Old rivalries die hard.
A scuffle broke out Monday night between mid-2010s Kentucky players — “La Familia” — and Louisville basketball alumni — The Ville” — in the former Wildcats’ 70-64 win in The Basketball Tournament.
Former Kentucky star Nate Sestina claimed the brawl was ignited when Chinanu Onuaku spit at him.
“Emotions ran high, that’s what this game does to people,” Sestina said postgame, per on3. “It had been great chatter the whole game, nothing crazy, nothing personal. And then it got personal, obviously.
Things got a little intense after the game winner from La Familia pic.twitter.com/HCbcObXM3k
— FOX College Hoops (@CBBonFOX) July 30, 2024
“Ls down versus Ls up, that’s what this game is. (Onuaku) was just like, ‘Don’t do Ls down in here’ and I was just like ‘All right.’ Ls down always …. S–t, the win’s great.”
We nearly had a full-on brawl on the Freedom Hall floor. pic.twitter.com/snMvcVRVqp
— Zack Geoghegan (@ZGeogheganKSR) July 30, 2024
Ex-NBA player Willie Cauley-Stein quickly got in the middle of the altercation, which seemed to escalate from there as pushing and shoving ensued.
It does not appear that any punches were thrown as cooler heads ultimately prevailed.
The spit that started it all… https://t.co/XQpCqvEpxp pic.twitter.com/3HgF0yYxgw
— Kinsey Lee (@kinseyleetv) July 30, 2024
Ex-Kentucky guard Andrew Harrison clinched the win with a 3-pointer.
La Familia, a team featuring Eric Bledsoe, Daniel Orton, Andrew and Aaron Harrison and Cauley-Stein, will now enter the semifinals of the 64-team bracket.
