Friday’s matchup between the Orlando Magic and the Minnesota Timberwolves featured a wild brawl that was centered around Magic center Mo Bamba and Timberwolves guard Austin Rivers. Both players were ejected from the game along with three others involved in the melee, but the feud between the two players continued on Instagram after the game.
Bamba first took to social media shortly after being ejected to post about Rivers, posting a picture of a chart that is pretty self-explanatory…
After a fight during Friday's Timberwolves-Magic game, Mo Bamba and Austin Rivers have continued their beef on the mean streets of Instagram stories. pic.twitter.com/GCHCHF2CHg
— The Comeback (@thecomeback) February 4, 2023
Rivers then responded with a detailed message toward Bamba on his Instagram page, saying what he believes would have happened if other players didn’t step in to stop the fight.
“Buddy I went at you 1 on 5!!! With no backup!! U needed ur teammates, otherwise u would of been choked out. Talking about find out. We only know u from an old rap song… Not hoops. STFU. And Orlando my city. Ask around and actually find out. They don’t mess with u there… Facts!” Rivers posted.
We typically don’t see a fight in the NBA carry-over to postgame. Many around the NBA world seem to be quite entertained by this heated back and forth.
https://t.co/WgqSdckbsV pic.twitter.com/rIWSiRG4fr
— Julia Daniels (@juliaddaniels) February 4, 2023
More NBA fights please https://t.co/JbR0hvPIuc
— Tony (@TonyDrinksBeer) February 4, 2023
Ok, gentlemen.
That'll do. https://t.co/2fkWqy94Az
— Chris Long (@ChrisLongKSTP) February 4, 2023
Austin talking like he bout to get Mo Bamba banned from Disney World! Keep ya head on a swivel Mo!
— Jordan Crawford (@jcraw55) February 4, 2023
I just need to know if they played “Mo Bamba” during the brawl and if not why not
— Kyle Bandujo (@kylebandujo) February 4, 2023
Realistically Bamba is the far more imposing presence of the two, standing eight inches taller and 30 pounds heavier than Rivers. However, Rivers has been in his fair share of brawls in his 11-year NBA career.
He was famously involved in an altercation back in 2018 while on the Los Angeles Clippers where the opposing Houston Rockets team tried to storm into the Clippers’ locker room after the game.
We will truly never know who would have gotten the better of who if this fight were allowed to progress, but it is very clear that there is no love lost between Mo Bamba and Austin Rivers.
About Reice Shipley
Reice Shipley is a staff writer for Comeback Media that graduated from Ithaca College with a degree in Sports Media. He previously worked at Barrett Sports Media and is a fan of all things Syracuse sports.