Because the NBA features the best players in the world, other basketball leagues get overlooked from time to time. This was recently acknowledged by former NBA player Mario Hezonja, who spoke about how legendary European coaches would fare in the NBA. But as a practice, leagues outside the NBA are rarely given any attention.
But one former NBA player got posterized pretty badly, and it even led to an entire brawl breaking out. During the game between the Sydney Kings and Melbourne United, Australian player Mitch Creek ferociously dunked the ball on Matthew Dellavedova on the fast break.
Mitch Creek was celebrating quite heavily, leading to a Kings player, Mason Peatling, coming and shoving him. Clearly, he did not appreciate the exaggerated celebration from Mitch. This shove led to an entire brawl starting between the two teams, and things got quite intense between the two sides before they were separated.
This brawl was very different from the kind we see in the NBA these days. Since the late 2000s, brawls have become rare in the league because of the way the game is officiated. So this could be a situation that yields benefits, as fans will flock to see the brawl, and maybe even stick around to watch some of the games in the league.
Dellavedova, who is a former NBA champion, having played for the Cleveland Cavaliers alongside LeBron James, is now currently playing in his home country of Australia. He only just left the NBA, having played for the Cavaliers in his second stint as recently as last season.
This incident could end up being a catalyst for the NBL becoming more popular. People were checking out the NBL when current Hornets player and 2020’s third overall pick LaMelo Ball was playing in the league, as he opted to get professional experience over playing collegiate basketball.
