It wasn't Dakari Johnson's fault.
The Thunder center admits he engages in the team's heated three-on-three games, and he's never denied mixing it up in the melees that frequently follow Oklahoma City practices.
But that black eye that somebody delivered to Nick Collison in a three-on-three game this season?
“No, I'm not the reason,” Johnson said.
It would have been an odd way to repay Collison, who prior to his retirement this month had been a significant guide on Johnson's winding road to the NBA. Whatever Johnson's basketball education required, Professor Collison had helped provide.