For no apparent reason, a Houston Rockets fan by the name of Manuel Garcia sucker-punched New Orleans Pelicans Assistant Coach Joe Boylan in the face on Saturday. The Rockets had won the game and Boylan was looking into the crowd when all of a sudden, he was punched by the fan, who stared him down. Garcia seemingly had no interest in escaping the situation and was eventually arrested by police and charged with misdemeanor assault.
According to TMZ, Garcia could face up to a year in jail for the altercation but he will have to wait for his court date before he really knows his fate. ABC13 in Houston was able to obtain footage of the altercation which appears to be quite grainy. As you can see, Boylan is minding his own business when he gets punched by Garcia. Boylan stays on the ground for a bit while other coaches and the police get involved.
The Rockets were immediately made aware of the fans' actions and he was promptly banned for life from the arena. The NBA has had issues with fans in the past but something like this is almost unheard of outside of the Malice at the Palace.
It will be interesting to see what the authorities decide to do with Garcia when all is said and done.
