Kermit Washington, who is most famously known for punching Rudy Tomjanovich in the face, was arrested on Tuesday in Los Angeles.
The former Los Angeles Laker was arrested on a warrant by federal agents. While officials did not discuss the arrest, they have set a news conference for Wednesday in Kansas City, Missouri. According to the Associated Press, it might have something to do with the arrest of football Hall of Famer Ron Mix:
“That's where football Hall of Famer Ron Mix pleaded guilty Monday to filing false tax returns. Authorities say Mix, a San Diego-area lawyer, paid someone to refer clients to him in return for donations to the charity Contact Project Africa. Prosecutors say Mix paid $155,000, but the money went into his associate's pocket. Washington founded the charity, which is no longer functioning.”
While Washington had a productive 10-year career in the NBA, the most glaring memory from his professional basketball career can be remembered for one night. On December 9th, 1977 during a game versus the Houston Rockets, the 6-foot-8 forward punched the Rockets' Tomjanovich in the face, causing a broken jaw and nose and a skull fracture. The event occurred during a scuffle not involving Tomjanovich, in which he tried to intervene to break up the fight.
Article Continues BelowThe punch was so hard that it left Tomjanovich unconscious and in a pool of his own blood.
Washington would go on to be suspended for 26 games due to the incident. He would later become an All-Star in 1980, where he then washed out of the league for five years before making one last comeback during the 1987-88 season.
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