Josh Childress Facing Possible Suspension for Elbow to Jesse Wagstaff
Former NBA forward Josh Childress, now of the NBL's Sydney Kings, faces a potential suspension at a Tuesday tribunal hearing regarding the vicious elbow he threw at Perth Wildcats forward Jesse Wagstaff last week.
According to a report by Adrian Warren of The Sydney Morning Herald, Childress faces three charges from the disciplinary board after being ejected from Friday's game in Perth. The former Atlanta Hawks forward charged at Wagstaff elbow first, knocking the Wildcats forward to the ground before teammates separated the two players.
"The incident itself was extreme and unnecessary," Childress said in a statement. "The game was very physical, and when you feel it's one-sided, you get frustrated. I overreacted and did something that was very uncharacteristic, and I apologise for any harm caused."
Childress was reacting to a hard screen set by Wagstaff seconds before the incident. The Wildcats were leading the hotly contested game 57-41 in the third quarter, which also helped push tempers over the edge. Warren notes a similar situation last season resulted in a two-game ban and $10,000 fine for Adelaide guard Gary Ervin.
Childress, 31, is in his first season with Sydney. He signed with the Australian club in August after being unable to secure an NBA contract. A 2004 first-round pick who was once considered a cornerstone piece for the Hawks, Childress made waves in 2008 when he signed a lucrative contract with Greek club Olympiacos rather than continuing in the NBA.
The former Stanford star returned to the NBA in 2010, but his stay largely proved unsuccessful. The Phoenix Suns, who acquired Childress upon his arrival in the United States, used the amnesty clause to shed his contract in 2012. He's played 18 NBA games total since, appearing with the Brooklyn Nets in 2012-13 and the New Orleans Pelicans last season.
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