Photo Credit: Derick E. Hingle/USA TODAY Sports
Hornets Forward Jeff Taylor said that he will not try to appeal his 24-game suspension following his guilty plea on domestic violence charges. On Monday, he said he takes full responsibility for his actions and deemed NBA commissioner Adam Silver’s punishment appropriate.
Instead of complaining, Taylor is nothing less than completely apologetic for his actions. “My actions were wrong, and I don’t care to appeal a decision that was based off my actions being wrong,” Taylor said. “So I respect the league’s decision on the suspension, and I will take all of the necessary steps to make sure nothing like that ever happens again.”
Taylor’s case all started after an altercation with a woman he was romantically involved with. They were drinking and started a loud argument at a hotel room which was enough to have the other guests call security. The argument quickly got out of hand and Taylor violently pushed the woman into the hallway where she fell and hit her head on an opposite door.
Statements also say that he slapped her arm and punched a hole into the wall near his room. The woman had marks on her arm and a bump on her head but declined medical help.
The punishment definitely was not meant to have any leeway either. Taylor’s suspension will cost him $200,000 of his $915,000 salary this season. The National Basketball Players Association even called the suspension excessive last week and an appeal would be supported.
Silver is not pleased at all with the NBA’s lack of tolerance for domestic violence. In a release, Silver said, “While the suspension is significantly longer than prior suspensions for incidents of domestic violence by NBA players, it is appropriate in light of Mr. Taylor’s conduct, the need to deter similar conduct going forward, and the evolving social consensus — with which we fully concur — that professional sports leagues like the NBA must respond to such incidents in a more rigorous way.”
Silver also ordered Taylor to enter an alcohol treatment program. He will have to take daily alcohol tests for 60 days, will be required to do random testing by the probation department and do 80 hours of community service. It sounds like the commissioner was tough but it is a great lesson that needs to be taught not only to the NBA but all of the other sports leagues.
Domestic violence has been scattered all over this year and at this rate, should start alarming people. Silver wanted to make a difference and show that this kind of behavior is not okay but the people who are committing the crimes and the others involved should have enough common sense grow up, walk away and not do it in the first place.
