Oct. 15 (UPI) -- Portland Trail Blazers star C.J. McCollum will miss the season opener after walking on the court Wednesday during a preseason game.
But McCollum doesn't think the NBA had to suspend him.
The Trail Blazers beat the Phoenix Suns 113-104 in the contest. The incident occurred with 9:33 remaining in the game. Trail Blazers center Caleb Swanigan and Suns big man Alex Len were battling for position under the rim during a Suns possession.
Swanigan wrapped up Len before Len freed himself and shoved Swanigan. After a few words were exchanged, the players all met in a scuffle on the court.
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McCollum walked out quickly from the bench before being intercepted by a coach and taken back to the sideline.
"Portland Trail Blazers guard CJ McCollum has been suspended one game without pay for leaving the bench area during an altercation, it was announced Saturday by Kiki VanDeWeghe, Executive Vice President, Basketball Operations," the NBA said in a news release.
"The incident occurred with 9:33 remaining in the fourth quarter of Portland's 113-104 preseason win over the Phoenix Suns on Oct. 11 at Talking Stick Resort Arena."
Advertisement"McCollum will be suspended for the first game of the 2017-18 NBA regular season for which he is eligible and physically able to play."
McCollum told The Oregonian that the NBA didn't have to ban him for Wednesday's 7 p.m. game against the Suns at Talking Stick Resort Arena in Phoenix.
"They could have suspended me for the preseason game," McCollum told The Oregonian. "They could have fined me more money and allowed me to play in the regular season game. It's the intent and it's usually up to them, it's to their discretion. So they had a choice. They didn't have to suspend me."
McCollum later said that he "should have known better."
"It cost me a lot of money and the first game of the season," McCollum said, according to the Blazers. "I should've known better with my history of violence on the court that I would get suspended."
The suspension will cost McCollum $165,000. McCollum is due $23.9 million this season.
