On Scott Zolak’s and Marc Bertrand’s show yesterday morning Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla was asked what rule changes he would institute if he was in charge of the NBA. Mazzulla said he would like to bring physicality back to the NBA and allow fights again.
“The biggest thing we’ve robbed people of from an entertainment standpoint is you can’t fight anymore. What’s more entertaining than a little scuffle? How come in baseball they’re allowed to clear the benches. How come in hockey they’re allowed to? I don’t understand. I just don’t get why some sports are allowed to clear the benches. They have bats and weapons, we don’t. We have a ball.”
Ever since the Malice at the Palace back in 2004 between the Pacers, Pistons, and their fans, the penalties for NBA players fighting or even attempting to fight have been extreme enough that no one wants to lose all the pay that would come from a lengthy suspension.
Mazzulla shouldn’t hold his breath for this rule change. The only way I could see NBA fights returning is if it was made a race issue due to NBA players who are majority Black getting punished much more severely for the same actions that non-Black NHL or MLB players are.
