Heat's Jimmy Butler Says He Wishes NBA Would Let Players Brawl During Games

If Jimmy Butler had his way, the NBA would occasionally turn into a professional wrestling show. 

Speaking to Adam Caparell of Complex, the Miami Heat star admitted he sometimes wishes the NBA would let players get into brawls when games get intense:

"I just think the game has changed in a lot of ways. They’re not letting you get into no brawls no more. Nobody’s going to let you do that. I wish that they would let us do that a little bit, if I’m just being honest. I really do think they’re still there. The game has just changed. It’s not as much banging and knocking people to the ground anymore. You can’t do it like that—you get a flagrant 1, a flagrant 2, a tech, something. I wish it would go back to that time."

Two of the most infamous moments in NBA history involve fighting. 

The first came on Dec. 9, 1977, when Kermit Washington decked Rudy Tomjanovich during a game between the Los Angeles Lakers and Houston Rockets after Washington got into it with Kevin Kunnert after a fast break. 

Writing for the Los Angeles Times in 1985, Chris Cobbs noted Tomjanovich was told by doctors at the emergency room he "might not survive" due to injuries suffered from Washington's punch. 

According to Cobbs, Tomjanovich was diagnosed with "a fractured skull, broken jaw, broken nose, other facial injuries and leakage of spinal fluid."

The second was the Malice at the Palace in November 2004 when both benches emptied late in the fourth quarter of a game between the Indiana Pacers and Detroit Pistons. 

Things escalated dramatically when Pacers forward Ron Artest, now known as Metta Sandiford-Artest, was hit with a beer thrown by a fan in the stands. He ran into the stands to get back at the fan, and that sparked fighting between Pistons fans and Pacers players. 

Per the NBA's official rulebook (h/t RealGM.com), players not in the game must remain in the vicinity of their team's bench or they will be subject to discipline, including a suspension without pay. 

Players involved in any physical altercation will also be subject to potential fines and/or suspension. 

Given Butler's reputation as an incredibly intense on-court presence, he would certainly be favored to win virtually any brawl that broke out during a game.

Unless NBA Commissioner Adam Silver decides to change the rules, it doesn't seem likely that we will get the opportunity to see Butler showcase his fighting skills.