NEW YORK – The NBA players association is considering an appeal of the seven-game suspensions given to Ron Artest and Stephen Jackson for legal issues.

Both players were suspended by the league Saturday without pay and are scheduled to miss the first seven games of next season. Artest would lose a little more than $470,000 in salary, about $50,000 more than Jackson.

Jackson released a statement through the Golden State Warriors saying he accepted his suspension. But the union, comparing the penalties to other recent suspensions given to players for off-the-court reasons, may take action.

“Based on prior precedent, we think the suspensions are excessive,” union director Billy Hunter said Sunday in a statement. “We plan to confer with the players and their representatives to consider all of our options for appeal.”

Hunter, Artest, and Artest’s agent, Mark Stevens, are in Africa taking part in the union’s “Feeding One Million” campaign, helping distribute 11 million pounds of rice in Kenya.

Stevens released a statement later Sunday saying: “Ron Artest’s seven-game suspension is overly excessive. But in spite of this, Ron is relieved to have this ordeal behind him and is actively working on strengthening his family. We trust that he will be granted the privacy needed to do this in an effective manner.

“This decision will be bought to the players association for review and appeal.”

Artest pleaded no contest in May to a misdemeanor domestic violence charge stemming from a March 5 dispute with his wife. Jackson pleaded guilty last month to a felony count of criminal recklessness for firing a gun outside an Indiana strip club last fall, when he was with the Pacers.

The seven-game bans topped the five games Ruben Patterson was hit with in 2001 after he entered a modified guilty plea in Washington state to third-degree attempted rape for allegedly forcing his children’s nanny to perform a sex act on him. Three years ago, Eddie Griffin was penalized three games after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor assault charge in Texas.

The league came down harder on Artest and Jackson, citing their “serious offenses” and calling each “repeat violators of NBA rules.” Artest was suspended 73 games and the playoffs, and Jackson for 30 games after both ran into the stands to fight with fans in Detroit while playing for Indiana in 2004.

The union has 30 days from Saturday to file an appeal, which would be heard by an arbitrator.

A service of the Associated Press(AP)