‘Bad Boy’ Pistons may seem like a cool nickname to have, but the Detroit Pistons in the late 80s and early 90s didn’t enjoy the reputation that their nickname carried. The Pistons team earned the ‘Bad Boy’ tag for their intensely physical playing style, often accompanied by hard fouls and roughing up opponents. The best players in the league at the time, from Magic Johnson to Michael Jordan, had a serious point of contention with the harsh methods of the Detroit side, which would eventually lead to the infamous snub of Isiah Thomas for the 1992 Dream Team. Charles Barkley was no exception in the league’s troubles with the Bad Boys. Just a year after his infamous brawl with Pistons Center Bill Laimbeer, Barkley would reject a box of chocolate chip cookies from a fan out of fear of the team from Michigan.
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The Pistons’ volent defensive methods on the court frustrated opposition players, which occasionally prompted heated altercations and even volent brawls. A similar incident took place in 1990 when the Philadelphia 76ers side played Detroit on the road just before the conclusion of the regular season. The Pistons played their usual rough brand of basketball as Philly looked to clinch the Atlantic Division on Detroit’s home turf.
During the game, Bill Laimbeer ended up shoving Sixers’ Rick Mahorn after a play, which led to Charles Barkley confronting the 6’11 big man. Barkley and Laimbeer soon got caught up in a brutal fight, with both team’s players chiming in to break them apart, while also trading punches occasionally amongst each other. Both Laimbeer and Barkley were both fined $20,ooo each by the NBA after the altercation and suspended for one game.
Charles Barkley thought cookies sent by fan might be poisoned
Charles Barkley was known to have a short temper during the early years of his NBA stint. Therefore, he often got caught up in fights and altercations with opposition players, and even fans at times. As a result, the 1993 NBA MVP racked up a lot of money in fines every year without much remorse.
After his 1990 brawl with the Pistons, Barkley famously told reporters, “I don’t care if I get fined…I make $3 million. What’s a couple of thousand dollars?” However, he was wary of other things, if not his finances.
In fact, Barkley once refused to eat a box of chocolate chip cookies sent by an anonymous fan, thinking that they might contain poison. However improbable it may seem, the Chuckster was wary of his beef with the Detroit Pistons side even a year after his brawl with Laimbeer and thought a Pistons fan could poison his food to get back at him.
Barkley’s 1995 book Sir Charles quotes him from 1991, saying, “Naw, give it[box of cookies] away, just in case it’s got poison or something in it. Might be from a Pistons fan.” It is uncertain whether he was just joking or something about the box of cookies threw him off. Whatever the case may be, Barkley certainly didn’t enjoy playing the Detroit Pistons, especially at their home.
