A single elbow, a split‑second decision—history pivots on violence.” From the Malice at the Palace’s infamous stands‑to‑court brawl to the bone‑shattering punch that nearly ended Rudy Tomjanovich’s life, the NBA has known its darkest moments. Beyond the banners and buzzer‑beaters lie the brutal truths that reshaped security, policy, and the very culture of the sport. So when an icon from THAT era of the NBA criticizes a foul, you know something is wrong.
So when Charles Barkley says, “Now this is just dirty,” you know the line’s been crossed. He recently called out Bennedict Mathurin for a flagrant foul on De’Andre Hunter, saying flatly, “There’s no place for that.” And coming from Barkley—a guy who once threw punches himself—those words land harder. The NBA may have evolved, but moments like this still echo the untamed energy of old-school brawls, like the iconic 1984 fight between Julius Erving and Larry Bird.
Cedric Maxwell recalls that moment vividly—and with a laugh. Revisiting the moment on the Chirping Zebras podcast, he was asked about the time he threw a “flying elbow on the pile.” That triggered a vivid (and hilarious) flashback. “Charles Barkley was the guy below me,” Maxwell said. “First of all, I tried to choke him out because there’s a footage of me—I have my arm kind of around his neck. But the dude was so strong he flung me and I just went flying.”
Nov 23, 2018; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Charles Barkley before The Match: Tiger vs Phil golf match at Shadow Creek Golf Course. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
As wild as that sounds, Barkley was actually trying to keep the peace during that chaotic brawl. It started with trash talk—lots of it. “So Larry Bird was a great trash talker,” Barkley remembered. “He’s killing Doc. He’s like, ‘Charles, y’all better get this old man off me,’ and Doc had just had enough.” Bird was outplaying Erving that night—he later said he had 38 points to Erving’s six—and that imbalance turned frustration into fists.
In the blink of an eye, Bird and Erving were throwing punches. Barkley, alongside Moses Malone, tried to hold Bird back. “I went back and looked at the tape, and Doc was nailing his ass,” Barkley said. “I grabbed Larry because I didn’t want him hitting Doc.” But despite playing the role of peacemaker, Barkley still got fined. And he’s never gotten over it. “First of all, I hate the NBA for that reason,” Barkley said. “They owe me $5,000. I’m still pissed to this day. The one thing I would never do is hold a guy for another guy to hit him. I’m still mad to this day.”
Cedric Maxwell recalls Celtics‑Sixers bloodbath
Before the Celtics-Lakers rivalry lit up the ’80s, there was another war that ran hotter, nastier, and way more personal — Boston vs. Philly. Cedric “Cornbread” Maxwell was right in the thick of it. He joined the Celtics in 1977, and by 1980, he got his first real taste of playoff basketball — and a serious dose of bad blood — when Boston met the Sixers in the Eastern Conference Finals. That year, Philly sent them packing in just five games.
But the next year? That’s when things went full-blown war zone. “Down 3-1 in that series,” Maxwell remembered, “we came back. They were throwing punches, elbows, shoving… it was a street fight in jerseys.”
But this rivalry wasn’t just on the court. According to Maxwell, the hatred was so deep it literally affected dinner plans. “We had an exhibition game that we played against the Sixers in Knoxville, Tennessee one year. There is only one restaurant there (by the arena) to eat in, and after the game, we happened to get there first,” he said. “They came to the restaurant after we sat down. They looked at us and we looked at them and they said, ‘We ain’t eating.’ They left! They weren’t ordering any food. They just turned around and left. No NBA player leaves food! But we were there and they didn’t want to eat.” That’s how intense it was: one glance at the Celtics and Philly lost its appetite.
Unknown date; Portland, OR, USA: FILE PHOTO; Philadelphia 76ers forward Charles Barkley (34) against the Portland Trail Blazers at Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: USA TODAY Sports
Maxwell says it best: “I always tell people that I’ve never been to war. But I felt like that was the closest I’ve gotten, the rivalry and playing those guys.” To him, that era wasn’t about handshakes and respect — it was about survival. One look, one word, and it could all explode. That Philly squad wasn’t just competition — they were the first true wall the Celtics had to climb, and every game felt like a battlefield.
Those battles shaped Cedric Maxwell and even influenced future peacemakers like Charles Barkley. The same Barkley who, decades later, learned that sometimes the strongest move is to hold a legend back. In that chaos, Barkley’s own strength and spirit were forged, proving that in the war of Celtics–Sixers, only the toughest survive
The post Celtics Legend “Tried to Choke” Charles Barkley in Rage After Intense 76ers Rivalry Triggered Chaos appeared first on EssentiallySports.
