Rod Thorn's words won the approval of several executives. One of them added, "That's right. Sprewell has had a reputation as a 'Madman' for a long time and has acted excessively before. This time, he must be punished severely to make an example of him."
"If we indulge him, more players will follow his example in the future. The league's order will be thrown into chaos, and the fans' enthusiasm will suffer as well."
At that moment, Brian McIntyre, the league's director of operations, voiced a different opinion. His tone was calm but firm. "I don't support a suspension. I think a fine is enough, and he should be allowed to play in Game 7."
"First of all, the Lakers fans' behavior was indeed excessive. Their malicious harassment of Knicks players while they were resting had seriously affected the fairness of the game and damaged the league's image."
"Sprewell's impulsiveness was provoked by the fans' insults and harassment. His actions were understandable. Both the fans and the player were at fault; we can't punish only the player."
"Second, we must consider public opinion. There are enormous numbers of Knicks fans and Chinese fans, and Li Fei, as one of the league's biggest stars, has countless supporters."
"If we suspend Sprewell, it will inevitably provoke intense dissatisfaction among these two major fan bases. It may even affect the league's development in the Chinese market. The losses would be too great for the league."
Another executive nodded and chimed in, "Brian is right. We also have to consider how exciting Game 7 will be. The Knicks-Lakers series has already drawn the attention of fans around the world. It's the best matchup of the season."
"Sprewell is one of the Knicks' key scorers. Without him, the Knicks' offense will be severely weakened, the