How a single punch sparked a massive brawl in the Spanish basketball league
In short: In 2015, Tornike Shengelia was at the center of a chaotic court invasion. A split-second confrontation between the Georgian forward and Dejan Todorović escalated into a full-scale brawl, leading to multiple ejections and a league-wide overhaul of disciplinary regulations in the ACB.
The incident occurred on March 1, 2015, during a Basque derby between Bilbao Basket and Baskonia. With only seconds remaining and Bilbao leading, Shengelia committed a disqualifying foul against Todorović. The ensuing physical exchange—a push followed by a punch—triggered a massive brawl that saw 12 players ejected as benches emptied onto the court.
The fallout was significant for both the players and the league. On March 5, 2015, the ACB provisionally suspended both Shengelia and Todorović. By March 11, the final sanctions were handed down: Shengelia received a five-game suspension, while Todorović was handed a four-game ban. Other players, including Dairis Bertāns and the brothers Mamadou and Ilimane Diop, were fined €3,000.
Beyond the immediate penalties, the brawl prompted the ACB and the Spanish Basketball Federation to discuss strengthening disciplinary regulations to prevent future escalations. For Shengelia, the incident was a momentary lapse in a career that would later see him named to the All-EuroLeague First Team in 2018 and eventually achieve an LBA Finals MVP title with Virtus Bologna.
Shengelia's career has been marked by significant professional and political choices. In February 2022, he terminated his contract with CSKA Moscow—the Central Sports Club of the Army—to protest the Russian invasion of Ukraine, a move that prevented the club from pursuing legal action due to Russia's suspension from EuroLeague and FIBA.
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