Nick Wright reveals why the NBA needs to act after Zaza Pachulia's dirty play on Russell Westbrook

- Listen, Golden State, Hive, don't send me the Zapruder film of Nick Young's knee hitting Pachulia's leg. This guy theoretically is a professional athlete. He falls a lot. That's how Durant almost blew out his knee last year, Pachulia's histrionic falling. He didn't need to fall that way, if he needed to fall at all. He didn't need to aim his hand for Russell's crotch while falling right on Russell's legs. This guy has no place in the best league in the world. None.

- So you don't even think he should be in the league?

- We have blackballed players for less. Why does the NBA need Zaza Pachulia? Why did the Warriors-- the most talented team ever, a team with four Hall of Famers, two MVPs, the two best shooters of all time, Steve Kerr's their coach-- why do they need this guy? What good is it?

- I'll tell you. Look, I agree with you. First of all, he didn't even fall. He purposely fell. I'm saying he didn't have to fall. He didn't trip. He went at Westbrook. I heard Kevin Durant after the game say, "Oh, I looked at the replay, Nick Young's leg." No.

NICK WRIGHT: Nonsense.

- He purposely went at Westbrook. It was a terrible play, terribly dirty. I think he should be suspended for a game.

NICK WRIGHT: Sure. And then cut.

- Send a message, and the league should tell the Warriors, look we're watching him. We got a tape. I mean, you got tapes of him hitting guys, you know, kicking guys--

NICK WRIGHT: Ending Kawhi's season.

- Last year, he pushed Westbrook down, looks at him like he's a boxer. Ending Kawhi's season. But where I differ with you is that he shouldn't be in the league. I don't know if that's hyperbole, you're joking.

NICK WRIGHT: It's none of the above. I don't think the NBA should kick him out for this, obviously. I'm simply saying, I don't know why a team would want him. He's putting--

COMMENTATOR: He gives them an intimi-- he's not a tough guy, he's not scaring guys. But the fact that you don't know what he'll do.

- That's absurd.

COMMENTATOR: Guys have to think about that.

- I hate that--

COMMENTATOR: Look, he's the type of guy you love to have, you hate to play against.

- No, you don't love-- here's why you don't love to have him. A, I mentioned it already. He injured Durant last year with this nonsense. And B, he's going to get one of his teammates hurt in retaliation, because if Zaza does this, guess what? They're not going after Zaza. They might go after Steph. They might go after KD. I just don't-- He ended Kawhi's season and people are--

And Kawhi, by the way, hadn't been the same since. Now, I know that was an ankle injury and there's a quad injury, but I've talked to enough doctors about the kinetic chain, that when you deal with an injury to one part of your lower extremities sometimes the rest of your body overcompensates. We don't know what that was.

We saw him throw one of the dirtiest elbows in league history at now teammate David West when they were both on different teams years ago. He is a, to paraphrase Dave Chappelle, a habitual line-stepper. And I'm done with it.

- Here's the thing. You've had guys like this, iconic guys. Bill Laimbeer was worse than that. That whole Detroit Bad Boys team, Rick Mahorn. John Stockton. Ask players around the league. He was viewed as one of the dirtiest--

NICK WRIGHT: Agreed.

- --if not the dirtiest, player in the league. I'm not saying I like what he does. I'm just saying we don't kick him out of the league because of it.

- Here's the difference between what you're describing and Zaza. First you mentioned three guys on the Pistons. They were called The Bad Boy Pistons. They were considered a dirty team, and the league was different. Then you mentioned John Stockton. Absolutely no question, one of the dirtiest screen setters ever. That guy was also awesome at basketball. He was a great-- one of the 30 greatest players of all--

- So because he's not a star he shouldn't be in the league? That's why he's in the league.

NICK WRIGHT: Exactly my point. If your only reason for having a roster spot is your team gets a mental edge because other players are afraid you might intentionally injure them, why be out there? Do we have guys in the NFL, it's like, listen the guy is not fast enough to get to the quarterback. He's a bad player.

JENNA WOLFE: No, they do in hockey. They're enforcers.

COMMENTATOR: Yeah, you do in hockey.

JENNA WOLFE: They do it in hockey.

- Yeah, but this ain't hockey.

JENNA WOLFE: Exactly, but you just said, do they do it in football? They don't do it in football. They do do it in hockey. Does a guy like this come out there and all of a sudden-- like you said, does it even give you a 5% mental edge to have a guy like Zaza?

- If he was worthless otherwise--

NICK WRIGHT: He's worthless.

- --he wouldn't be starting on one of the best teams we've ever seen.

JENNA WOLFE: Best teams in the league.

- He starts to take the tip, he then plays 12 minutes, gets two fouls, two cheap shots and he's done.

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