KEY POINTS
- Isaiah Stewart said he is moving on from his altercation with LeBron James and is focusing on the Pistons' campaign
- Pistons head coach Dwane Casey said Stewart was remorseful
- James and Stewart will meet again when the Lakers and Pistons have a rematch in Los Angeles Sunday
Detroit Pistons center Isaiah Stewart is back in action after serving a two-game suspension for his actions during last week’s game between his team and the Los Angeles Lakers.
On Friday, Stewart suited up for the Pistons' game against the Los Angeles Clippers — which his team lost 96-107. The 20-year-old cager played 27 minutes and contributed just 12 rebounds and 4 points.
During a press conference after the game, Stewart broke his silence on his altercation with Lakers star LeBron James Sunday after the 36-year-old struck him in the face with his elbow during a free throw attempt. While James attempted to apologize, Stewart, who started bleeding from near his eye, was outraged and repeatedly charged at him, causing players from both teams to intervene.
Stewart made it clear that he no longer planned to address the incident moving forward.
"I watched the film. Me, personally, like I said, I didn't feel like it was an accident. But this is my last time addressing it. My main focus right now is on my team and my teammates, getting back to playing basketball," Stewart stated in a video shared by Fox Sports' Melissa Rohlin on Twitter.
"I'm not going to let that define who I am. I'm going to let what Detroit drafted me for define who I am and the way I play basketball," he continued.
Pistons head coach Dwane Casey earlier said that Stewart has shown remorse for his actions and that the 20-year-old’s actions are not a reflection of who he is.
James, for his part, remained firm that despite what critics are saying, the hit that sparked the altercation was an accident, CBS Sports reported.
Following the incident, James was assessed a flagrant 2 foul and ejected from the game. Stewart was also ejected after getting two technical fouls for unsportsmanlike conduct during the melee. James was then suspended for one game by the NBA, while Stewart received a two-game suspension.
James and Stewart are set to face off again Sunday, but this time at the Staples Center. All eyes will be on the two players, who are likely to cross paths.
James could approach Stewart and extend a personal apology before the game starts. Once the rematch gets underway, it will be interesting to see whether they will get entangled again or move forward from the incident.
Isaiah Stewart #28 of the Detroit Pistons is restrained as he goes after LeBron James #6 of the Los Angeles Lakers Photo: Getty Images | Nic Antaya
