Isaiah Stewart is no stranger to controversy. This isn’t the first time the Pistons big man has found himself in the middle of an on-court altercation, and it certainly isn’t the first time a video of his fiery temper has gone viral. But this time, while he didn’t start the chaos, he played a major role in how things spiraled out of control.

A now-viral video captured the mayhem as fists flew and tempers flared between the Pistons and Timberwolves, leading to seven ejections. Amid the chaos, Stewart was seen gripping a fan in a chokehold-likely without realizing who he had in his grasp. The sheer intensity of the brawl overshadowed everything else, turning what should have been just another NBA game into a full-blown spectacle.

Violence has no place in sports

Let’s be real-there’s no place for this kind of violence in sports, or anywhere for that matter. The NBA now finds itself under scrutiny, joining the ranks of other leagues dealing with unnecessary acts of aggression. It’s one thing for emotions to run high, but moments like these take away from what the game is supposed to be about.

Perhaps the most concerning part of the incident was how it spilled into the courtside seats, pulling in unsuspecting fans. The embarrassing brawl unfolded right in front of Timberwolves owner Alex Rodriguez, who, along with others, had to step in to help break up the melee. The fact that the fight ended up on top of fans is just another layer of absurdity to an already out-of-control situation.

NBA fans demand action

No one was shocked to see Stewart at the center of the controversy, and this certainly isn’t the first time fans have called on the NBA to step in and investigate these increasingly aggressive altercations. Sure, adrenaline and emotions run high in sports-that’s part of the game. But when seven players are ejected, and innocent fans get caught in the crossfire, it raises serious questions about how far things can go before real action is taken. At some point, the league has to step in and enforce some real consequences for these outbursts.

According to OptaSTATS, this game set a new record for the most technical fouls in a single game, racking up 12 in total-something that hadn’t happened since March 23, 2005. With that in mind, the NBA might need to take a hard look at what’s really going on and how to prevent these embarrassing scenes from becoming the norm and of course keep a close eye on Isaiah Stewart.