Myron Gardner
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Miami Heat forward Myron Gardner spoke to the media for the first time after his fight with Scottie Pippen Jr.
Miami Heat forward Myron Gardner has been the talk of the NBA after getting into a fight with Memphis Grizzlies guard Scotty Pippen Jr.
Gardner didn’t hold back when asked about the incident on February 23 after practice, even taking a shot at Pippen Jr. in front of the media.
“I was just running back on defense, so my momentum took me toward him. I was just paying attention to the game, then seen him come last minute, so he sort of surprised me a little bit,” Gardner said. “It was fun, it’s just basketball, it’s part of it. I don’t know too much about Scotty [Pippen Jr.]. I know about Scotty Pippen Sr.”
Below is the clip of the fight, if you haven’t seen it:
Pippen Jr. also reacted to the incident directly after it occurred.
“I thought it was kind of a cheap shot,” Pippen Jr. told ClutchPoints. “He kind of hit me when I didn’t see him,” Pippen said. “I thought it was a soft move. I just thought maybe he needed a hug on the other end.”
What Punishments Were Myron Gardner and Scotty Pippen Jr. Given for their Altercation?
Myron Gardner
GettyMyron Gardner was fined just $35,000 with no suspension for his role in the incident.
Both Myron Gardner and Scotty Pippen Jr. were punished for their role in the incident, but the consequences weren’t heavy.
Eli Gregorski of Heavy reported that the NBA announced both players would be fined $35,000 “for their roles in an on-court altercation.”
No suspensions were given out by the NBA, and Gardner is expected to play for the Miami Heat against the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday, February 24.
As Gregorski added, this decision is in complete contrast to the recent actions of the NBA. Following a fight between the Charlotte Hornets and the Detroit Pistons, four different players received suspensions.
The Heat are likely feeling lucky their spark-plug rookie didn’t receive any extra time off from the court.
Draymond Green Comments on the Myron Gardner Altercation
Who better to comment on altercations than the man who has gotten into his fair share of them?
Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green, on his podcast, “The Draymond Green Show,” reacted to the incident between Myrn Gardner and Scotty Pippen Jr.
Green noted that Gardner’s reputation has been growing around the league for getting under people’s skin, and not just because of his fight with Pippen Jr.
“Most of y’all are probably like, ‘Who the hell is Myron Gardner?” Green said. “Myron, if you remember, a month ago we played the Miami Heat… Podz [Brandin Podziemski] played great in the fourth quarter, and every shot he made, he kept talking to the bench. Who he was talking to was Myron Gardner.”
“Myron Gardner, this is becoming his MO… You have to back it up; it can’t just be I’m going to pick these fights and can’t back it up with the game… Klay Thompson got into it with someone on the Heat bench and Caron Butler made the young fella apologize to Klay Thompson. That was Myron Gardner…. It’s a very slippery slope. Other players, when they play the Miami Heat and get the opportunity to say something to him, guys on the bench will be killing him. They’re gonna talk bad about him. You put a target on your back and have to make sure you’re ready. I see a lot of guys who aren’t ready for the target on their back.”