The Punch Heard Round the N.B.A.
By Sam Goldaper Credit...The New York Times Archives December 17, 1978, Section S, Page 5 The Washington Bullets erased the stigma of failure in 1978 and won their first National Basketball Association championship. Offcourt events overshadowed a season of increased violence, the first trading of franchises, the financial plight of the New Jersey Nets, midseason coaching changes and the movement of top free agents. A costly punch was thrown by Kermit Washington of the Los Angeles Lakers, who broke Rudy Tomjanovich's jaw and nose and put the Houston forward into the hospital. Larry O'Brien, the N.B.A. commissioner, suspended Washington for 60 days and fined him $10,000. Franchises Exchanged The penalty failed to curb violence. To prevent future incidents, the league instituted the use of three officials and banned hand‐checking, a major cause of fights. John Y. Brown of the Buffalo Braves and Iry Levin of the Boston Celtics traded franchises and made a sevenplayer trade. The Bra...