Ranking the 10 most intense ejections in NBA history

Yesterday at 01:19 PM

Technical fouls and Flagrant fouls are given out to players who commit to a non-basketball play that can possibly put opposing players in danger. Given the competitive nature of the NBA, it’s only normal for basketball players to lose their cool once in a while.

However, the NBA is a league that promotes sportsmanship and penalizes any act that promotes otherwise. Here’s the 10 most intense ejections in NBA history, ranked.

1. Malice at the Palace 

These ejections were so bad that even Netflix had to make a documentary about it. Malice at the Palace is considered to be the ugliest brawl in NBA history after the game was forced to stop with 45 seconds remaining.

Nine players were ejected, and suspensions were given out, with the NBA suspending Metta World Peace (formerly Ron Artest) for the rest of the season at 73 games. In addition to this, some players even had to face legal charges for the incident.

2. Metta World Peace gives James Harden an elbow

When Ron Artest changed his name to Metta World Peace, it seemed like a change in character for the notoriously physical forward. However, in a matchup against the Thunder, Metta World Peace got very fired up after a transition dunk.

But in celebration, it seemed like James Harden got a little too close, triggering an elbow response. Harden suffered a concussion, forcing the NBA to suspend the Lakers forward for seven games.

3. Lakers and Rockets 2018 brawl

Chris Paul and Rajon Rondo have had a heated rivalry on and off the court. While they have played against each other in the past, it seems that tensions eventually overflowed.

In a game between the Houston Rockets and the Los Angeles Lakers, Rondo and CP3 got wrapped up. In the process, the two had some choice words for each other with a Rondo spit that led to punches being thrown. Lakers forward Brandon Ingram even sneaked in a punch. The NBA handed down fines and suspensions in the process.

4. Karl Malone gives Isiah Thomas 40 stitches

A lot of old basketball heads will say that it was a physical league back in the 1990s. However, Karl Malone certainly took it to another level when he made Isiah Thomas bleed after giving him an elbow midair.

The consequences followed immediately after Malone’s actions. The officials ejected the Jazz big man, and the NBA suspended him for one game and fined him $10,000. On the other hand, Thomas had to endure 42 stitches.

5. Andrew Bynum floors JJ Barea

The NBA Playoffs are often intense, especially with teams vying for a championship. But while hard fouls are common in the postseason, Andrew Bynum isn’t getting away with this malicious elbow against a pint-sized J.J. Barea who was forced to kiss the deck after this hard elbow by the seven-foot center.

It was easily a flagrant two that forced Bynum to miss the rest of Game 4 en route to a Dallas Mavericks sweep in the 2011 playoffs.

6. Serge Ibaka and Marques Chriss exchange punches

Serge Ibaka is known for his elite rim protection. However, he got in the headlines for the wrong reasons after getting into a scuffle with Cleveland Cavaliers player Marquess Chriss. Chriss made a stare-down at Ibaka after tackling him. Unhappy with Chriss’ actions, Ibaka made sure to throw some punches, leading to both players’ ejections from the game.

7. Isaiah Stewart goes wild at King James

Isaiah Stewart was a young player who established himself in the NBA for the wrong reasons. In a free-throw play, Stewart seemed to have received an unusual elbow from LeBron James.

Left bloodied and unhappy, Stewart let James hear about it, despite the latter’s apology attempt. To make matters crazier, despite being restrained by coaches and players, Stewart even made a last-minute attempt to make a beeline for James. It was an ugly sight to behold leading to ejections. Even James was ejected from the game.

8. Scuffle in Minnesota

Usually, stars are the main attractions of the NBA game. While role players take the spotlight once in a while, it was for the wrong reasons in this game between the Orlando Magic and Minnesota Timberwolves. Benchwarmers and role players from two teams got into a heated altercation. From takedowns to swinging arms, officials ejected five players out of the game.

9. Draymond Green and Bradley Beal get into it

When a scuffle leads to ripped jerseys, there’s no question that something intense just happened. That was the case between Bradley Beal and Draymond Green.

Although no punches were thrown, these two NBA stars weren’t keen on letting go of one another as they took each other to the ground. It required additional security and other players to separate the two prior to their ejections.

10. Fights and headlocks

Klay Thompson isn’t one to engage in fights. However, Jaden McDaniels seemed to have triggered something from the one half of the Splash Brothers.

In an attempt to pacify the situation, Draymond Green prevented Rudy Gobert from getting in the scuffle but in the most questionable way. The Warriors forward placed the reigning Defensive Player of the Year in a headlock that ultimately aggravated the situation.

The post Ranking the 10 most intense ejections in NBA history appeared first on ClutchPoints.