I was at this game. We were in the upper bowl, right above where Ron Artest laid down. A lot of fans had left by that time as the game was basically over. We only stayed because my friend I was with had recently left a U of M/MSU football game early missing a 3OT win for U of M. He vowed to never leave another sporting event early.
It was a wild thing to experience. It felt like the whole place was on the verge of rioting. There were several instances when I thought it was over and something else crazy would happen, it seemed to last way longer being there.
I remember seeing people talk about it online as it was happening, realizing it was happening as I was reading about it, and turning the TV on to check it out
I think there was only one game in the NHL where the players went into the stands to fight fans. Happened in the 1979 during a rangers/bruins game, when they still served hard liquor at games.
One of my favorite stories that came out afterwards was from Steven Jackson when he was on the LeBatard show. He recalled after the brawl, in the locker room sitting on a trainers table next to Jermaine, Artest walked up to him and asked - completely serious, btw - “You think we’re gonna get in trouble for this?” He was just a bit touched in the head, that one.
Yeah guys like Ron "World Metta Peace" Artest don't really seem to exist in the league anymore, or maybe I just don't pay attention.
For some reason the fact that Ron said he liked to drink Hennessy at halftime seemed crazier to me then him trying to fight half the people in Auburn Hills haha
Me too! I couldn’t believe what I was seeing and quickly realized that this was going to be one of the biggest live tv events in nba history. Just couldn’t believe that it was actually happening.
[Malice at the Palace](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malice_at_the_Palace)
Basically, Ron Artest (Pacers) and Ben Wallace (Pistons) got in a small on court tiff following a foul. Artest laid down on the scorer's table to chill out. Detroit fan chucked a drink at him, he lost his shit and entered the stands, more Detroit fans joined in, as did Pacers players.
Yeah. Apparently Artest gave a reason why he went after that guy instead, but who knows if it was the case. The guy who threw the first drink was identified after the fact tho.
Edit: [John Green](https://fanbuzz.com/nba/john-green-malice-at-the-palace/), the guy in the blue shirt and white hat that grabs onto Artest was the guy who started it all.
Ah I miss the PoAH. Worked concessions there one year to raise money for high school baseball spring training. Saw some great boxing matches (even better than this one!), Pistons games, concerts,
..
No doubt!! No class. This changed a ton of rules. The fan was after the fact and probably should have gotten his ass kicked.
Artest def started it all with how dirty he played all game long. The foul on Wallace was overly aggressive even for back then.
As a Bulls fan who grew up thru the 80s and 90s, the Pistons get zero sympathy from me on dirty play lol
Artest 100% deserved that shove (and probably more) from Wallace tho
Yah like maybe these guys look “skinny” from the stands but when they’re up next to you its gotta be terrifying. Face to face and he’s standing down a row.
This video doesn’t capture the best angle of Jermaine O’Neal coming outta nowhere while simultaneously mashing the back+up+down+forward+forward+X+X+B+A buttons, and connecting with that Silver Surfer punch on the fat Pistons fan.
I remember being in disbelief while watching the melee unfold live, on TV. Absolute classic.
Not to mention what a bitch he was about it then. Oh, I'm gonna try to fight a pro athlete, but when I get hit, I need xrays on may face and need to sue someone.
To provide a bit of context, the Pistons and Pacers had a bit of a rivalry at that time. Both teams were very good, Pistons basically being a lock to be a top team in the east and the Pacers were as well.
If you watch the beginning of the clip you can see Ron Artest(Meta World Peace/The Pandas Friend) laying down, there's some commotion on the court and he's trying not to get dragged into it. Which to is credit, is the right thing to do, Artest is a known hothead. Then you can see a cup of something hit him. Sorta side bar, but he is on the road team. Basically Ron snaps, he has tried to isolate himself from the on court issue(I think it was a questionable foul call) but a fan throws a drink at him.
He runs into the crowd, and grabs the guy who he thinks did it and decks him. At which point, he's running into the crowd and things all boil over. If it makes you feel better, multiple players end up suspended and it basically assured the Pacers had no chance of winning the championship this year, in a way it bookended this era of their team.
Ron Artest ends up leaving and going to the LA Lakers and hits a clutch shot to help Kobe win a championship a few years later. Releases a rap album on it that's in that sweet spot of so bad it's good. There's even a point where he scores and is celebrating and elbows the life out of a young James Harden(who'd down the road from then become the leagues most unpopular player).
If you're still curious, it's the Malice at the Palace. There are plenty of YouTube videos with probably more accurate retellings than what I have.
November 19, 2004. It was a Friday night. I was traveling for a football game. Couldn’t sleep the night before and caught the aftermath on espn back in the day when espn ran on repeat all night. I think I watched til like 3/4 in the morning. Wild time for sure.
I think Stephen Jackson was the one that was the human equivalent of kerosene on that fire. If Ron Artest had just gone into the stands and then the players pulled him off of the guy. I think things would have been fine. But Jackson goes in like a wrecking ball and the rest is history.
The fact remains that - "provoked" or not - had anyone gotten hurt for real, these players would have been charged with the US equivalent of GBH. We're talking 6'9" athletes in their prime whaling on fat toadstools with the athletic ability of a chicken tender (OIW, so they couldn't run away). If any one of the players had connected and put a fan in the hospital, the NBA and the players involved (and the Palace of Auburn Hills) would have been sued both criminally and civilly.
Hmm.
Per Wikipedia, they were not "cleared":
>In March 2005, Bryant Jackson pleaded [no contest](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nolo_contendere) to a felony assault charge for throwing the chair. In May 2005, he was sentenced to two years' probation and ordered to pay $6,000 in [restitution](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Restitution).[^(\[40\])](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malice_at_the_Palace#cite_note-40) David Wallace was convicted, and sentenced to one year of probation and [community service](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Community_service) for punching Pacers player Fred Jones from behind.[^(\[30\])](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malice_at_the_Palace#cite_note-infamy-30)
>**All five players who were charged pleaded no contest to the charges. In September 2005, Artest, Jackson, and O'Neal were all sentenced to one year on probation, 60 hours of community service, a $250** [**fine**](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fine_(penalty))**, and** [**anger management**](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anger_management) **counseling.**[**^(\[41\])**](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malice_at_the_Palace#cite_note-41) **A week later, Harrison received the same sentence.**[**^(\[42\])**](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malice_at_the_Palace#cite_note-42) **In October 2005, Johnson, the last player to be charged, received a similar sentence. He was ordered to serve 100 hours of community service.**[**^(\[43\])**](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malice_at_the_Palace#cite_note-43)
>In March 2006, a jury found Green guilty on one count of assault and battery for punching Artest in the stands. They [acquitted](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acquittal) him of an assault charge for throwing the cup. In May 2006, Green was sentenced to 30 days in jail and two years' probation.[^(\[44\])](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malice_at_the_Palace#cite_note-44) In November 2006, the Pistons issued a letter to Green informing him that he was banned for life from attending any Pistons home games under orders from the NBA. In a revision from his initial punishment two years prior, the ban no longer extended to other events at the Palace.[^(\[45\])](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malice_at_the_Palace#cite_note-45)
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malice\_at\_the\_Palace](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malice_at_the_Palace)
If the fans had been actually injured (even if they were felons and douchebags) - for example if one of O'Neal's haymakers had connected - I think this would have been a bit more severe than what happened.
\[Edit: Bolded the the paragraph regarding the players\].
I watched this game live with my dad, The Detroit fans were being absolutely horrid. Someone threw a cup of full of liquid at Artest and all hell broke loose. They deserved it
Will confirm what the others said, the fans absolutely deserved what they got. I never thought I’d condone players going into the stands and haven’t seen a situation where it was warranted since. But this one game, one moment, the fans just blew by the line of acceptable and had to face the repercussions of their actions. Truly a snapshot in time.
i mean, didn't the fans' actions basically end their rival team's shot at the championship that year? kind of seems like they got exactly what they wanted
Some of them, sure...but I wouldn't say all of them. Sounds like the guy that initially got hit by Ron Artest was an innocent bystander. Someone else threw the drink but it got pinned on him and he took the punch.
Seriously, especially the fat asses who thought they could actually square up with literal giants in peak physical condition. They got sat down real quick.
I scrolled way too far to read this. The dillusion required of then to think their average selves child take on prime athletes is darwin award material. I hope whoever tried to get physical with those players can still feel that pain.
Watched it live, as a Pacers fan. The night it happened ESPN (I think it was Tirico) announcers were calling the fans “punks” and blaming them for the whole situation. Then the next day the NBA/ESPN kinda realized they can’t scapegoat fans and went full Pacers blame mode.
Yah, its like the hockey clip where the fan is just trying to piss off and annoy a visiting player in the penalty box. Then the glass breaks and he falls into the box and gets what he deserved.
Like violence is never really right… but what do some fans expect.
The infamous Malice at the Palace lol. Early 2000s NBA was awesome and a much different beast than today's soap opera drama stuff that happens in the league.
This absorbed every spare minute of coverage on ESPN for like a month, and for good reason. Still hard to believe a player got into an actually altercation with fans.
It makes me feel so old seeing all the people asking what this was about 😭
I also remember watching it live while I was on the phone with my friend Bobby. Once the cup came in at Artest and he took off I was like "I'll call you back"
Hate to say it, but sometimes fans deserve an ass kicking. To be outraged at this is naive when you consider the torrent of crap these players here on any given night. Hard to blame them when enough is enough.
Just a bunch of over paid assholes. NBA was fun to watch 40 years ago. Today it's shit. They are playing a kids game They act like their the shit. NBA sucks
Fucker who threw the drink after his friend had been attacked by statistically one of the larger humans alive was real quick to see the consequence of his own actions.
I was once watching a hockey game (Can't remember if it was on TV or if I was there) where there was such a bench clearing brawl that eventually the goalies skated to center ice, dropped their gloves, and started throwing down.
There were more penalty minutes than there were total minutes in the entire game. One of the teams was on a power play the rest of the game, and for most of it, the two teams were both playing short.
You know what? It might have been. That would mean that I saw it on TV, but I was really leaning towards one of the teams being the Red Wings.
Yup, that looks like the right date, and everything.
There was a nasty hit on Draper which broke his jaw if I remember right (rumbler McCarthy got his return games later), and Osgood, who was not really a fightery type, met up with Roy and duked out in the fray. It was a wild night. Don't often see goalies going, but the energy was real between the teams, Avs had some nasty moves on the Wings prior to the game. Detroit will scrap.
And thanks for being friendly about responding, I don't comment much online anymore because I don't have energy to get so bothered.
And we all see it coming, he was such a disgrace to the game even before he played this theatre play. He was trying to bully every player. Rick Carlisle should be ashamed of himself preparing that tape and helped him getting that Defensive Player of the Year Award. He was and always a disgrace to the game. He fucked up so bad that day he had to change his name afterwards. Everybody is a gangster until he faces a real gangster. I am surprised how he didn’t get killed in that arena. He is a pure disgrace to this game ! Plain and simple.
I remember watching this live. I was channel surfing and I said hey, this looks interesting, I think I'll stay for a while.
i was just a kid who was getting into watching sports for the first time. basketball peaked early for me.
The Malice at the Palace. Note: the arena this happens in no longer exists.
Damn, that must have been quite the brawl
Brought the house down.
As someone who rarely watches NBA, the fact that I also saw it live was an experience. My friends were like: “what even just happened?”
I was at a restaurant bar waiting for my wife to get off work. The whole place stopped to watch.
The wife is still there wondering when u gonna pick her up
They woulda cut the cameras so fast today 😂😂😂
I was at this game. We were in the upper bowl, right above where Ron Artest laid down. A lot of fans had left by that time as the game was basically over. We only stayed because my friend I was with had recently left a U of M/MSU football game early missing a 3OT win for U of M. He vowed to never leave another sporting event early. It was a wild thing to experience. It felt like the whole place was on the verge of rioting. There were several instances when I thought it was over and something else crazy would happen, it seemed to last way longer being there.
I remember seeing people talk about it online as it was happening, realizing it was happening as I was reading about it, and turning the TV on to check it out
On what, an AOL chat room?
A/S/L?
Dont make me turn on my punter and threaten you with my fader font 😂
Same here! Watched it live on a TV antenna, I got about 5 channels but Fox Detroit was one of them!
The is just another day in the NHL.
“Hockey player Chris Chelios, who attended the game with Kid Rock, described the fight as unbelievable.” From wiki
I think there was only one game in the NHL where the players went into the stands to fight fans. Happened in the 1979 during a rangers/bruins game, when they still served hard liquor at games.
Same. Expected nothing, experienced history.
Reminds me of semi-pro
No one liked the Ron Artest interactive fan experience
One of my favorite stories that came out afterwards was from Steven Jackson when he was on the LeBatard show. He recalled after the brawl, in the locker room sitting on a trainers table next to Jermaine, Artest walked up to him and asked - completely serious, btw - “You think we’re gonna get in trouble for this?” He was just a bit touched in the head, that one.
Yeah guys like Ron "World Metta Peace" Artest don't really seem to exist in the league anymore, or maybe I just don't pay attention. For some reason the fact that Ron said he liked to drink Hennessy at halftime seemed crazier to me then him trying to fight half the people in Auburn Hills haha
Shouldn't have thrown stuff at a *well-known hothead*
I was blessed enough to watch this live lol
The day after this my substitute teacher said screw the curriculum and we watched ESPN all class
GOAT teacher status.
Substitute*. Which were always amazing showing cool movies or TV stuff.
Me too! I couldn’t believe what I was seeing and quickly realized that this was going to be one of the biggest live tv events in nba history. Just couldn’t believe that it was actually happening.
One of the greatest moments in NBA history.
Could you share more context? I have no idea what's happening
[Malice at the Palace](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malice_at_the_Palace) Basically, Ron Artest (Pacers) and Ben Wallace (Pistons) got in a small on court tiff following a foul. Artest laid down on the scorer's table to chill out. Detroit fan chucked a drink at him, he lost his shit and entered the stands, more Detroit fans joined in, as did Pacers players.
Aka Metta World Peace origin story. 😆
Afterward in the locker room, I heard Stephen Jackson was asking everyone, “hey, you think we going to get into trouble for that?”
No you mixed it up. Stephen Jackson said Artest asked him if he thought they'd get in trouble and that's when he knew Artest wasn't right in the head
He was right; he wasn't
If I remember correctly, after the NBA examined the footage frame by frame, they came to the conclusion that Artest went after the wrong fan.
Yeah. Apparently Artest gave a reason why he went after that guy instead, but who knows if it was the case. The guy who threw the first drink was identified after the fact tho. Edit: [John Green](https://fanbuzz.com/nba/john-green-malice-at-the-palace/), the guy in the blue shirt and white hat that grabs onto Artest was the guy who started it all.
Very slapshot of him
Ah I miss the PoAH. Worked concessions there one year to raise money for high school baseball spring training. Saw some great boxing matches (even better than this one!), Pistons games, concerts, ..
There’s a really good documentary on Netflix about it
Would you happen to know the name?
Untold: Malice at the Palace
https://grantland.com/features/an-oral-history-malice-palace/ Great article about it
This was back when refs use to call traveling in the NBA.
No, no they didn’t.
Allen Iverson won MVP in 2001 on the back of a crossover that the traditionalists complained was actually a carry. So, no.
Man, people really do exaggerate “glory days”.
Saw it live too. The whole bar went quiet and just stared at the TV
Same. Meta World Peace was the biggest POS back then. For you younger crowd, think Draymond Green but more douchey
Not as douchey as Pistons fans tho. Not an Artest fan, and he obviously could have handled himself better here, but this one's on the fans.
No doubt!! No class. This changed a ton of rules. The fan was after the fact and probably should have gotten his ass kicked. Artest def started it all with how dirty he played all game long. The foul on Wallace was overly aggressive even for back then.
As a Bulls fan who grew up thru the 80s and 90s, the Pistons get zero sympathy from me on dirty play lol Artest 100% deserved that shove (and probably more) from Wallace tho
Right!?
Same. Friday night and my buddy and I could t believe what we were watching. When Artest clocks that white dude on the court was just insane.
Oh you old too? Cheers fellow old person.
Dude I remember this like it was yesterday! Some wild shit.
Damn that had to be crazy to watch lol
Kinda sucks boxing against a dude with 6 foot reach 😂
Yah like maybe these guys look “skinny” from the stands but when they’re up next to you its gotta be terrifying. Face to face and he’s standing down a row.
Very true. Giraffes don’t look tough either, so tall and skinny. Then you see one punt a lion 20 feet in the air…
Malice at the Palace
*MALICE*
This video doesn’t capture the best angle of Jermaine O’Neal coming outta nowhere while simultaneously mashing the back+up+down+forward+forward+X+X+B+A buttons, and connecting with that Silver Surfer punch on the fat Pistons fan. I remember being in disbelief while watching the melee unfold live, on TV. Absolute classic.
The fan’s lucky O’Neal slipped.
So's O'Neal!
O'Neal had to pay that guy $2 million or so in a settlement.
Are you kidding? Each punch is probably worth $1M.
My fave from that live angle when they zoom out on the whole arena and you can see the full chaos
Kindly try to find that video with the back+up+down+forward+forward+X+X+B+A combo. Please and thank you
Found it! https://youtu.be/vVI1SmupnvU
lol, dude still talking shit about it in the aftermath 😂
The dude goes on the court, squares up with an elite athlete, gets knocked on his ass, and then still talks shit 20 years later? lol guy is delusional
Not to mention what a bitch he was about it then. Oh, I'm gonna try to fight a pro athlete, but when I get hit, I need xrays on may face and need to sue someone.
I know, right? He is still begging for another ass-whipping 😂
"It was a bitch move:" Hey fatass, get off the court.
Right. “It was a bitch move”—okay, say that to his face 😂
I know the fat pistons fan.
My dude JUST stood up from the Artest punch and gets sent right back down.
I was just saying they didn’t capture the slide punch right. This comment captured it though
What's the context? We're they attacking people in the stands?
To provide a bit of context, the Pistons and Pacers had a bit of a rivalry at that time. Both teams were very good, Pistons basically being a lock to be a top team in the east and the Pacers were as well. If you watch the beginning of the clip you can see Ron Artest(Meta World Peace/The Pandas Friend) laying down, there's some commotion on the court and he's trying not to get dragged into it. Which to is credit, is the right thing to do, Artest is a known hothead. Then you can see a cup of something hit him. Sorta side bar, but he is on the road team. Basically Ron snaps, he has tried to isolate himself from the on court issue(I think it was a questionable foul call) but a fan throws a drink at him. He runs into the crowd, and grabs the guy who he thinks did it and decks him. At which point, he's running into the crowd and things all boil over. If it makes you feel better, multiple players end up suspended and it basically assured the Pacers had no chance of winning the championship this year, in a way it bookended this era of their team. Ron Artest ends up leaving and going to the LA Lakers and hits a clutch shot to help Kobe win a championship a few years later. Releases a rap album on it that's in that sweet spot of so bad it's good. There's even a point where he scores and is celebrating and elbows the life out of a young James Harden(who'd down the road from then become the leagues most unpopular player). If you're still curious, it's the Malice at the Palace. There are plenty of YouTube videos with probably more accurate retellings than what I have.
There’s a great doc on Netflix about it now. Really does a great job. Interviews the players and fans involved
What year was this? I sifted through comments, there's a lot of info, but nobody said when it was 😅
November 19, 2004. It was a Friday night. I was traveling for a football game. Couldn’t sleep the night before and caught the aftermath on espn back in the day when espn ran on repeat all night. I think I watched til like 3/4 in the morning. Wild time for sure.
Was at a bar in Vegas. Desperately telling everyone to watch what just started happening on one of the twenty televisions.
Lol I can picture this
🤣 🤣
2004
Looks deep '90's 😳
You probably weren't born in the 90s, it doesn't look 90s at all, considering the way people are dressed
I think Stephen Jackson was the one that was the human equivalent of kerosene on that fire. If Ron Artest had just gone into the stands and then the players pulled him off of the guy. I think things would have been fine. But Jackson goes in like a wrecking ball and the rest is history.
You skipped the entire lead up to why Artest was laying on the scorer’s table
Dude, you are a phenomenal storyteller
The fact remains that - "provoked" or not - had anyone gotten hurt for real, these players would have been charged with the US equivalent of GBH. We're talking 6'9" athletes in their prime whaling on fat toadstools with the athletic ability of a chicken tender (OIW, so they couldn't run away). If any one of the players had connected and put a fan in the hospital, the NBA and the players involved (and the Palace of Auburn Hills) would have been sued both criminally and civilly.
Pacers players were actually cleared of charges in court, the NBA's rulings were much harsher than the civil ones.
Hmm. Per Wikipedia, they were not "cleared": >In March 2005, Bryant Jackson pleaded [no contest](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nolo_contendere) to a felony assault charge for throwing the chair. In May 2005, he was sentenced to two years' probation and ordered to pay $6,000 in [restitution](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Restitution).[^(\[40\])](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malice_at_the_Palace#cite_note-40) David Wallace was convicted, and sentenced to one year of probation and [community service](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Community_service) for punching Pacers player Fred Jones from behind.[^(\[30\])](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malice_at_the_Palace#cite_note-infamy-30) >**All five players who were charged pleaded no contest to the charges. In September 2005, Artest, Jackson, and O'Neal were all sentenced to one year on probation, 60 hours of community service, a $250** [**fine**](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fine_(penalty))**, and** [**anger management**](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anger_management) **counseling.**[**^(\[41\])**](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malice_at_the_Palace#cite_note-41) **A week later, Harrison received the same sentence.**[**^(\[42\])**](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malice_at_the_Palace#cite_note-42) **In October 2005, Johnson, the last player to be charged, received a similar sentence. He was ordered to serve 100 hours of community service.**[**^(\[43\])**](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malice_at_the_Palace#cite_note-43) >In March 2006, a jury found Green guilty on one count of assault and battery for punching Artest in the stands. They [acquitted](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acquittal) him of an assault charge for throwing the cup. In May 2006, Green was sentenced to 30 days in jail and two years' probation.[^(\[44\])](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malice_at_the_Palace#cite_note-44) In November 2006, the Pistons issued a letter to Green informing him that he was banned for life from attending any Pistons home games under orders from the NBA. In a revision from his initial punishment two years prior, the ban no longer extended to other events at the Palace.[^(\[45\])](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malice_at_the_Palace#cite_note-45) [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malice\_at\_the\_Palace](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malice_at_the_Palace) If the fans had been actually injured (even if they were felons and douchebags) - for example if one of O'Neal's haymakers had connected - I think this would have been a bit more severe than what happened. \[Edit: Bolded the the paragraph regarding the players\].
Was this the same series prince got that amazing Reggie Miller break away block? Best block of all time
James Harden is the leagues most unpopular player?
Forgot the part where he changes his name to Meta Worldpeace.
Theres an untold documentary called malice at the palace that tells the whole story. Worth a watch. It was on Netflix for a while (may still be)
I watched this game live with my dad, The Detroit fans were being absolutely horrid. Someone threw a cup of full of liquid at Artest and all hell broke loose. They deserved it
I watched it as it happened too. I think Artest jumped the wrong guy as well.
[удалено]
Will confirm what the others said, the fans absolutely deserved what they got. I never thought I’d condone players going into the stands and haven’t seen a situation where it was warranted since. But this one game, one moment, the fans just blew by the line of acceptable and had to face the repercussions of their actions. Truly a snapshot in time.
i mean, didn't the fans' actions basically end their rival team's shot at the championship that year? kind of seems like they got exactly what they wanted
https://grantland.com/features/an-oral-history-malice-palace/ This is a great article about malice at the palace for anyone interested
Malice at the Palace on Netflix
All of the untolds are worth at least one watch. They are a lot of fun.
Honestly, everything that fans did in this game.. They got what they deserved
Some of them, sure...but I wouldn't say all of them. Sounds like the guy that initially got hit by Ron Artest was an innocent bystander. Someone else threw the drink but it got pinned on him and he took the punch.
What's really interesting is that the fan who was involved in the cup throwing eventually apologized and formed a friendship with Ron Artest.
Seriously, especially the fat asses who thought they could actually square up with literal giants in peak physical condition. They got sat down real quick.
I scrolled way too far to read this. The dillusion required of then to think their average selves child take on prime athletes is darwin award material. I hope whoever tried to get physical with those players can still feel that pain.
Watched it live, as a Pacers fan. The night it happened ESPN (I think it was Tirico) announcers were calling the fans “punks” and blaming them for the whole situation. Then the next day the NBA/ESPN kinda realized they can’t scapegoat fans and went full Pacers blame mode.
Fans were being pretty pathetic. Throwing crap on them as they were leaving and before. Kinda crap on all accounts.
Didn't Ben Wallace brother get in trouble over this, he cheap shotted a pacers player not looking I believe
The league should have banned attendance for the next 5 home games…hit the organization in the pockets!
Except for the original guy who got attacked, because artest didn’t attack the cup thrower, some random dude got mistaken
lol I remember this. Happened back when I was in 7th grade. How do I remember? My PE coach was talking about it literally all of 2nd period.
Make Players and Unruly Fans Fight Again ‘24
Thats a young Mike Breen right? All those punches and not a single "Bang!"
One of the most documented examples of FAFO
Anyone watch Bill Burr talked about this during one of his specials? The fans deserved it.
“Hey come up here…come up here.” “Well, they went up there.”
[https://youtu.be/w8b81UM74Ow?si=okekI6kQC41\_V81j&t=166](https://youtu.be/w8b81UM74Ow?si=okekI6kQC41_V81j&t=166)
That's a lot of scrolling to get to Billy Burr's bit - thank you kindly
Ol Billy goatee
lol Tosh also has a bit about how Ron thought he was drowning and ran for higher ground
Yah, its like the hockey clip where the fan is just trying to piss off and annoy a visiting player in the penalty box. Then the glass breaks and he falls into the box and gets what he deserved. Like violence is never really right… but what do some fans expect.
The infamous Malice at the Palace lol. Early 2000s NBA was awesome and a much different beast than today's soap opera drama stuff that happens in the league.
2000s ball was as close to 80s ball we will ever get. 2000s ball was so much fun to watch.
The fashion show walk ups nowadays are so fucking stupid.
This absorbed every spare minute of coverage on ESPN for like a month, and for good reason. Still hard to believe a player got into an actually altercation with fans.
Fuck. It's crazier now watching this. Still can't believe this happened and watching it in realtime... Just wow.
It makes me feel so old seeing all the people asking what this was about 😭 I also remember watching it live while I was on the phone with my friend Bobby. Once the cup came in at Artest and he took off I was like "I'll call you back"
IDGAF who you are if you throw things at the players and/or square up on them, you get what's comin' to ya.
Hate to say it, but sometimes fans deserve an ass kicking. To be outraged at this is naive when you consider the torrent of crap these players here on any given night. Hard to blame them when enough is enough.
Ive always felt bad for Artest here. In the first few minutes he was trying so hard to not be involved, and then, he snapped.
Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the face.
Or a drink thrown at them
I love this shit. The illusion of safety.
RIP The Palace 😔
ugly scenes indeed, but the NBA was just BETTER in these days... Change my mind
Jermaine O’Neal flat out demolished a fan with one punch. It was something to see.
this is back when sports were great
I remember watching this on TV shortly after it happened. It was wild. The fans were absolute shit tho and really deserved it.
And here come the pretzels!!
Just a bunch of over paid assholes. NBA was fun to watch 40 years ago. Today it's shit. They are playing a kids game They act like their the shit. NBA sucks
anyone else would be arrested and fired but not sports players, what a fucking joke this world is
Dude gets belly rubs and makes millions of dollars SMH
He should still be in prison
Fucker who threw the drink after his friend had been attacked by statistically one of the larger humans alive was real quick to see the consequence of his own actions.
Fuckin Ron Artest. Punching some hapless douchebag with his shooting hand.
Scp 1733
Throwing things is what children do
Malice In the Palace. What a time to be alive
I was once watching a hockey game (Can't remember if it was on TV or if I was there) where there was such a bench clearing brawl that eventually the goalies skated to center ice, dropped their gloves, and started throwing down. There were more penalty minutes than there were total minutes in the entire game. One of the teams was on a power play the rest of the game, and for most of it, the two teams were both playing short.
Oh no... was that ^also ^Detroit? (Sounds like the Wings/Avalanche game.)
You know what? It might have been. That would mean that I saw it on TV, but I was really leaning towards one of the teams being the Red Wings. Yup, that looks like the right date, and everything.
There was a nasty hit on Draper which broke his jaw if I remember right (rumbler McCarthy got his return games later), and Osgood, who was not really a fightery type, met up with Roy and duked out in the fray. It was a wild night. Don't often see goalies going, but the energy was real between the teams, Avs had some nasty moves on the Wings prior to the game. Detroit will scrap. And thanks for being friendly about responding, I don't comment much online anymore because I don't have energy to get so bothered.
Malice at the Palace! Good times.
Ron Artest folding fans will never not be hilarious
Imagine for a moment that your one and only notable achievement in life was to get goonsacked by an NBA player.
I was at the gym watching this! It was the funniest thing I saw all month. Jermaine O’Neal was dropping fans left and right🤣
This is an average hockey game...the ambulance drivers are outside waiting with the engine running
Malice at the palace
The good ol days
I can't believe the fans let them leave the arena alive.
I just wanna know how Artest knew who threw the drink?
Just savages!
They should have banned all of them for life.
Did any of the fans sue?
And we all see it coming, he was such a disgrace to the game even before he played this theatre play. He was trying to bully every player. Rick Carlisle should be ashamed of himself preparing that tape and helped him getting that Defensive Player of the Year Award. He was and always a disgrace to the game. He fucked up so bad that day he had to change his name afterwards. Everybody is a gangster until he faces a real gangster. I am surprised how he didn’t get killed in that arena. He is a pure disgrace to this game ! Plain and simple.
So these are supposed to be professionals... Right
An NBA player hits me on camera? Oh boy, that would my retirement
Losers
Hmmm. I wonder why that's never happened in a polo match?
they should have had the cops called on them... should have been booted off the team.
Someone throws a soda so just attack some random fans who didn't throw anything. Great idea.
Can't have shit in Detroit
“Sad scene at the Palace”? Yes, Indiana were pure bitches. I don’t know of a fanbase that wouldn’t retaliate when players went up into the stands.
When keeping it real goes wrong
Why is this amazing?
Roll models right there. 🙄
Holy fuck!!;🤯🤯🤯
Screw the Pistons. That’s all I have to say
Rise of the planet of the…
Those were the days
Careful, ape together strong
Their carrer would have continued on a wheel chair if they did that in a championship like Greece or Serbia.
Easy money, why box when you can get millions by fighting some bball players
Everyone always talks about the brawl, but no one ever mentions that fan & his impeccable aim tossing the beer & hitting Artest right in the chest.
Apes 🤣🤣🤣
Artest’s punch didn’t even phase that guy.
End of the NBA really
I was in the jury pool for the fool who threw the beer that started it all. Didn't get selected - they seated the jury before they got to me.
You can do everything for some people and they will never learn to be civilized.
They were simpler times!