BEIJING - China captain Liu Wei has been fined and suspended by the country's national association over his part in a post-game attack on former NBA forward Gabe Muoneke.
Muoneke, who has played for Houston, Charlotte and Utah, was uninjured in the Nov. 28 incident following a game between his Yunnan Running Bulls and Liu's Shanghai Sharks, according to the Chinese Basketball Association's Web site.
Liu and teammate Cai Liang must each pay a 50,000-yuan fine (C$9,420) and serve a 10-game suspension. Their team was fined 100,000 yuan (C$18,840), the association said.
"The incident was abominable and serious in nature, casting a terrible influence over society and seriously harming the CBA's brand and reputation," the CBA said in a statement.
Liu is best known for his on-court partnership with former Sharks teammate and China star Yao Ming of the NBA's Houston Rockets. The pair were at the core of the team that made it into the quarter-finals at this year's Beijing Olympics.
Cai and Muoneke had clashed on court as they wrestled for the ball. Cai, Wei and other members of the Sharks then confronted Muoneke as he was leaving the stadium with his wife, three children and mother-in-law, the association said.
Muoneke was hit by a water bottle and chased into a corner, where he was surrounded by Shark players. The attack was captured on security cameras, and the footage was reviewed as part of an investigation.
The strong response appears to reflect efforts to reform the ailing league. Over recent months, the CBA has partnered with the NBA on venue management and recently ordered teams to reveal their player's true ages to end the common practice of underreporting ages to keep players eligible for youth tournaments.