NEW YORK, Dec. 23 (UPI) -- A federal court hearing opened Thursday on whether or not Indiana Pacers' forward Jermaine O'Neal can resume playing Saturday.
The National Basketball Association and the players union clashed over whether an arbitrator's decision Wednesday to reduce O'Neal's November suspension from 25 games to 15 is binding, the Indianapolis Star reported Thursday.
The suspension followed O'Neal's part in a fight last month between several Pacers and Pistons fans near the end of a game in Detroit. NBA commissioner David Stern suspended a number of athletes, including O'Neal.
The player's union asked the federal court in New York to uphold the reduced suspension, thus letting O'Neal resume play Saturday while the NBA said the arbitrator had no jurisdiction to modify the league's suspension.
The hearing was expected to continue Friday.
