Nowadays, serious fights during the basketball matches are not such a common thing, although we can witness some sometimes. But the 1980 – 1990s were full of many brawls and fights that are still remembered by many basketball fans.
We decided to recall 10 main fights in NBA history but as there were too many of them we included only the ones with such characteristics: happened between opponents who already had some fights; several players were fighting; punches were made.
10. The fight between Kobe Bryant and Chris Childs in 2000
That was the match when Kobe Bryant who was only 22 at that time got hit by the Knicks 33-year-old player Chris Childs. The battle between Los Angeles Lakers and New York Knicks was intense and Chris decided to punch Kobe twice in the jaw. Bryant didn’t make everything look too dramatic, he became mad but not emotional. Kobe was ready to punch Chris but other players and referees stopped the fight.
9. Brave decision of Xavier McDaniel to punch aggressive Charles Oakley in 1989
Charles Oakley was really famous for his aggressive way of playing. He was confronting Michael Jordan all the time, so everyone knew that fighting with Charles wouldn’t be a good idea. But that day Xavier McDaniel punched Oakley without any doubts. As a result, a serious fight was started and no one really took over which was a really embarrassing moment for Oakley as he couldn’t hit Xavier as much as he wanted.
8. The boxing-style fight between Doug Christie and Rick Fox in 2002
It was the Western Conference Finals between the Los Angeles Lakers and Sacramento Kings when that memorable fight happened. Rick Fox slapped and pushed Doug Christie, as a result of which Doug became really aggressive and he made an impressive uppercut just like during the best boxing games. Rick and Doug were ejected but that situation is still unforgettable because of the way it looked.
7. The extraordinary fight between Jerry Sichting and Ralph Sampson in 1986
Many people want the NBA Finals to be extraordinary, full of amazing scores, and impressive battles. The game between the Houston Rockets and Boston Celtics was such a game. The audience was really excited to see it. One of the brightest moments of that game was the fight between huge Rockets player Ralph Sampson and smaller Celtics player Jerry Schting. It looked epic, so you better watch that moment.
6. Larry Bird and his anger because of Bill Laimbeer’s actions in 1987
Larry Bird was famous not only for his great skills but also for his calmness as sometimes he simply didn’t react to the opponents’ anger. But Bill Laimbeer could make anyone as mad as never before. It was the Eastern Conference Finals when Laimbeer pushed Bird violently. Larry Bird really couldn’t stay calm at that time so he punched Bill. Both players got to the ground starting a fight. When everything became normal, Bird threw the ball right to Laimbeer’s head, although it is hard to believe it.
5. The fight between Jo Jo English and Derek Harper in 1994
That fight was really expected as the Chicago Bulls and New York Knicks really hated each other because the Chicago Bulls destroyed the Knicks in 4 of the previous 5 playoffs. Besides, that fight was really extraordinary because of the football skills performed by some players. Derek Harper and Jo Jo English were the ones who started the fight but then it turned into a massive brawl.
4. The fight between Julius Erving and Larry Bind in 1984
It is hard to imagine who was confronting each other more than Larry Bird and Julius Erving. Their teams (Philadelphia 76ers and Boston Celtics) met each other in the Eastern Conference Finals in 1980, 1981, and 1982. They had many games when they needed to play against each other. But in 1984 their relationship became even worse, as Larry offended Julius as a result of which Julius became really mad although he wasn’t emotional at all. As a result, Erving punched Bird several times.
3. The impressive fight between Rick Mahorn and Charles Oakley in 1988
That fight also looked like you were looking at a boxing ring. Rick Mahorn was a famous NBA player at that time, while Charles Oakley was too young and he just started his NBA path. Both players were really heavy-weights. The fight between two players lasted for several seconds and then the other players decided to step in which made the relationship between teams even worse. The coach of Chicago Bulls Dave Collins decided to beat Rick Mahorn but Rick just threw him away. When Collins stood up he was trying to hit Mahorn again but Rick punched him aggressively. You may be impressed by the courage of the coach but no one could confront Rick Mahorn and he proved it.
2. The fight between Bill Laimbeer and Charles Barkley in 1990
Bill Laimbeer was definitely famous for his dirty acts but it’s just who he was, as he never tried to show off. However, Charles Barkley was always ready to say offensive things or start a fight. During that match, Barkley was tangled up under the basket and then, he threw a forearm shiver. The fight between Bill and Charles made other players step in, so there was a massive brawl.
1. The fight between longtime enemies Larry Johnson and Alonzo Mourning in 1998
Larry Johnson and Alonzo Mourning got into a serious fight in 1998 but it was predictable as these 2 players really hated each other; besides, their teams didn’t like each other too. And all of them have reasons for that. First of all, New York Knicks and Miami Heat confronted each other during the semi-finals of Eastern Conference in 1997 where the massive brawl happened. One year later, the teams met again but this time it was Eastern Conference Playoffs. The awful relationship between Larry Johnson and Alonzo Mourning was developed in 1992 when both of them were playing for the same team (Charlotte Hornets) and couldn’t deal with the thought that one of them must be the team’s leader. When they started to play for different teams many fights happened between them. The audience was really excited every time because it wasn’t easy for any person to punch Alonzo but Larry did it several times although he was older. Their fight in 1998 became really memorable and probably would never be forgotten by NBA fans.
Besides, there are 3 more famous NBA fights that must be mentioned in this article.
- The fight between Kermit Washington and Rudy Tomjanovich in 1977. That was a really scary and cruel situation. Kermit saw Rudy running right to him so he hit Rudy to protect himself. However, it was a reflex that made Tomljanovich lay on the floor. People were shocked, especially when they knew that Rudy could really die because of serious injuries, including the damaged skull, broken nose, and jaw.
- The fight between the Pacers and Pistons is also known as The Malice at the Palace. This was one of the ugliest and dangerous brawls in NBA history.
- The fight between New York Knicks and Denver Nuggets in 2006. It was that type of fighting that made the audience excited. There were several players punching each other, fans were fighting as well.
