Fights between teammates are common in the NBA, a result of high competition both among players and in the game. Teams usually keep these things private.
However, some incidents escape the notice of the private eye and begin to emerge as folktales. One such case is the practice fight between former Detroit Pistons players Corey Maggette and Kyle Singler .
On the podcast "To The Baha," Charlie Villanueva revealed that he saw Maggette knock out Singler during a heated practice session during the 2012-13 season.
"He (Maggette) knocked Kyle Singler out, bro. They was gettin' into it like bumping elbows. Corey Maggette is a strong motherf—r. Motherf—r is a G.I. Joe, the action figure. He is an action figure. He said, 'Hit me one more time,' and Kyle did it," Villanueva, who played for the Pistons from 2009 to 2014, said .
"Boy, Kyle Singler went to sleep," he continued. "Knocked his a–s out, man. Dropped him. Sleep ."
The fight became the last thing Maggette ever did in his 14-year NBA career. He played in only 18 games that season and averaged his career-low 5.3 points per game.
"Corey Maggette never suited up again after that," Villanueva said. "That's Lawrence Frank. Kicked him off the team and everything."
Maggette had a promising, almost All-Star level run as a member of the Los Angeles Clippers , where he logged his best season after tallying 22.1 points and 5.6 rebounds per game. He then joined the Golden State Warriors , where he averaged 19.3 points and 5.4 rebounds in two years.
Maggette also played for the Milwaukee Bucks , Charlotte Hornets and the Pistons, where his NBA career officially came to an end.
Following his NBA career, the forward played in the Big3 as part of the Dallas Power, where he won MVP and a championship, but also became involved in several bench-clearing scuffles.
Meanwhile, Singler's career never took off as he was traded the next season to the Oklahoma City Thunder , where he would stagnate as a player until his retirement in 2018.
In 2024, Singler shocked the basketball world after posting a video in which he spoke about his mental health troubles, revealing that he fears for his life every day.
The clash between the two former Duke Blue Devils serves as a cautionary tale of the consequences of engaging in practice fights. A more recent example was when Draymond Green also knocked out former Warriors teammate Jordan Poole during a practice session in 2022
The incident became highly publicized after CCTV footage leaked to TMZ, and Poole, who at that point had been touted as a rising star in the Golden State ranks, was highly ridiculed alongside Green.
Green was only fined by the team for the incident, but the aftermath showed the cracks in the Warriors' dynasty. Poole never reached the next level in his career after the incident and was traded to the Washington Wizards in 2023, while Draymond is still apologetic years later .
Some incidents have aged better, such as Steve Kerr and Michael Jordan's infamous practice scuffles , which have been regarded as the moments that shaped Kerr's winning mentality. Similarly, Kobe Bryant 's practice tirades against the struggling Los Angeles Lakers have contributed to the development of his Mamba Mentality ethos.
Teammate fights have long been a part of the league, but now, as private conflicts quickly become public, the consequences for players and teams are more severe than ever.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Jan 15, 2026, where it first appeared in the Off The Court section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
