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Basketbrawl: Legends react to ‘horrific’ fight between Australia and Philippines

SUDANESE-born Boomer Thon Maker has taken responsibility for his role in the “horrific” Manila brawl Australian basketball greats Andrew Gaze and Shane Heal have slammed, but he says more security is needed.

Michael Randall, Lauren Wood, Gilbert Gardiner and Greg Davis
7 min read
July 3, 2018 - 1:21PM
Aussies involved in 'all-out basketbrawl'

SUDANESE-born Boomers centre Thon Maker has expressed disappointment and taken responsibility for his role in the Manila brawl that has shaken the basketball world.

Maker — one of four Australians ejected after the brawl along with nine Phillipines players — was punched from behind and was seen trying to kick opposition players in the wild melee during the Boomers’ FIBA World Cup qualifier.

STUNNING: HOW THE BRAWL STARTED

COOLHAND LUC: LONGLEY PRAISED FOR KEEPING COOL

The Milwaukee Buck took to Twitter to vent his frustrations with the incident.

“I am deeply disappointed in the actions displayed during yesterday’s game,’’ he said.

“Being from a war-torn country, basketball for me has always been a means to bring people together. I feel a great responsibility as an NBA player to carry myself in a way that promotes peace and unity.

“My hope is that this experience provides a springboard for discussion regarding the security surrounding these games.

“I take responsibility for my actions knowing that there were a result of my desire to protect my teammates and myself.

“It is a tremendous honour to represent Australia, the Milwaukee Bucks and the NBA and my goal is to reflect that in my conduct and play.’’

NBA big man Thon Maker joins the scrap. Picture: Getty Images
NBA big man Thon Maker joins the scrap. Picture: Getty Images

LEGEND REACTS

EMOTIONAL Aussie basketball legend Andrew Gaze says he feared for the Boomers’ safety during last night’s ugly brawl in Manila.

Australia’s most-capped player said the brutal scenes were upsetting.

“Horrific, really felt for the safety of all concerned,” Gaze told the Herald Sun.

“Particularly when you’re in that hostile environment, for the Australian players it would have been a frightening experience,” he said.

“It’s an unfortunate, ugly incident.

“I honestly put my head on the pillow and I couldn’t stop thinking about how horrific it was.

“I don’t know if I’m angry, I’m more upset, you feel real emotional about it.”

Gaze said the fight brought back memories of the infamous ‘Malice in the Palace’ — a 2004 brawl between NBA teams Detroit and Indiana that spilled into the stands — but believed the incident would not curtail the recent growth basketball had experienced in Australia.

“You cant ignore the fact it’s a disappointing thing that’s going to have ramifications for all those involved, but I’m not so sure it’s going to be to the detriment of the entire sport,” he said.

“It’s something that happens very, very rarely.

“You can’t hide from the fact that it was really, really ugly, but I’m not sure it will necessarily snap any momentum or have a lasting impact on the growth of the game and popularity of the game.

“As ugly and horrific as it was, I think it’s more the way you react to these things and how the sport deals with it is just as important to help put in place some situations that will provide the best opportunity for this not to happen again.”

Jason William jumps to hit Australia’s Daniel Kickert. Picture: AP Photo
Jason William jumps to hit Australia’s Daniel Kickert. Picture: AP Photo

He praised Aussie officials for their composure in trying circumstances.

“I thought Australia showed great restraint and discipline with keeping their players on the bench, because it could have escalated even worse if the Australian players on the bench had have come running onto the court like the Filipino team did,” he said.

Gaze said he had played in Manila and the fanatical obsession for the sport in the Philippines dwarfed Melburnians’ love for Aussie rules.

“They love the game, it’s the most popular sport in the country by the length of the strait and it makes the fanatical way in which Melburnians get behind the AFL look almost irrelevant,” he said.

“They love the game and they’re very passionate toward their local teams and clearly they’ve got a lot of national pride, but all of that is no excuse or explanation for what took place.”

The five-time Olympian believed Philippines coach Jong Uichico may have sparked the incident.

“There’s a lot of people at fault and I’m sure that FIBA will go through it and figure it out,” he said.

“But a key for me was two or three minutes before that, there was a time-out and the coach of the Filipino team in that time-out was heard to say ‘put someone on their a***, be physical, don’t cop it’ and you don’t want to jump to conclusions, but that might have had some sort of impact on the behaviour that sparked this whole incident when Chris Goulding gets whacked for no apparent reason.”

Gaze said the brutal scenes during the Boomers FIBA World Cup qualifier against the Philippines were upsetting. Picture: AFP Photo/Ted Aljibe
Gaze said the brutal scenes during the Boomers FIBA World Cup qualifier against the Philippines were upsetting. Picture: AFP Photo/Ted Aljibe

HEAL CALLS FOR LIFETIME BANS

AUSTRALIAN basketball great Shane Heal has slammed those involved in last night’s shocking brawl, saying it is “without doubt” the worst incident he had ever seen on a basketball court and called for lifetime bans.

Heal, who was commentating the match, tweeted post-game that he and fellow Fox Sports caller Matt Russell had “just put our headphones down and looked at each other and said … WTF just happened”.

“Without doubt (it is the worst thing I’ve seen),” he said today.

“Particularly at an international level, where you expect so much more.

“Overall the Australians … they stayed on the bench. They did the right thing. I think Daniel Kickert is in trouble though.”

He questioned with NBA outfits paying players upwards of $40 million why they would permit their players to travel to be involved in such matches in the future.

But the biggest shock for Heal came after the brawl.

“I was shocked that the officials came back and they resumed the game,” he told 3AW.

“I thought nothing good would come from that, and I thought as soon as the referee had the chance to review the vision, the only sensible pathway after that would be to call the game off.

“Australia wins — they were up 30 points or something and they came back on. Philippines had nine players ejected, so they were left with only three players, which you never see in international basketball and they intentionally fouled the Australians so they were left with one player and the game was called off through that.”

Matthew Dellavedova tussles with Andray Blache during play. Picture: AP
Matthew Dellavedova tussles with Andray Blache during play. Picture: AP

BE ‘SENSIBLE’: DELLY REP

Australian NBA star Matthew Dellavedova’s manager, Bruce Kaider, has called for “sensible” decisions about future Boomers internationals after last night’s vicious brawl in Manila.

Kaider expects to have discussions with Milwaukee Bucks officials in coming days following the incident, in relation to player availability and safety.

“It’s too early, to be honest our No. 1 concern last night... was to make sure the boys were in a safe environment,” Kaider told the Herald Sun from Manila.

“Now that everyone has had a chance to have a sleep and regroup... I think on reflection we’ll probably be able to make a better and more informed decision about what it is and what transpired, could things have been done differently? What should have been in place?

“At this stage, I would be reluctant to make any real comment on that, I think we need to have a look at it and I think we need to make sure that we’re sensible about it and keep it in context, just who was involved, how many people were directly involved.”

Dellavedova will return to Melbourne next week after a promotional tour in Europe.

GOULDING NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE IT

Chris Goulding has been left “battered and bruised” and “appalled” by what took place, according to his agent Daniel Moldovan.

“He is (OK),” Moldovan said.

“He’s a little bit bruised and battered, but he is OK. He’s a tough one. He’s shocked and appalled, as we all are, at what took place.”

He said Goulding was at one point pinned down as a dozen people attacked him.

“That was just Chris — alone, underneath 12 guys stomping him, punching him, kicking him, the American on the team was holding his leg down so he couldn’t get up,” Moldovan said on SEN.

“Unacceptable.

Daniel Kickert saw red after seeing teammate Chris Goulding ironed out.
Daniel Kickert saw red after seeing teammate Chris Goulding ironed out.

“What took place from those that flew off the bench out of sight and out of mind for those involved in the fracas, the team officials, managers, equipment guys, water boys, whoever they were — going in in the fashion that they did, that’s where I take serious offence to what took place and that’s where I want to see FIBA come down with a very, very heavy hand.”

Moldovan said he had seen his fair share of on-court fights in his time — but nothing like this.

And he would hesitate in sending players back to the Philippines unless FIBA hands down an appropriate penalty and has not ruled out legal action.

“Serious measures would need to be put in place for me to feel comfortable to allow them to go there again,” he said.

“It’s unheard of — here in America the amount of security that runs on to the court in an incident is overwhelming.

“It’s hard for me to even fathom (that no security stepped in). If FIBA’s response isn’t adequate, I’m going to pursue my own legal avenues to protect my clients. Serious measures would need to be put in place before I’m comfortable to send players to these environments again.

“Fines are inadequate. There would need to be serious sanctions against the federation.”

There have today been calls for criminal charges against those involved.

Originally published as Basketbrawl: Legends react to ‘horrific’ fight between Australia and Philippines

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Original URL: https://www.themercury.com.au/sport/basketball/shane-heal-says-brawl-between-australia-and-philippines-the-worst-incident-he-has-seen-on-a-basketball-court/news-story/717965e4a26c9a09ee3a054dca66d9b6