Rick Mahorn the Peacemaker?
By Pants | July 24, 2008
Category: The Sideline Report
There are certain players who just make a franchise proud. Looking back I think the Sixers most notable Franchise Player would be the one and only Dr. J. His first year with the Sixers ended in the NBA finals and he added four more NBA finals appearances to the Sixers resume before his retirement. He was the NBA’s Most Valuable Player in 1981 and finished his career with 30,026 points, fifth-highest in professional basketball (NBA and ABA combined).
Most known for his dunking ability, Irving basically invented the Tomahawk and gave the Rock the Baby a face in 1983 when he debuted it over now Los Angeles Sparks’ Head Coach Michael Cooper.
I think you could add a few other names to the making the franchise proud list – Wilt Chamberlain, Charles Barkley, Allen Iverson . One name I know would not even be on a long list of Philadelphia 76ers great players is Rick Mahorn.
Mahorn was most known for his bad boy antics both on and off the court during his career. Currently he is an assistant coach for the WNBA’s Detroit Shock under head coach and fellow Bad Boy Bill Laimbeer. I don’t know your definition of Bad Boy Antics, but mine includes throwing Lisa Leslie to the floor during, what is now being touted as, the worst (and possibly only) brawl in WNBA history.
I am going to have to go ahead and agree with Lisa Leslie on this one. Besides what the video clearly shows, Mahorn has no reason to put his hands on players other than his own, let alone shoving her or any player backwards. I am also going to have to disagree with Laimbeer in calling Mahorn a “peacemaker.” The picture above shows a woman of 6-5 clearly being shoved hard enough to be thrown off her feet: a peacemaker that does not make. She might be slender, but it takes a lot to knock a woman of that size off her feet. If I am Lisa Leslie, the best of the best in the WNBA, I am calling for Mahorn’s firing. I don’t think suspension, paying a fine or an apology is a stiff enough punishment for Mahorn’s actions. I mean he straight up jacked her up. Two hands on the shoulders pushed her back and then shoved her to the ground. I’m not calling him Mike Tyson or even O.J. Simpson, but the guy chucked Leslie and chucked her hard.
The brawl, now being called “The Malice at The Palace, Part 2,” is said to stem all the way back to the NBA’s Los Angeles Lakers/Detroit Pistons rivalries of the 1980s when the two head coaches Laimbeer for the Pistons and Cooper for the Lakers battled back and forth. Although the two teams will not meet again during the regular season, there is a chance they will see one another in the finals, and emotions WILL carry over whether it be from the 80s or July 22nd, 2008.
Oh, and LA won 84-81.
July 24th, 2008 at 9:56 am
If you look really closely you can see Jermaine O’Neal punching a fan in the background.
July 24th, 2008 at 10:21 am
Here’s a fun game:
Rich Mahorn: Peacemaker :: Hugh Hefner: Virgin
Rich Mahorn: Peacemaker :: Andy Reid: Skinny
Rich Mahorn: Peacemaker :: Charlie Manual: Coherent
July 24th, 2008 at 11:20 am
I love Rick Mahorn for the way he treats his women. Should have just shookin a bitch.