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It is the 17th anniversary of one of the last big brawls the NBA has seen. It’s so infamous it even has its own Wikipedia page.
It was Dec. 16, 2006, when a young Carmelo Anthony — then with the Denver Nuggets — punched the Knicks’ Mardy Collins, after Collins knocked J.R. Smith to the ground when going for a layup. Anthony came to his teammate’s aid, landed the punch, and then seemingly ran all the way to the other side of the court, leaving the fighting for everyone else.
Nate Robinson was ready to take out just about anybody and the aftermath resulted in him and Smith being suspended for 10 games and Anthony suspended for 15. Each team was fined $500,000.
Compared to other NBA fights in the 2000s (I am looking at you, Malice at the Palace), no one was seriously injured. Former Commissioner David Stern was quick to deal out the damages in order to try and reign in and stop these fights in some of the more unruly and aggressive days of the NBA.
“It is our obligation to take the strongest possible steps to avoid such failures in the future and to make a statement to all who follow the game of basketball that we understand our obligations and take them seriously,” Stern said. “Accordingly, I am issuing the penalties listed below, and will take the occasion to set forth some of the considerations that have influenced my decision here and will continue to guide us as we seek to demonstrate our determination that the NBA and its players be viewed as standing for the best in sports.”
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