The NBA is a much less violent place than it used to be. Back in the day, players often got laid out when driving to the basket. Teams regularly brawled on the court. You don’t see much of that now, which is why it was such a shock to see the Detroit Pistons and Minnesota Timberwolves get into a fight that spilled into the stands on Sunday and got five players suspended.
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There are two incidents of violence in the NBA that stand out above all others. The first is the “Malice at the Palace,” when a Pistons game against the Indiana Pacers turned into a fight between players and fans. That incident occurred over 20 years ago, likely changing the path of NBA history due to David Stern’s reaction to it.
The second is when Kermit Washington punched Rudy Tomjanovich during a fight between the Rockets and Lakers in 1977, breaking multiple bones in his face and head. This nearly killed Tomjanovich, who faced a long and scary recovery that forced him to be out for five months, while Washington was suspended for 60 days and fined $10,000.
Thankfully, Tomjanovich was able to return to play for three more years, and he even made an All-Star team in his first year back. He later went on to be an extremely successful head coach, leading the Rockets to back-to-back NBA titles with Hakeem Olajuwon in the mid-90s.
Washington also made an All-Star team after the incident as a member of the Blazers, but he dealt with a different kind of drama as he was labeled a thug for his role in the fight.
“The Punch”: wrong place at the wrong time
What makes this incident so sad is that Tomjanovich was trying to act as a peacemaker, and Washington reacted in the moment and just hit him with the perfect shot, causing him to fall and his head to hit the floor. The two had no bad blood at the time, and even since it happened, Tomjanovich says he feels no ill will and has forgiven Washington.
Washington had been hit by Kevin Kunnert, Tomjanovich’s teammate. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was attempting to restrain Kunnert so that the incident didn’t escalate. That’s when Tomjanovich ran in and Washington threw the punch on instinct.
Tomjanovich has been able to move on with his life, but Washington struggled to do the same. He was convicted of fraud in 2016 for embezzling money from a charity, and after serving his time, was released in 2022.
“The Punch” was a horrific event, but it led to the NBA taking player safety more seriously
There have been some other fights and violent incidents over the years, but nothing has ever approached the level of damage of Washington’s punch. When asked about it by TMZ, Washington once said, “Guys now are a lot more calm and peaceful. They make a lot more money. They have a lot more to lose.”
The Pistons-Wolves fight was shocking just for the fact that it happened in today’s game, but no real shots landed and it was more or less just a shoving match. In fact, it’s hard to think of the last time the NBA has had punches thrown. Hopefully, the league never has an incident like “The Punch” again.
