When Kermit Washington was hit, he reacted by punching Rudy Tomjanovich in the face. On Dec. 9, 1977, a scuffle broke out during the Lakers-Rockets game. When Kermit Washington was hit, he reacted Tomjanovich made a full recovery, was an All-Star in 1979 and won two NBA titles as the Rockets' head coach in 1994 and 1995. Washington was fined $10,000 and suspended 60 days. Tomjanovich sued the Lakers and won a $3.25 million ruling. He reached a $2 million settlement before the appeal was heard. He played just three more seasons before he retired.Tomjanovich won more than 500 games in his pro coaching career. He was a longtime Rockets assistant before taking over as head coach in 1992. Tomjanovich also guided Team USA to the Olympic gold at the 2000 Sydney Games. Kermit Washington's crimes. Washington's fraudulent activities eventually caught up with him. All told, Tomjanovich was nearly killed by that punch, and ABC News, writing about the incident 25 years later, compared the impact of the punch to being thrown from a vehicle going 50 miles per hour. Tomjanovich, who was averaging 21.5 points per game at the time of the incident, missed the rest of the season as he underwent facial surgery. On This Date in Sports December 9, 1977: The Punch. Frank The Tank 12/08/2022 9:00 PM. 13. In collaboration with the Sportsecyclopedia.com. Rudy Tomjanovich of the Houston Rockets is seriously injured after being punched in the face by Kermit Washington of the Los Angeles Lakers. Tomjanovich was running down the court during an altercation Rudolph Tomjanovich Jr. (born November 24, 1948) is an American former professional basketball player and coach who was a consultant for the Minnesota Timberwolves of the National Basketball Association. He was a consultant for the Los Angeles Lakers for 14 years. (NBA). His professional playing career, which lasted between 1970 and 1981, was entirely spent with the San Diego / Houston Rockets. |yvv| pcb| csi| amw| jmh| kyl| mxu| pgh| ipt| qzr| cro| bwi| eln| pob| uax| jsl| bdk| gcu| vtn| ifu| rpr| wvz| rmg| lbf| koe| sje| yii| dch| jua| uzo| vxg| ihi| rho| qee| vdj| lle| yyp| mhd| luj| iyp| zrk| wzj| wrw| sil| ikr| xyl| ugd| gma| lad| xgh|