Isaiah Stewart punched Drew Eubanks (pregame parking-lot incident)

Ahead of a Feb. 14, 2024 game between the Detroit Pistons and Phoenix Suns, Isaiah Stewart and Suns forward Drew Eubanks became involved in a pregame confrontation in the arena parking area that culminated in Stewart throwing a punch that struck Eubanks, according to local and league reporting [8]. The Pistons center was cited and arrested that night, and the NBA's League Operations reviewed the incident; on Feb. 22, 2024 the league issued a three-game suspension to Stewart for the conduct, citing the footage and the physical nature of the altercation in its rationale [8]. Later criminal proceedings related to the parking-lot incident were dismissed, but the episode remained part of the public and league record and was referenced by the NBA when addressing later conduct by Stewart in 2026 [8][1]. Reporting at the time included video descriptions and play-by-play of the security response; media outlets cited accounts from team spokespeople and league officials when summarizing the action and disciplinary outcome [8].

The 2024 parking-lot incident became part of a pattern of physical confrontations involving Isaiah Stewart that the NBA later used as context when assigning sanctions in subsequent matters, including the 2026 Pistons–Hornets altercation. Because the league explicitly referenced prior conduct in future punishments, the 2024 event has enduring relevance to how officials evaluate repeat behavior and appropriate suspension lengths for bench or non-game altercations [8][1].

Following the suspension, Stewart missed three games per the NBA's Feb. 22, 2024 decision and the Pistons adjusted rotations accordingly [8]. The criminal charge tied to the parking-lot incident was ultimately dismissed, but the episode remained part of Stewart's public disciplinary record and was later cited by League Operations when Stewart was suspended seven games after the Feb. 9, 2026 bench-clearing brawl [1][8]. The 2024 episode is frequently referenced in reporting that chronicles Stewart's pattern of escalatory incidents across multiple seasons [1][8].