Adelaide 36ers import Nick Rakocevic has been found guilty of striking Melbourne United’s Finn Delany during Friday night’s game.
He was initially handed a two-match suspension, however that penalty has been reduced to one game after Rakocevic entered an early guilty plea.
Watch live coverage of NBL and WNBL 2025-26 seasons with ESPN on Kayo Sports | New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for just $1.
Should he be found guilty of any future offences, the additional one-game suspension will be activated and added to his sentence.
In a statement made by the Single Member Tribunal (SMT), they deemed the offence of striking as intentional conduct, medium impact, and high contact.
The incident occurred with 7:16 remaining in the fourth quarter when Rakocevic elbowed Delany. The act was initially missed live but later identified on replay, prompting referees to issue Rakocevic with a disqualifying foul and eject him from the game.
Due to the suspension, he will not be available to play against the Sydney Kings this Wednesday for the Ignite Cup game.
READ MORE:
Exclusive: Parker Jackson-Cartwright open to NZ citizenship in boost for Breakers, Tall Blacks
“It’s more impactful as well because of their foul situation – you just can’t do that,” NBL legend Andrew Gaze said on the broadcast.
“We all know how sensitive we need to be with head injuries, and he just didn’t need to do it. It’s a poor play by Rakocevic – the act itself, but also the responsibility he has when he looks down the bench.
“You just can’t afford to do that. The team needs you.”
Discussion about this post