The NBA league office has banned Manuel Garcia, a Houston Rockets fan who sucker-punched New Orleans Pelicans assistant coach Joe Boylan on Oct. 26, from all NBA, WNBA, G League, and 2K League events, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.
Garcia, 38, was charged with misdemeanor assault after punching Boylan unprovoked. His girlfriend was also charged for allegedly preventing police from getting to him.
Security footage showed the incident, as Garcia was quickly escorted out of the arena and taken to local authorities:
The NBA recently implemented a zero-tolerance policy in the wake of several fan-related incidents last season, most of them dealing with racial abuse and insensitivity.
Fans who insulted the likes of Russell Westbrook and DeMarcus Cousins found themselves serving lifetime bans, while Golden State Warriors minority owner Mark Stevens was banned for a year for shoving Toronto Raptors guard Kyle Lowry during the NBA Finals.
The league is doubling down on this policy, quickly taking action after reviewing the footage and speaking to local authorities about what took place in the Toyota Center.
Prosecutors still don’t know why Garcia chose to sock an unsuspecting Boylan, who fell to the ground after the punch, according to Michael Blinn of the New York Post.
The Rockets banned Garcia for life after the footage surfaced, but the fan could be facing up to a year in jail for his actions, according to TMZ Sports.
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