“He Had to Die”: Jusuf Nurkic Was Supposed to Get Punched For Slapping Naji Marshall, Claims Former Clippers Star

Suns big man Jusuf Nurkic and Mavericks guard Naji Marshall sent the NBA into a frenzy following their on-court altercation. Dallas impressively beat Phoenix by a score of 98-87 in their first game following Luka Doncic’s injury. However, the talk of the town centered around Marshall who threw a punch after getting slapped by Nurkic early in the third quarter.

The NBA didn’t waste any time in handing out punishments. Nurkic received a three-game suspension, while Marshall received four games. Despite sparking the entire series of events, Nurkic received the lesser punishment. The decision confused former Clippers star Lou Williams, as he believes Marshall is in the right for defending himself.

Williams took to FanDuel TV’s Run It Back to share his thoughts on the altercation. Although he doesn’t commend violence, he does support self-defense. Therefore, he firmly believes that Marshall shouldn’t have received the biggest punishment of those involved. He said,

“If a man got slapped back in the day, he had to die. It was going to be a duel. You slap a man with an open hand, how do you only get three games? [Nurkic] was supposed to be punched, I don’t want to say he deserved it. It went exactly how it’s supposed to when you hit a man with your open hand.”

"If a man got slapped back in the day, he had to die. It was gonna be a duel… (Nurkić) was supposed to get punched." – @TeamLou23

"If Mike Tyson slaps me, I'm probably gonna throw a punch. I'm prepared for the consequences." – @ChandlerParsons

📺 https://t.co/NyECVTFTmi pic.twitter.com/FbDDhQlxjI

— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) December 30, 2024

Williams has a point since Nurkic is the one responsible for the altercation. The origin of the fight was due to an offensive foul on Nurkic for steamrolling through Mavs big man Daniel Gafford. However, he had a few choice words to Marshall and then swung first.

JUSUF NURKIC VS. NAJI MARSHALL

pic.twitter.com/pSn3kzvABZ

— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) December 28, 2024

Williams wasn’t alone in his opinion as his co-host, Chandler Parsons, agreed with his sentiment. They both couldn’t wrap their heads around the rationale behind suspending Marshall more games than Nurkic.

Parsons stands with Marshall

Following the altercation, Mavericks star Kyrie Irving vowed to pay the fines for his teammates who faced consequences from the fight. Parsons hopes that Irving stays true to his word.

This is silly to me, I hope Kyrie Irving was serious and he pays for the fine,” said Parsons. Additionally, he understands Marshall’s reaction as he reveals he would’ve done the same thing if put into the same situation.

“If Mike Tyson slaps me, I’m probably going to throw a punch,” Parsons said. “I’m prepared for the consequences.” Parsons’ point isn’t to say that he will win the fight but that it is imperative to protect one’s integrity. Therefore, he believes the punishments going forward for altercations need to factor in the context of the situation.