WATCH: Biggest Knicks-Heat brawl gone WILD, when Alonzo Mourning floored Jeff Van Gundy in the 1998 NBA playoff clash
A rivalry that extends to coaches has to be one for the ages. Watch this brutal altercation between Alonzo Mourning and Jeff Van Gundy that shook up the NBA World.
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Jeff Van Gundy getting dragged around by Alonzo Mourning
The Miami Heat and the New York Knicks faced off against each other in Round 2 of the playoffs. The teams have a history that dates back a few decades and is one of the fiercest rivalries ever. What happens between the Heat and the Knicks this time won’t change that history. The Heat and Knicks faced off in the playoffs against each other four times consecutively between 1997-2000. They went head-to-head in the playoffs again in 2012. With such a long storyline between these teams, the presence of controversy and drama is a no-brainer.
Fights, scuffles, ejections, and fines are a must in such drama, and the 1998 series was the pinnacle of it all. A fight occurred between both these teams in Game 4 of the 1998 playoffs. 1.4 seconds remained in the game as Alonzo Mourning and Larry Johnson went at it after being tangled near the end of the court. The former Hornets teammates threw punches at each other as the remaining squad came to the rescue. Many people including Knicks legend Charles Oakley rushed to mediate between them both, instead of getting involved in the fight.
An anomaly to this altercation was Knicks’ coach Jeff Van Gundy, who rushed to stop Mourning but instead was floored. Van Gundy grabbed onto the leg of Mourning and was dragged around, leading to more drama.
This fight between both the teams and Van Gundy’s ferocity to mediate/stand up for his team highlights the intensity of the rivalry between both these teams. It’ll be interesting to see what happens in the Knicks-Heat series this time.
The great Knicks vs Heat rivalry, the aftermath of the fight, and a deeper dive into the history of Jeff Van Gundy
The aftermath of the fight was nothing short of ugly for both teams. Larry Johnson and Alonzo Mourning were both suspended for two games each. Apart from the suspensions, heavy fines were imposed on both of these players. A $20,000 fine was imposed on Mourning and a $10,000 fine on Johnson. An unexpected suspension also came in for Knicks’ forward at that time, Chris Mills. Mills had left the bench and indulged in the fight, attracting a $2,500 fine along with a one-game suspension.
The fight eventually became a learning lesson and a hilarious affair for all of those involved in the fight. In reaction to the fight, Van Gundy had hilarious things to say. He said, “You know, people ask me about that, and truly. And I’m not trying to be funny. But I understand why some criminals plead temporary insanity. I truly have no recollection.”
He also added, “They say, ‘What were you thinking?’ And obviously, I wasn’t.” This in turn highlighted his state of mind and his involvement with the team’s on-court business.
It’ll be interesting to see how the Knicks and Heat carry such a legacy forward. They both face off against each other in Round 2 of the playoffs this season.
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Harshit Singh
(434 Articles Published)