Classic NBA Flashback: Latrell Sprewell Chokes Out PJ Carlesimo

[CSquare43]

Putting a spin on the Classic Flashbacks and going back to a Warriors classic moment in history.

I was a very casual fan of the NBA in the early 90's and having grown up not far from the Coliseum in Oakland, the Dubs were my squad. I didn't follow too closely until:

Regardless of what he accomplishes in basketball, Latrell Sprewell will live in infamy as the player who attacked and threatened to kill his coach. During a Golden State Warriors practice in 1997, Sprewell snapped, choking P.J. Carlesimo before returning about 20 minutes later to continue the assault.

Sprewell's Image Remains in a Chokehold

Latrell Sprewell is known more for choking his coach than for being a four-time All-Star.

www.espn.com

After that, I think everyone in the town fell in love with basketball. . Spree had enough from PJ and took off on him.



Classic moment and the one single event that made me start really watching it..

 

[holidayinn21]

PJ was a good coach, but he was an a$$hole. He had it coming.

I'm happy Spree did that. And the face his teammates supported him afterwards was telling

 

[FAH1223]

 

[Remote]

 

[Don De Dieu]

 

[Mandizi]

Remember that like yesterday. Happened the year after Spree had his best season. Yammin it on nikkas with the micro fro.

 

[Jx2]

Spree on that Knicks team the year after with Allan Houston, Ewing, LJ, Childs, Kurt Thomas, Charlie Ward

 

[FAH1223]

The redemption arc

 

[KnickstapeCity]

Spree on that Knicks team the year after with Allan Houston, Ewing, LJ, Childs, Kurt Thomas, Charlie Ward

 

[mbewane]

In retrospect he bounced back quite nicely. Off course he never got back to that All-NBA 1st team, but that 99 run with the Knicks was something special and did wonders to his reputation and he added more good years in Minnesota. I wonder if a player could recover from a similar incident in today's NBA

 

[RhodyRum]

In retrospect he bounced back quite nicely. Off course he never got back to that All-NBA 1st team, but that 99 run with the Knicks was something special and did wonders to his reputation and he added more good years in Minnesota. I wonder if a player could recover from a similar incident in today's NBA

In sports, winning cures everything from physically attacking your coach to believable rape allegations. Never forget that.

 

[mbewane]

In sports, winning cures everything from physically attacking your coach to believable rape allegations. Never forget that.

Yeah. I think the fact he went to the Knicks also was a perfect match due to the whole history with "cast offs" (Starks, Mason...) and in general physical play and agressiveness, and indeed making the Finals as an 8th seed helped tons.

 

[RhodyRum]

making the Finals

Say no more, fam. That's all that mattered.

 

[mbewane]

Say no more, fam. That's all that mattered.

Lol whatever

 

[RhodyRum]

Lol whatever

It's not whatever. Solely being a Knick doesn't mean a damn thing and there's no comparison whatsoever between his situation and Starks' and Mason's. Those 2 were never viewed as villains who needed a redemption story arc. Them coming from unwanted castoffs to a feel good story by finally finding a home on an NBA squad are feel good, underdog stories.

That Finals run is what allowed Spree to become an NBA darling again. He had the spotlight and did everything he could to reconfigure his image, and with success came a rewritten narrative from the media about him. I give him nothing but the utmost credit in seizing that opportunity to fix things. I remember that entire run like it was yesterday.