I'll try to explain why Booker slapped him. Note I'm not trying to make excuses for Booker, he definitely should not have taken a swing at him and he deserves the suspension. I'm just going by what both the Jazz and Lakers beat writers were tweeting during the game.
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Hibbert was trying to punk rookie Tibor Pleiss all game
-Later on, Pleiss fell on the ground, and when he was trying to get up, Hibbert was pushing down on his shoulders so he couldn't get up. I don't have a Vine of this one, though.
-Lakers beat writers said the the Lakers were calling Pleiss "Porn Stache." This isn't bad, but maybe it fueled the fire or something, I don't know.
-Hibbert and Booker have a history going back to their Pacers/Wizards days. Also Hibbert had a big game at Utah last season and was talking smack to the players and to the crowd.
Now for why Hibbert got in Booker's face
-Booker got fouled by Randle, and Booker shoved him after the whistle was blown.
-Hibbert wanted to stand up for his teammate and he probably wanted to
get back at Booker for his foul on Randle in the last game. The Lakers' announcers didn't think there was anything malicious about the foul, and the referees did not review it for a flagrant. The vast majority of the fans of both teams in the post-game thread agreed.
So all of this culminated in Booker losing his cool and swinging at Hibbert. Booker isn't a dirty player. Per spotrac, he hasn't had a flagrant foul since being in the NBA.
