BASKETBALL : Deveaux banned for two years

DeCarlo Deveaux, of the United States, was yesterday banned from playing in England for two years for starting the brawl between his London Leopards' team-mates and those of the home club, Derby Bucks, two weeks ago.

Derby's veteran English player, Tim Lascelles, has been suspended for 10 games, while his Derby colleague, the American Jason Siemon, will sit out three games. All three players have been punished for "violent conduct" during the Budweiser League game on 4 March.

The joint inquiry, by the Basketball League Limited, who administer the Budweiser competition, and the English Basketball Association, has reacted with unprecedented severity.

The Leopards' American coach, Billy Mims, received a two-game ban for "failing to excercise control over his players" following a warning for another incident earlier in the season.

Leopards are appealing against the ban on Mims, while Derby have seven days to lodge an appeal against the punishment on Lascelles, who ironically won the league's Fair Play Award last season. Eight other players also received disciplinary points for leaving their team benches to join in the mle.