Mo Bamba & Austin Rivers Fight On And Off The Court

BYGabriel Bras Nevares6.5K Views
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Five players were ejected in the scuffle, and Bamba and Rivers continued to heat things up on Instagram.

Last night's NBA game between the home-team Minnesota Timberwolves and the Orlando Magic got pretty rough and rowdy. Officials ejected Mo Bamba and Austin Rivers, along with three other players, after a brawl broke out in the third quarter on Friday (February 3). While other players such as the Magic's Jalen Suggs also contributed, Bamba and Rivers spurred most of the altercation. Moreover, Rivers ran up the court towards the Magic bench, where Bamba confronted him. As things escalated quickly, they threw punches and eventually a whole host of people were going at it. In fact, the two star players kept fighting off the court.

"Orlando 90 Timberwolves 75," one fan tweeted. "Wretched night for Wolves & we had a fight. After ejections, Mo Bamba came charging down hallway at Austin Rivers. Bamba got to home locker room door & security was pushing back Rivers. The foul-mouthed insults hurled were loud & impressive." Still, press asked both players about the incident afterwards. On his part, Bamba declined comment, while Rivers claimed he acted in self-defense. However, things got even more heated on Instagram, where both players gave accounts of what happened. For example, Bamba implied that Rivers had it coming with a meme on his Instagram story.

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - FEBRUARY 03: Members of the Orlando Magic and Minnesota Timberwolves get into a scrum in the third quarter of the game at Target Center on February 03, 2023 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Mo Bamba #11, Jalen Suggs #4 of the Orlando Magic and Austin Rivers #25 of the Minnesota Timberwolves were ejected from the game. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)

Meanwhile, Rivers' response was much more pointed at the Sheck Wes song's namesake. "Buddy I went at you 1 on 5 !!!" he wrote on his IG story. "U needed ur team mates other wise u would of been chocked out. Talking about find out. We only know u from an old rap song...not hoops. STFU. And Orlando my city. Ask around an actually find out. They don't mess with u there....Facts!" He ended his message with a couple of shushing emojis.

However, there's a bit of bad news for anyone who wanted to see this develop in a later game. Friday's game was the last matchup between the Timberwolves and the Magic in the 2022-23 NBA season. While these players won't be able to resolve their differences on the court, let's hope they don't resolve them with a fight again. Let us know what you think of Mo Bamba and Austin Rivers' fight transcending the court in the comments below. Also, as always, stay up to date on HNHH with the latest NBA news and highlights.

About The Author
Gabriel Bras Nevares is a staff writer for HotNewHipHop. He joined HNHH while completing his B.A. in Journalism & Mass Communication at The George Washington University in the summer of 2022. Born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Gabriel treasures the crossover between his native reggaetón and hip-hop news coverage, such as his review for Bad Bunny’s hometown concert in 2024. But more specifically, he digs for the deeper side of hip-hop conversations, whether that’s the “death” of the genre in 2023, the lyrical and parasocial intricacies of the Kendrick Lamar and Drake battle, or the many moving parts of the Young Thug and YSL RICO case. Beyond engaging and breaking news coverage, Gabriel makes the most out of his concert obsessions, reviewing and recapping festivals like Rolling Loud Miami and Camp Flog Gnaw. He’s also developed a strong editorial voice through album reviews, think-pieces, and interviews with some of the genre’s brightest upstarts and most enduring obscured gems like Homeboy Sandman, Bktherula, Bas, and Devin Malik.
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