The Fight
Photo by Nick Krug, LJ World
A day after the fight, the Big 12’s punishment came down. Twelve games for Silvio de Sousa and two for David McCormack. (KSU’s James Love and Antonio Gordon got eight and three, respectively). While I personally feared for the worst—that de Sousa would be banished for the season—and would have preferred something in the 8-10 game range, I think Jayhawk fans will live with 12. Monday night’s melee is going to be brought up for the rest of the season, and it was important to approach the decision-making here with as much information as possible.
The image of de Sousa lifting the chair above his head is a shocking one, a frame that exudes violence and anger. That he dropped the chair (seemingly on his own accord) will be forgotten, and KU critics like Pat Forde will use it as yet another layer to their narratives because they’re not watching the games at all. (Forde wrote about the incident, which you can Google if you want, and it contains a pretty damning editor’s note). It’s something KU will have to move past, without allowing themselves to forget it. The image quickly zoomed into meme territory at the national level, but KU fans will probably never see it that way.
De Sousa going into the stands is indefensible, whether he was the instigator or not. The fact that de Sousa is the subject of the ongoing FBI probe adds another dimension to the drama, but I don’t think de Sousa’s year-long absence from the floor is necessarily related, although plenty of people will attempt to tie that together. De Sousa reacted in that situation, and he made mistakes. I’m truly glad no one was hurt.
On Wednesday, de Sousa posted an earnest apology, acknowledging his history at KU as well as the incident. I believe that he means it, and will work his way back into the team. It’s been a somewhat forgettable season for Silvio. The block that preceded the fight is almost certainly the best play he’s made on the floor–it was a truly incredible play! No one will remember that, though. If de Sousa is on the team next year, he could find himself in an improved situation. A lot is riding on it.
Over the summer, I worked on some #sponcon that featured Maryland Center Bruno Fernando preparing for the NBA Draft. As the Draft drew closer, potential draftees returned to their rooms to calibrate their fits. Friends, marketing reps and coaches floated in and out of Bruno’s room, a group that included Fernando’s fellow Angolan, Silvio de Sousa. Fernando, later that night, went on to be the first Angolan player ever drafted.
Throughout the extremely nerve-wracking process, de Sousa supported his friend without drawing attention away from him; as they prepared to enter the Barclays Center, de Sousa posed for pictures with Fernando—lots of tourists were bumbling around, angling for selfies with anyone well-dressed and tall. Silvio was warm and loose with these casual NBA fans—to be clear, not one of them had any idea who he was, but he was dressed up and is 6’9’’—and it helped his friend be a little more at ease on the biggest night of his life.
That is anecdotal, obviously, as I don’t purport to really know these two individuals and what makes them tick. It was just one evening on a highly publicized night. But that is the side of Silvio is the one I want to remember, years from now.
In conclusion, we gotta get a better “dribbling out the clock” play.