I hope there is something more to this. If he hit a rookie for blowing by him and scoring then is a punk and a loser. A leader praises and props up young players who do that, they don't tear them down. How stupid is it to hit and attack your teammates for playing well and showing that they might actually be able to help you win an NBA championship?
I always thought the player Hakeem slapped (and it was a slap, not a punch by the reports I remember) was Pete Chilicutt? I don't remember for certain, though.
I don't think it was Chilcutt. Could it have been Dave Jamerson? I've heard Garnett is a cheap tipper. Jordan is a prick.