Heal Slams FIBA Sanctions For Basketbrawl

Life bans should’ve been considered


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Australian basketball legend Shane Heal has slammed the sanctions that FIBA dished out for the infamous brawl between the Boomers and Philippines earlier this month. 

Speaking on Triple M’s Rush Hour, the former NBA and NBL star believed life, if not years-long, suspensions should have been dished out to some Filipino players. 

The most severe suspensions were handed out to Filipino quartet Calvin Abueva (six games), Carl Cruz (five), Roger Pogoy (five) and Jio Jalalon (five) along with Australia’s Daniel Kickert (five).

“I wasn’t happy and I think if you looked at it in this day and age in an AFL sense, if there was a player that wasn’t playing and he’s in plain clothes, he’s on the side of the ground, and then there’s a dust-up on the ground and then that bloke ran onto the ground and kinghit one of the players, there would be uproar,” Heal said on Friday.

“If he didn’t get life he’d get years, right? That’s exactly what we’re dealing with. This bloke got five or six games, and he can still go and play club basketball next week.

“It’s just not right. FIBA’s lost an opportunity to send a message to the basketball community worldwide that it’s just not tolerated.”

27 November 2018




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