This is the conclusion of a 3-part series. Here are the five memorable fan-athlete altercations part 3.
1. The Malice at The Palace
The NBA has seen its share of bench-clearing brawls in its history. Some of them have involved the Detroit Pistons, particularly in the “Bad Boys” era. None of those fights compared to what happened on November 19, 2004. It was late in the game between the Pistons and the visiting Indiana Pacers. In a typical game for that era in the NBA, the game was a slow, plodding affair between Central Division rivals. With the game well in hand for the Pacers, F Ron Artest committed a hard foul on Pistons F Ben Wallace. In retaliation, Wallace shoved Artest. A scuffle ensued both sides spread to the scorer’s table. As Artest laid on the scorer’s table, a fan in the crowd threw a bottle of beer on Artest.
That is when all hell broke loose.
Artest climbed seats and shoved a fan (who was thought to be the inciting fan) to the ground. Teammate Stephen Jackson followed him and threw punches at fans. Pistons players and arena security tried to break up what was becoming a near riot. Indiana coaches escorted Artest to the locker room, but not before Pistons fans continued to shower the Pacers with more beverages. Pacers F Jermaine O’Neal exchanged words with Pistons fans while on his way to the locker room. As he was doused with beverages and garbage, O’Neal entered the crowd and threw punches before being pulled away. Game officials called the game with 45.9 seconds remaining.
The Aftermath
The aftermath of the incident brought consequences on and off the court. Artest (who legally changed his name to Metta World Peace in 2011) was suspended for the remainder of 2004-05 and Jackson was handed a 30-game suspension. O’Neal was initially given a 25-game suspension, but it was reduced to 15 on appeal. Teammate Anthony Johnson served a one-game suspension for assaulting a fan and Reggie Miller, although he did not play in the game, was suspended one game for leaving the bench. Wallace was suspended for six games and teammate Chauncey Billups along with coaches Derrick Coleman and Elden Campbell served one-game suspensions. Artest was also sentenced to one year of probation, a $250 fine, 60 hours of community service, and anger management therapy. Jackson, O’Neal, and teammate David Harrison were also sentenced to the same number of hours of community service while Johnson was sentenced to 100 hours.
The NBA enacted measures following the incident to ensure this would never happen again. They enacted increased security at games and limits on the amount of alcohol purchased by fans. The league also required all arenas to cut off alcohol sales at the end of the third quarter. The fortunes of the two franchises have also been different since that infamous night. Detroit made the conference finals the next four seasons but missed the playoffs in eight of the last 10 seasons. Their last playoff win came in in 2008. Indiana lost in the semifinals to Detroit in 2005, then missed four of the next five postseasons. However, the Pacers have appeared in the postseason in eight of the last nine seasons.
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