Nenad Krstic and the 10 Best Basketball Fights of the Past 10 Years

Earlier today, news broke that Nenad Kristic, the mild-mannered big man of the Oklahoma City Thunder had been involved in a brawl overseas that ended with his arrest by police.

Kristic struck an opponent with a chair during the melee to earn himself an unlikely place among the pantheon of basketball combatants in the the last ten years.

Here's a look at the best fights of the last 10 years.

Honorable Mention: Brittney Griner Punches Jordan Barncastle

Brittney Griner has a chance to be remembered as one of the greatest college basketball players of all time, but her legacy will also be defined by her actions against Texas Tech earlier this year.

A frustrated Griner clocked Jordan Barncastle, who has doing everything in her power to defend the bigger player.  After she fouled Griner, she threw in an extra little shove and promptly got punched in the face.

No. 10: Saudi Arabia National Team Vs. Kuwait National Team

There's not much available about who was involved and what specifically led to this brawl between the Saudi and Kuwait national teams, but the actions pretty much speak for themselves.

No. 9: Heat Vs. Celtics

A shoulder injury to Paul Pierce led to an argument and the ejection of Kevin Garnett, but it honestly could have been much worse for both teams.  No players were suspended stemming from the incident and order was quickly restored.

No. 8: Detroit Shock Vs. L.A. Sparks

Candace Parker started things off with a forearm take down toppling the Shock's Plenette Pierson, causing both benches to clear and chaos to ensue.  At some point, Shock assistant coach and former Bad Boy Rick Mahorn shoved Lisa Leslie and his ex-teammate. Bill Laimbeer tried to restore order.

The madness ended with Cheryl Ford hurting her knee and being taken off the court in a wheelchair.  Who says the WNBA is completely boring?

No. 7: Wyoming Vs. New Mexico

Things went from normal to bizarre in a hurry at the Pit, when a fight broke out underneath the basket.  The principal offenders were Jamaal Smith of New Mexico and Joesph Taylor of Wyoming.

No. 6: Pacers Vs. Lakers

After Kobe Byrant attempted a meaningless 3-pointer in the closing seconds with the Lakers with the game well in hand, Reggie Miller wasn't amused.  The two exchanged words and tackled each other near the scorers table in a very spirited conflict that also involved poor Austin Croshere.

No. 5: Elaine Powell Does Her Thing

My sources tell me that Elaine Powell is absolutely nuts, which may explain how she reacted after being kicked by a Polish player.  Maybe she took some notes while playing for Bill Laimbeer.

No. 4: Ref Gets Killed

This video comes from a pro basketball league in Uruguay, where Elvis Bolling unloaded on an official and was banned from competing the league for life after his source of frustration lost one eye and was in a coma for hours following the incident.

No. 3: Marcus Camby Punches Jeff Van Gundy and Other Classics

You have to feel sorry for Jeff Van Gundy, who lives in a world surrounded by bigger, stronger, angry dudes who tend to inflict him with considerable pain.  That was certainly the case when Marcus Camby tried to punch Danny Ferry and ended up punching his own coach in the face instead.

No. 2: Nuggets Vs. Knicks

The Nuggets and Knicks got involved in a major scuffle in 2006, which began after a hard foul by Mardy Collins on volatile Nuggets guard J.R. Smith.  The brawl led to aggressive penalties from David Stern and the NBA, including a 15-game suspension of Carmelo Anthony.

No. 1: The Big One

Was there any doubt?

The events inside the Palace were eye-opening a downright sad in many ways.  It was hard to blame one person alone for causing the situation to escalate, but Ron Artest took the biggest hit despite the foolish actions of Ben Wallace, Stephen Jackson and Jermaine O'Neal.