Legends feared the worst

EMOTIONAL Aussie basketball legends Andrew Gaze and Shane Heal say they feared for the Boomers’ safety during the “horrific” on-court “gang attack” in The Philippines.

Gaze, Australia’s most capped player, said the brutal scenes were “ugly”.

“Horrific, really felt for the safety of all concerned,” Gaze said. “Particularly when you’re in that hostile environment, for the Australian players it would have been a frightening experience. I’m upset, you feel real emotional about it.”

Heal — who called the game for Fox Sports — is no stranger to on-court conflicts, having had high-profile scuffles with the likes of NBA Hall of Famer Charles Barkley.

But he said the incident was the worst thing he had seen on a court and called for harsh penalties.

“I think [Boomer] Daniel Kickert [ who threw an elbow] probably gets six to eight games — I think the force that he came in with actually contributed to the way things escalated,” Heal said. “FIBA needs to be harsh on the opposition players with the amount of punches and kicks and I would think that any official that has been shown to physically attack any Australians should get a life penalty.”

He said the Filipinos showed disregard for the stain the brawl had on the game by laughing and taking selfies after tensions had settled.

“I think that outraged a lot of people, looking at those guys almost proud that [the fight] had happened and not really understanding the ramifications that it was having for the game,” he said.

Boomer Thon Maker was a dramatic participant in the fight, twice lashing out with his feet.