Fortson Set to Return

<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">The way Danny Fortson plays basketball, there are going to be times when his temper gets the best of him.
Both Fortson and Seattle SuperSonics coach Nate McMillan said an incident like Thursday?s ejection and chair-toss against Sacramento is unacceptable. But neither will say something similar won?t happen again.

Fortson, who returns from an NBA-enforced two-game suspension for tonight?s 6 o?clock game against Golden State, often provides a spark for the Sonics with his physical play. And sometimes, that spark turns into an out-of-control blaze.

Fortson said he must do a better job of keeping his emotions in check but admits that?s tough considering that elbows to the ribs, shoves in the back and words that can?t be printed here are occupational hazards.

?My team needs me to play and it?s that simple. When I do things like that, I hurt the team,? Fortson said. ?Ray Allen already got on me earlier in the year about that and I agree with Ray.

?Just play ball, it?s as simple as that.?

It is and it isn?t, especially for a player like Fortson who operates in a gray area of what you can and can?t get away with in the course of an NBA game.

Therein lies the problem: What one referee will allow, another won?t. And if you?ve got the reputation of being an aggressive, physical player like Fortson does, that makes you an easy target.

Fortson said this is what led to his ejection and subsequent furniture abuse. He felt Kings forward Chris Webber was just as guilty as he was, but Webber didn?t get ejected by referee Dan Crawford.

He said if Webber had been tossed, too, he wouldn?t have been so upset. ?Then it would have been an eye-for-an-eye. I understand he?s a superstar, but keep it fair,? Fortson said.</div> Source