by Conrad Brunner
Jan. 8, 2003
Indianapolis, Jan. 8, 2003 - The NBA players' union has filed an appeal on behalf of Pacers forward Ron Artest, seeking to regain lost salary and fine money from his league-imposed suspension.
National Basketball Players Association spokesman Dan Wasserman said the union considered the three-game suspension and $35,000 fine "excessive and improper." On his way to the locker room after the Pacers lost 98-96 to the Knicks in Madison Square Garden last Friday night, Artest destroyed a television monitor, then grabbed a high-definition TV camera from a cameraman and tossed it to the floor, shattering it into several pieces.
The suspension, which concluded with the Pacers' rematch with the Knicks on Wednesday night in Conseco Fieldhouse, cost Artest roughly $70,000 in salary in addition to the fine money.
Wasserman said, because this was an off-court incident, it will fall under the jurisdiction of Grievance Arbitrator Roger Kaplan. The hearing could come sometime within the next 2-4 months.