(FORTUNE Magazine) – And now, to sports:

Hoopster Latrell Sprewell set tongues clucking all over the civilized universe recently when he flipped out and went medieval on the neck of his boss, Golden State Warriors coach P.J. Carlesimo. I'm sure you heard about it. Sprewell is reported to have throttled the somewhat shorter and less-well-muscled skipper, threatened to kill him, departed to cool off, failed, and returned to deliver a glancing blow to the unlucky senior officer.

Somewhat less noted in the fracas surrounding the fracas was the fact that during the entire noisy exchange, not one of the other Warriors, who were on the court practicing at the time, moved to defend Carlesimo. It isn't known whether this laissez-faire attitude was related to Carlesimo's management style, which anybody who's been in corporate life for more than a couple of years would recognize--a yeasty mix of screaming, jabbing fingers, up-close facial menacing, public humiliation, and use of four-syllable words pertaining to a subordinate's lineage.

Fortunately, right thinking prevailed, as it often does in defense of abusive management, and Sprewell immediately lost his job and his Converse endorsement contract. He was then thrust into the wilderness by the National Basketball Association, which decreed him unfit for play for the term of one full year.

It's all so tragic, because it didn't have to happen. Anyone who has worked for a truculent boss knows that there are lots of strategies a self-respecting employee can muster before wrapping a forearm around the offending windpipe:

--Cordially discuss. This is always a good place to start and is particularly effective with senior managers who believe they told you to do something when in fact they did not. Best effect may be garnered simply by walking up to the boss in question, placing a friendly arm on his or her shoulder, and stating in a calm voice: "I think you've got that wrong, Larry. Let me tell you what you really said, which was--now this is kind of funny--just about the opposite of what you just told me you think you said." The boss will probably get a big charge out of this, rear back, and laugh at his own expense. If, on the other hand, he does not...

--Take a reality check. There isn't a manager anywhere who doesn't appreciate knowing exactly what the true lay of the land might be. When the boss comes across the floor at you, his fist upraised and curses flowing from his lips like dribble, it's good to sit that fellow down with a couple of your peers and say something like, "Hey, friend. Your emotional reaction to this whole situation is way out of line. A hundred years from now we'll all have passed on and nobody will care about this little issue, right?" Faced with this down-to-earth attitude, your boss will get an instant attack of perspective. If, on the other hand, he does not...

--Appeal to his humanity. The next time the coach reels up to within two inches of your face, leans so close you can smell the cheeseburger he had for lunch, and blares profane insults at you in front of your teammates, take a step back. Lower your voice. Look him in the eye, man to man, or woman to woman, or whatever, and try to help him see things from your point of view. "Gee, Bud," you might tell him, "I want to do better in the future, but it's hard for me to improve when you're making me feel so bad about myself. Let's try to keep things constructive, and I'm sure you'll see my performance improve almost immediately." This should help matters a good deal. If, on the other hand, it does not...

--Talk to the powers that be. The organization you work for cares about you. If it didn't, why would it be paying you all that money? There must be somebody above the guy who's sagacious and thoughtful, somebody who realizes that a company's human resources are the greatest asset of all. I'm sure that if you go to a very senior person and say: "Look, I have nothing against Howie, he's a great coach and a terrific guy, but he's really down on me, riding me every day, accuses me of being lazy, and keeps saying nasty things about my mother, which I'm trying not to take the wrong way--but it's hard. Can you mention there are other, more holistic ways of dealing with his anger?" That should set things off on the right foot. If, on the other hand, it does not...

--Say nothing. See if that works. It takes two to tango, right? If you're not dancing, he can't either. So if he follows you around, no matter where you go, and continues to hammer away at you--trashing your style of play, making you look like a wuss in front of your friends, insulting you in a way he would never dare to do if he weren't the coach--simply refuse to take part in the whole silly thing. Read a magazine. Look out the window. Make conversation with your fellows. And most of all, make sure that the problems you're having with the guy don't affect your game. He'll see you're out there doing your best every day, and that should make a big difference. If, on the other hand, it does not...

--Issue a stern warning. You're only flesh and blood. You have a breaking point. Bullies often appreciate those who stand up to them and set clear, well-defined limits. So do so, without being insubordinate. Say, "Get out of my face, man! Don't come at my face!" or something along those lines to let him know, as he stalks closer and closer to you, his face lit up, vindictive and menacing, that you've reached your limit. That should give him pause, particularly if you're bigger than he is. If, on the other hand, it does not...if he keeps on coming, his finger waving in the air before him, wiggling at you as if you're some kind of dog who's about to get a whipping, and he's got that look in his eye, and you know he's about to disrespect you again in front of all the guys like he's done a hundred times before and you just can't take it any more...

--Choke him, dude! Sure, you'll get fired. Sure, you'll lose all your endorsements. Sure, people will think you're a thug. But there was that one moment, as your forearm closed around his throat...

What am I saying? There's no excuse for such violence. And what a terrible precedent it sets too. Once you start choking one boss, where do you draw the line?

Enough about sports. Let's get back to business.

By day, STANLEY BING is a real executive at a real FORTUNE 500 company he'd rather not name.