DeMarcus Cousins was one of the toughest players in the NBA during his 11-year career in the league. The NBA has its fair share of tough guys who often run into trouble with officials for their hot temper, especially against players who wronged them.
Instead of a scuffle that leads to a smattering of technical fouls, Cousins thinks it’d be better for the NBA to introduce a two-minute fight session for the players, as he revealed on Run It Back FDTV.
“If I was running things, I wouldn’t mind something like a 2-minute fighting session, something like that. Give the guys a few moments to get it off their chest and get back to the game. I think it’s entertaining and it’s great for sports, only the strong survive. I think it would be entertaining and it would definitely boost the ratings. I don’t know if today’s game is quite built for that.”
When asked about a coach he thinks people wouldn’t want to see in a situation like that because they’d be dangerous was Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone.
“Mike Malone. He’s known for putting hands on coaches, don’t get it twisted. He’s one of those guys who stand out for me. I know for a fact he’s a fighter.”
The idea for two-minute fight sessions in the NBA was floated by Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla, who wants to import the tradition from ice hockey where players have a designated cage they can go to and fight after on-rink disputes.
“The biggest thing that we rob people of, from an entertainment standpoint, is you can’t fight anymore. I wish you could bring back fighting. I just don’t get why some sports are allowed to clear the benches. We just have a ball. The other sport has one of the hardest surfaces and playing instruments in pucks and sticks and we’re not allowed to throw down a little bit?”
While this may seem like a ludicrous idea to many, Mazzulla’s comments have been supported by many. Some fans believe it would be an excellent way to inject toughness back into the sport while also boosting TV ratings, others feel like it would cheapen the on-court product greatly.
Houston Rockets center Steven Adams has already joked about how he would punch Rudy Gobert in the nose for $20 when he heard Mazzulla’s musings about this rule. Given Adams is reputed as one of the strongest players in the NBA, very few players would want to get into a two-minute fighting session with him.
This would go a long way in quelling those fans who believe the NBA has become too soft. But with the league’s stance on fouling not changing despite 20 years of escalating complaints, it’s not even remotely likely that they accept this suggestion.
Thank you for being a valued reader of Fadeaway World. If you liked this article, please consider following us on Google News. We appreciate your support.
