NBA Suspends Player 24 Games After Guilty Domestic Violence Plea

19 Nov, 2014

The NBA has suspended Charlotte Hornets forward Jeffery Taylor for 24 games without pay after he pleaded guilty to misdemeanor domestic violence assault and malicious destruction of hotel property last month.

Taylor will get credit for the 11 games he has missed, and will sit out an additional 13, is slightly more than one-fourth of the league’s 82-game schedule.

“This suspension is necessary to protect the interests of the NBA and the public’s confidence in it,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said in a release Wednesday. “Mr. Taylor’s conduct violates applicable law and, in my opinion, does not conform to standards of morality and is prejudicial and detrimental to the NBA.”

The suspension means Taylor will lose about $267,000 of his $915,000 salary this season.

Taylor, 25, is in his third NBA season. He was sentenced to 18 months of probation. As part of his probation, he must complete 26 weeks in a domestic violence intervention program.

The Hornets released a statement before Wednesday night’s game against Indiana, saying: “The NBA has informed us of its decision to suspend Jeffery Taylor. We understand and support the NBA’s position in this matter.”

The NBA conducted an investigation into the Taylor’s arrest in East Lansing, Michigan hotel the morning of Sept. 25 following an altercation with a woman with whom he was having a romantic relationship.

Taylor and the woman were drinking heavily at a hotel room and a loud argument ensued, prompting guests to call security, the NBA release stated. The argument escalated and Taylor shoved the woman in a violent manner into the hallway where she fell to the ground and struck her head on an opposite door.

AP

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