CBS SPORTS (KFSM) – Bulls forward and former Arkansas Razorback Bobby Portis has been suspended for eight games by the Chicago Bulls after his altercation with teammate Nikola Mirotic, the team announced.
Mirotic is expected to miss 4-to-6 weeks due to the injuries he sustained during the altercation.
Just hours before the 2017-18 NBA season was set to begin Tuesday night, reports began circulating of a nasty altercation between Chicago Bulls forwards Nikola Mirotic and Bobby Portis at practice. A short time later, the team released a statement indicating that the reports were correct.
“Chicago Bulls forwards Bobby Portis and Nikola Mirotic had a physical altercation during today’s practice. As a result of the incident, Mirotic suffered a concussion and maxillary fractures. Surgery is likely required. Mirotic is out indefinitely. The Bulls are evaluating disciplinary action. An update will be provided when applicable.”
Portis, a Little Rock native, played for the Razorbacks from 2013-15 before being the Bulls first round pick of the 2015 NBA Draft.
Unsurprisingly, the league wants to discuss the incident with Portis, and according to a report from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the two parties have a call scheduled for Wednesday.
What exactly they want to discuss is not clear, though the league will likely want to gather as much information as possible from everyone involved before making any sort of decision on potential discipline.
NBC Sports Chicago’s Vincent Goodwill added that this incident has been brewingbetween the two forwards for three years, and that for what it’s worth, Mirotic was the instigator.
