By Antonis Stroggylakis/ info@eurohoops.net
Pau-Orthez assistant coach Jimmy Verove talked about the physical altercation with Elan Chalon head coach Jean-Denys Choulet following the French Jeep Elite League game between the two teams, Saturday (24/11).
With the completion of the match (a 101-96 win for Orthez), the two head coaches approached each other for the post-game handshake. Choulet started saying something to Orthez head coach Laurent Vila in visibly angry tone and then shoulder-hit him. Verove intervened and when Choulet tried to push him back, the Orthez assistant responded by making a headlock move against the Chalon head coach.
According to Verove, he reacted in such a manner because Choulet hit him… in the balls.
“He got closer to me and didn’t give me a shoulder hit as he stated,” Verove said per RMC Sport. “He punched me on the balls and I shouted ‘F–k, he hit me on the balls’. I reacted directly, with a self-defense move, a very instinctive one. I reacted as a friend of Laurent Villa, not an assistant. If Ousmane Camara (Chalon center) didn’t come, I don’t know what I would do. I take responsibility for my actions and the consequences. He hit me, I reacted.”