NBA Domestic Violence: League Suspends Charlotte’s Jeff Taylor For 24 Games, Dwight Howard Being Investigated For Hitting 6-Year-Old Son

The National Basketball Association (NBA) has suspended Jeff Taylor, a forward for the Charlotte Hornets, after pleading guilty to a misdemeanour domestic violence charge and malicious destruction of hotel property in an unfortunate incident last October.

According to a NBA report, the suspension will run for 24 games with Taylor already credited for 11 games missed and will sit out the next 13 games for the Hornets. The 25-year-old Taylor was Charlotte’s second round pick as the 31st selection in the 2012 NBA Draft.

The suspension comes about the same time when an alleged domestic violence charge is being hurled at Houston Rockets star centre Dwight Howard. The move by NBA commissioner Adam Silver to suspend Taylor will send a strong message to the players involved and eventually found guilty on cases related to domestic violence.

“Domestic violence is a serious societal issue that is antithetical to any community or organization that prides itself on the values of respect for others, good moral character, and common decency. These values are central to the NBA, and domestic violence is an issue that is commanding our full attention. I have the responsibility to safeguard the best interests of the league and all of its constituents. ln addition to its profound impact on victims, domestic violence committed by anymember of the NBA family causes damage to the league and undermines the public'sconfidence in it,” Silver stated in an official press release from the NBA.

In the same release the NBA found through its internal investigation on the matter that there was “undisputed” proof of the domestic violence charge on Taylor.

“After a night of heavy drinking on September 24,2014, Mr. Taylor and the woman had an intense and high-volume argument that began in the hotel room where Mr. Taylor was staying, prompting hotel guests to call Marriott security.” the official investigation concluded. “The argument escalated and resulted in Mr. Taylor shoving the woman in a violent manner into the hotel hallway so that she fell to the ground and struck her head on the opposite door, slapping her arm, and punching a hole in a wall near his hotel room. She had marks on her upper arm and a bump on her head but declined medical treatment.”

With the Taylor suspension, the Dwight Howard domestic violence charge will be front and centre in the coming weeks as the NBA is expected to conduct their own investigation on the matter. Howard is being investigated for a similar domestic violence charge involving a hitting incident on his six-year old son. Currently, in the National Football League (NFL), Adrian Peterson of the Minnesota Vikings is suspended from play for allegedly abusing his four-year-old son.