The NBA world was left confused after reports suggested that Detroit Pistons forward Isaiah Stewart had punched Phoenix Suns’ Drew Eubanks before a game between the two teams on February 14. Eubanks revealed later on that he was allegedly punched by Stewart in the parking lot of Footprint Center as he was headed toward the locker room for the game. The shocking news grabbed headlines just a week before the All-Star Weekend. Meanwhile, NBA insider Shams Charania has come up with some interesting new details about the whole ordeal.
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While the NBA is reportedly investigating the matter, not a lot of details have been revealed to the public except Eubanks’ own testimony. According to the Suns star, Stewart punched him completely unprovoked and he is not quite sure what might have prompted such a reaction. During a recent appearance on the Run It Back podcast, Shams Charania mentioned the presence of video evidence that supposedly clearly shows Eubanks getting punched by Stewart.
“There is video. The security of Phoenix, they have seen it. The league has seen it too. The people that I’ve spoken to that have seen it [said], ‘Yeah, Drew Eubanks was punched in the face. Isaiah Stewart dropped his bags and delivered a punch,” Charania told the Run It Back crew.
He further added that Eubanks has reportedly seen the video as well and confirmed it to be the video of the concerned incident. Charania also said that his sources reported that the Phoenix Suns player stood there unfazed after the punch with a ‘stone-cold’ face before security officials intervened. Both players were later escorted away from the place by the security of their respective teams.
Stewart was arrested after the incident for the alleged assault. The presence of video evidence does put things more into perspective as the NBA nears the conclusion of their investigation.
The Phoenix Suns have stood behind Eubanks
The Phoenix Suns have stood behind their player in the wake of such a concerning incident. They released a statement after the incident, saying, “The attack on Drew Eubanks was unprovoked, and acts of violence such as this are unacceptable…We unequivocally support Drew, and will continue to work with local law enforcement and the NBA.”
The Suns defeated the Pistons 116-100 despite what happened to Eubanks. The 27-year-old even tallied 6 points and 6 rebounds in his team’s dominant win at home.
Just when you thought the Pistons’ season couldn’t get any worse, Stewart’s reported actions have further put a stain on the 8-46 Detroit side’s nightmare campaign this season. Amidst all the noise, fans are still waiting for more information to be released on the unfortunate situation.
