Pacers, and Lawyers, Get Down to Business

The NBA players’ union filed appeals Tuesday on behalf of three suspended Indiana Pacer players, two fans filed lawsuits and police released a videotape of a man they say threw a chair during the brawl at the end of Friday night’s Indiana-Detroit game.

Artest, who went into the stands at Auburn Hills, Mich., to attack fans, was suspended for the remainder of the season, 73 games, by NBA Commissioner David Stern. Stephen Jackson was banned for 30 games and Jermaine O’Neal for 25.

In an appearance on NBC’s “Today” during which he promoted a CD, Artest said the situation “wasn’t good for anybody,” but contended that he shouldn’t have received such a harsh penalty.

“David Stern, he has been pretty good to me throughout the years,” said Artest, who has been suspended seven times by the league since the start of the 2002-03 season. “And I don’t think it was fair, you know, that many games.”

Artest said he has been hit by objects thrown by fans twice before. “I should not have gone into the stands but they should not have thrown stuff,” he said.

Pressed on what suspension would be fair, he said, “I respect, you know, David Stern, you know? But once again, I don’t think I should have been out for the whole season.”

The melee began after Detroit’s Ben Wallace retaliated to a hard foul by shoving Artest, who had backed away from the confrontation. But after being struck by a plastic cup, Artest charged into the stands after fans.

Billy Hunter, executive director of the NBA players’ union, called the suspensions “excessive.” Also appearing on “Today,” Hunter apologized “not only for Ron, but for all NBA players.” But Hunter also said, “I thought that 30 to 35 games would have been appropriate.”

League officials would normally have 20 days to rule on an appeal, but the union claims the discipline is inconsistent with the collective bargaining agreement and has asked that the case go to an arbitrator.

Brian McIntyre, an NBA spokesman, said the attempt to go before an arbitrator “ignores the plain language of the collective bargaining agreement and the consistent past practice of the parties and will ultimately fail.”

In Michigan, meanwhile, legal action growing out of the incident was underway. Fans John Ackerman and William Paulson filed suits against the Pacers, Artest, Jackson, O’Neal and Palace Sports & Entertainment Inc., seeking unspecified damages. Ackerman claims to have been knocked unconscious after being hit by O’Neal and then by a chair thrown by a fan. Paulson said Jackson and Artest hit him.

No one has been arrested, but police released a videotape and asked for the public’s help in identifying a fan who they say threw a chair during the brawl.

“The video is the best picture we have of the suspect at this time,” Auburn Hills police Lt. James Manning said in a statement. “The video shows the suspect throwing a glass of liquid prior to throwing the chair. The video does not show the suspect actually throwing the chair.”

That incident would likely be the only felony charge brought, according to Oakland County prosecutor David Gorcyca. Other charges would probably be misdemeanors for assault and battery.

Manning said the investigation could last as long as three weeks.

John Green, a 39-year-old contractor identified as the fan who threw the cup that hit Artest and sparked his violent outburst, said during an appearance on ABC’s “Good Morning America” that “I don’t go around breaking the law. If they found that I broke the law, I’ll pay the price.”

But Gorcyca said Green was on probation for his third offense of driving under the influence. Green’s record also includes convictions for carrying a concealed weapon and check fraud, according to the Michigan Department of Corrections’ database.

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Associated Press contributed to this report.