Kurt Rambis On That HARD Foul From Kevin McHale

[@sbfitz]

Once Larry helped Rambis up, that took all the anger out of rambis. Great move by Larry.

[@rogerahier4750]

yeah, nothing personal, just business.

[@bigkw1568]

Greatest era of Basketball....period...

[@garse70]

Miss watching 80’s Lakers and NBA.

[@sardonicus76]

A year has passed and this statement is still 100% true. We never had it so good.

[@bdflatlander]

@@bigkw1568 : It was a great time to be a Laker fan. It was Showtime as orchestrated by Magic Johnson with James Worthy, Kareem, Byron Scott, Michael Cooper, Kurt Rambis, etc., etc. The rivalry with the Celtics was intense. The Celtics had what I considered the best starting 5 that year and maybe in the history of the NBA: Bird, McHale, Parish, Dennis Johnson and Danny Ainge. The problem with the Celtics was that the talent level dropped off significantly from the starters and they were often times completely gassed in the 4th quarter because they played so many minutes. Those were definitely the good old days!!

[@Chevy-hw6lw]

I can’t believe Kurt was able to even get up after that , let alone want to go fist to fist . Larry so smart he knew his gesture would calm everything down .

[@danielchilton5400]

Must have been pure adrenaline because he popped up like lightning

[@prestonzelek]

Kareem got Larry about 10 minutes later with a vicious elbow.

[@pauljackson1744]

I love it....just free throws. Just an example of different times

[@Amick44]

And NO social media to say how "we're gonna you back next game" or similar BS.

[@unnaturalselection8330]

Back when basketball was a man's sport. Salute to the warriors of yesterday.

[@wftyler9680]

It’s *still* a man’s sport 🤡. Let me guess - you hate Lebron (LeFlop, etc. 🙄) and you hate seeing black players making the kind of money they make. 🙄 Carry on……….

[@bdflatlander]

I was at this game at The Forum in 1984. I was sitting behind the basket where the play took place, about 20 rows up from the floor. When it happened it was such a shocking play that everyone in the crowd kind of gasped. Then we saw Rambis spring up and go after McHale but didn’t really see much because of all the players that converged on the two men. The pisser was that the Lakers lost in OT when Magic made an errant pass and the Celtics went on to win the NBA Championship in 7 games.

[@duffman1876]

Thanks for the story OG! Im a 90's baby that noticed y'all beyond late! Haha,to hear your side now is well appreciated 😎🍻🍺

[@truthtyperii7727]

Just watched this scene on Winning time 😂

[@stebopign]

same

[@Traye76]

Stop staring at the fucking floor. Ain't no answers down there.

[@JD-zd8tm]

Just wanted to say we'll never see basketball like Boston and L.A. again . We didn't know what we would be missing back then. I think in the 80's being younger it was more emotional and raw for you players and the anger was real . To see Bird and Kareem go at it was wild but it was all about the game and in the moment but to see him today say Bird was his fiercest rival says it was all about respect . I loved McHale as a player and it's great to see even you guys knew he wasn't trying to hurt anyone . Now , Bill Laimbeer would have been different

[@cnn787-i9e]

Thank you to you guys and all of Show Time Lakers. I miss you all.

[@hawaiisown5064]

"It's 1984 Kurt, go to the line!" Sincerely, Bob Ryan

[@extanegautham8950]

Hi Byron, so nice to see you. i miss your jump shot w/Lakers. you guys were great. thanks!

[@Tehui1974]

In today's rules, McHale would have been thrown out and probably suspended. I was a Lakers fan at the time, I don't recall the Celtics doing these types of fouls often. It was Detroit who took it to a new level - LOL.

[@Amick44]

Yes. Knicks too at times.

[@alphonsomorris793]

Stop, the Celtics was always playing dirty.

[@Robdobalina]

Mandatory counselling also

[@WonBoii411]

That’s not a basketball play. Rambis could’ve died or be paralyzed with some shit like that! And then what?

[@CedricMaximum]

That's because today's basketball is weai

[@stevegant7286]

That was old school basketball, tough as nails those guys, and what a rivalry!

[@DavidSmith-xr8js]

I don't think Kevin intentionally tried to hurt Kurt. I do think Kevin wanted to show his own teammates he was tough. I think it happened so fast that nobody really had time to come up with a conspiracy. Just a bang bang play. Raise your hand to the scorer's table and go about your day.

[@JustNeedaBeerandPark]

Because of what Bird said....

[@sardonicus76]

McHale was definitely not a fighter. Nor was he a dirty player. He had no history of anything remotely close the clothesline foul on Kurt. According to Laker favorite Danny Ainge, they (Bird, Maxwell & Ainge) called McHale out for not being physical enough and this was the result.

[@prestonzelek]

He probably didn't mean to do it that extreme. Make no mistake that was one of the dirtiest plays in NBA history. Kurt had no way of bracing himself for a fall. He could of broken his neck.

[@mark.8949]

McHale talked about that play years after, saying they got tired of watching the Lakers players sprint past for layups. McHale said next player that tries it was going to get knocked down..he had hoped it was Worthy, it just happened to be Rambis. That hit possibly changed the series in the Celtics favor.

[@rickfeld7995]

Aftet that incident the press asked McHale about it & Kevin put on his choir boy face & said " i really like the guy " (Rambis).

[@dcfunhouse]

Kevin was always thoughtful. Even when clotheslining Rambis he made sure to help him land perfectly. A true professional.

[@dwightlove3704]

@@dcfunhouse I still think he should have been ejected for what he did.

[@babilloso33]

@@dwightlove3704Soft!

[@RepriseFan]

It's without a doubt the dirtiest play I've seen in a pro basketball game. If that happened today in the Finals, ejection, suspension for the rest of the series and suspension to start next season but of course things much different back then.

[@dwightlove3704]

@@RepriseFan Thank You for saying this everyone acts like Detroit started this style of basketball and completely forget about the Celtics and what they did in the '80s.Danny Ainge did the exact same thing to Sidney Moncrief in the '87 Eastern Conference playoffs.Moncrief was blowing by Ainge at will and he was frustrated with the fact that he was powerless to stop him.

[@isaachaze1]

I was just going to say, Bill Lame-beer did some plays just as dirty if not dirtier and it is kind of funny and possibly ironic that Larry Bird called him out on it and said Lame-beer was the dirtiest player.

[@dwightlove3704]

@isaachaze1 Detroit gave Boston a taste of what they did to other teams and they couldn't deal with a obvious response from the Pistons.McHale talked about doing this to Magic on a podcast with ex-teammate Cedric Maxwell.He would have gotten the attention of everyone on the Lakers.

[@RonnieLeeDuck]

Really? That kind of play became commonplace for a long time in the NBA, for the very reasons you state. Why wouldn't it? What was the downside of McHale not doing it. It was just two free throws that Rambis may or may not make. The reward is the Lakers were taken off the rhythm of their game.

[@isaachaze1]

@@RonnieLeeDuck I don't agree with it and I'm old and was an avid fan during that era. I draw the line when you're intentionally trying to hurt someone and maybe even end their career. There is no W that is worth that. I agree that it was commonplace at that time though, at least with certain teams.

[@rshelley7496]

Amazed me when he got right back up from that play...like he said he just fell right🤷🏽‍♂️

[@crackerjack9320]

Hey Kurt, a few years back i saw Nash out and about. I told him he was the second best player ever to come out of Santa Clara. - 80s Lakers fan. Thx for the memories Kurt and Byron!

[@ronchapman6525]

What did Nash say?

[@jeffreyhartshorn6433]

Love rambis Clark Kent of nba

[@JohnToomey-x6s]

Rabbis looks more normal in his older age I mean he looks nothing like he did when he was younger

[@geoffoldread7684]

Calling him that implies he was somehow Superman in another capacity, which he really wasn't. 😂

[@thecooler68]

love this interview!

[@kevincook7675]

If you ask Larry bird,this when flopping started🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@L4-295]

I still blame Vlade Divac

[@imweakfordeaky]

Rambis rolled over, popped up and *lunged* - ready to scrap it out. Lol It was AWESOME - those 80s NBA players were tough and unafraid !

[@jamisonweaver3711]

😅 so true. Rambis talked about it, said the funny part was the call. Personal foul, McHale. 2 free throws.

[@JeTseTJaMiZon]

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@piemuggs]

Absolutely. Rambis totally flopped on that play.

[@blakeschreckenbach679]

If you have a pretty good vertical leap and you get your legs taken out from under yourself at apex... if you get hit hard enough at that moment you feel yourself entering rotation and worry about landing on your neck, crown, or forehead. I went into a back spin and landed on my back and got winded. Best place to land but shit that is the worst feeling in the world to have the air knocked out of yourself. Kurt is a real champion for getting up as quick as he was knocked down.

[@davep8221]

Makes me think of Jerry Rice and his helicopter and windmill impressions.

[@eggsmann594]

The epic era.

[@alantoler8266]

Yea I remember that play vividly

[@kentoffing4347]

A bit off topic, but this was 1 of the reasons I loved the Bad Boys Pistons. McHale was lauded and praised by Boston & their fanbase for the hit on Rambis. It was a dirty tactic, but a lot of observers also thought that foul was the turning point that led to Boston winning the game and eventually the series/championship over the Lakers. In subsequent seasons, the Celtics & their fans (see "Most, Johnny") had conniption fits every time Mahorn or Laimbeer flattened a Celtic in similar fashion. For each of those instances, the very same people who praised McHale for the clothesline suddenly hated physical play and came off as whiny, petulant, and duplicitous to me... It was hilarious!

[@juno4494]

Somebody help me out here. I saw this foul when it happened, but I haven't heard any interviews with McHale in later years. It looked to me then as it does now--like McHale intentionally fouled Rambis but did not intend the foul as malicious or even dangerous. It looked to me like he gave up the foul to stop the sure score, but his speed and that of Rambis caused the awkward tangle and fall that followed. I did wonder why he didn't try to get his other arm behind Rambis to soften the fall, but that might go back to the awkwardness....

[@antenanashi]

That's what McHale said, he tried to grab him not clothesline him

[@tracycarawan1152]

Kurt Rambis was known for his hard fouling. He was smart enough to realize it was just hard play and some karma

[@squirlmy]

exactly. It gets to me that Rambis became known as the victim now, when he played dirty, he was just a lot better at not getting caught.

[@ShunyamNiketana]

Hard fouling versus a clothesline that could have resulted in serious injury. As Kurt said, it wasn't a basketball play.

[@JanRey526]

He was smart enough to know there were no evil intentions, but that wasn't a basketball play. And he was smart because he realized that didn't deserve wasting energy on. Still Lakers lost 1984 though

[@Lancer-y5g]

Yes Rambis was a hacker

[@carybensilhe4869]

I remember Kurt Rambis the most for scoring the game winning bucket for the new Hornets franchise giving them their first win ever.

[@mikjord]

Those series between Boston and Philadelphia, during the first years of the 80's, were far more physical.

[@123slasher.16]

Boston would start fights and do dirty feces when the more talented Philly and LA ran them off the court.

[@sardonicus76]

Truer words have never been spoken. Those two teams legitimately hated one another.

[@walterghent3162]

Yes, that was the true rivalry at that time for the Celtics. It was war getting out of the East.

[@toddushiroda2778]

saw that game live on tv back then. i don't think any technicals were called. kevin said he was trying to grab him. lol. he was trying to hold him up! lol.

[@c523jw7]

Another dirty foul was when Laimbeer head butted Robert Parish's fist in Boston

[@MrReymoclif714]

That was beautiful!

[@lll9416]

It was absolutely a brutal play Kevin Mchale absolutely overstepped the line, but I will say this on on behalf of Mchale, he absolutely held Rambus to break his fall instead of pushing him to the ground. I know this doesn't make it OK or cool but he was not trying to injure the man.

[@parkermudsen1063]

Whenever I tell a youngin’ how rough the NBA was in the 80s that play is the very first one I always point to. That must’ve been an adrenaline rush that allowed Rambo to get right back and ready to go. He must e been in some pain later on after a vicious foul like that.

[@sean2015]

If a play like this happened today with LeBum, he'd be screaming for McHale to be arrested by the cops and put in jail.

[@joeypierantonis7576]

DAAAAMN. Ive never seen Kurt in civilian uniform.

[@an7285]

You see that foul? A real foul, a man’s foul, result? 2 free throws lolol miss this era!

[@jonw.3886]

I remember watching that game and when that play happened. McHale was going for the ball but Rambis was moving so fast that McHale's arm kind of wrapped around his head and that's why it looked like a clothesline. But man, that was when the game was at its greatest! You had guys from both teams just going at it with everything. It came down to who wants it the most.

[@FJC464]

You're delusional.

[@jonw.3886]

@FJC464 about what, how McHale took down Rambis or the game being at its greatest at that time? My opinion.

[@FJC464]

@jonw.3886 About McHale's intention. Bird told them they weren't being physical enough. Lakers' fastbreak had to be stopped. So McHale did his part. Rambis should've beaten the crap out of McHale. Bird's gonna help him up like he was an innocent bystander.

[@FJC464]

@jonw.3886 McHale intended to do what he did.

[@jonw.3886]

@@FJC464 McHale meant to block him or foul him but he didn't intentionally try to clothesline him. And if Rambis did try to swing at McHale, those long arms of McHale would have kept Rambis far enough away that he couldn't reach him.

[@camoss3724]

McHale didn't even draw a technical on that play. Just a regular two-shot foul.

[@unstepintime]

With teams like Chicago, Detroit, Indiana, Boston etc. back in the day .. this was a common occurrence. Better have your life insurance in check.

[@projoebiochem]

Look at Kurt’s right hand! 😮

[@dougbodenhamer9391]

Pro ball was so awesome back then, so glad I was alive to witness it. You can't pay me to watch it now. No interest whatsoever.

[@JohnDoe-xu2vx]

I used to work in the area where Byron lived and I remember he had like 4 huge Akita dogs.

[@FBI_Surveillance]

They should show this to today’s players, that way they could see how week the game is today!

[@radar0412]

I saw the game live on TV. I wanted to fight McHale when he closelined Kurt!

[@blakekeithley3400]

That and Bobby Jones dunking on Bird can only be described as “ white on white crime”

[@cdjhyoung]

Wait! I thought only Bill Lambier committed hard fouls and the rest of the league played touch basketball. Kevin McHale mugged someone and wasn't arrested?? How could that be?

[@abc-bu7nr]

That was out of character for McHale That WAS the character of LameBeer

[@cdjhyoung]

@@abc-bu7nr You're kidding, right? McHale played like a goon when he was in the Big Ten. It didn't change when he got to Boston. He was just as rough a player as anyone else in ear in the NBA.

[@zeppelinmexicano]

I could not believe my eyes as Kevin was not known to ever want to hurt anybody. I suspect that Larry calling the team soft after the previous game had something to do with it. The team was responding to the call to arms, but I don't think even Larry had plays like that in mind.

[@furfamilysue]

After the game Kevin McHale said this was East Coast basketball.

[@K9AF]

Indeed it was. As well as Boston referees. The LACK of any call OTHER than a personal foul on that made the entire NBA look really bad.

[@squirlmy]

@@K9AF apparently you've never seen hockey of that era. All sports were played rough then, and for much, much less money. It was thought of as part of the entertainment, like fights in hockey still are.

[@maxpeck7382]

LOL McHale was playing WWF Wrestling at that moment in the game, he went in with the clothesline.

[@Jeremy-th5pt]

I wonder why on the HBO show Winning Time, they never mention Danny Ainge? They never show his name on a jersey or anything. No mention.

[@antenanashi]

I think he was in season 2

[@Alphasports576]

Winning time sucked it was terrible

[@broaddusmarines]

It was ML Carr that got McHale to do it.

[@Brotherken1234]

ML Carr. How come I'm not surprised! (Lifelong Pistons fan).

[@sardonicus76]

From everything I’ve heard and read over the years, McHale was goaded by committee into laying Kurt out on that play. Danny Ainge has said so in numerous interviews. There were more than a few Celtics (including Bird) who believed that McHale was too soft and didn’t want to get his hands dirty on the defensive end. Chalk up another one for peer pressure! lol

[@badgeswedontneednostinking5571]

This was the moment that the Lakers showed they didn't have the heart needed to win against the Celtics that year

[@mizztery2994]

Is that Michael Keaton?

[@Brockton153]

no

[@Cakebattered]

I thought Bill Laimbeer and the Pistons were the only ones committing dirty fouls? /s

[@Borntolose1976]

Can you imagine if that happened in the nba now?

[@queenlaker]

Clark Kent. I love you guys . LFL

[@an7285]

I remember when Byron was clotheslined too

[@andrewhall7930]

Byron Scott AC Green, Magic Johnson, Kareem, James Worthy, Jamal Wilkes, McAdoo Kurt Rambus was the only white guy on that team, (not including Pat Riley and the coaches) and he fit in Aesthetically. He didn't look out of place.

[@riff2072]

"Just go back and play."

[@craigallmendinger8404]

That foul by Mikal was definitely excessive, but I will say as a Celtics fan that whenever Rambus checked into the game, one of the Celtics best players would end up hobbling off the court with an injury

[@TL2354]

Foul by who?

[@extanegautham8950]

yeah, but had it been Ainge, you know there would have been exactly that intent, or that guy from Pistons that Bird hated.

[@TheWasif]

I’ve seen the play hundreds of times. I still don’t see where the foul was. 😂

[@ericotani6611]

If Lebron played in this era, the mop boys would be underpaid for cleaning all of Lebrons tears on the court. 🤣

[@WonBoii411]

Get off of Bron’s shit. He probably would’ve finished through the contact and roared. Rambis even said, “It’s not a basketball play!”

[@jeffelkins1905]

​@@WonBoii411lebron would not 1 season in the 80s . Get your nose out of his ass.

[@soramirez5473]

@@WonBoii411 lebron flops and crumples from a wrist shot to his face.. plus he loves diddy parties.. AINT NO WAY he guna finish through this kind of contact.. tho the contact he gets from the rear at them diddy parties may have made lebron tough over the years.. hmmm.. mayb you right.. he is a mANS MAN..

[@2genders-tk2ue]

Boy please....lebron is a diva​@@WonBoii411

[@PETERODZZ]

😅😅😅😅

[@elai3147]

kurt's fault, he ran into mchale's elbow

[@dwightlove3704]

Blasted Ralph Sampson ruined a chance for LA to meet up with Boston in '86 I was thinking about a possible sweep in the finals.Everytime Magic sees anyone from the Rockets he always that Western Conference Finals was the one that got away.

[@leodrosia4369]

Honest mistake haha, celtic fan. ....great rivalry with great players

[@michaeln.2383]

I don't think that even came close to the Bill Laimbeer's clothesline on Larry Bird.

[@Celtokee]

Everyone knew it was intentionally dirty. Both benches cleared. But they managed to keep the peace. Contrast this with what Caitlin Clark received on a daily basis. No benches ever cleared. They tried to poke her eye out, to blind her, nearly succeeded. No benches cleared.

[@billjames8082]

if that happened to lebron , they would have to cancel the game from the flood of tears from his crying eyes 😭😭😭

[@markswain365]

These guys were all warriors, they just "expected" hard fouls ..... you don't see this level of physicality today.

[@erikshin-cj8sh]

Kurt Rambis is the opposite Clark Kent...when he has his glasses on, he's Superman. Without his glasses, he looks like an average Joe.

[@Davivd2]

Imagine that clothes line on Joel Embid. He would have died. We could see his soul leave his body on national television. If he somehow managed not to die, he would retire right there on the spot. Just walk off he court and say: "That's it. I'm done".

[@kabookie960]

A time when you had to be a real tough guy to play the game

[@randyorr9443]

This is now 2024. I just saw Chris Paul get ejected from a Spurs vs Blazers game for practically doing nothing. Times they have changed....

[@edwardmcmanus7496]

McHale was not that kind of player and he had no history of being aggressive or dirty. See his HOF speech. He was a well respected player and person. And Rambis .... also a good dude and an unsung hero of the Showtime Lakers.

[@felixcat9455]

Rambooo!!!!

[@dh3279]

Hard not to like Rambis. And I completely disagree with the comments that praise the physicality back in the day. That wasn’t basketball.

[@CuddyTG]

Didn't hear anything that was said...was too distracted by his pinky

[@Psyfi85]

Michaels ring finger is rheumatic also, noticed during Last Dance.

[@Aaron-io9mr]

Today if you breathe on someone the refs call a foul, and players "flop" to the ground as soon as they are touched. I saw Robert parish punch bill lambeer and no foul was called.

[@JeTseTJaMiZon]

ThaT was The Turning poinT of ThaT series. Bird fiNALLy beaT Magic

[@ericdale4641]

It's sad that the current NBA is softer than the WNBA. I blame branding. If you're focused on your "brand" you're always going to try to be more popular. Back then some guys could and did embrace being the villains of the sport.

[@briankorbelik2873]

I'm an olde Lakers fan, in the 80's against the Celts, it was a holy war. We, "the Lakers". were the forces of goodness and light. Aigne was/is especially hated, he's just a cry baby weasel.

[@ohbrother3792]

I'm a Celtic fan, and I thought it was a BS foul (totally unnecessary) ! I thought Kevin should have been throw out of the game.

[@powerbadpowerbad]

Me too.

[@hairjordan2620]

Looked dangerous af, that would warrant a suspension for a few games in today's league

[@abc-bu7nr]

Celtics fan here and I agree Hell McHale was probably surprised he wasn't

[@marioarguello6989]

"i don't think he had any intention...", really? Watch the video buddy.

[@f430ferrari5]

Thug ball started from Boston not Detroit.

[@jonnuanez7183]

Yeah, McHale is not Laimbeer. Laimbeer would have finished the job.

[@dwightlove3704]

I will always say this McHale should have been ejected for what he did to Rambis the Celtics were on the verge of being swept in the '84 finals and Bird knew it he talked about this in a interview.

[@whartonarseino8849]

If that had happened today Kevin would've been kicked out of the game and suspended.

[@rogerwilliams5382]

No worries. Today's NBA players.- softies wouldn't want to hurt there finger nails. So this will never happened 😮

[@abc-bu7nr]

No bigger Celtics fan here But that was a dirty Laimbeer type cheap shot

[@peteradams9517]

Rambis was a goon who couldnt dribble or shoot. He took off on cherry picking missions almost every play. Left before kareem even secured the rebounds!

[@MrReymoclif714]

Rambis was an enforcer!

[@robertcarter8868]

Clark kent was superman

[@BasicBeachCommunity1]

Some of the stupidest people saying this is a good thing.. you really think the NBA wants to risk losing the best players there's a lot of TV contracts that's why people actually go to the games and your best player to be injured

[@jc2333]

Mchale needs to go to wwe.

[@OrionCorsari]

Clickbait ….A little video of the famed “clothesline” would have been nice!

[@forestyogin2218]

WAAAAAYYYYY too much product placement

[@forestyogin2218]

YIKES !

[@jamessills5802]

Like Kurt wasn't one of the dirtiest players of that era.

[@drh3b]

How?

[@joekoz3815]

Boston brain is at work.

[@watchit5985]

Shit, Rambis was a token.

[@50Nobody50]

Well, back then there was this thing some players excelled at, they called it "defense". Its a bit of a relic of an idea today, but he was kept around for being good at it.

[@dmx3602]

First and last time here, just seeing those stupid (and very bad visual taste) big logos around make me understand what that "podcast" is about, adios no amigos

[@zorkestar]

Love the Celtics and McHale, my favorite team from forever, but that was a bad foul and he should have been ejected.