Bulls fan says he won’t sue Davis, wife
Both sides express regret for ‘miscommunication’ last week
 Jeff Roberson / AP The New York Knicks' Antonio Davis heads back to the court after rushing into the stands in Chicago on Wednesday. |
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 NBA Hall of Fame inductees Sept. 6: Hakeem Olajuwon, Patrick Ewing and Pat Riley were among the 2008 inductees to the Basketball Hall of Fame. |
CHICAGO - No more harsh words, and no lawsuits.
The beef at the Bulls game was a big misunderstanding, and in the end, everyone agreed to move on.
Michael Axelrod, the Chicago fan who quarreled with the wife of Knicks forward Antonio Davis at the United Center last week, issued a joint statement with the Davises on Monday, saying the episode “evolved from some misunderstandings.”
Axelrod said he wouldn’t follow through on his threat to sue Davis and his wife.
“Common sense strongly suggests that we collectively put this episode behind us and move on. That’s what the Davises and Michael Axelrod plan to do, and we hope everyone else will, as well,” the statement read.
The trouble started when Axelrod and Kendra Davis exchanged words during the Bulls-Knicks game at the United Center on Wednesday. Another fan became involved, and Antonio Davis ran into the stands during a timeout in overtime.
While Davis remained calm and allowed security to handle the situation, he was ejected and issued a statement after the game saying a drunk fan had touched Kendra.
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The next day, Axelrod said he had only one glass of wine with dinner a few hours earlier and had threatened to sue for at least $1 million. On Friday, Axelrod and his attorney said they would drop the issue if the Davises issued a public apology.
The Davises refused. But agent Bill Duffy and Axelrod’s father David — a prominent Democratic political consultant — continued to talk.
“It’s good to come to a sensible resolution of this matter, especially where good people are involved,” Duffy said in the statement. “You have two strong, wonderful families, and there’s no reason why a heated moment should divide them.”
Davis was ultimately suspended for five games by the NBA for his foray into the seats.
Axelrod’s attorney, Jay Paul Deratany, said in a telephone interview: “Both sides expressed regret for any miscommunication that occurred. Both parties want to move forward — with being a fan and watching the game and being a ballplayer.”
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“It’s never been our desire to push this forward,” Deratany said. “It’s always been our hope that we could resolve this amicably and without litigation.”
The incident sparked memories of last season’s brawl involving fans and players during a game between the Detroit Pistons and Indiana Pacers, which resulted in lengthy suspensions and criminal charges for Indiana’s Ron Artest, Stephen Jackson and Jermaine O’Neal.
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