Fighting in the NBA isn’t something that is taken lightly, and players that engage in a brawl can be met with a hefty fine or even suspensions from playing games. But while scuffles are frowned upon in the NBA, they’re incredibly entertaining to watch.
There haven’t been many fights in the NBA, but the ones that have occurred are pretty big. Let’s take a look at the top 10 biggest NBA fights of all time.
1. The Pacers-Pistons Brawl (2004)
Also known as “Malice in the Palace”, the Pacers-Pistons Brawl is probably the biggest fight to occur in the NBA. The brawl took place on November 19, 2004, between the Indiana Pacers and Detroit Pistons.
So, what happened? With just 45.9 seconds left on the clock, the Pistons center Ben Wallace tried to perform a layup shot. Unfortunately, he was fouled hard by the Pacers small forward Ron Artest (now Metta Sandiford-Artest).
Wallace was pretty angry to say the least and shoved Artest, which triggered a whole series of scrapes and scraps between players on both teams. The fight was eventually broken up, but as Artest was cooling down, a fan in the stands threw a drink at him.
You can probably predict what happened next. Artest charged into the stands, triggering a huge standoff between players and fans that went on for several minutes.
The NBA suspended nine players for 146 games, which resulted in them losing $11 million in salary. Five players were charged with assault and sentenced to one year of probation and community service.
Even the fans were penalized: five faced assault charges and were prohibited from going to Pistons home games for life. The NBA made changes to their security and restricted the sale of alcohol at games to prevent such a fight from occurring again.
2. Bill Laimbeer vs. Charles Barkley (1990)
Known for their aggressive playstyles, Bill Laimbeer and Charles Barkley took their hostility to the next level in a 1990 game. Laimbeer shoved a ball in Rick Mahorn’s face after he made a dunk on Dennis Rodman with just 15 seconds remaining.
Barkley wasn’t too happy about the latter and charged over to Laimbeer, hitting him. The pair got into a scrap, throwing punches at one another as the brawl extended to the benches.
Both players fell to the floor, at which point their teammates joined in. The fight was cut short when Fred Carter, the assistant coach for the Sixers, escorted Barkley away.
3. Alonzo Mourning vs. Larry Johnson (1998)
Next up on our top 10 biggest NBA fights of all time is the Alonzo Mourning and Larry Johnson altercation. This happened during a playoff game in 1998.
Both players had some beef with each other (ever since they were teammates), so it’s no surprise that their tempers got the best of them eventually. Mourning and Johnson exchanged a few shoves before getting into a full-on fistfight.
While the fight was pretty intense, the best part was Van Gundy hanging off Mourning’s ankle for the entire duration of the brawl.
4. Derek Harper vs. Jojo English (1994)
Fights during an NBA game are always shocking, but even more so when an NBA commissioner is present. A brawl in 1994 between the Bulls and Knicks definitely is one of top biggest NBA fights in history.
The melee started when Jojo English and Derek Harper during the three-point line after a whistle. Just a single shove was enough to set things off.
Harper threw English to the ground and the fight progressed right into the sidelines. All of this took place in front of NBA commissioner David Stern, who was sitting in the first few rows.
The brawl resulted in Harper receiving a two-game suspension, while English received a one-game suspension.
5. Larry Bird vs. Dr J (1984)
Although this altercation wasn’t as intense as some of the others we’ve looked at, it’s still pretty notable, if not for the players involved. Julius Erving (also known as Dr J), Mosses Malone, Charles Barkley, and Larry Bird are just some of the big names who got tangled up in the scuffle.
The fight happened in 1984 between Larry Bird and Dr J, a pair who had a longstanding feud with one another. An offensive foul call on Bird provoked him to attack Dr J.
The two began punching each other, at which point Charles Barkley stepped in to try and separate them. Bird was restrained but that didn’t stop Erving from landing a few more hits on him. The brawl ultimately led to both teams getting into a heated fight.
Both Bird and Erving received $7,500 in fines, which was the second-highest fines for player conduct at the time. But this rivalry between the Celtics and Sixers didn’t stop after here and is still in full swing to this day.
6. Charles Oakley vs. Xavier McDaniel (1989)
Charles Oakley was involved in numerous fights during his NBA career, so it wasn’t surprising that he got into a fracas with Xavier McDaniel in a 1989 game. What is surprising, however, is that McDaniel threw the first punch.
McDaniel wasn’t known for getting into brawls, so it was quite shocking when he came to blows with Oakley. The grapple eventually spread to the stands at Madison Square Garden, and both players got a one-game suspension and $7,500 in fines.
7. Rick Fox vs. Doug Christie (2002)
The Kings had a rough time during the 2002-2003 pre-season, losing three playoff series in a row. This defeat obviously had an impact on the players, particularly during a match against the Lakers.
The fight was initiated by Rick Fox who elbowed Doug Christie in the face. Christie retaliated with an uppercut punch, and the official was prompted to eject both of them.
That wasn’t the end of it though as the pair came into contact with each other while passing the tunnel. This time both teams joined Christie and Fox to get involved in the brawl.
8. Ralph Sampson vs. Jerry Sichting (1986)
During the NBA finale of 1986, Ralph Sampson got into a grapple with Jerry Sichting. At 7 ft 4 inches, Sampson towered over Sichting who was just 6 ft 1 inch.
Despite the size difference, Sichting gave Sampson a good run for his money. He even later teased him in the press saying his “little brother” had hit him harder and that he wasn’t sure if it was a “punch or mosquito”.
No suspensions were received for either player, but the brawl really damaged Sampson’s image and most likely his pride. Celtics fans were ruthless with their chants about Sampson, and in Game 6 they handed around signs that read “Sampson is a Sissy”. It just goes to show that you shouldn’t pick on the little guy!
9. Kobe Byrant vs. Chris Childs (2000)
One of the most unexpected fights to occur in NBA history was in 2000 between Kobe Byrant and Chris Childs.
Bryant was just 22 at the time, while Childs was 33 and had landed his career in the NBA at 27.
What started as a minor quarrel ended up as a square off. Childs punched Byrant twice in the jaw. Byrant took the shots pretty well and landed one of his own before the pair were separated.
They were ejected, fined, and suspended, but Byrant only received a one-game suspension, whereas Childs received a two-game suspension.
10. Kevin Garnett vs. Dwight Howard (2015)
The last brawl in our top 10 biggest NBA fights of all time list was between Kevin Garnett and Dwight Howard. This match took place on January 15, 2015, just after Garnett fouled Howard during the first quarter.
The players only gently shoved each other at first, but Garnett eventually let his emotions boil over and head-butted Howard near his mouth. As you’d expect, Howard didn’t take the move too well and retaliated with force, resulting in a bit of a standoff between both teams.
Garnett was ejected from the match and given a one-game suspension, while Howard was issued a $15,000 fine for punching Garnett in his neck.
Final Thoughts
Every now and again, NBA players let their tempers get the best of them and they kick off during a game. These fights don’t happen very often as there are consequences, but the shock factor definitely makes the match memorable.
Although our top 10 biggest NBA fights of all time list doesn’t include all the brawls that have occurred in the NBA, we’ve hopefully covered some of the most infamous ones. These scuffles between player