Basket Balls Malice At The Palace Remembered
The “Malice at the Palace” was a brawl between the Indiana Pacers and the Detroit Pistons on November 19, 2004, at the Palace of Auburn Hills. Pacers player Ron Artest fouled Pistons player Ben Wallace, then…
The "Malice at the Palace" was a brawl between the Indiana Pacers and the Detroit Pistons on November 19, 2004, at the Palace of Auburn Hills.
Pacers player Ron Artest fouled Pistons player Ben Wallace, then entered the stands to confront a fan who had thrown a drink at him, leading to a larger altercation involving other players and fans. This resulted in severe penalties for the players involved, including lengthy suspensions from the NBA, and a public relations crisis for the league, as well as increased fan behavior
How It All Started
The Incident
With 45.9 seconds left in the game, Indiana led by 15 points.
Ron Artest committed a hard foul on Ben Wallace, who responded by shoving Artest.
Artest hit by a beverage cup thrown by a fan. He then went into the stands and punched the fan, followed by his teammate Stephen Jackson, who also engaged with fans.
The fight spilled onto the court and into the stands, fans pelting the players with drinks and other objects. The remaining 45.9 seconds of the game were never played.
The NBA Comes Down Hard On Both Teams
Ronald Martinez/Getty Images(Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
The remaining 45.9 seconds of the game were never played.
The NBA suspended nine players for a total of 146 games.
Artest received the longest suspension (73 regular-season games and 13 playoff games).
The NBA implemented a dress code for players and banned alcohol sales after the third quarter of games.
Arrests were made, and the fan who threw the drink, John Green, was sentenced to jail time.
What happened to the Pistons?
Ben Wallace was suspended for six games, (Chauncey Billups, Derrick Coleman, and Elden Campbell) received one-game bans.
Increased security: The Palace of Auburn Hills cracked down on unruly fan behavior following the incident.
The brawl significantly impacted the Pistons' performance that season.
The Fines imposed on both teams set an NBA record
The Pistons' Season Still a Success in 2004
(Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images)
The Detroit Pistons had a highly successful 2004 season, winning the NBA Championship by defeating the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals.
Remembered for their featured players like Ben Wallace, Rasheed Wallace, and Tayshaun Prince, and for their mid-season acquisition of Rasheed Wallace, which strengthened the team.
