Pacers-Pistons brawl
Encyclopedia
The Pacers–Pistons brawl (colloquially known as The Malice at the Palace) was an altercation that occurred in a National Basketball Association
game between the Detroit Pistons
and Indiana Pacers
on November 19, 2004 at The Palace of Auburn Hills
in Auburn Hills
, Michigan
.
With less than a minute left in the game, a fight broke out between players on the court
. As the fight was being broken up, a drink was thrown from the stands at then Pacers player Ron Artest
(now Metta World Peace), while he was lying on the scorer's table. Artest then entered the crowd and sparked a massive brawl between players and fans.
The repercussions led to nine players being suspended without pay for a total of 146 games, which led to $11 million in salary being lost by the players. Five players were also charged with assault, and all five of them were eventually sentenced to a year on probation and community service. Five fans also faced criminal charges and were banned from attending Pistons home games for life. The fight also led the NBA to increase security presence between players and fans, and to limit the sale of alcohol.
, which the Pistons won in six games en route to their first NBA title
since the days of the "Bad Boys" of the late 1980s and early 1990s. Because of this, the game received much hype from the media and fans. Having won two games in a row already, the Pacers came into the game with a 6–2 record, while the Pistons, the defending champions, began their season 4–3. The game was televised nationally on ESPN
, as well as on the Pacers' and Pistons' local broadcast affiliates, Fox Sports Midwest and Fox Sports Detroit
.
The game was, like many previous meetings between the two teams, dominated by defense. The Pacers got off to a quick start, opening up a 20-point lead with seven minutes to go before halftime. The Pistons managed to cut into the lead, trailing by 16 points by halftime. The Pistons opened the third quarter with a 9–2 run, but the Pacers ended it with a buzzer-beating three-pointer and a layup from Jamaal Tinsley
heading into the fourth quarter. Richard Hamilton
and Lindsey Hunter
started the last quarter with consecutive three point field goals, as the Pistons cut into the lead again. But Stephen Jackson
's back to back field goals pushed the lead back to 93–79 with 3:52 remaining, essentially putting the Pistons away. Despite the lopsided score near the end of the game, most key players on both teams remained in the game.
The Pacers were led by the 24-point effort of Ron Artest, who scored 17 in the first quarter. Jermaine O'Neal
notched a double-double with 20 points and 13 rebounds. Tinsley had 13 points, eight assists and a career-high eight steals. Hamilton led the Pistons with 20 points. Rasheed Wallace
and Ben Wallace
both recorded a double-double. Despite being outrebounded by the Pistons, the Pacers managed to shoot 41% from the field.
The brawl began with 45.9 seconds remaining in the game, when Indiana led the game 97–82. Piston center
/forward
Ben Wallace was fouled from behind by Pacer forward
Ron Artest during a lay-up attempt. Wallace responded by shoving Artest in the chest, which led to a physical confrontation between several players from both teams. During the argument, Artest lay down on the scorer's table while putting on a headset to speak with radio broadcaster Mark Boyle (who was hurt later in the altercation). He also taunted Wallace which led Wallace to throw an armband at him. A spectator, John Green, then threw a cup of Diet Coke
at Artest while he was lying on the table, which hit Artest in the chest.
Artest responded by running into the stands
and attacking a man who he mistakenly believed was responsible. In retaliation of the cup thrown at Artest, teammate Stephen Jackson
also ran into the stands shortly after and threw punches at fans, and eventually players from both teams entered the stands while many fans spilled out on to the court to escape the altercation. Another melee started when Artest was confronted on the court by two fans, Alvin "A.J." Shackleford and Charlie Haddad. Artest punched Shackleford and knocked over Haddad in the process. Jermaine O'Neal intervened by punching Haddad in the jaw after a running start. The scene became chaotic and outnumbered arena security struggled to reestablish order.
The remaining seconds of the game were called off and the Pacers were awarded the 97–82 win. More beverages and debris were thrown at Pacer players and other personnel as they were escorted from the court, including a folding chair
that was thrown across the crowd that had assembled on the court. No players from either team spoke to the media
before leaving the arena. Nine spectators were injured, and two were taken to the hospital. No players reported injuries due to the incident.
The following day, the NBA announced that nine players would be suspended for a total of what eventually became 146 games—137 games for Pacers players and nine games for Pistons players. David Harrison
was also seen fighting with fans, but the NBA stated that he wouldn't be suspended because "the incident occurred as the players were attempting to leave the floor".
Artest was given the longest suspension; he was suspended for the remainder of the 2004–05 NBA season, a suspension which eventually totaled 86 games (73 regular season and 13 subsequent playoff games), the longest suspension for an on-court incident in NBA history. The players suspended also lost in excess of $11 million in salary due to the suspensions, with Artest alone losing almost $5 million.
In the week following the announcement of the suspensions, the players' union
appealed the suspensions of Artest, Jackson, and O'Neal, saying they thought that David Stern
had "exceeded his authority". A federal arbitrator upheld the full length of all suspensions, except that of O'Neal, which was reduced to 15 games. However, the NBA appealed the decision of the arbitrator to reduce O'Neal's suspension in federal court, and on December 24, a judge issued a temporary injunction allowing O'Neal to play, until a full hearing was held on the NBA's appeal.
O'Neal played in two more games before the NBA's case was brought before the U.S. District Court
in Brooklyn
, New York on December 30. The NBA argued that under the terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement, Commissioner David Stern had absolute authority to pass out suspensions and hear appeals for all on-court incidents. But the judge ruled that because O'Neal's behavior was an off-court incident, arbitration was allowed under the CBA, and thus the arbitrator was within his rights to reduce the suspension. Despite O'Neal's successful appeal, no further appeals were made to reduce Artest's and Jackson's suspensions.
(the owner of the Pistons and then of sports properties in Tampa Bay) and had their season tickets revoked. Green had several previous criminal convictions, including counterfeiting, carrying a concealed weapon, felony assault, and three drunken driving convictions, and he was on court-ordered probation from a DUI
conviction at the time of the brawl.
On December 8, 2004, five Indiana players and five fans (John Green, William Paulson, John Ackerman, Bryant Jackson, and David Wallace, the brother of Ben Wallace) were formally charged for assault
and battery
; Jermaine O'Neal and spectator John Green, who county prosecutor David Gorcyca said "single-handedly incited" the brawl by throwing a cup of liquid at Artest, were charged with two counts, and Artest, David Harrison
, Stephen Jackson, and Anthony Johnson
were charged with one count each. Three fans, including David Wallace, received one count of the same charge; two fans (Charlie Haddad and Alvin J. Shackleford) who entered the court during the fight were charged with trespassing, and Bryant Jackson, who had prior criminal convictions, was charged with felony assault for throwing a chair. All of the fans involved were banned from attending Pistons games.
On March 29, 2005, Bryant Jackson pleaded no contest
to a felony assault charge for throwing the chair, and on May 3, 2005, he was sentenced to two years probation and ordered to pay $6,000 in restitution. David Wallace was also convicted, and sentenced to one year of probation and community service for punching Pacer guard Fred Jones from behind.
All five players who were legally charged pleaded no contest to the charges. On September 23, 2005, after pleading no contest to their assault charges, Artest, O'Neal, and Jackson were all sentenced to one year on probation, 60 hours of community service, a $250 fine, and anger management
counseling. A week later, Harrison received the same sentence, and on October 7, 2005, Johnson, the last player to be charged, received a similar sentence (he was ordered to serve 100 hours of community service).
On March 27, 2006, a jury found Green guilty on one count of assault and battery for punching Artest in the stands, but acquitted him of an assault charge for throwing the cup. On May 1, 2006, Green was sentenced to 30 days in jail and two years' probation
. On November 7, 2006, the Pistons issued a letter to Green informing him that he was banned for life from attending any Pistons home games, on orders from the NBA. All other fans involved were also banned from Pistons home games for life.
In the post-game commentary on ESPN's NBA Shootaround
, ESPN studio analysts laid the blame on the Piston fans. John Saunders of ESPN referred to the fans as "a bunch of punks", and Tim Legler
said that "the fans crossed the line". Stephen A. Smith
stated that "some of them (the fans) should be arrested as far as I'm concerned". Their commentary prompted ESPN vice president Mark Shapiro to place calls to host Saunders, as well as analysts Legler, Smith, and Greg Anthony
. Shapiro felt their commentary was biased. The following Tuesday, Shapiro stated, "I wish the studio hadn't laid the blame solely on the backs of the fans Friday night."
Although a significant portion of media criticism was directed at the Pistons fans, only 46% of the voters in the ESPN SportsNation poll believed that the fans were to blame for the incident. Other commentators said that Artest and the other players involved were to blame.
in Indianapolis
. The Pistons won 98–93 without any incidents. Neither Artest nor Jackson played, due to their suspensions; O'Neal played in his first game back after the arbitrator reduced his suspension to 15 games. Three months later, on February 17, 2005, the NBA imposed new security guidelines for all NBA arenas. The new policies included a size limit of 700 mL (24 ounce
s) for alcohol purchases and a hard cap of two alcoholic beverage purchases for any individual person, as well as a ban of alcohol sales after the end of the third quarter. They also later ordered that each team put at least three security guards between the players and the fans.
On March 25, 2005, the Pacers played at The Palace for the first time since the brawl. The game was delayed 90 minutes after a series of bomb threats were aimed at the Pacers locker room, but the game eventually started after no explosives were found. Two of the key figures in the original incident missed the game, as Artest was still suspended and O'Neal had an injured shoulder. In the game, the Pacers stopped the Pistons' twelve game winning streak with a 94–81 win.
In the playoffs
, Detroit entered as the second seed of the Eastern Conference
, and Indiana as the sixth. After the Pistons defeated the Philadelphia 76ers
in five games, and the Pacers upset the third seed Boston Celtics
in seven games, the two teams met in the second round. Although the Pacers went ahead two games to one, the Pistons clinched the series in six games with three straight wins. After eliminating Indiana, Detroit advanced to the NBA Finals
, where they lost to the San Antonio Spurs
in seven games.
After serving his required suspension of the rest of the , Ron Artest returned to the Pacers at the beginning of the . But after playing only sixteen games, he demanded to be traded, and the Pacers put him on the injured list. The then-general manager of the Pacers Donnie Walsh
said that Artest's demands were "the last straw", and after more than a month of inactivity, Indiana traded Artest to the Sacramento Kings
for Peja Stojaković
. Artest faced Ben Wallace for the first time after the fight in November 2006, and finally made his return to Detroit in January 2007. During the Kings' 91–74 loss to the Pistons, Artest was booed constantly, but there were no unusual incidents.
As of the , only one of the nine players that were suspended after the brawl is still with his original team—Ben Wallace, who signed with the Chicago Bulls
as a free agent
in 2006, later traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers
, and rejoined the Pistons on August 7, 2009. Five players—Billups, Artest, Jackson, O'Neal, and Johnson—were traded to other teams, three players—Miller, Campbell, and Coleman—have retired. The Pistons advanced to four straight Eastern Conference Finals after the brawl, and six straight overall, making them the first team since the Los Angeles Lakers
in the 1980s to advance to six straight conference finals though they only won the championship once in that streak. However, after losing to the Pistons in the 2005 playoffs, the Pacers have not finished above .500, and they missed the playoffs for five straight seasons from 2006 through 2010.
On November 19, 2009, John Green, one of the fans who sparked the brawl, appeared on ESPN First Take
, where he talked about the incident and the changes he had made since then. Green recounted that he had an alcohol problem at the time and had since made an effort to deal with that. He also said that Ron Artest had apologized to him several months earlier, and wished to work together in some type of community services in Detroit.
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
game between the Detroit Pistons
Detroit Pistons
The Detroit Pistons are a franchise of the National Basketball Association based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The team's home arena is The Palace of Auburn Hills. It was originally founded in Fort Wayne, Indiana as the Fort Wayne Pistons as a member of the National Basketball League in 1941, where...
and Indiana Pacers
Indiana Pacers
The Indiana Pacers are a professional basketball team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. They are members of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association...
on November 19, 2004 at The Palace of Auburn Hills
The Palace of Auburn Hills
The Palace of Auburn Hills, often referred to simply as The Palace, is a sports and entertainment venue in Auburn Hills, Michigan, a suburb on the northern outskirts of Detroit, Michigan, United States. Opened in 1988, it is the home of the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association...
in Auburn Hills
Auburn Hills, Michigan
Auburn Hills is a city in Metro Detroit, Oakland County, in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 21,412 at the 2010 census. The city was formed in 1983 when Pontiac Township became the City of Auburn Hills.-Economy:...
, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
.
With less than a minute left in the game, a fight broke out between players on the court
Basketball court
In basketball, the basketball court is the playing surface, consisting of a rectangular floor with tiles at either end. In professional or organized basketball, especially when played indoors, it is usually made out of a wood, often maple, and highly polished...
. As the fight was being broken up, a drink was thrown from the stands at then Pacers player Ron Artest
Ron Artest
Metta World Peace is an American professional basketball player and rapper who is currently with the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA. World Peace gained a reputation as one of the league's premier defenders as he won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award in 2004...
(now Metta World Peace), while he was lying on the scorer's table. Artest then entered the crowd and sparked a massive brawl between players and fans.
The repercussions led to nine players being suspended without pay for a total of 146 games, which led to $11 million in salary being lost by the players. Five players were also charged with assault, and all five of them were eventually sentenced to a year on probation and community service. Five fans also faced criminal charges and were banned from attending Pistons home games for life. The fight also led the NBA to increase security presence between players and fans, and to limit the sale of alcohol.
Before the brawl
The meeting between the two teams was a rematch of the previous season's heated Eastern Conference Finals2004 NBA Playoffs
The 2004 NBA Playoffs were the postseason of the National Basketball Association's 2003–04 season. Consisting of 16 teams in two conferences, the playoffs involved about two months of play. The playoffs were conducted in seven-game series, with the team with the better record holding home court...
, which the Pistons won in six games en route to their first NBA title
2004 NBA Finals
The 2004 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 2003–04 National Basketball Association season. The Finals were between the Los Angeles Lakers of the Western Conference and the Detroit Pistons of the Eastern Conference; the Lakers held home court advantage...
since the days of the "Bad Boys" of the late 1980s and early 1990s. Because of this, the game received much hype from the media and fans. Having won two games in a row already, the Pacers came into the game with a 6–2 record, while the Pistons, the defending champions, began their season 4–3. The game was televised nationally on ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
, as well as on the Pacers' and Pistons' local broadcast affiliates, Fox Sports Midwest and Fox Sports Detroit
Fox Sports Detroit
Fox Sports Detroit , is a regional sports network that covers local sports teams in the state of Michigan, mostly those in the Metro Detroit area. It is an owned and operated affiliate of Fox Sports Net...
.
The game was, like many previous meetings between the two teams, dominated by defense. The Pacers got off to a quick start, opening up a 20-point lead with seven minutes to go before halftime. The Pistons managed to cut into the lead, trailing by 16 points by halftime. The Pistons opened the third quarter with a 9–2 run, but the Pacers ended it with a buzzer-beating three-pointer and a layup from Jamaal Tinsley
Jamaal Tinsley
Jamaal Lee Tinsley is an American professional basketball player. Tinsley was drafted out of Iowa State University by the Vancouver Grizzlies with the 27th pick of the 2001 NBA Draft, and was immediately dealt to the Atlanta Hawks, and then on to the Indiana Pacers on draft night...
heading into the fourth quarter. Richard Hamilton
Richard Hamilton (basketball)
Richard "Rip" Hamilton is an American basketball player who currently plays for the Detroit Pistons. Hamilton is 6'7" tall, weighs 193 lbs , and plays shooting guard. He currently is the Pistons' team captain....
and Lindsey Hunter
Lindsey Hunter
Lindsey Benson Hunter, Jr. is a former American professional basketball player. He was a point guard in the National Basketball Association from 1993 to 2010, spending most of his career with Detroit Pistons...
started the last quarter with consecutive three point field goals, as the Pistons cut into the lead again. But Stephen Jackson
Stephen Jackson
Stephen Jesse Jackson is an American professional basketball player for the NBA's Milwaukee Bucks. Jackson is a 6'8" guard-forward.-Early life, high school, and college:Jackson was born in Houston and grew up in Port Arthur, Texas...
's back to back field goals pushed the lead back to 93–79 with 3:52 remaining, essentially putting the Pistons away. Despite the lopsided score near the end of the game, most key players on both teams remained in the game.
The Pacers were led by the 24-point effort of Ron Artest, who scored 17 in the first quarter. Jermaine O'Neal
Jermaine O'Neal
Jermaine Lee O'Neal is an American professional basketball player for the Boston Celtics. The 6 ft 11 in , 255 lb forward-center had a successful high school career and declared his eligibility for the 1996 NBA Draft straight out of high school...
notched a double-double with 20 points and 13 rebounds. Tinsley had 13 points, eight assists and a career-high eight steals. Hamilton led the Pistons with 20 points. Rasheed Wallace
Rasheed Wallace
Rasheed Abdul Wallace is a retired American professional basketball power forward and center who played from 1995 to 2010 in the National Basketball Association...
and Ben Wallace
Ben Wallace
Ben Camey Wallace is an American basketball center for the Detroit Pistons of the NBA. A native of Alabama, Wallace attended Cuyahoga Community College and Virginia Union University and signed with the Washington Bullets as an undrafted free agent in 1996...
both recorded a double-double. Despite being outrebounded by the Pistons, the Pacers managed to shoot 41% from the field.
Altercation
Center (basketball)
The center, colloquially known as the five or the post, is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. The center is normally the tallest player on the team, and often has a great deal of strength and body mass as well...
/forward
Power forward (basketball)
Power forward is a position in the sport of basketball. The position is referred to in playbook terms as the four position and is commonly abbreviated "PF". It has also been referred to as the "post" position. Power forwards play a role similar to that of center in what is called the "post" or "low...
Ben Wallace was fouled from behind by Pacer forward
Small forward
The small forward, or colloquially known as three, is one of the five positions in a regulation basketball game. Small forwards are typically somewhat shorter, quicker, and leaner than power forwards and centers, but on occasion are just as tall...
Ron Artest during a lay-up attempt. Wallace responded by shoving Artest in the chest, which led to a physical confrontation between several players from both teams. During the argument, Artest lay down on the scorer's table while putting on a headset to speak with radio broadcaster Mark Boyle (who was hurt later in the altercation). He also taunted Wallace which led Wallace to throw an armband at him. A spectator, John Green, then threw a cup of Diet Coke
Diet Coke
Diet Coke is a sugar-free soft drink produced and distributed by The Coca-Cola Company. It was first introduced in the United States on August 9, 1982, as the first new brand since 1886 to use the Coca-Cola trademark...
at Artest while he was lying on the table, which hit Artest in the chest.
Artest responded by running into the stands
Bleacher
Bleachers is an American term used to describe the raised, tiered rows of seats found at sports fields or at other spectator events...
and attacking a man who he mistakenly believed was responsible. In retaliation of the cup thrown at Artest, teammate Stephen Jackson
Stephen Jackson
Stephen Jesse Jackson is an American professional basketball player for the NBA's Milwaukee Bucks. Jackson is a 6'8" guard-forward.-Early life, high school, and college:Jackson was born in Houston and grew up in Port Arthur, Texas...
also ran into the stands shortly after and threw punches at fans, and eventually players from both teams entered the stands while many fans spilled out on to the court to escape the altercation. Another melee started when Artest was confronted on the court by two fans, Alvin "A.J." Shackleford and Charlie Haddad. Artest punched Shackleford and knocked over Haddad in the process. Jermaine O'Neal intervened by punching Haddad in the jaw after a running start. The scene became chaotic and outnumbered arena security struggled to reestablish order.
The remaining seconds of the game were called off and the Pacers were awarded the 97–82 win. More beverages and debris were thrown at Pacer players and other personnel as they were escorted from the court, including a folding chair
Folding chair
A folding chair is a light, portable chair that that folds flat, and can be stored in a stack, row, or on a cart.-Uses:Folding chairs are generally used for seating in areas where permanent seating is not possible or practical. This includes outdoor and indoor events such as funerals, college...
that was thrown across the crowd that had assembled on the court. No players from either team spoke to the media
Mass media
Mass media refers collectively to all media technologies which are intended to reach a large audience via mass communication. Broadcast media transmit their information electronically and comprise of television, film and radio, movies, CDs, DVDs and some other gadgets like cameras or video consoles...
before leaving the arena. Nine spectators were injured, and two were taken to the hospital. No players reported injuries due to the incident.
Charges
| Player | Team | Suspension by the NBA | Salary lost | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| * | Pacers | 86Remainder of the season (86 games; 73 regular season and 13 playoff) |
4,995,000$4,995,000 | |
| * | Pacers | 3030 games | 1,700,000$1,700,000 | |
| * | Pacers | 1515 games (originally 25 games, reduced on appeal) |
4,111,000$4,111,000 | |
| Pistons | 66 games | 400,000$400,000 | ||
| * | Pacers | 55 games | 122,222$122,222 | |
| Pacers | 11 game | 61,111$61,111 | ||
| Pistons | 11 game | 60,611$60,611 | ||
| Pistons | 11 game | 50,000$50,000 | ||
| Pistons | 11 game | 48,888$48,888 | ||
| * | Pacers | 0None | 0 None | |
* indicate players who faced legal consequences; they all received similar sentences:
|
||||
Suspensions
On November 20, 2004, the NBA suspended Artest, Jackson, O'Neal, and Wallace indefinitely until the lengths of their suspensions were officially decided, saying that their actions were "shocking, repulsive, and inexcusable".The following day, the NBA announced that nine players would be suspended for a total of what eventually became 146 games—137 games for Pacers players and nine games for Pistons players. David Harrison
David Harrison (basketball)
David Joshua Harrison is an American professional basketball player. A former NBA player, he was a member of the Beijing Ducks for the 2008-09 season and played with the Guangdong Southern Tigers for the next two years. He is now a member of Tianjin Ronggang. At Brentwood Academy, Harrison...
was also seen fighting with fans, but the NBA stated that he wouldn't be suspended because "the incident occurred as the players were attempting to leave the floor".
Artest was given the longest suspension; he was suspended for the remainder of the 2004–05 NBA season, a suspension which eventually totaled 86 games (73 regular season and 13 subsequent playoff games), the longest suspension for an on-court incident in NBA history. The players suspended also lost in excess of $11 million in salary due to the suspensions, with Artest alone losing almost $5 million.
In the week following the announcement of the suspensions, the players' union
National Basketball Players Association
The National Basketball Players Association is a trade association that represents basketball players in the National Basketball Association . It was previously a labor union before dissolving during the 2011 NBA lockout. It was founded in 1954, making it the oldest trade union of the four major...
appealed the suspensions of Artest, Jackson, and O'Neal, saying they thought that David Stern
David Stern
David Joel Stern is the commissioner of the National Basketball Association. He started with the Association in 1966 as an outside counsel, joined the NBA in 1978 as General Counsel, and became the league's Executive Vice President in 1980. He became Commissioner in 1984 succeeding Larry O'Brien...
had "exceeded his authority". A federal arbitrator upheld the full length of all suspensions, except that of O'Neal, which was reduced to 15 games. However, the NBA appealed the decision of the arbitrator to reduce O'Neal's suspension in federal court, and on December 24, a judge issued a temporary injunction allowing O'Neal to play, until a full hearing was held on the NBA's appeal.
O'Neal played in two more games before the NBA's case was brought before the U.S. District Court
United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York
The United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York is the federal district court whose jurisdiction comprises the entirety of Long Island and Staten Island...
in Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, New York on December 30. The NBA argued that under the terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement, Commissioner David Stern had absolute authority to pass out suspensions and hear appeals for all on-court incidents. But the judge ruled that because O'Neal's behavior was an off-court incident, arbitration was allowed under the CBA, and thus the arbitrator was within his rights to reduce the suspension. Despite O'Neal's successful appeal, no further appeals were made to reduce Artest's and Jackson's suspensions.
Legal charges
On November 30, eleven days after the brawl, John Green and Charlie Haddad were banned indefinitely from attending any events at venues owned by Palace Sports and EntertainmentPalace Sports and Entertainment
Palace Sports & Entertainment ' is a sports and entertainment company owned by Tom Gores.The company owns the Detroit Pistons of the NBA...
(the owner of the Pistons and then of sports properties in Tampa Bay) and had their season tickets revoked. Green had several previous criminal convictions, including counterfeiting, carrying a concealed weapon, felony assault, and three drunken driving convictions, and he was on court-ordered probation from a DUI
DUI
DUI is a three letter acronym that may stand for:* Driving under the influence * Democratic Union for Integration — the largest ethnic Albanian party in the Republic of Macedonia* Data Use Identifier...
conviction at the time of the brawl.
On December 8, 2004, five Indiana players and five fans (John Green, William Paulson, John Ackerman, Bryant Jackson, and David Wallace, the brother of Ben Wallace) were formally charged for assault
Assault
In law, assault is a crime causing a victim to fear violence. The term is often confused with battery, which involves physical contact. The specific meaning of assault varies between countries, but can refer to an act that causes another to apprehend immediate and personal violence, or in the more...
and battery
Battery (crime)
Battery is a criminal offense involving unlawful physical contact, distinct from assault which is the fear of such contact.In the United States, criminal battery, or simply battery, is the use of force against another, resulting in harmful or offensive contact...
; Jermaine O'Neal and spectator John Green, who county prosecutor David Gorcyca said "single-handedly incited" the brawl by throwing a cup of liquid at Artest, were charged with two counts, and Artest, David Harrison
David Harrison (basketball)
David Joshua Harrison is an American professional basketball player. A former NBA player, he was a member of the Beijing Ducks for the 2008-09 season and played with the Guangdong Southern Tigers for the next two years. He is now a member of Tianjin Ronggang. At Brentwood Academy, Harrison...
, Stephen Jackson, and Anthony Johnson
Anthony Johnson (basketball)
Anthony Mark Johnson is an American professional basketball player who most recently played with the Orlando Magic of the NBA. Johnson is a 6'3" point guard. He found success in pro basketball, becoming the first NBA D-League player to participate in a NBA Finals...
were charged with one count each. Three fans, including David Wallace, received one count of the same charge; two fans (Charlie Haddad and Alvin J. Shackleford) who entered the court during the fight were charged with trespassing, and Bryant Jackson, who had prior criminal convictions, was charged with felony assault for throwing a chair. All of the fans involved were banned from attending Pistons games.
On March 29, 2005, Bryant Jackson pleaded no contest
Nolo contendere
is a legal term that comes from the Latin for "I do not wish to contend." It is also referred to as a plea of no contest.In criminal trials, and in some common law jurisdictions, it is a plea where the defendant neither admits nor disputes a charge, serving as an alternative to a pleading of...
to a felony assault charge for throwing the chair, and on May 3, 2005, he was sentenced to two years probation and ordered to pay $6,000 in restitution. David Wallace was also convicted, and sentenced to one year of probation and community service for punching Pacer guard Fred Jones from behind.
All five players who were legally charged pleaded no contest to the charges. On September 23, 2005, after pleading no contest to their assault charges, Artest, O'Neal, and Jackson were all sentenced to one year on probation, 60 hours of community service, a $250 fine, and anger management
Anger management
The term anger management commonly refers to a system of psychological therapeutic techniques and exercises by which someone with excessive or uncontrollable anger & aggression can control or reduce the triggers, degrees, and effects of an angered emotional state...
counseling. A week later, Harrison received the same sentence, and on October 7, 2005, Johnson, the last player to be charged, received a similar sentence (he was ordered to serve 100 hours of community service).
On March 27, 2006, a jury found Green guilty on one count of assault and battery for punching Artest in the stands, but acquitted him of an assault charge for throwing the cup. On May 1, 2006, Green was sentenced to 30 days in jail and two years' probation
Probation
Probation literally means testing of behaviour or abilities. In a legal sense, an offender on probation is ordered to follow certain conditions set forth by the court, often under the supervision of a probation officer...
. On November 7, 2006, the Pistons issued a letter to Green informing him that he was banned for life from attending any Pistons home games, on orders from the NBA. All other fans involved were also banned from Pistons home games for life.
Public reaction
Several NBA players and coaches said the brawl was the worst fight they had ever seen.In the post-game commentary on ESPN's NBA Shootaround
NBA Shootaround
NBA Shootaround is a pregame show for ESPN's coverage of the National Basketball Association . Typically, the program airs at 7:30 p.m, prior to ESPN's presentation of NBA Friday, though it does occasionally air prior to ESPN's NBA Wednesday coverage...
, ESPN studio analysts laid the blame on the Piston fans. John Saunders of ESPN referred to the fans as "a bunch of punks", and Tim Legler
Tim Legler
Timothy Eugene Legler is a retired American professional basketball player who played in the NBA. He is currently an ESPN basketball analyst.-La Salle:...
said that "the fans crossed the line". Stephen A. Smith
Stephen A. Smith
-Early years:Smith was raised in the Hollis neighborhood of the New York City borough of Queens. He lived with his parents and four older sisters.He attended Winston-Salem State University, a historically black university in Winston-Salem, North Carolina...
stated that "some of them (the fans) should be arrested as far as I'm concerned". Their commentary prompted ESPN vice president Mark Shapiro to place calls to host Saunders, as well as analysts Legler, Smith, and Greg Anthony
Greg Anthony
Gregory Carlton Anthony is an American former National Basketball Association basketball player and former personality on the ESPN family of networks. He is currently an analyst for CBS's college basketball coverage...
. Shapiro felt their commentary was biased. The following Tuesday, Shapiro stated, "I wish the studio hadn't laid the blame solely on the backs of the fans Friday night."
Although a significant portion of media criticism was directed at the Pistons fans, only 46% of the voters in the ESPN SportsNation poll believed that the fans were to blame for the incident. Other commentators said that Artest and the other players involved were to blame.
Events after the brawl
The Pacers and Pistons played for the first time after the brawl on December 25 at the Conseco FieldhouseConseco Fieldhouse
Conseco Fieldhouse is a multi-purpose arena located in downtown Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. Opened in November 1999 to replace Market Square Arena, it is home to the Indiana Pacers of the National Basketball Association and the Indiana Fever of the Women's National Basketball Association...
in Indianapolis
Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
. The Pistons won 98–93 without any incidents. Neither Artest nor Jackson played, due to their suspensions; O'Neal played in his first game back after the arbitrator reduced his suspension to 15 games. Three months later, on February 17, 2005, the NBA imposed new security guidelines for all NBA arenas. The new policies included a size limit of 700 mL (24 ounce
Ounce
The ounce is a unit of mass with several definitions, the most commonly used of which are equal to approximately 28 grams. The ounce is used in a number of different systems, including various systems of mass that form part of the imperial and United States customary systems...
s) for alcohol purchases and a hard cap of two alcoholic beverage purchases for any individual person, as well as a ban of alcohol sales after the end of the third quarter. They also later ordered that each team put at least three security guards between the players and the fans.
On March 25, 2005, the Pacers played at The Palace for the first time since the brawl. The game was delayed 90 minutes after a series of bomb threats were aimed at the Pacers locker room, but the game eventually started after no explosives were found. Two of the key figures in the original incident missed the game, as Artest was still suspended and O'Neal had an injured shoulder. In the game, the Pacers stopped the Pistons' twelve game winning streak with a 94–81 win.
2005 NBA Playoffs
The 2005 NBA Playoffs was the postseason of the National Basketball Association's 2004–05 season.The San Antonio Spurs, the number two ranked team in the Western Conference, won the 2005 NBA Playoffs by defeating the defending champions, the Detroit Pistons, 4-3 in the NBA Finals...
, Detroit entered as the second seed of the Eastern Conference
Eastern Conference (NBA)
The Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association is made up of fifteen teams, organized in three divisions of five teams each.The three division winners and the non-division winner with the best record are seeded 1 through 4 for the playoffs in order of their records, with all...
, and Indiana as the sixth. After the Pistons defeated the Philadelphia 76ers
Philadelphia 76ers
The Philadelphia 76ers are a professional basketball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . Originally known as the Syracuse Nationals, they are one of the oldest franchises in the NBA...
in five games, and the Pacers upset the third seed Boston Celtics
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics are a National Basketball Association team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Founded in 1946, the team is currently owned by Boston Basketball Partners LLC. The Celtics play their home games at the TD Garden, which...
in seven games, the two teams met in the second round. Although the Pacers went ahead two games to one, the Pistons clinched the series in six games with three straight wins. After eliminating Indiana, Detroit advanced to the NBA Finals
2005 NBA Finals
The 2005 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 2004-05 National Basketball Association season. The San Antonio Spurs of the Western Conference faced the Detroit Pistons of the Eastern Conference for the title, with the Spurs holding home court advantage. The series was played under a...
, where they lost to the San Antonio Spurs
San Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio, Texas. They are part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association ....
in seven games.
After serving his required suspension of the rest of the , Ron Artest returned to the Pacers at the beginning of the . But after playing only sixteen games, he demanded to be traded, and the Pacers put him on the injured list. The then-general manager of the Pacers Donnie Walsh
Donnie Walsh
Joseph Donald Walsh Jr., better known as Donnie Walsh is a former professional basketball coach, and former president of basketball operations for the New York Knicks.-Biography:...
said that Artest's demands were "the last straw", and after more than a month of inactivity, Indiana traded Artest to the Sacramento Kings
Sacramento Kings
The Sacramento Kings are a professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California, United States. They are currently members of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association...
for Peja Stojaković
Peja Stojaković
Predrag Stojaković , also known by his nickname Peja , is a Serbian professional basketball player who last played for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association . Standing at 6 ft 10 , Stojaković plays the small forward position...
. Artest faced Ben Wallace for the first time after the fight in November 2006, and finally made his return to Detroit in January 2007. During the Kings' 91–74 loss to the Pistons, Artest was booed constantly, but there were no unusual incidents.
As of the , only one of the nine players that were suspended after the brawl is still with his original team—Ben Wallace, who signed with the Chicago Bulls
Chicago Bulls
The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago, Illinois, playing in the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1966. They play their home games at the United Center...
as a free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
in 2006, later traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers
Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cleveland Cavaliers are a professional basketball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They began playing in the National Basketball Association in 1970 as an expansion team...
, and rejoined the Pistons on August 7, 2009. Five players—Billups, Artest, Jackson, O'Neal, and Johnson—were traded to other teams, three players—Miller, Campbell, and Coleman—have retired. The Pistons advanced to four straight Eastern Conference Finals after the brawl, and six straight overall, making them the first team since the Los Angeles Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
in the 1980s to advance to six straight conference finals though they only won the championship once in that streak. However, after losing to the Pistons in the 2005 playoffs, the Pacers have not finished above .500, and they missed the playoffs for five straight seasons from 2006 through 2010.
On November 19, 2009, John Green, one of the fans who sparked the brawl, appeared on ESPN First Take
ESPN First Take
ESPN First Take is an American morning sports talk program on ESPN2 and ESPN2HD. The show was formerly known as Cold Pizza. The official switch was made on May 7, 2007. Two back-to-back two-hour episodes air each weekday from Monday through Friday, with the live episode airing from 10 a.m...
, where he talked about the incident and the changes he had made since then. Green recounted that he had an alcohol problem at the time and had since made an effort to deal with that. He also said that Ron Artest had apologized to him several months earlier, and wished to work together in some type of community services in Detroit.
See also
- National Basketball Association criticisms and controversiesNational Basketball Association criticisms and controversiesThe National Basketball Association has faced a multitude of criticisms from both sports writers and fans.-Racial and cultural issues:Many have criticized the NBA for embracing the "hip hop culture". While some observers have argued that this criticism has more to do with race than hip hop itself,...
- List of violent spectator incidents in sports
- Knicks–Nuggets brawl
- Sparks–Shock brawl
External links
- Video of the brawl from Fox Sports Net Midwest via MSNBC.com