“He was going to try to cut your nuts off to win, and then pray for you afterwards” – Jeff Van Gundy on the most surprising part of Knicks-Heat 1997 brawl originally appeared on Basketball Network.
The rivalry between the New York Knicks and the Miami Heat in the 1990s was one of the most intense and electrifying in NBA history. While most fans remember the fistfight between the Heat’s Alonzo Mourning and the Knicks’ Larry Johnson as the moment that truly defined the rivalry, another scuffle preceded it and set the tone for what was to come.
Advertisement
Rewind to May 14, 1997, as the Heat were trying to stave off elimination in Game 5 of the East semis against the Knicks. Tensions were running high as both teams had been battling it out on the court for four games already. But things took an unexpected turn when Knicks point guard Charlie Ward tried to box out Heat power forward P.J. Brown by leaning into his knees.
What followed was a physical altercation that began when Brown threw Ward to the ground, and the latter immediately got up to retaliate.
According to Knicks head coach Jeff Van Gundy, the play said a lot about Ward’s duality — a softspoken man who never backed down from anyone in the name of competition.
Ward got too overeager in boxing out Brown
Former Miami Heat assistant coach Tony Fiorentino was on the bench and witnessed the play unfold. He recalled that it was just a routine free-throw attempt at the line. With Ward standing at just 6’1″ and Brown towering at 6’11”, the height disparity was undeniable, putting Ward at a significant disadvantage in preventing Brown from dominating the paint.
Advertisement
“I think Charlie Ward was just trying to box him out, but he got a little too excited and undercut P.J.’s legs,” Fiorentino remembered.
It was also a detail that Brown stressed after the game.
“He was clearly going for my knees. Just look at the tape. He went in low like he was playing football or something, like he was at Florida State,” he said of Ward, a former Heisman Trophy winner in college. “If he wants to play football he should go back to Florida State.”
However, Ward bemoaned the allegation, claiming he was merely standing up for himself, especially after he had been bodyslammed to the ground.
Advertisement
“I was just trying to protect myself. I’m not going to let anyone treat me like I’m a little kid,” Ward responded.
Heat beat writer Ira Winderman suggested that such an incident was inevitable, given the message delivered by Heat head coach Pat Riley to his players during this series.
“Did Pat Riley ever stand in the locker room and say, ‘The first chance you get, I want you to fight these SOBs?’ No. Did Pat Riley say, ‘If that little SOB football player undercuts you, I want you to rip his arm off and send him twirling like a helicopter?’ No,” Winderman shared. “Pat Riley never said you have to go fight. Pat Riley didn’t have to say you have to go fight. But if Pat Riley says, ‘Protect what is yours,’ it’s the same thing in a different message.”
The heat of competition changes people
Van Gundy said it was surprising to see Ward in that light. While they didn’t chat much, the two spent a lot of time together in practice and on road trips. The Knicks coach knew him as a quiet fellow who did his job and went about his business afterward.
Advertisement
“Ward is also the quietest guy. He sat behind me on the bus for, what, our maybe our 10 years, maybe, together in New York, and probably said, like, a total of 100 words,” he said.
However, intense competition can transform choir boys into ruthless competitors, as Ward’s behavior during that game demonstrated.
“Charlie was a devout Christian and during the game he was going to try to cut your nuts off to win, and then pray for you afterwards,” Van Gundy added.
The aftermath of that incident saw the NBA hand a two-game suspension to Brown and one game each to Ward, Patrick Ewing, Allan Houston, John Starks and Larry Johnson. The suspensions hurt the Knicks the most, as they lost Game 6 and ultimately Game 7 in Miami.
Related: Michael Jordan shows off his $115 million luxurious superyacht in Croatia
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jun 30, 2025, where it first appeared.