Adam Silver is pressed by Charles Barkley over the recent domestic abuse occurrences in the NBA.
On Tuesday night’s pregame show, TNT analyst and basketball Hall of Famer Charles Barkley asked pointed questions about the NBA’s response to a string of player-related incidents, urging commissioner Adam Silver to take tougher action against domestic abuse in the sport.
“What are we going to address the disturbing domestic violence incidents that have occurred in the NBA recently?” Barkley said, “Because you can’t put both hands on women, man,” before continuing.
And when it comes to sports, we ought to be leaders. What action is the league taking to address that?
At first, Silver seemed to sidestep the matter by claiming that the league wasn’t vying with other athletic organizations to be in the “front” of the problem.
He continued by commending the Football Players Association for supporting a revised program to deal with allegations of domestic violence.
He stated that training and counseling were necessary in order to prevent domestic violence, but he did not give any fresh ideas or answers for how the most recent incidents should be handled.
We don’t intend to compete with other leagues in that field. To their credit, our players’ association wasn’t hostile.
Prior to any legal action being taken, we implemented a new procedure for how we handle domestic abuse allegations.
A portion of it goes into player training, player counseling to ensure understanding in high-stress scenarios, and player never using violence against anyone.
We’re talking. Our players are being counseled by cutting edge pros. The repercussions are severe if a guy crosses the line, of course. “We’re taking care of it. Our players are being counseled by cutting edge pros.
In answer to Charles Barkley’s inquiry, the NBA Commissioner issued a succinct statement that stated, “But of course, when a guy does cross the boundary, the consequences are enormous.”
Miles Bridges and Kevin Porter Jr. of the Houston Rockets are two situations that NBA Commissioner Adam Silver is now handling.
After being charged in court, the forward for the Charlotte Hornets might miss 30 games. Porter Jr., on one hand, hasn’t yet had to deal with the repercussions of his behavior following the news’s release.
Jaxson Hayes faced the same fate only a year prior. He was prosecuted with two charges of domestic assault in court, which resulted in three years of probation.
But he hasn’t received an official warning from the NBA for his conduct. Even after his case made news, Hayes was permitted to sign with the NBA’s Los Angeles Lakers for the current season.
As is often the case, load management was the talk of the town heading into the evening, and Charles Barkley gave the league credit for trying to keep its best players on the field more frequently.
Barkley, though, isn’t afraid to press Silver for answers when he feels they are warranted. On Tuesday, for example, he questioned Silver about the recent sexual assault incidents involving Miles Bridges as well as Kevin Porter Jr., stating that the league must take the lead in addressing these issues and improve its efforts to deter and punish them.
Barkley raises a valid point, and not every league broadcasting partner would put such a topic in that venue.
Silver does not discuss how the league handled player discipline, but he does mention a new initiative by the Player Association to deal with domestic abuse allegations as well as efforts to provide training and counseling.
The NBA’s decision to suspend Bridges for just 10 games to begin the current campaign was criticized as being far too mild because it referenced the previous season, in which he was without a contract and his 20 games served counted toward his ban.