5 NBA fights that led to lengthy suspensions

NBA fights were common from the 1970s to the 1990s before mellowing down after "Malice at the Palace" in 2004. It was so common back then that throwing punches barely led to suspensions. The "Bad Boy" Pistons were even known to start fights and be overly physical with opponents.

Things changed after the Pistons-Pacers brawl that involved fans, almost tarnishing the NBA. David Stern wanted to prevent this from ever happening again although there have been fights here and there.

Draymond Green is probably the face of NBA fights in the past year, receiving a combined 18-game suspension for three different issues. He was suspended one game for stomping on Domantas Sabonis, five games for choking Rudy Gobert and 12 games for hitting Jusuf Nurkic in the face.

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5 NBA fights that led to lengthy suspensions

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#1 - Malice at the Palace (9 players, 146 games combined)

Quite possibly the biggest NBA fight in history, the Malice at the Palace almost ruined the reputation of the league. It started when a fight between Ben Wallace and Ron Artest broke out before the latter rushed the stands after getting hit by flying object from a fan.

All hell broke loose as Pacers players such as Jermaine O'Neal and Stephen Jackson threw punches at fans on the court and in the stands. It was an ugly incident that could have set back the NBA for decades. Then-NBA commissioner David Stern was not messing around, suspending nine players for 146 games in total with Artest getting suspended for 86.

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#2 - Knicks-Nuggets brawl at MSG (7 players, 47 games combined)

One of the biggest on-court NBA fights was the Knicks-Nuggets brawl in 2006. It happened at Madison Square Garden less than two years after the ugly Pistons-Pacers fight. David Stern was not happy, handing out a combined 47-game suspension to seven players.

The fight broke out when the Knicks' Mardy Collins fouled J.R. Smith by hitting him in the back of the neck. Carmelo Anthony, who received a 15-game suspension for the incident, punched Collins in the face. The punch also almost ruined Anthony's reputation.

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#3 - Rudy Tomjanovich punched by Kermit Washington (1 player, 26 games in total)

Rudy Tomjanovich is a Hall of Fame head coach. (Photo: IMAGN)

Rudy Tomjanovich is famous for coaching the Houston Rockets to back-to-back NBA championships in 1994 and 1995. However, Tomjanovich was also a former player who was in the league for 11 years. He was a known peacemaker in the hostile environment of the 1970s full of NBA fights and suffered a serious injury from a punch on the court.

In a game between the Rockets and Lakers on December 9, 1977, a brawl broke out and Tomjanovich tried to break it up. Kermit Washington thought Tomjanovich was coming after him, dropping him with a hard short punch. Rudy T's face was shattered and the severity of the injury was considered life-threatening because spinal fluid was leaking into his mouth.

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#4 - Draymond Green's swing at Jusuf Nurkic (1 player, 12 games in total)

Draymond Green's swing heard around the world. (Photo: IMAGN)

Draymond Green has been in plenty of NBA fights in his career although nothing has led to a full-blown brawl. Green choking Rudy Gobert could have been catastrophic but cooler heads prevailed. He was suspended for five games but it didn't stop him from making stupid decisions later in the season.

Green swung at Jusuf Nurkic of the Phoenix Suns, hitting him in the face. The NBA had seen enough and suspended him indefinitely. He had to re-evaluate his actions and was reinstated after 12 games. He hasn't had any major incidents since then although he continues to talk trash against his opponents.

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#5 - Metta World Peace turns into Metta World War against James Harden (1 player, 7 games)

Metta World Peace turns into Metta World War against James Harden. (Photo: IMAGN)

Ron Artest changed his name to Metta World Peace a few years after the Malice at the Palace. Artest continued to have a reputation and lost his temper on April 22, 2012, against the OKC Thunder when he was still playing for the LA Lakers.

Artest elbowed James Harden in the head, giving the future MVP a concussion. The league suspended him for seven games, which was justifiable after Harden's injury. It's not really one of the biggest NBA fights ever, but the suspension was lengthy.