I knew when the NBA came down HARD on the players in the Indiana-Detroit brawl last year, but didn’t make much of a point about the drunken behavior exhibited in the stands, that we’d hear more about all of this.
I’m not saying what Antonio did was acceptable (although, playing for Isiah’s Knicks should be used as SOME sort of a "prolonged state of insanity" defense). But I certainly don’t blame him for what he did. And if the NBA doesn’t do more to keep its fans in check, I’ll assure you this won’t be the last problem related to drunken fans (and angry players) in the stands.
The NBA’s policy seems to be–buy the ticket, drink as much as you can until the final buzzer. Sounds like fun–but maybe they should consider putting in boards, a la hockey, if they’re not going to clearly communicate the "don’t taunt the 7′ tall, 280 lb. guys who can kill you with one punch" rule.