SALT LAKE CITY — When I told Rich Babich I was calling from the newspaper in Salt Lake City, I half expected a hang-up. After all, he had been part of one of the most infamous moments in Utah Jazz history.
But Babich was happy to oblige the media, same as in 1994.
Game 5 of the NBA Western Conference semifinals that year wasn't the Jazz's finest moment. They had won the first three games with Denver and seemed destined for a sweep. But then came the one-point loss, followed by the fateful game in Salt Lake City, the one that went down in history — but not because the Nuggets won. Rather, it was because then-owner Larry H. Miller lunged at Babich and ended up in photos that ran in USA Today, Sports Illustrated and thousands of other publications.
As fighters, they weren't much. But as headline fodder, they were great: JAZZ OWNER ATTACKS NUGGETS FAN! RAGING BULL GETS LOOSE IN DELTA CENTER! CHAOS IN THE CROWD!
"Did Larry Miller get overly excited, too hot? Yes. But was it life-changing?" said Babich on Thursday. "I don't think so."
Sixteen years after he and Miller made world news, people still recognize Babich from the photos, even in cities outside Denver and Salt Lake City.
"Oh, yeah, it was my 15 minutes of fame," said Babich. "And my friends' 15 minutes of fame."
He continued, "People either say, 'I know you from somewhere' or they'll say they remember the incident."
If you were there, or even if you just saw the photo, who could forget?
The Jazz hadn't played well in the first half, and Miller was on a tear. As halftime neared, he had taken his customary walk to the Jazz bench and was steaming. He called for Jerry Sloan to yank Karl Malone from the game for lack of effort.
Once in the locker room, Miller was still fuming and stories said John Stockton told him to stay out. Instead, Miller went to the training room and, according to some published reports, tore off a cabinet door. But that was only the beginning. As he walked out to the court, there stood four Nuggets fans near the baseline: Al Lieberman, Bob Tapper, Paula Browne and Babich. Browne, on a business trip from Seattle, was a stranger to the others and had just bought a ticket to pass the evening.
As Miller later told the story, he was chest-bumped and shoved by someone from Babich's group, so he reacted. As Tapper told it on Thursday, they were "being exuberant," encouraging Denver players as they warmed up at halftime. As Babich tells it, "we were just having supportive words with our team, telling the Nuggets they had a great half and to keep playing tough defense, and when Larry Miller came out, he heard that and took exception."
In any event, this much is documented: Miller went after them, fists doubled. Fortuitously for the news media, it happened in front of the photo lanes, which resulted in the aforementioned shots.
"It was surreal," said Babich. "When he grabbed me, the whole world slowed down."
Lieberman and Miller exchanged words and, according to Babich, "next thing we knew he had shoved Al to the ground. I stepped in, and that's when he grabbed me. He never did land a punch; he was just trying."
Babich said until after the incident, none of them knew Miller owned the Jazz.
"I just thought it was some agitated guy," said Babich.
A few days later, Miller held a press conference to apologize. Stories said Babich wanted to bring criminal action against Miller, but he says that was never the case.
"There was never any talk on our side of bringing action against him," said Babich. "In fact, I told Larry Miller two days after it happened that we had no intention."
To him, it was just an emotional dust-up.
"I never thought it was a bad thing," said Babich. "Not the very moment it happened, but very shortly after, I just thought it was fans from both sides and I considered Larry Miller a fan of the game and the Jazz, and both of us were just focused on their team and involved in the right things."
Little did he know beforehand that the right thing would also involve appearing in every newspaper in the country.
The old gang isn't around for this year's Denver-Utah series. Miller and Lieberman have passed away, Tapper stopped attending Nuggets games because he has become disenchanted with today's players. Browne disappeared into history after a far more exciting business trip than she had planned.
Babich still keeps courtside seats at the Pepsi Center.
He said he talked with Miller in the ensuing seasons, a couple of times a year. Miller, who Babich said "felt horrible" about the incident, gave his home phone number to Babich and told him to call whenever he wanted tickets to a Jazz game. Babich took him up on it. He even sat with the Millers in their courtside seats at the Delta Center one night.
I asked if they had become friends in the ensuing years.
"Acquaintances," said Babich. "I wouldn't call us friends."
Then he laughed softly at the moment frozen in time.
"I look at it fondly, (when) talking about the passion for the game," he said.
Though he won't be at Friday's game at EnergySolutions Arena, Babich said he'll watch on TV, which is probably the best idea, all things considered.
"I have not given up on the Nuggets," said Miller's long-ago antagonist. "But I'm not coming over."
e-mail: rock@desnews.com