Charles Barkley was one of the toughest players during the prime of his career. The 1996 NBA MVP often made sure that people realize that he may be 6’5″ in height, but he can tangle with the biggest and baddest and leave with no scars.
That’s what happened when Barkley faced the Detroit Pistons in 1990, during the era of the ‘Bad Boy’ Pistons. Bill Laimbeer was the enforcer of the team and is often referred to as a dirty player for his physicality. But when he tried to play by those rules against Barkley, Chuck punched him out.
He revealed 6 years later, in 1996, while with the Phoenix Suns, that he enjoyed doing so and that he and Laimbeer had great respect for each other.
“These are Detroit fans. Ever since I punched Bill Laimbeer, they’ve been happy.”
“Bill is a great guy and I have got a lot of respect for him, but it was fun punching him.”
The clash took place in April 1990 when Chuck was still playing for the Philadelphia 76ers and faced the Detroit Pistons in the penultimate clash of the season. Barkley’s 76ers won the game behind Chuck having a 36-point and 15-rebound night before being ejected for the scuffle.
Barkley played rough in the era that epitomizes roughness in the NBA. While the game has changed to a point we may never see fights like this on the court again. We’ll always have archival footage like this to look back upon a different time in the NBA.
Is The Modern NBA Too Soft?
The age-old debate between modern NBA fans and fans of the ’90s will be about how ‘soft’ the modern game is. That isn’t necessarily fair because the league had to evolve over time to remain viable. The NBA we know today might not be the same NBA 20 years from now. Change is an integral part of the game.
Former Barkley teammate and Philly legend Julius Erving once said that fans appreciate the lack of violence and the increased finesse of the modern game, which just shows how viewing habits have changed over the years. Media members can complain about the league being soft, but players have also been brave enough to talk about issues like mental health despite people calling them soft when they do so.
Basketball is an incredible sport, and getting lost in battles between eras does a disservice to the fans that are just looking to enjoy 48 minutes of end-to-end basketball.
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