1994: JoJo English vs. Derek Harper

As we reach the summit of our best Knicks brawls of the 1990s, the 1994 rumble between the Knicks and the Bulls is the winner. Another rivalry that was sparked due to multiple playoff meetings.

A lot of NBA fans forget to remember that because of Jordan, Ewing and the Knicks got their NBA Championship dreams crushed. In the early 90s while during the Bull’s first dynasty run, they took out the Knicks the first two years in the playoffs. The ’93 version featured perhaps the best team of the decade and a Knicks 2-0 series lead prior to losing in six games.

In the 1993-1994 season with the absence of Jordan, the Knicks finally enjoyed the upper-hand and took the series to distance with seven games and prevailed. They would eventually make the Finals that year against the Rockets, but you know the rest.

In the 1994 Eastern Conference semifinals, JoJo English and Derek Harper started with each other at the half-court line. English took down Harper and the fight went all the way in the stands with several players on the floor throwing fists.

One of the reasons why this is the best brawl was due to the fact David Stern was in attendance sitting courtside directly in front of the action. The fight broke out with the commissioner in the building and that’s like fighting in the school cafeteria with the principal there.

Regardless, the Knicks ended up losing the game.

Fights like these bring up the debate: Has the NBA gotten softer?

The days with rivalries amongst players and teams are missed. The game today seems so Charmin soft nothing like this will ever take place again. Sure, something like the Malice in the Palace is never a good thing for the sport, but a little fist-throwing gets those rivalry juices flowing.

In any event, those 1990s New York Knicks will go down in NBA history as one of the tougher teams of all-time.