Camby Suspended for Taking Swing at Ferry

N E W  Y O R K, Jan. 17 -- New York's Marcus Camby was suspended five gamesand fined $25,000 by the NBA today for taking a roundhouseswing at San Antonio's Danny Ferry and head-butting his own coach.

Ferry was suspended one game and fined $7,500.

Camby's punch did not strike Ferry because Knicks coach Jeff VanGundy stepped between them at the last moment. Camby's headcollided with Van Gundy's, opening a cut above the coach's left eyethat required 12-15 stitches.

Camby's outburst occurred after he was struck in the eye whilehe and Ferry were jostling for rebounding position in the fourthquarter of New York's 104-82 victory over the Spurs Monday.

Camby: ‘I Regret That I Lost My Cool’

After being restrained by one referee and speaking with another,Camby suddenly bolted toward Ferry near the scorer's table andstarted swinging.

If Van Gundy hadn't stepped in the way, the punch might haveconnected and Camby might have faced an even longer suspension.

Ferry will serve his one-game suspension Wednesday night whenthe Spurs play at home against the Toronto Raptors. The Knicks areentering a five-game stretch against Detroit, Indiana, Milwaukee,Charlotte and the Los Angeles Lakers, beginning Friday.

"I regret that I lost my cool, because that's not me," Cambysaid Tuesday. "Those who have been around me since I've been hereknow that I'm an easygoing-type guy. I just lost it when I saw thatblood, and I was truly, truly in the wrong."

Camby wound up with scrapes above both his eyes — one from beingpoked by Ferry, one from colliding with his coach. Van Gundy's eyealso is swollen.

"Seeing Jeff today, I just feel sorry for the guy," Camby saidTuesday. "Because if you look at him you'd think he's really beenin a fight."

Words of Praise for Defense

As Camby left the court, he grabbed a folding chair — an actionhe admitted was "ridiculous" — before a security official took itaway from him. He stood outside the Spurs' locker room before beingpersuaded to leave, then spent another 20 minutes in a tunnel nearwhere the Spurs' team bus was idling.