O.J. Mayo and Tony Allen were involved in a fight on the Memphis Grizzlies' team plane Monday night, according to reports by Gary Parrish of CBSSports.com and Yahoo!'s Adrian Wojnarowski.
O.J. Mayo, Tony Allen Involved In Fight On Team Plane, According To Reports
Mayo sat out the Grizzlies' Tuesday night game against the Oklahoma City Thunder with what the team termed bronchitis. Parrish reported that the fight with Allen had left Mayo's face noticeably swollen. Allen started Tuesday's game, and played 32 minutes.
Wojnarowski reported that the fight stemmed from a gambling debt. Mayo apparently got into Allen’s face when asked to settle a debt, and Allen allegedly decked Mayo. According to accounts, Mayo wasn’t at the arena for Memphis’ game.
The story is somewhat similar to 2009-10's Gilbert Arenas-Javaris Crittenton scandal. Crittenton and Arenas, then Washington Wizards' teammates, had a gambling dispute that carried over to the lockerroom, where guns were brought into the equation. The incident resulted in long suspensions from both Crittenton and Arenas. According to Woj, Allen and Mayo had been playing a game called Boo-Ray, the same game that got Crittenton and Arenas into trouble.
The Grizzlies' incident appears to involve simple fisticuffs, which is not rare in the NBA. Current Grizzly Zach Randolph once broke then-teammate Ruben Patterson's eye socket. Earlier this season, Celtics teammates Delonte West and Von Wafer got into a fistfight during a scrimmage.
Mayo was the No. 3 pick in the 2008 NBA Draft. The Grizzlies acquired Mayo in a draft night trade that sent No. 5 pick Kevin Love to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Love is on pace to become the first NBA player since Moses Malone to average 20 points and 15 rebounds a game for a season. Mayo has been turned into a sixth man this season.
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