Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's first meeting with Kent Benson still reads like one of the NBA's sharpest welcome-to-the-league stories.
Benson was the No. 1 pick and, according to the Reddit post recirculating the 1977 incident, tried to make a point 2 minutes and 9 seconds into his NBA debut by elbowing Abdul-Jabbar in the stomach. Kareem answered immediately, punching Benson in the face and fracturing his own right hand in the process.
The punishment ended up being unusual. Commissioner Larry O'Brien reportedly considered a suspension, then settled on a $5,000 fine after Abdul-Jabbar's hand injury made him unavailable anyway. The fine was among the largest in league history at the time.
Abdul-Jabbar missed 20 games, close to a quarter of the season, and still finished fourth in MVP voting. He averaged 25.8 points, 12.9 rebounds and 4.3 assists that year, while Bill Walton won MVP after playing 58 games and averaging 18.9 points, 13.2 rebounds and 5.0 assists.
Nearly five decades later, the clip still lands because it captures a different NBA: rougher, less managed and far less forgiving for a rookie trying to test the wrong superstar.
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