It was a wild scene in China after the Liaoning Flying Leopards beat the Sichuan Blue Whales 109-104 to capture their first victory in the third game of the Chinese Basketball Association Finals.
Shark Fin Hoops reports after the game things got ugly, as a group of Sichuan fans “swarmed and heckled” players after they arrived at a hotel accompanied by spouses and families. The fans were relentless with their remarks, which caused the fathers of Flying Leopards members He Tianju and Guo Ailun to confront the fans which caused a full-on brawl to break out. Fans and players start swinging at each other, which is about as ugly of a situation as possible.
In the video, you can see former Memphis Grizzlies and current Flying Leopards guard Lester Hudson watching and staying out the fight as the brawl unfolds.
Things seem to calm down after many punches are thrown, and players are escorted to their hotel, but a second confrontation occurs before they make it back inside. The whole thing is a giant mess.
The league hasn’t commented publicly on the incident Shark Fin Hoops reports, but Leopards GM Yan Xiaoming said his players were just trying to protect their fathers. The players reportedly could face an 8-10 game ban or season-ending ban. Considering how many Liaoning players were involved in the brawl, it would be safe to assume they could field a depleted roster for the rest of the Finals – which crumbles their chances at winning the title.
