Isaiah Stewart is back in the conversation for the wrong reason, and this time the picture is much clearer.
Newly surfaced footage from February 2024 shows the Pistons big man in the Footprint Center tunnel moments before his confrontation with then-Suns forward Drew Eubanks. What had already been described as a chest-to-chest exchange now plays out on video in a matter of seconds: Stewart drops his bags, steps in, and fires a right hand at close range.
Eubanks takes the shot, ends up with a bloody mouth, and then moves back toward Stewart instead of backing away. Security arrives quickly to break it up.
The incident had already led to real consequences. NBA officials suspended Stewart for three games, and Phoenix police arrested him on an assault charge.
That misdemeanor citation was later dropped. Stewart was also already on the sidelines that night because of a sprained ankle, so he did not play in the Feb. 14 game in Phoenix.
At the time, reports said the details of the altercation “were kept under wraps for some time before the police completed their investigation.” Eubanks later called the punch unprovoked and said he was fine to compete.
The Suns responded with a statement saying the attack was unacceptable. Stewart returned to Detroit with the team after receiving a citation and release.
The footage has now stirred the moment back up across social media, with fans reacting to how little Eubanks seemed affected before security stepped in. Others pointed back to Stewart’s long-running reputation as a forceful, physical presence. One said, “This is why Beef Stew got traded, he’s an enforcer with no hands 🕊️🕊️🕊️🕊️ Eubanks ate that punch bro 😂😂,” while another wrote, “So the report that Eubanks ate that s-t like it was nothing were true, ok Drew,” A third added, “Bro I thought he knocked Eubanks out for years he didn’t even do anything,” and a fourth commented, “Stew lost a lot of aura with the Bridges fight and now this #FakeDemon.”
Stewart and Eubanks had already crossed paths in a tense way during a matchup in November 2023, and words were exchanged in the tunnel before the February game in Phoenix. Stewart has also been involved in other high-profile flashpoints, including his attempt to go after LeBron James in 2021 and an earlier stir against the Charlotte Hornets this year. He has said before that he has learned from past incidents, but this latest video gives a sharper look at a scene that was already well documented.
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