One of the most hated teams in NBA history is the Detroit Pistons. Their violent physicality has made them tough to play, going back to their anchor big man Bill Laimbeer, who would find any opening to get under opponents’ skin. But he wasn’t immune to others taking action against him, as Olden Polynice made clear.
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The name Olden Polynice isn’t a household name when it comes to NBA players, but he had a successful 15-year career. Standing at 7 feet tall, any time he played the Pistons, he would match up against Laimbeer.
To say Polynice wasn’t a fan of Laimbeer may be an understatement. Those feelings of animosity were ever so present in a preseason game ahead of the 1990-91 season. The outcome left one of the two wearing a mask for the foreseeable future.
“I broke Laimbeer’s face,” Polynice said on Byron Scott’s Fast Break. “Let me tell you something, I ain’t never received more cards and flowers before in my life.”
The Seattle SuperSonics were facing the Pistons in a preseason game at Michigan State. Polynice had no intention of hurting Laimbeer ahead of their matchup, and in the heat of battle, both teams were playing with great intensity.
The Sonics were in transition. Polynice finished a tough layup over Laimbeer, landed out of bounds and prepared to run back on defense. Laimbeer gave him a hard shot to the upper body as he went to inbound the ball, and Polynice took exception to Laimbeer’s lack of sportsmanship.
“With the shoulder, cracked him dead in the face. All you see is blood splatter everywhere. The mask was because of me,” Polynice proclaimed.
Of course, the NBA had to punish Polynice for his actions. But his method of hurting Laimbeer allowed him to utilize a loophole.
“They throw me out of the game. The league ended up rescinding the fine because the referee thought I threw a punch. They never saw a punch, so it looked accidental,” Polynice revealed.
The league is very strict when it comes to close-fist altercations. Luckily, Polynice didn’t resort to using his hands out of anger, which would’ve most likely sidelined him for a good portion of the 1990-91 season.
The shoulder check broke Laimbeer’s cheekbone and caused him to miss the remainder of the team’s preseason games. He was back in the lineup to start the season, becoming the first player in NBA history to wear a clear plastic face mask.
Detroit was headed toward its third consecutive championship. But they were stopped in their tracks in the Eastern Conference Finals by Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls, who dominated the series en route to winning their first title.
Polynice may not be an NBA legend like Laimbeer, but his actions hold a soft spot in the hearts of many who dislike the Detroit “Bad Boy.”
