David Jones-Garcia will have to sit out for two games after being suspended for his participation in a brawl after his team’s overtime win over Argentina on Sunday.
Dominican players Juan Suero and Juan Guerrero received a one-game suspension each, while Angel Delgado was suspended for a game and will be on a three-year probation. On Argentina’s side, Gonzalo Bressan was suspended for two games, while Juan Pablo Vaulet and Francisco Caffaro got a one-game suspension each. Both federations were fined
$20000 Swiss francs, and Argentinian coach Pablo Prigioni was fined $2000 francs.
Even after the punishments, it’s unclear what happened. What we know is that the Dominican Republic came back to beat Argentina in overtime, and once the game ended, the official broadcast showed teams exchanging shoves as tensions rose. Initially, it was hard to know who was the instigator, but Jones-Garcia was the player who seemed the angriest, and he could be seen throwing a punch once things started to quiet down.
A video from that stands provided more clarity. It shows Argentinian big man Gonzalo Bressan walking towards Jones-Garcia and his teammates, exchanging words and then shoving the Dominican guard, who completely lost his temper and went after Bressan. Others got involved as well.
It was clear from the gravity of the situation that there would be suspensions, so it was likely not a surprise for Jones to learn he would miss games. He offered his version of the story and apologized for his actions on Instagram.
Here’s a translation:
Violence is never the answer. At the end of the game things got out of control after an Argentinian player struck me and one of my teammates received a racist insult. Adrenaline took over, but I take responsibility for my actions. I want to apologize to everyone — to my country, to FIBA, which organized a great tournament, to the San Antonio Spurs, which expect more from me as a professional, and to the Argentinian people.
As Latinos, we should support each other, grow together and keep promoting the game we love. I let my emotions get the best of me, but experiences like this one help me grow and strengthen my emotional intelligence. I will always represent the Dominican Republic with pride and give my best.
Argentinian players claim Jones instigated the brawl by celebrating right in the face of Juan Marcos, who missed the shot that sealed the win. They also commented that the Dominican players. from the start, made jokes about beating Argentina in 2023 to prevent them from qualifying for the last World Cup, leading to a heated game, according to Argentine outlet BasquetPlus. Jones can be seen flexing at Bressan as he approached him, as well, which might have contributed to escalating the situation.
The punishments bring little clarity to what actually happened. If an Argentinian player used a racist insult, they should have received a bigger punishment. At the same time, going by actions alone, Jones-Garcia should have received a longer suspension than Bressan. It’s likely we’ll never know what truly transpired, as FIBA said it won’t comment further on the incident.
Hopefully, Jones-Garcia can learn from this. He’ll miss the game against Nicaragua on Monday, which the Dominican Republic should easily win, and the first game of the knockout stage.
