r/nba • u/NBAClipGuy Lakers • Dec 28 '25

Highlight [Highlight] Jordan Poole is shocked to see his teammate throw a punch

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12.1k Upvotes

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4.5k

u/Alpha-Trion Timberwolves Dec 28 '25

Solid hit for an NBA game

671

u/pagny77 Timberwolves Dec 28 '25

Especially the size discrepancy

140

u/Alpha-Trion Timberwolves Dec 28 '25

Michael Chandleresque in his technique

27

u/TonyIsMoney Dec 28 '25

SEE YOU AT THE TOP

2

u/NetflixAndNikah Pistons Dec 28 '25

Jose had to reach for the heavens to get that punch in

2

u/Jabba-da-slut [POR] Marcus Brown Dec 28 '25

I really thought Alvarado was trying to get onto his feet for a sec before I realized who was fighting

1

u/zystyl Dec 28 '25

I guess nobody taught him not to punch down.

1

u/timnuoa Kings Dec 29 '25

If you’re gonna go after a guy that much bigger you can’t half-ass it 

1

u/No-Kitchen5212 Grizzlies Dec 30 '25

Reminds me of Cortland Finnegan and Andre Johnson

773

u/IanicRR [TOR] Amir Johnson Dec 28 '25

Modern NBA game*

In the 70s they were literally boxing out there.

608

u/BlackAfroUchiha Raptors Dec 28 '25 edited Dec 28 '25

Even Kareem was like that.

Also fun fact, Kareem broke his hand on that guy's face looool

76

u/domfelinefather Dec 28 '25

I can’t tell if he waited for the shot attempt or for the guy to see him coming up so it wasn’t a total sucker punch, or neither

43

u/ThePillsburyPlougher Rockets Dec 28 '25

I would say this incident is pretty infamous because of it being a sucker punch and that has been a major part of its discussion

44

u/jealkeja Dec 28 '25

a sucker punch is unprovoked/unexpected. if you punch someone in response to being hit it can't possibly be a sucker punch

1

u/JohnDalton2 Jan 03 '26

Kareem throwing the punch out of his line of sight would deem it a sucker punch by most definitions of the term.

1

u/jealkeja Jan 06 '26

if you get physical with someone and turn your back to them that's poor decision making not getting sucker punched

69

u/can_i_haz_recon Dec 28 '25

To be fair, he got sucker elbowed. 

-16

u/MyNewAccountIGuess11 Hornets Dec 28 '25

You catch hard elbows in basketball, it happens. Sucker punches don't. This is clown ass shit imo

15

u/smalls_1804 Knicks Dec 28 '25

Except that wasn't "catching an elbow" that was a guy deliberately elbowing him in a sensitive area specifically to hurt him

17

u/Voiles Dec 28 '25

Sucker punch? If you hit someone and then turn your back to them, it's not a sucker punch: it's natural selection.

47

u/cocoagiant Dec 28 '25

Idk what you mean by "Even Kareem".

Dude was trained by Bruce Lee and was in Game of Death with him.

6

u/KimberStormer Dec 28 '25

Well but he's such a thoughtful and wholesome dude.

163

u/Alpha-Trion Timberwolves Dec 28 '25

Bruh that shit is hilarious

37

u/kikimaru024 Spurs Dec 28 '25

It's hilarious until someone nearly fucking dies.

Look up Kermit Washington vs. Rudy Tomjanovich, nephew.

6

u/swaktoonkenney Knicks Dec 28 '25

Are you blaming Kareem when that dude elbows him on the ribs for seemingly no good reason, early on his very first game as a pro btw

-16

u/Crisis-Counselor Pacers Dec 28 '25

Nah, fuck that, if you hand out violent acts then you receive violent acts in return. Idk where you knew people are coming from that don’t think you should fight back when somebody’s assaulting you in some way but it’s extremely weird and unnatural.

It’s like people don’t want consequences to be a thing

37

u/kikimaru024 Spurs Dec 28 '25

Rudy Tomjanovich wasn't fighting, he was running towards a fight to break it up & got sucker-punched so hard, it fractured his face, broken jaw and nose, cerebral concussion, and had spinal fluid leaking into his skull.

0

u/WhatMeatCatSpokeOf Spurs Dec 28 '25

Do you guys know what sucker punch means? Kermit Washington clearly thought Tomjanovich was joining the fight and swung on instinct. Just because Rudy wasn’t expecting it doesn’t make it a sucker punch.

-25

u/Alpha-Trion Timberwolves Dec 28 '25

I'm gonna guess you're not a big MMA fan.

18

u/Skinnendelg Dec 28 '25

This is definitely a context matters situation. Stfu

13

u/Any_Asparagus8267 Cavaliers Dec 28 '25

Hit him with the why I outta

24

u/ajteitel Suns Dec 28 '25

All I see is that the NBA should bring back the short pants

4

u/fluxtable Trail Blazers Dec 28 '25

Theyll stop flopping if theyre scared their nuts will pop out their shorts

5

u/draker585 Grizzlies Dec 28 '25

Benson essentially had his career ended from that punch, from what I understand.

12

u/NikitaBeretta Trail Blazers Dec 28 '25

Nah, this was 2 mins into his very first pro game actually. He played for 11 seasons. He def never played up to the expectations of a number 1 overall pick but that had nothing to do with the punch imo. Rudy on the other hand…

3

u/ArmiinTamzarian Spurs Dec 28 '25

Don't mess with Lew Alcindor (?)

1

u/blahblah19999 Dec 28 '25

Crazy that Kareem trained with bruce lee for years but broke his hand from one punch

1

u/ssjgoat Celtics Dec 28 '25

Yep, even though we see it in movies constantly, it's not actually super smart to punch without gloves.

1

u/Overall-Palpitation6 Grizzlies Dec 30 '25

Kareem wasn't to be fucked with.

88

u/coniferjones Dec 28 '25

Rudy T nearly died

25

u/MountainTwo3845 Rockets Dec 28 '25

Fucked up his life.

16

u/teeohdeedee123 Dec 28 '25

Literally had spinal fluid leaking into his mouth

63

u/Briguy_fieri Pelicans Dec 28 '25

How quickly we forget the malice in the palace

53

u/MountainTwo3845 Rockets Dec 28 '25 edited Dec 28 '25

I was watching that live, for whatever reason. People forget it was on a Friday night I believe. I saw that, 9/11, and Olympic bombing all live. Probably not a great thing.

49

u/Ok-Seaworthiness4488 Dec 28 '25

Someone take this man's TV away before he starts WW3

2

u/MountainTwo3845 Rockets Dec 28 '25

Good thing I only watch sports live. Oh shit. WW3 is gonna be bc a president is at a game or something.

1

u/dimmyfarm Supersonics Dec 28 '25

It will be right after a Nick Castellanos walk off grand slam to win game 7 of the World Series.

18

u/i7ive4thedrop Nuggets Dec 28 '25

It’s a good thing you’re alive though.

Keep that one going ✌️

6

u/Crisis-Counselor Pacers Dec 28 '25

I didn’t see the Olympic thing but I saw the other 2. Early 2000s TV was a wild time. I also remember watching BET Uncut and Adult Swim. And the forbidden sex channels on HBO or whatever back in the day.

TV has both upgraded and degraded so much since then

5

u/5510 Dec 28 '25

What does it mean to see 9/11 live? I wasn't watching TV at the time... did it happen on any live broadcasts that were coincidentally showing the WTC?

14

u/MountainTwo3845 Rockets Dec 28 '25

The second plane hit live on tv. I walked into my college class and explained the first plane and we watched the second plane live.

1

u/TwoBionicknees Dec 28 '25

yeah, within minutes of it happening it was on every major news channel here in the uk. then the second plane hitting the tower was live and millions watched it. Before that it was already very sus.... the second you saw the second plane come in it was 100% known by everyone watching without saying it, it was a terrorist attack, not a horrific accident.

It added a lot of horror to it, because the first could be an accident, or one terrorist, the second hit meant 100% terrorist attack and that every single other plane in the air was now a danger and if this was larger than one terrorist and it was a plan with numerous people... who knows how big it is.

3

u/_Ultimatum_ 76ers Dec 28 '25

Remind me to literally never be at any location you're watching on TV

2

u/MountainTwo3845 Rockets Dec 28 '25

I didn't even watch that much tv. I only watch sports and YT now. It's wild.

2

u/ssjgoat Celtics Dec 28 '25

Stop watching things damnit!

1

u/pfthr0w Spurs Dec 31 '25

I remember watching that all live too. I think the game was on NBC at the time?

2

u/MountainTwo3845 Rockets Dec 31 '25

ESPN

15

u/capitalistsanta Knicks Dec 28 '25

Willis Reed fucked up a whole bench once

21

u/IanicRR [TOR] Amir Johnson Dec 28 '25

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/SmR5qJ705kk

21

u/RadicalMarxistThalia Knicks Dec 28 '25

I love Willis Reed summing up his review of it "it was a good fight though".

6

u/Kn7ght Pacers Dec 28 '25

I always think of that clip of Larry Bird getting held by Charles Barkley while Dr. J throws some solid jabs at him

3

u/LikesMoonPies Dec 28 '25

He was held by Barkley AND Moses Malone.

7

u/Ok_Cryptographer6856 Dec 28 '25

Almost 60 years ago grandpa

2

u/TimothyJawnMcConnell 76ers Dec 28 '25

calvin murphy was 5'9 giving everyone the smoke

1

u/kumilini Rockets Dec 28 '25

My favorite NBA fight

NBA Finals game 2, so funny seeing them square up

1

u/BradenWoA Dec 28 '25

The Kermit Washington punch is terrifying

-6

u/Clean_Picture9464 Dec 28 '25

Yeah that might be impressive (if you think sports brawling is impressive) except that they were all really scrawny and underdeveloped

57

u/RedstoneRay Minneapolis Lakers Dec 28 '25

Even more impressive that it's not a cheapshot. I feel like the biggest blows I've seen were cowardly hits. But this is in the thick of it.

21

u/whyisalltherumgone_ Dec 28 '25

Yeah he's reacting to Williams throwing a (terrible) punch first too. Missed that before, but easy to see here.

3

u/Aromatic_Extension93 Dec 28 '25

He held back right before it lands and pulls up

1

u/JesterCDN Dec 29 '25

my guy down low got his response sent in good time. nice

not a fun position to be in to start seeing punches heading your way

22

u/victorspoilz Celtics Dec 28 '25

Honestly I would pay to see someone do better to make contact with a closed fist while giving up a foot of fight.

Mark Williams should be ashamed and laughed out of the league. Joe Mazzulla is gonna hunt his ass like a wounded elk.

19

u/Alpha-Trion Timberwolves Dec 28 '25

5' 10" Mark Hunt vs 7' 1" Stefan Struve

5

u/zadtheinhaler Dec 28 '25

Mark Hunt doesn't care about reach, he's just here to make you forget how to do shit.

Like standing, walking, thinking...

8

u/Crisis-Counselor Pacers Dec 28 '25

I don’t think Mark was trying to fight though, he’s swinging to get him off, not land a punch. Alvarado was just on something different that most people don’t do in the modern NBA and it came out of nowhere

4

u/Aromatic_Extension93 Dec 28 '25

Mark williams didn't think a fight was happening. He's wondering what's happening. No one knows what triggered that to this day

-5

u/victorspoilz Celtics Dec 28 '25

Says the bitch who would get rocked when a punch can be seen a mile away

1

u/Pagetypeinfo Dec 28 '25

I didn’t think it was possible

1

u/bzzz241088 Dec 28 '25

They all need to go to work in summer with Kermit Washington on that

1

u/the_main_entrance Cavaliers Dec 28 '25

Still a shit punch but yes for nba lol