Basketball history was made that night.
The date: Dec. 9, 1977. The game: Houston Rockets v. Los Angeles Lakers. The place: the LA Forum.
The Rockets were up at the start of the second half, 57-55. Kevin Kunnert, the Rockets 7-foot center at the time, was battling for the ball with the Lakers’ Kermit Washington. Houston’s Rudy Tomjanovich sprinted down the right side of the court, anticipating that (if Kunnert got the ball) that he would pass it to teammate John Lucas and beat the LA defense in a fast break.
Tomjanovich was already down on the other end of the court when he heard a whistle. He turned and saw Lakers’ center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar bear hug Kunnert. Houston’s Calvin Murphy (known for being hot-tempered) rushed over. Tomjanovich (thinking that it would be a good idea to get there first), sprinted to center court.
That’s when “it” happened.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BI8nVJLHDMo
The Lakers’ Kermit Washington turned toward the rushing Tomjanovich and punched him in the face.
Tomjanovich fell to the floor, out cold. When he awakened, he saw Rockets’ trainer Dick Vandervoort holding a towel over his face. Rudy Tomjanovich, in a pool of blood, asked: “What happened? Did the scoreboard fall on me?” Vandervoort replied, “Kermit hit you!”
Out for the rest of the game, Tomjanovich suffered two black eyes and a severe jaw injury. At the hospital, the doctors told him that he had a fractured skull, a broken jaw and nose, and leaky spinal fluid.
NBA Commissioner Larry O’Brien, who was already worried about players fighting on the court, immediately suspended Washington and fined him 10,000 dollars.
“The Punch” was the reason that the NBA adopted new rules. Any basketball player attempting to throw a punch– whether connected or not–will be automatically fined and receive a one-game suspension.
It was “The Punch that changed NBA basketball.”
