Last night ESPN debuted Michael Rapaport’s 30 for 30 doc When the Garden Was Eden (based on Harvey Araton’s book of the same name, which focuses on the 1970s Knicks. In the doc they showed footage that many hadn’t seen before, Willis Reed fighting the whole Lakers team.
via Deadspin:
Reed and Lakers power forward Rudy LaRusso had been scrapping all game, but things finally reached a tipping point in the third quarter. The two lined up next to each other on the foul line, and while jockeying for position on the ensuing free throw, LaRusso claims Reed threw an elbow at his head. LaRusso responded to this provocation with an attempted haymaker, and all hell broke loose. Reed and LaRusso found themselves in front of the Lakers bench, which sprung onto the court in LaRusso’s defense.
Take it away, Anderson:
In the confusion Reed flattened [Darrell] Imhoff, a 6-foot-10-inch, 220-pound center, with a punch over the left eye. [John] Block, a 6-9, 210-pound rookie center, suffered a bloody nose, which turned out to have been fractured.
Imhoff, holding a bloodied towel to his face, lay sprawled in front of the Laker bench for several minutes while the police restored order among a few of the 15,755 spectators who had run onto the court for a ringside view.
Imhoff needed one stitch to close a cut on his left eyelid. LaRusso, who is 6-8 and weighs 225, later admitted that “Reed hit me a couple good ones.” Both were ejected from the game.
The Knicks ended up winning the game 122–119. In 1966 the NBA didn’t take fights particular seriously so neither Reed or LaRusso were suspended, merely fined $50.
