With or without Charles Barkley in the studio, the Inside Guys were going to comment on Isaiah Stewart. After the altercation between the Pistons player and Suns’ Drew Eubanks, the NBA suspended Stewart for three games without pay. Shaquille O’Neal didn’t agree with the punishment. He even brought up his own history of similar heated moments on the court.

“I think he shouldn’t have gotten three games,” Shaq said. When Ernie Johnson asked why not, he said, “Because I did that and I didn’t get three games.” The incident in question happened when the Phoenix Suns hosted the Detroit Pistons last week. Before the game ended 116-100 in Phoenix’s favor, a scuffle broke out in the tunnel. Stewart and Eubanks got into a heated argument when the former punched the big man. Police were reportedly called to the scene.

Charges were dropped but the NBA suspended Stewart, effective from Thursday’s road game. The Pistons continued their losing streak sans Stewart, losing 129-115 today.

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While the Pistons are catching heat for this episode, Shaq doesn’t agree with the terms. When Ernie said that Shaq and Stewart are from different NBA eras, Big Diesel retorted, “A punch is a punch.” He would know. He’s had more than a few scuffles.

Shaquille O’Neal did get the same punishment

Similar to Stewart, then reigning champion, Shaquille O’Neal punched Chicago Bulls’ Brad Miller in 2002. He received a three-game suspension and was fined $15,000. Miller, too, was suspended for one game.

Years earlier, rookie Shaq was suspended for one game and fined $10,250 for slugging Alvin Robertson. Robertson had the same suspension and a $7,500 fine. O’Neal also faced suspension once for using foul language.

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Given his history, O’Neal is sympathetic to the players who get in trouble for throwing fists. He felt Draymond Green’s recent suspensions were harsh too. The first time, O’Neal argued with the Inside Guys that Green was coming to his teammate’s rescue when he got Rudy Gobert in a chokehold.

When he struck Phoenix Suns’ (they can’t seem to catch a break) Jusuf Nurkić, O’Neal argued that it wasn’t intentional. Prominently, he claimed that Green didn’t “need counseling” for his conduct. He even slammed Nurkic for dragging his feud with Green after he was back from an indefinite suspension. Do you think Shaq’s defense of suspended players holds merit?

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