'Get his ass, young fella!' - Keyon Dooling recalls the nasty fight he had with Ray Allen

Originally posted on Basketball Network
By Jonas Panerio | Last updated Dec 26, 2024 9:40 AM ET

Keyon Dooling and Ray Allen are two former NBA players who had careers on different ends of the spectrum. While Dooling played 13 seasons in the NBA, he was never considered as anything other than a backup guard. On the other hand, Ray was a ten-time All-Star who won two NBA titles. However, on one January night in 2006, the two players clashed in a fight that Dooling remembers to this day.

Tensions boiled over

As physical as the game is played inside the shaded lane, the same can be said for perimeter players. As guards sprint around, looking for a sliver of space to get their shot off, they often bump into each other. This can lead to some tension-filled exchanges, and that's exactly what happened between Dooling and Ray.

Allen was already agitated on the previous play after being on the receiving end of several inadvertent blows from Keyon and his teammate Stacey Augmon. On the Sonics' next possession, the former UConn star sprinted like he was going to come off a screen, abruptly stopped, and planted an elbow to the Dooling's sternum.

"Ray hit me with the elbow. You locking on that shoulder, and you chasing, 'cause he coming off three staggers, right? He stopped and hit me with that elbow," Keyon shared. "And then, you know, it just spilled over into the crowd."

After the two were ejected from the game, Keyon wasn't done yet as he raced in the direction of the Sonics' locker room, presumably to continue what he and Ray had started. Fortunately, law enforcement and team officials were able to stop Dooling from getting any closer.

With the NBA still reeling from the infamous "Malice at the Palace" in 2004, the league came down hard on Dooling, suspending him for five games.

All Augmon's fault

The native of Fort Lauderdale, though, pointed the finger at his veteran teammate for escalating the situation.

"It was really Stacy's fault though, that we got in the fight," Dooling revealed. "Stacy hit him in the face on the way down. So Stacy hit him, but you know, he hit me."

He added that the "Plastic Man" also gave him an assist during their brief scuffle.

"Stace pulled Ray. Stace pulled him and put him in the full Nelson. He like, 'Get his ass, young fella!'" Dooling narrated, eliciting laughter from the "All The Smoke" hosts Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson.

Ironically, Keyon and Allen became teammates five years later when the former was traded to the Boston Celtics. Dooling, though, explained that by then, he and Ray had already set their differences aside, explaining that everything occurred in the heat of battle.

This article first appeared on Basketball Network and was syndicated with permission.

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