We Reminisce: The New York Knicks And Denver Nuggets Brawl At Madison Square Garden

SI’s Jim Trotter is currently tweeting that the suspensions levied against former and current Saints players for participating in the bounty scandal will be reversed? This is in no way related to basketball, as you can probably deduce yourself, but how often do suspensions for violence in sports get reversed. And, as a Knicks fan, it got me thinking back to Knicks brawls. Of course I immediately thought of the Knicks-Heat duels, with Jeff Van Gundy clinging to P.J. Brown‘s legs, but I also thought about the Knicks-Nuggets brawl from 2006.

It’s funny to think that Carmelo Anthony is the New York Knicks hero right now, and J.R. Smith is there too. Six years ago, when Mardy Collins fouled Smith hard on a fast break when a game between the Knicks and Nuggets was already over, all hell broke loose. The benches cleared, Nate Robinson got involved and tackled Smith into the crowd. When it’s all settling down (sort of), Carmelo Anthony unleashes a right hand on Mardy Collins (that completely decked him) and you can hear the pop quite clearly. After the punch, Anthony retreated to his bench to avoid retribution. And right in the thick of it was Jared Jeffries, who, coincidentally, was the teammate of Anthony and Smith for the last two seasons. Water under the bridge?

Here were the post fight suspensions:

– The Knicks and Nuggets organizations were fined $500,000 each as a result of the altercation.
– Nuggets forward Carmelo Anthony was suspended for 15 games.
– Knicks guard Nate Robinson was suspended for 10 games.
– Nuggets guard J.R. Smith was suspended for 10 games.
– Knicks guard Mardy Collins was suspended for six games.
– Knicks forward Jared Jeffries was suspended for four games.
– Knicks center Jerome James was suspended for one game for leaving the bench during an on-court altercation.
– Nuggets forward Nene was suspended one game for leaving the bench during an on-court altercation.