A Lot Of Fight

The National Basketball Association (NBA) seems to be taking something of a resurgence in recent times. With stars and entertainment on a high; the league seems to be more high-profile than ever; and the competitiveness has taken on a new level. With that new level however, has come up a new level of fights and violence, exacerbated by the prevalence of social media.

Fights of course are nothing new to the NBA; back in 1977 we had the infamous Maurice Lucas v Darryl Dawkins boxing match; then came the Larry Bird v Julius Erving affair in 1984; when Dr. J seemingly couldn't take the dominant Bird's trash-talk. But it seems to be happening rather often in recent years.

Probably the greatest brawl of all time occurred in 2004 in the 'Malice at the Palace'; a fight so legendary it became a Netflix documentary. The defending champion Pistons were bring humiliated at home by the upstart Indiana Pacers; and with the game winding to an end; the touch-paper was lit by a hard foul by Ben Wallace on Ron Artest; which eventually led to everyone getting involved and players chasing down fans in the stands.

Another notable fight occurred around 2021-22 when LeBron James and Isaiah Stewart got into it; with blood streaming down Stewart's face and him not giving it up even when the situation seemed to have been diffused with coaches; referees and everyone else holding them back.

And it was Stewart who was again involved in the league's latest altercation; when the Eastern Conference-leading Detroit Pistons met the red-hot Charlotte Hornets; who were on a 9-game winning streak. What began as a hard foul by Moussa Diabate on Jalen Duren developed into an all-out brawl; with Miles Bridges & Stewart getting involved & all hell breaking loose. There used to be a saying that NBA players was soft. That is certainly not the case now.