{"id":366927,"date":"2025-12-23T15:25:10","date_gmt":"2025-12-23T15:25:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/366927\/"},"modified":"2025-12-23T15:25:10","modified_gmt":"2025-12-23T15:25:10","slug":"3-time-nba-champion-wants-the-league-to-have-a-fighting-box-like-nhl","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/366927\/","title":{"rendered":"3-Time NBA Champion Wants The League To Have A Fighting Box Like NHL"},"content":{"rendered":"

The idea of fighting returning to the NBA sounds wild in today\u2019s game, but it is a conversation that keeps resurfacing. This time, it came from Danny Green<\/a>, a three-time NBA champion, who believes the league is missing an outlet for raw emotion and edge.<\/p>\n

Speaking on the No Fouls Given podcast<\/a>, Green argued that fans crave intensity.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe league fans, they want to see smoke, right? They want to see that type of tenacity, because all it does is enhance competitive nature. Competitive nature, you know what I\u2019m saying? When people talk shit, the competitiveness raises another level. So yeah, I\u2019m all for it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course, I mean, I think everybody in the world wished that some type of fighting was more legal without people pressing charges. You know what I\u2019m saying? Back in the day, you probably could smack the shit out of somebody and keep it moving, but not anymore.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cYou cuss somebody out, they might be pressing charges for you hurting their feelings. You know, back to Joe Mazzula. Joe Mazzula was talking about having a hockey box, which is cool. Again, guys would love to have an opportunity. Yeah, he\u2019s like, yeah, they should let guys fight and probably fight whenever.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cSo I\u2019m all for it, man. I wish we had an opportunity like hockey has, an opportunity to step into the box, step into my box. I know we\u2019re about to fucking get to it real quick, then we can continue playing. But now a hard foul kicks people out of the game.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt would be interesting to have that type of setup with no repercussions afterwards, like after the game. Or I\u2019m sure you\u2019ll see Isaiah Stewart, I ain\u2019t gonna call him Beef Stew because we just let go of that word, but you know, him trying to fight a couple people.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt would make the game definitely more fun. I don\u2019t know if it\u2019ll protect our superstars, and some superstars, I don\u2019t wanna say they ain\u2019t about it. They probably can fight.\u201d<\/p>\n

Green\u2019s comments echoed sentiments previously shared by Joe Mazzulla, who has openly said he wishes fighting could return to the league<\/a>.<\/p>\n

There is no question that the NBA has worked for decades to clean up its image. Former commissioner David Stern spent years distancing the league from the rough reputation of earlier eras. The Malice at the Palace in 2004 changed everything. After players and fans were pulled into a chaotic brawl, the NBA adopted a zero-tolerance approach to fighting.<\/p>\n

That moment still hangs over any discussion about loosening physical standards.<\/p>\n

The problem is that basketball is already a high-risk sport. Injuries are rising, and the league has seen a troubling increase in serious lower-body issues. From 1990 to 2023, 45 players suffered Achilles tears. Last season alone, eight players were hurt<\/a>, followed by more major ACL and Achilles injuries<\/a>. Adding controlled fights, even in theory, raises concerns about player safety in a league where stars are major investments.<\/p>\n

The comparison to the NHL is tempting, but basketball operates in a different environment. The fans are just a few feet away from the players. There is no glass, no boards, and nothing to stop the fans from getting involved. Any fight can spill into the crowd, something the NBA has worked extremely hard to prevent.<\/p>\n

A more realistic compromise may already be on the table. Many around the league argue that officials could allow slightly more physical play without crossing into violence. Letting players absorb contact without constant whistles might restore some of the toughness Green is talking about, without inviting chaos.<\/p>\n

Green\u2019s comments were not a call for anarchy. They were a reflection of how emotionally charged the game still is. The NBA thrives on skill, but intensity has always been part of its identity. Finding the balance between edge and safety remains one of the league\u2019s toughest challenges.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The idea of fighting returning to the NBA sounds wild in today\u2019s game, but it is a conversation…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":366928,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[557],"tags":[64,63,590,85],"class_list":["post-366927","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nba","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-nba","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/366927","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=366927"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/366927\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/366928"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=366927"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=366927"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=366927"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}