Popovich: NBA fights are 'the silliest, namby pambiest thing I've ever seen'

SAN ANTONIO – The headline from Wednesday night’s game was not about the San Antonio Spurs defeating the Brooklyn Nets but rather about Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich making fun of current NBA players and even acting out their recent so-called fights.

During Wednesday’s post game interview, Popovich was asked what he thought of the recent incidences of NBA players going after one another during games. 

“Oh, you mean those typical NBA fights where they go, ‘Let me at him. Let me at him. I would’ve kicked his ass, but somebody held me back,’” Popovich said while acting out the fights. “The NBA fights are the silliest, namby-pambiest thing I've ever seen.” 

Popovich’s comments come after NBA fans witnessed four “fights” in just three days.

The first was on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, when two players were ejected during Monday’s game between the Houston Rockets and the Los Angeles Clippers at the Staples Center.

Rockets point guard Chris Paul and Clippers forward Blake Griffin were first involved in a heated exchange during the game that later led to Griffin and Rockets forward Trevor Ariza being ejected from the game.

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Then there was the altercation between Philadelphia 76ers guard Ben Simmons and Toronto Raptors guard Kyle Lowry.

After the two fights on Monday, another occurred on Tuesday and a fourth happened Wednesday night.

After poking fun at the current NBA players and their “silly” fights, Popovich ended the interview by mentioning 2004’s “Malice in the Palace,” in which Indiana Pacers and Detroit Pistons players had the most infamous brawl in NBA history. 

“Except there was that one in the stand a few years ago. That one got ugly,” Popovich said. “But nobody wants those fights and even the players don’t want those fights.”

Since Monday, nine NBA players have been ejected from games.

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