Commissioner Salud met with all the players involved before he issued the penalties.
Below is the complete decision of Commissioner Salud.
1. Marvin Hayes is fined P20,000 for unsportsmanlike conduct, equivalent to a flagrant foul penalty.
2. Kelly Nabong is suspended for 2 games and fined P60,000 for attacking import Marqus Blakely and exchanging blows with Marc Pingris.
3. Pingris is suspended for 2 games and fined P60,000 for fighting and engaging Nabong in an exchange of blows.
4. Joe Devance is suspended for 1 game and fined P30,000 for triggering the commotion that led to the fight between Nabong and Pingris.
In a statement, Commissioner Salud reiterates the PBA's stand against violence during games. According to Salud:
Strong emphasis is being placed on this policy so much so that those who dare to trigger fights will also be penalized accordingly. With this, it should be clear to everyone that instigators, hotheads and troublemakers have no place in the PBA and will be dealt with severely. Instigators also deserve special mention, especially those not even directly involved in the immediate action. They too will have to bear a heavy price for their act.
Finally, I want to remind our players that long after sanctions have been served, your overall conduct's impression on our youth will continue to last. Be more circumspect in the future. Our players' responsibility of role modelling, particularly to our youth, is sacrosanct in the PBA.
