It’s the seventeenth anniversary of one of many final massive brawls the NBA has seen. It’s so notorious it even has its own Wikipedia page.
It was Dec. 16, 2006, when a younger Carmelo Anthony — then with the Denver Nuggets — punched the Knicks’ Mardy Collins, after Collins knocked J.R. Smith to the bottom when going for a layup. Anthony got here to his teammate’s assist, landed the punch, after which seemingly ran all the best way to the opposite facet of the court docket, leaving the preventing for everybody else.
Nate Robinson was able to take out nearly anyone and the aftermath resulted in him and Smith being suspended for 10 video games and Anthony suspended for 15. Every workforce was fined $500,000.
In comparison with different NBA fights within the 2000s (I’m taking a look at you, Malice on the Palace), nobody was critically injured. Former Commissioner David Stern was fast to deal out the damages with a purpose to attempt to reign in and cease these fights in a few of the extra unruly and aggressive days of the NBA.
“It is our obligation to take the strongest possible steps to avoid such failures in the future and to make a statement to all who follow the game of basketball that we understand our obligations and take them seriously,” Stern said. “Accordingly, I am issuing the penalties listed below, and will take the occasion to set forth some of the considerations that have influenced my decision here and will continue to guide us as we seek to demonstrate our determination that the NBA and its players be viewed as standing for the best in sports.”
