawl in U.S. sports history, order was quickly restored. No punches were thrown, there were no arrests and Davis was ejected.
The Knicks were home Thursday night against Detroit. An NBA spokesman said decisions on penalties are usually made before a team plays its next game.
Davis, president of the NBA players' association, jumped over the scorer's table to get in the stands at the United Center.
"I witnessed my wife being threatened by a man that I learned later to be intoxicated," he said in a statement after the game. "I saw him touch her, and I know I should not have acted the way I did, but I would have felt terrible if I didn't react. There was no time to call security. It happened too quickly."
But Axelrod said Kendra Davis tried to scratch him after he protested a call. Axelrod said he never laid a hand on Davis' wife and said he was not drunk.
Axelrod's father, David, is a prominent Democratic political consultant in Chicago who has worked with Senators Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton and Chicago mayor Richard M. Daley.
"When I go to games, I cheer as hard as I can for the Bulls, and I boo as hard as I can for whoever they're playing," Michael Axelrod said. "I don't feel comfortable if players are allowed to easily jump into the crowd whenever they feel like it's necessary."
Axelrod's attorney, Jay Paul Deratany, said he planned to sue Davis and his wife for more than $1 million. Deratany said he was writing the papers Thursday for a battery suit against Kendra Davis and a slander case against Antonio Davis, and planned to file them Friday.
According to Axelrod, he was sitting in the seventh row and booed an official's call. Kendra Davis "came out of her seat. I didn't even pay attention to her. I thought she was just going to the bathroom or something," he said.
Axelrod, who was sitting a couple of rows behind her, said she yelled at him to be quiet. Axelrod said he did not know she was Davis' wife until the player ran into the stands.
Axelrod said Kendra Davis put both hands on his face, and that he motioned for security. He said she later went after another fan.
"I was glad she was done hitting me, but I didn't want her to hit anyone else," Axelrod said.
Antonio Davis appeared calm throughout and walked away willingly when security arrived. He returned to the bench and took his seat before being ejected. The game resumed after about a five-minute delay.
Axelrod was escorted to the concourse by security, but said he was allowed back into the arena and saw Ben Gordon's winning shot at the buzzer.
"His wife and kids were up there," Knicks guard Jamal Crawford said. "If you see your family in harm's way, you're going to go protect them. You're the man of the house, and at that point you're thinking like a regular human instead of an athlete."
United Center security remained in the stands for a few more minutes, and other fans appeared to be explaining what they had seen. Guards in suits and yellow jackets then escorted a group of people from the area.
Knicks coach Larry Brown said Davis went into the stands because he saw his wife "falling back."
Brown was coaching the Pistons in November 2004 when that ugly fight broke out in the stands between fans and Pacers during a Detroit home game. An embarrassment for the NBA, the brawl led to criminal charges and lengthy suspensions for Ron Artest, Jermaine O'Neal and Stephen Jackson.
But Brown was adamant that this situation should be viewed differently.
"Come on, that's his wife," Brown said. "That's entirely different. I was worried about Kendra. That's why he went in the stands, he saw her falling back.
"That thing that happened in the stands had nothing to do with the two teams. That's a man concerned about his family."
The Associated Press
Published January 19, 2006, 2:57 PM CST
As New York Knicks forward Antonio Davis awaited word Thursday on whether he will be suspended for climbing into the stands to confront a man during a game in Chicago, that fan said he did nothing wrong and was attacked by Davis' wife.
The altercation came in overtime Wednesday night of the Bulls' 106-104 victory. Davis said he thought his wife was in danger and later released a statement saying the fan was drunk.
"It's a lie," 22-year-old Michael Axelrod said in a phone interview with The Associated Press.
Unlike last season's melee when Indiana Pacers, Detroit Pistons and fans were involved in perhaps the worst brawl in U.S. sports history, order was quickly restored. No punches were thrown, there were no arrests and Davis was ejected.
The Knicks were home Thursday night against Detroit. An NBA spokesman said decisions on penalties are usually made before a team plays its next game.
Davis, president of the NBA players' association, jumped over the scorer's table to get in the stands at the United Center.
"I witnessed my wife being threatened by a man that I learned later to be intoxicated," he said in a statement after the game. "I saw him touch her, and I know I should not have acted the way I did, but I would have felt terrible if I didn't react. There was no time to call security. It happened too quickly."
But Axelrod said Kendra Davis tried to scratch him after he protested a call. Axelrod said he never laid a hand on Davis' wife and said he was not drunk.
Axelrod's father, David, is a prominent Democratic political consultant in Chicago who has worked with Senators Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton and Chicago mayor Richard M. Daley.
"When I go to games, I cheer as hard as I can for the Bulls, and I boo as hard as I can for whoever they're playing," Michael Axelrod said. "I don't feel comfortable if players are allowed to easily jump into the crowd whenever they feel like it's necessary."
Axelrod's attorney, Jay Paul Deratany, said he planned to sue Davis and his wife for more than $1 million. Deratany said he was writing the papers Thursday for a battery suit against Kendra Davis and a slander case against Antonio Davis, and planned to file them Friday.
According to Axelrod, he was sitting in the seventh row and booed an official's call. Kendra Davis "came out of her seat. I didn't even pay attention to her. I thought she was just going to the bathroom or something," he said.
Axelrod, who was sitting a couple of rows behind her, said she yelled at him to be quiet. Axelrod said he did not know she was Davis' wife until the player ran into the stands.
Axelrod said Kendra Davis put both hands on his face, and that he motioned for security. He said she later went after another fan.
"I was glad she was done hitting me, but I didn't want her to hit anyone else," Axelrod said.
Antonio Davis appeared calm throughout and walked away willingly when security arrived. He returned to the bench and took his seat before being ejected. The game resumed after about a five-minute delay.
Axelrod was escorted to the concourse by security, but said he was allowed back into the arena and saw Ben Gordon's winning shot at the buzzer.
"His wife and kids were up there," Knicks guard Jamal Crawford said. "If you see your family in harm's way, you're going to go protect them. You're the man of the house, and at that point you're thinking like a regular human instead of an athlete."
United Center security remained in the stands for a few more minutes, and other fans appeared to be explaining what they had seen. Guards in suits and yellow jackets then escorted a group of people from the area.
Knicks coach Larry Brown said Davis went into the stands because he saw his wife "falling back."
Brown was coaching the Pistons in November 2004 when that ugly fight broke out in the stands between fans and Pacers during a Detroit home game. An embarrassment for the NBA, the brawl led to criminal charges and lengthy suspensions for Ron Artest, Jermaine O'Neal and Stephen Jackson.
But Brown was adamant that this situation should be viewed differently.
"Come on, that's his wife," Brown said. "That's entirely different. I was worried about Kendra. That's why he went in the stands, he saw her falling back.
"That thing that happened in the stands had nothing to do with the two teams. That's a man concerned about his family."
