Cleveland, OH

Carmelo Anthony Recalls Knicks-Nuggets Brawl

Published

1 year ago

December 13, 2024

Carmelo Anthony Recalls Knicks-Nuggets Brawl

Ali, Frazier, Holyfield … Carmelo?

New York Knicks legend Carmelo Anthony had his share of bouts at Madison Square Garden and he has offered behind-the-scenes look at the extracurriculars on his “7PM in Brooklyn” web series, a Wave Sports + Entertainment Original. Anthony previously expounded his famous showdown with Kevin Garnett and used the latest episode to discuss the infamous brouhaha he waged against the Knicks when he was a member of the Denver Nuggets.

Prompted by guest and rapper Fat Joe, who was in attendance for the unexpected heavyweight bout in December 2006, Anthony described his involvement as getting “caught in someone else’s beef,” namely that between head coaches Larry Brown, George Karl, and Isiah Thomas.

“I see Zeke … he’s trying to get my attention,” Anthony recalled about the lead-up. “[He said] ‘Yo, don’t go to the hole.’ I’m like, what? He said tell your teammates, don’t go to the hole.”

At the time of the incident, the Nuggets had a healthy lead on the Knicks but Denver coach Karl kept his starters in the game, which was said to be a way of humiliating Thomas and New York for supposed mistreatment of prior boss Larry Brown, Karl’s close friend. The decision to keep starters in and inflate the lead was widely criticized at the time, as was Thomas’ relatively indirect threat to an opposing player.

Tensions boiled over in the penultimate minute with Denver holding a 119-100 lead: Knicks rookie Mardy Collins took down a driving JR Smith, leading to confrontations under the basket. Smith, a future Knick, attempted to confront Collins but was intercepted by Nate Robinson, who engaged Smith in a one-on-one fight that spilled into the courtside photographers’ area.

“I knew [Smith] was going to do something crazy on the dunk,” Anthony said. “Once he’s about to go up, I see Mardy Collins come flying down the court and grab him. I’m looking at Isiah like ‘you motherf***er.”

Coaches and security managed to prevent further escalation but Anthony launched a punch at Collins, striking him in the side of the face before retreating to the Denver bench with a restrained Jared Jeffries in pursuit. An insistent Fat Joe reminded Anthony that he “punched a guy in the face” several times and of his subsequent attempt to flee, giving the All-Star a chance to address his escalation.

Fat Joe claimed that Anthony was backing up to watch his work, but Anthony reminded him that the Knicks immediately sought revenge.”

“I ain’t watching the work,” Anthony said. “I had [guys] coming from this way and that!”

Anthony was on the other end of the court when Collins committed the excessive foul, which was a Flagrant 2 charge. He told his fellow panelists that, when he confronted the rookie, Collins claimed that Anthony wouldn’t do anything, leading to the mad dash.

All 10 players on the floor were ejected from the game, which Denver eventually won by a 123-100 final. The league threw the book at Anthony in the eventual discipline, charging its leading scorer at the time with a 15-game suspension, the longest among the offenders.

Robinson and Smith got 10 each and many (including Anthony) viewed the lengthy departures as the NBA attempting to set an example, as the fight came just over two years after the infamous “Malice at the Palace” between the Detroit Pistons and Indiana Pacers, where on-court fighting spread into the stands after a fan threw a cup of beer at Metta Sandiford-Artest (then known as Ron Artest).

The Knicks and Nuggets, of course, wound up burying the hatchet well enough to pull off a monumental deal just over four years later, as Anthony was traded from the Rockies to his hometown team in February 2011. Smith joined the Knicks as a free agent in the following year, setting the stage for the memorable “Knickstape” era at Madison Square Garden.

Make sure you bookmark Knicks on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!

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Cleveland, OH

60-year Cleveland Auto-Rama tradition ends as I-X Center closes

Published

11 hours ago

March 29, 2026

Press Room

60-year Cleveland Auto-Rama tradition ends as I-X Center closes

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) – The 60th Annual Car Parts Warehouse I-X Piston Powered Auto-Rama wraps up this weekend, marking the last show at the longtime International Exposition (I-X) Center.

Organizers say 900 cars are parked for the event, featuring flashy cars and rebuilt classics.

Cleveland City Council approved plans last year to repurpose the event space for an unnamed private company. What replaces it, nobody is saying.

“Never miss, never miss,” said Jack Marino, who has attended many shows at the I-X Center. “It’s sad because it’s sort of a tradition to this area.”

Marino said he is worried about what Cleveland could lose when the building closes.

2026 Car Parts Warehouse I-X Piston Powered Auto-Rama(WOIO)

Show features diverse collection

“Anything that has a piston that makes it go is in the show. We even have a tank here that was built in 1964 when we were the Cleveland tank plant,” said Scott McGorty with the I-X Center.

George Conrad owns 221 cars and brought a few to the show, including a purple classic.

“Knowing this is possibly the last show, hopefully not. I wanted to bring an eclectic mix of really different things,” said Conrad.

Conrad said someone else started the build on the purple car and never finished it.

“Kind of a step child project to me. An older gentleman had purchased it and started the build and unfortunately he passed away,” said Conrad. “We took the project on, completely disassembled it and kind of restarted the whole thing. Three years, we don’t want to talk about the money.”

Conrad finished it just in time. There will not be another show according to the organizers of the autorama.

No replacement venue in sight

The I-X Center has hosted events for decades, including the garden show, the auto show, the boat show and the RV show. The city and the building’s owner have not released details on what comes next. Only that the expo space will close.

Organizers say no other building in Northeast Ohio is big enough to host the autorama.

“This show has always been about people as much as it is about cars,” said Steve Legerski, show manager for the I-X Piston Powered Auto-Rama. “For 60 years, families have grown up coming to this event together. Builders have debuted lifelong projects here.”

The event features hundreds of vehicles, specialty exhibits, competitions and a marketplace.

The final consumer show inside the Cleveland I-X Center begins Friday and runs through Sunday, March 29. The show is the 60th Annual Car Parts Warehouse I-X Piston Powered Auto-Rama.

Tickets are available at www.pistonpowershow.com and at all 23 Car Parts Warehouse retail locations.

The I-X Center was built in 1942 as the Cleveland Bomber Plant and was a manufacturing site for the B-29 bomber during World War II.

Later, it was known as the Cleveland Tank Plant and tanks and other military vehicles were built there.

Once the war ended, the center had several different uses before becoming the I-X Center in 1985.

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Cleveland, OH

VERICA DRAKSIC Obituary – Cleveland, OH

Published

23 hours ago

March 29, 2026

Press Room

VERICA “VERA” DRAKSIC

OBITUARY

age 74, of Kirtland, OH, passed away peacefully February 26, 2026. Daughter of the late Mijat and Anna Kalac, Vera was born and raised in former Yugoslavia with her siblings Maria (deceased), Lucija (deceased), Nevenka, and Petar. As a young woman, Vera felt a calling to help others that drew her to the field of nursing. This developed into a life-long devotion to cooking and caring for family and friends that she took with her everywhere, from aiding residents at the Slovene Home for the Aged to her work with the Congregation of Blessed Sacrament. In the winter of 1971, Vera emigrated to the United States, settling in Cleveland where she started a family with Martin (deceased), her husband of 40 years. She was a loving mother to their two daughters, Anita (late husband Edgar), and Irena (husband Chris), and a devoted grandmother to her cherished grandson, Evan. Vera spent nearly every waking moment preparing foods for people she admired, including the delicious dishes of her homeland, like strudels, poticas and sarma. Around the holidays, she baked until every container she owned was filled with cookies; gifts for the dozens of people she considered family. If you needed Vera, you could always find her in a kitchen peeling a potato, chopping an onion, or kneading dough; all while stirring a simmering pot. Fueled by a love of people, hard work, strong coffee, and bread and butter, she somehow had time to get the job done with a story and a smile. They don’t make them like Vera anymore. Contributions may be made in memory of Vera to either Sisters of Mercy, Sisters of Notre Dame of the United States, St. Jude, or Doctors Without Borders. Mass of Christian Burial Friday, March 6, 2026, at Divine Word Catholic Church, 8100 Eagle Road, Kirtland, Ohio, 44094, at 10 AM. Burial following at All Souls Cemetery. Family will receive friends to pay tribute to and celebrate the life of Vera at THE ZEVNIK-COSIC FUNERAL HOME OF WILLOUGHBY HILLS, 28890 CHARDON ROAD (between Bishop Rd. and Rt. 91) Thursday, March 5, 2026, from 4 – 8 PM. Online obituary, guestbook, & order flowers at www.DeJohnCares.com.

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Cleveland, OH

Third wave of No Kings Day protests take over northeast Ohio

Published

1 day ago

March 28, 2026

Press Room

Third wave of No Kings Day protests take over northeast Ohio

CLEVELAND — Thousands of people braved the cold in downtown Cleveland for the third wave of “No Kings Day” demonstrations against the Trump administration.

This time, protestors said, the stakes are higher than ever.

What You Need To Know

More than 3,000 “No Kings Day” protests are taking place around the state and country

The movement began a few months after the start of the President Donald Trump’s second term, going against what many perceived as authoritarian actions at the White House

The nationwide mobilization is predicted to be one of the largest in United States history

Community members and activists joined at the Free Stamp in Willard Park and marched alongside Lakeside Avenue and around Cleveland Public Square on Saturday. Demonstrators said they’re rallying against the Trump administration’s escalation of federal immigration enforcement tactics and rocky global economy amid the country’s war with Iran.

Protestor Fidel Swain who served 15 years in the US Air Force. (Spectrum News 1/Tanya Velazquez)

U.S. Military Veteran Fidel Swain said he’s marching for the rights of all Americans.

“We’re really concerned with what’s going on in the country today as far as this current administration,” Swain said. “They all seem to not follow the principles and ideas of the working class and just most Americans, which is law, order.”

Northeast Ohio resident Charlotte Hartman also stood among the crowd of demonstrators. She said she attended the two previous No Kings Day protests in Strongsville.

Today, Hartman said, she’s standing in solidarity with all marginalized groups.

(L-R) Protestors Elaine Wheaton, Charlotte Hartman, and Michele Murphy. (Spectrum News 1/Tanya Velazquez)

“The way he treats people and minorities, the way he treats handicapped people … They don’t seem to be any care or concern for anybody,” Hartman said.

Hartman was joined by Elaine Wheaton, who said she hopes the demonstration will help unite Americans, despite ideological differences.

“We’re hoping that some of the people that voted for Trump before might be changing their mind,” Wheaton said. “He’s getting a little too overboard … I have no problem with Republican presidents like Reagan or Bush or whatever, but it’s not that he’s Republican. It’s just that he’s a bad human.”

The White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson sent a statement to Spectrum News dismissing Saturday’s protest. She wrote, “The only people who care about these Trump Derangement Therapy Sessions are the reporters who are paid to cover them.”

The first No Kings Day protest in June included around 5 million participants, while the second event in the fall drew in around 7 million people.

While speaking about the No Kings Day protests in October, Trump told Fox business that he’s “not a king.”

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