PJ Hairston in gym altercation

[Beat LA]

Well this isn't good.

Charlotte Hornets first-round pick P.J. Hairston was involved in an altercation during a pickup game at a local YMCA on Sunday in which a high school player alleges he was sucker-punched by the former North Carolina standout.

"We were playing open gym and I was running up the court and he hit me in the forehead with his fist," said Northern Durham High rising senior Kentrell Barkley, who is being recruited by numerous mid-major college programs. "I walked up to him and asked him what happened and then he hit me again in the neck."

Hairston's agent, Juan Morrow, confirmed to ESPN that his client, selected 26th overall in last month's NBA draft, did throw a punch at the 6-foot-5, 195-pound Barkley. However, Morrow said it was in retaliation.

"The pickup game got heated, the kid swung at P.J. and P.J. swung back," Morrow said.

The Durham Police Department said they had no information about the incident when contacted Sunday night, and it's unclear if police were called.

Barkley said he did nothing to antagonize Hairston, who has a recent history of off-court issues while at North Carolina.

"Kentrell's team had beaten P.J. a few times and they were winning again," said Vince Phillips, a friend of Barkley's who played at Southern Durham High and just finished his freshman year at Coastal Carolina University on an academic scholarship. "P.J. was talking to him, then he got the ball, looked up the court and dribbled to Kentrell full-speed, threw his fist and then went and scored. Then he hit him again."

"I'm a lifelong UNC fan and I played against P.J. in high school," Phillips added. "I've always rooted for him -- even with all the stuff that happened last year. But after this, I don't think I could look him in the face."

Phillips said there was a previous incident with another player on the court.

"It's not like it was just one guy," Phillips said. "P.J. was looking for problems."

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/11184420/pj-hairston-charlotte-hornets-involved-altercation-pickup-game

[Future Celtics Owner]

wow what a scumbag. He learned nothing from the UNC incident . I am willing to bet this will not be the last violent incident with this man.

[SHAQATTACK]

Poor Hornets .

[Fafnir]

Not a good sign, but a minor fight in a pickup game being newsworthy is always going to be a bit strange to me.

[D.o.s.]

Not a good sign, but a minor fight in a pickup game being newsworthy is always going to be a bit strange to me.

Its Character Issues!

[Fafnir]

Man twitter would have melted down with cellphone pics of Magic in the clubs and Bird in dive bars getting into fights during playoff game off-days.

[Billz401]

Why is a rookie playing pickup games at the YMCA?? You'd think any non-NBA basketball would be forbidden. Just lookin to tear an acl playing pickups at the local courts smh.

[Fafnir]

Why is a rookie playing pickup games at the YMCA?? You'd think any non-NBA basketball would be forbidden. Just lookin to tear an acl playing pickups at the local courts smh.

NBA players play pickup games all the time, rookies to vets. Guys have to play basketball to stay in shape and improve their skills.

UCLA hosts pickup games that are at a higher level than the NCAA tournament.

[Billz401]

Why is a rookie playing pickup games at the YMCA?? You'd think any non-NBA basketball would be forbidden. Just lookin to tear an acl playing pickups at the local courts smh.

NBA players play pickup games all the time, rookies to vets. Guys have to play basketball to stay in shape and improve their skills.

UCLA hosts pickup games that are at a higher level than the NCAA tournament.

I just figured teams wouldn't wanna risk injury. I remember monta Ellis getting in trouble for crashing a scooter because it was in his contract not to ride them. Didn't kno if they'd have such clauses for this. If they wanna stay in shape I'm sure the team would love them to be in their gym with their coaches and trainers not playing worthless pickups risking incidents like this

[Fafnir]

Why is a rookie playing pickup games at the YMCA?? You'd think any non-NBA basketball would be forbidden. Just lookin to tear an acl playing pickups at the local courts smh.

NBA players play pickup games all the time, rookies to vets. Guys have to play basketball to stay in shape and improve their skills.

UCLA hosts pickup games that are at a higher level than the NCAA tournament.

I just figured teams wouldn't wanna risk injury. I remember monta Ellis getting in trouble for crashing a scooter because it was in his contract not to ride them. Didn't kno if they'd have such clauses for this. If they wanna stay in shape I'm sure the team would love them to be in their gym with their coaches and trainers not playing worthless pickups risking incidents like this

They have plenty of restrictions on non-basketball activities. No skiiing, snowboards, motorcycles, etc...

But you can't exactly tell a guy not to be in the gym working on his game, nor would players take kindly to being restricted to only working out in team gyms with team trainers. The risk of injury in a pickup game can't be much larger than risk of injury "working out" in the gym with trainers.

[GreenWarrior]

Pierce said he played basketball all year round. I'm pretty sure he played regularly with Quentin Richardson & Jermaine O'Neal.

i'm pretty sure most of these guys play any chance they can. 

[Billz401]

Pierce said he played basketball all year round. I'm pretty sure he played regularly with Quentin Richardson & Jermaine O'Neal.

i'm pretty sure most of these guys play any chance they can.

I'm gonna say the q-rich part isn't true. Pretty sure pierce Nd him hate each other lol

[Waew]

My favorite part of the article is that high schoolers at the local YMCA were beating him, a 1st round pick, in a pickup game of basketball.

[BleedGreen1989]

Not a good sign, but a minor fight in a pickup game being newsworthy is always going to be a bit strange to me.

Its Character Issues!

Seriously lol.

Cue the "thug, scumbag, bust, ect" comments.

[hpantazo]

In the old, pre-wussified NBA, this clown would get taken out driving to the hoop until his attitude would change.