The NBA G League suspended Cleveland Cavaliers rookie forward Emoni Bates for two games after he entered the stands following the Canton Charge's 126-105 loss to the Birmingham Squadron on Saturday.
One of Bates' Charge teammates, Gabe Osabuohien, was suspended as well.
The full circumstances surrounding the incident remain unclear, but Cavaliers head coach J.B. Bickerstaff came to Bates' defense.
"We talked to Emoni and I want to be clear about the circumstances of that and I don't think it's been clear," he said to Cleveland.com's Chris Fedor. "It was an ugly incident from the fan standpoint."
Bickerstaff added, "there needs to be more done to protect those guys."
Cleveland selected Bates with the No. 49 overall pick in the 2023 NBA draft. He made his NBA debut in a 125-113 loss to the Indiana Pacers and has appeared in 10 games for the team.
The 19-year-old has shown some promise in the G League.
In five games, he has averaged 24.6 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.6 assists while shooting 42.9 percent on 11.2 three-point attempts per contest.
Bates began serving his suspension in Monday's 118-106 win over the Osceola Magic, and he'll be out for Wednesday's rematch.
