Bad fight tonight in the NBA in Philadelphia between Joel Embid and Karl-Anthony Towns. Of course it takes two and they started stayed behind locking arms and swinging elbows along the Minnesota baseline long after the play had gone the other way. It looked like there was bad blood there, like in a hockey fight when the players have clearly determined to throw down the gloves as soon as opportunity presents itself. There isn't a comprehensive camera angle because it was so away from the play but it looked to me that it was Embid whose two-handed push on Towns' chest after they had unlocked arms who sent it from elbows and double technicals to a full-fledged fight and double ejections. After the fight Embid was going around flexing and high-fiving teammates and fans. Neither man was hurt, thank God, but a bad look for the NBA.
Fights in the NBA are by far the most dangerous in any other major team sport. The athletes are so goddamned big, they are completely unprotected,they play on so small a playing surface and with defenseless fans, older people, kids, women this close to the court. A full scale fight like tonight is a very dangerous thing. If these guys knew how to really fight, i.e. to box, to put your fists up in a defensive-offensive posture and throw a hard jab on an opening, as they do in hockey, one of them could have killed the other tonight. In hockey unless there is that one devastating, perfectly timed jab the players clutch, grab each other's jersey's and do a ridiculous looking waltz trying to maintain their balance on skates until they wear themselves out. There is not a traction problem in basketball.
I'm not sure what the NBA protocol is for a fist fight. In addition to ejection I think they are disqualified for the next game if they are deemed to be equally at fault but I could be wrong. If one is clearly the instigator (not here) or the escalator (Embid here in my opinion) then I think there's an enhanced penalty, a three-game suspension maybe.
Fourth fucking game of the season for both teams and we get a dangerous fight? Jesus Christ.
Fights in the NBA are by far the most dangerous in any other major team sport. The athletes are so goddamned big, they are completely unprotected,they play on so small a playing surface and with defenseless fans, older people, kids, women this close to the court. A full scale fight like tonight is a very dangerous thing. If these guys knew how to really fight, i.e. to box, to put your fists up in a defensive-offensive posture and throw a hard jab on an opening, as they do in hockey, one of them could have killed the other tonight. In hockey unless there is that one devastating, perfectly timed jab the players clutch, grab each other's jersey's and do a ridiculous looking waltz trying to maintain their balance on skates until they wear themselves out. There is not a traction problem in basketball.
I'm not sure what the NBA protocol is for a fist fight. In addition to ejection I think they are disqualified for the next game if they are deemed to be equally at fault but I could be wrong. If one is clearly the instigator (not here) or the escalator (Embid here in my opinion) then I think there's an enhanced penalty, a three-game suspension maybe.
Fourth fucking game of the season for both teams and we get a dangerous fight? Jesus Christ.
