Washington was going after Kevin Kunnert, who was a back up center. He happened to have went to my High School, several years before me. Kunnert had a reputation as a dirty player and Washington had enough. Tomjanovich just got in the way.
I actually read a book that was just about this incident and the players involved, it was pretty interesting.
Tomjanovich just"got in the way"?
Of what?
Washington's Renaldo Snipes-esqe,take two steps, then wind-up,from the parking lot- long distance punch into thin air?
Didnt look like there was anyone within 20 feet of Tomjanovich.
Also look at the footage,Washington's was taunting Tomjanovich to get back up when he was on the floor clentching his face in agony.
talk about revisionist history.
It all started with Washington and Kunnert. Things started to get out of control. Tomjanovich came running in to try stop it. Washington saw him and by instinct (at least that is what he has claimed) clocked Tomjanovich. He was not arguing with or angry with Tomjanovich. It was Kunnert who Washington was angry with.
Rudy Tomjanovich on Kermit Washington: "I have to wish the best for him. I don't like to see people suffer. He made a mistake and everyone deserves another chance."
Ambling Alp wrote:It all started with Washington and Kunnert. Things started to get out of control. Tomjanovich came running in to try stop it. Washington saw him and by instinct (at least that is what he has claimed) clocked Tomjanovich. He was not arguing with or angry with Tomjanovich. It was Kunnert who Washington was angry with.
Washington had two jobs on the Lakers: Get rebounds and protect Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. (And not necessarily in that order.) I think Washington very deliberately hit Tomjanovich, who was running in to break-up the wrestling match between Kunnert and Jabbar. That makes sense to me when you know Washington's role on the team, and you see that Tomjanovich was making a bee-line straight toward Kunnert and Jabbar. He was doing his "job."
Jim Loscutoff had the same kind of job for the Celtics in the 1950s. A reporter asked Loscy one time what his job was with the Celtics. His answer was something like, "Protect Cousy. But Red likes it when I get a few rebounds too."
He certainly hit Tomjanovich on purpose. No question about it. However, Washington did not have a reputation as a dirty player or anything like that. (Kunnert did have that reputation.) Washington was actually considered a nice guy.
Washington did not hit Tomjanovich to protect Abdul-Jabbar. To Washington, it looked like Tomjanovich was running at himself. Obviously he should have just tried to grab Tomjanovich.
Most of the rest of the players did not know what was going on. To Tomjanovich it looked like two guys on the other team were ganging up on one of his teammates, so he came running in.
raylawpc wrote:Rudy Tomjanovich on Kermit Washington: "I have to wish the best for him. I don't like to see people suffer. He made a mistake and everyone deserves another chance."
Ambling Alp wrote:He certainly hit Tomjanovich on purpose. No question about it. However, Washington did not have a reputation as a dirty player or anything like that. (Kunnert did have that reputation.) Washington was actually considered a nice guy.
Washington did not hit Tomjanovich to protect Abdul-Jabbar. To Washington, it looked like Tomjanovich was running at himself. Obviously he should have just tried to grab Tomjanovich.
Most of the rest of the players did not know what was going on. To Tomjanovich it looked like two guys on the other team were ganging up on one of his teammates, so he came running in.
Suit yourself, Alp. But fact is, Washington was Jabbar's protector. In my opinion, you have to admire both men. Tomjanovich has forgiven Washington, he refused to let his injuries defeat him and moved on to become a great basketball coach. Despite the adversity Washington suffered as a result of "the punch," he has certainly redeemed himself with his humanitarian activities - especially his AIDS work in Africa. In their own ways, both overcame "the punch" and became better men in the process.
The thug life atitude started getting in the NBA in the late 1970's.
what about Kareem Abdul Jabbar sucker punching Kent Benson of the Milwaukee bucks in the first 2 minutes of
Kent Bensons pro debut game with the Milwaukee Bucks in Nov. 1977?
Jabbar rifled him with a right hand and broke Benson's jaw.
The NBA didnt even suspend Jabbar
Jabbar was just out 2 months with a broken hand.
Jabbar claimed Benson elbowed him agressively,but Benson claimed Jabbar had elbowed him earlier.
Can anyone find the video of this incident or has it been removed again due to"NBA copyright violations?
.
Some of the reasons that Jack Hurley in 1958
(manager of Billy Petrolli,Kid Matthews,and had got Pete Rademacher ready to fight Floyd Patterson)
had thought that Chamberlain would have been a good boxer were his athletic attributes.
A 17 year old Chamberlain in Overbrook HS in Philadelphia,
ran 440(approx 48.8 meters)in 49 flat.
high jumped 6 ft. 6 inches,
threw the shot-put 47 feet. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9GPibuasw4
This was about as interesting as the rumor Cus D'Amato was going to train hand-ball champion Jim Jacobs behind closed doors for a $100,000 challenge against Archie Moore.
I recall Howard Cossell telling Ali 'But Chamberlain has a 98" reach!", to which Ali quickly quipped "Ernie Terrell had a reach too!", in reference to the one sided beat down he put on the 6'6" alphabet champion.
Personally, I think it would have been interesting, but it wouldnt have meant much. Chamberlain would have lost, and probably in embarassing fashion. If memory serves me correct, it was originally Floyd Patterson who was to fight Chamberlain. Theres an old RING magazine cover with Patterson and Chamberlain, if I am not mistaken.
Muhammad Ali TKO 2nd over Chamberlain, no more than five rounds would this fiasco of went, had it happened.
barry wrote:Wilt would have been put out quicker as Mark Gastinaeu if he went against Ali...come to think of it, I don't think Wilt would have beat someone like Boone Kirkman, much less Ali!
Kirkman would have chopped Wilt down.....Boone was top 10 in his prime. Although Chamberlain was one of the greatest athletes in NBA history Ali would have slaughtered him.
How any1 coulda possibly thought Wilt had any chance is beyond me! I think the general public will always be suckered by this size myth.
Listen to me wen I speak: Wen u are 6'3 and 210 lbs, u hav all the size u will ever need. Any more is just a waste. Ali wouldn't even of trained for that fight.
Way I look at it is this, if Lyle Alzado could do nothing with the 1979 version of Ali in their 8 round exhibition, then certainly Chamberlain wouldn't have so much as touched Ali in 1967.
Brutu wrote:If I was a fight manager other then Wilt Chamberlain,I would have tried sign up this guy,(at least he goes into a stance before he throws a punch)
According to his autobiography,Darryl Dawkins uncle was a boxer named Candy McDaniels,who once fought Joe Louis in a 5 round exhibition fight, February.1950,in their hometown Orlando Florida.
barry wrote:Wilt would have been put out quicker as Mark Gastinaeu if he went against Ali...come to think of it, I don't think Wilt would have beat someone like Boone Kirkman, much less Ali!
Of course Wilt would have no chance with Ali, or any decent heavyweght.
Size is over rated. On the basketball court Wilt would embarass any boxer, and just about any heavyweight would destry Chamberlain.
Muhammad Ali had actually scared Wilt out of this fight! It was set to happen and Ali needed the money but he couldn't resist with his 'timber' shouts and took Chamberlain apart psychologically and Wilt gave up. This matchup was ridiculous from the get go. Wilt had no speed as a boxer & couldn't punch effectively unless he was able to 'set down' on his feet and punch. Liston was a far greater (& much more dangerous) fighter than Wilt! You look at Ali against Williams the year before and you see a man launching a 9 punch combination in the blink of an eye and Cleveland Williams would have destroyed Wilt!
guitar102 wrote:Muhammad Ali had actually scared Wilt out of this fight! It was set to happen and Ali needed the money but he couldn't resist with his 'timber' shouts and took Chamberlain apart psychologically and Wilt gave up. This matchup was ridiculous from the get go. Wilt had no speed as a boxer & couldn't punch effectively unless he was able to 'set down' on his feet and punch. Liston was a far greater (& much more dangerous) fighter than Wilt! You look at Ali against Williams the year before and you see a man launching a 9 punch combination in the blink of an eye and Cleveland Williams would have destroyed Wilt!
I dont think there was any reason for Chamberlain to fight Ali in 1971.
Ali was no longer undefeated and no longer heavyweight champion of the world,
so what other reason other then money was in it for Chamberlain?
However if he fought him in 1967,the Heavyweight championship was on the line(but who would have sanctioned it?)
Actually according to newspaper accounts,it was in the Spring of 1965 that Wilt Chamberlain first seriously considered to be come a professional fighter.
He had said he was offered 300,000 dollars by some unnamed backers to turn pro.
He trained in secret 3 times a week at the YMCA Gym in Harlem NY,mainly hitting the speedbag and shadow boxing ,
However when word leaked out about his secret training, the press came to the gym and wanted to photograph him working out,so he stopped training there.
He said he orginaly planned to have 4 or 5 fights before he challenged for the heavyweight championship of the world.
By August 1965,he changed his mind about turning pro and went back to playing basketball.
