When former players talk about the disparity in physicality between the past and today’s brand of basketball, it isn’t an exaggeration. For instance, Charles Barkley found himself in one of the most infamous fights in NBA history. Over 40 years later, he still has gripes toward the league for its punishment of him.
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In 1984, Larry Bird and Julius Erving were in the middle of an intense brawl in a matchup between the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers. Barkley was still a fresh face in the league as a rookie. He wasn’t a stranger to physicality. But a heated exchange between two of the game’s legends wasn’t on his bingo card.
Erving and Bird were going at it throughout the contest. Unfortunately, tempers reached a boiling point, which led to fan exchange of fists. Moses Malone and Barkley seemingly held Bird in place, while Erving unleashed a flurry of punches on Bird. The NBA fined Barkley $1,000 gor his involvement.
Enough time has passed for Barkley to forget about the incident. Instead, he is adamant that there is a misunderstanding concerning his presence in the altercation.
“First of all, I would never hold somebody,” Barkley said on The Dan Patrick Show. “I just tried to break it up. I didn’t know Doc was punching him.”
Barkley understood the implications that this fight could have on the team for the duration of the game. As a result, he didn’t want Erving to lose himself to emotion, which would significantly lower the Sixers’ chances of leaving Boston with a victory.
Before emotions reached a point of no return, Barkley had an inkling of an idea that it might blossom into a fight.
“I just remember Bird said, ‘Chuck, y’all better get this old man off me.’ He says this five, six, seven times. Next thing I know, Doc just snaps,” Barkley proclaimed.
Erving was frustrated. To make matters worse, he struggled in his time on the court that game. He finished with 6 points on 23% shooting from the field in just 23 minutes. At that point, Bird was torching Erving. He had 42 points on 17 of 23 shooting from the field, in just 30 minutes of action. Both players were subsequently ejected.
Barkley was one of 18 people who received a fine from the league. In comparison to the wages today’s players receive, $1,000 doesn’t seem like much. But for Barkley, that was a great deal of change. Luckily, Barkley developed into an all-time great and earned contracts that significantly overshadow that fine.
