It’s the seventeenth anniversary of one of many final large brawls the NBA has seen. It’s so notorious it even has its personal Wikipedia web 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 help, landed the punch, after which seemingly ran all the way in which to the opposite facet of the court docket, leaving the combating 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 group 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 significantly injured. Former Commissioner David Stern was fast to deal out the damages with the intention to try to reign in and cease these fights in a number of the extra unruly and aggressive days of the NBA.
“It’s our obligation to take the strongest doable steps to keep away from such failures sooner or later and to make an announcement to all who comply with the sport of basketball that we perceive our obligations and take them significantly,” Stern stated. “Accordingly, I’m issuing the penalties listed beneath, and can take the event to set forth a number of the issues which have influenced my resolution right here and can proceed to information us as we search to reveal our dedication that the NBA and its gamers be considered as standing for one of the best in sports activities.”