'He threw a water bottle and spit at an official': Lightning guard released after on-court tirade
An on-court tirade by London Lightning guard Chris Jones – where he allegedly spit an official- has resulted in a six-game suspension by NBL Canada and his release by the team.
“Unfortunately emotions got the best of Chris in that situation last night,” says Doug Plumb, the Lightning’s head coach.
According to the league, Jones received a pair of technical fouls in the third quarter in Sudbury, and the game report states he threw a water bottle on the court and spit at an official.
“He was banging on the stanchion which was the first technical foul, but didn’t calm down,” says Audley Stephenson, the vice-president of basketball operations for NBL Canada.
“He got a second technical foul and that followed by him getting further out of control with his demeanor, profanity, threw a water bottle and spit at an official. We are very proud of our play on the floor this year, and that is not becoming of what we want to emulate. It was a combination of a number of factors that led to the suspension for the rest of the regular season”.
The 30-year old guard from Memphis,Tenn. was averaging 15.9 points per game for the Lightning in 17 games this season after playing for the Windsor Express in 2019-2020.
The Lightning released Jones, who was scheduled to be at the NBL’s first all-star weekend in New York this weekend.
“His actions forced our hand to do something,’ says Plumb.
“The way he reacted is just not in line with we want to be known as an organization or League. We've got a lot of people behind the scenes trying to get this thing up and rolling again, and I think there has been a lot of good stuff so far. Unfortunately with one incident like that, it can all come down. Sometimes you have to send a message that it’s just not going to be tolerated.”
The Lighting will find a replacement for Jones before their next game on April 22 against the Express.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
From essential goods to common stocking stuffers, Trudeau offering Canadians temporary tax relief
Canadians will soon receive a temporary tax break on several items, along with a one-time $250 rebate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Thursday.
She thought her children just had a cough or fever. A mother shares sons' experience with walking pneumonia
A mother shares with CTVNews.ca her family's health scare as medical experts say cases of the disease and other respiratory illnesses have surged, filling up emergency departments nationwide.
Trump chooses Pam Bondi for attorney general pick after Gaetz withdraws
U.S. president-elect Donald Trump on Thursday named Pam Bondi, the former attorney general of Florida, to be U.S. attorney general just hours after his other choice, Matt Gaetz, withdrew his name from consideration.
A one-of-a-kind Royal Canadian Mint coin sells for more than $1.5M
A rare one-of-a-kind pure gold coin from the Royal Canadian Mint has sold for more than $1.5 million. The 99.99 per cent pure gold coin, named 'The Dance Screen (The Scream Too),' weighs a whopping 10 kilograms and surpassed the previous record for a coin offered at an auction in Canada.
More than 70K Murphy beds recalled across Canada, U.S. over tipping concerns
A popular series of Murphy beds that had been sold online is under a recall in Canada and the U.S. after several reported instances of the furniture detaching from walls.
opinion Trump's cabinet picks: Useful pawns meant to be sacrificed to achieve his endgame
In his column for CTVNews.ca, Washington political analyst Eric Ham argues U.S. president-elect Donald Trump's controversial cabinet nominees are useful pawns meant to be sacrificed for a more bountiful reward down the line.
REVIEW 'Wicked: Part One' review: This re-imagination of the hit musical is a cinematic showstopper
CTV film critic Richard Crouse says 'Wicked' is a bold, brassy re-imagination of the beloved hit musical that brews up its own cinematic vibe.
Putin says Russia attacked Ukraine with a new missile that he claims the West can't stop
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced Thursday that Moscow has tested a new intermediate-range missile in a strike on Ukraine, and he warned that it could use the weapon against countries that have allowed Kyiv to use their missiles to strike Russia.
Here's a list of items that will be GST/HST-free over the holidays
Canadians won't have to pay GST on a selection of items this holiday season, the prime minister vowed on Thursday.