Boomers brawl: World reacts to ‘scary’ basketball fight between Australia and Philippines

YOU wouldn’t have ordinarily expected that a basketball World Cup qualifier between Australia and the Philippines would make international headlines. But this was no ordinary match.

Players from Australia and the Philippines involved in ‘scary’ brawl.

YOU wouldn’t have ordinarily expected that a basketball World Cup qualifier between Australia and the Philippines would make international headlines.

But this was no ordinary match.

The violent all-in brawl that led to 13 interjections and an early end to the game has captured the world’s attention in one of the most bizarre incidents in sport in years.

CBS News described it as “scary”, while Time reported on the “full-on fight” and Fox News reflected on a “wild brawl”.

Uproxx labelled it the “biggest basketball brawl since Malice at the Palace” — referencing the 2004 brawl between the Pistons and Pacers in Michigan — while SB Nation called it the “biggest brawl of the last decade”.

OH MY GOD. Thon Maker involved in the biggest basketball brawl since the Malice at the Palace... pic.twitter.com/nTNt5wRS6p

— Dime on UPROXX (@DimeUPROXX) July 2, 2018

USA Today’s “swarm of fists” was CNN’s “mass brawl”; while New York tabloid headlines read “NBAer tries flicking kicks” (NY Post) and “more like hockey than basketball” (NY Daily News).

Usual sources like ESPN, Deadspin and BBC all ran coverage of the fight, while niche publication RT said it would “leave even the most seasoned street fighter stunned” and balls.ie wrote “all hell breaks loose” in its piece.

Let’s hope the next time the Australian basketball team makes international headlines it’s for making the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup.

Originally published as Boomers brawl: World reacts to ‘scary’ basketball fight between Australia and Philippines