"Ron Artest charging into the stands, about to punch the man (in the black shirt) who he believed threw the cup at him when actually John Green (the man in the blue shirt) threw the cup." (Wikipedia)
Posted on 11/19/2009 4:01:13 PM PST by canuck_conservative
This week marks five years since the NBA's infamous 'Malice at The Palace'.
It was a scene that will live on forever as the moment player and crowd interaction went a step too far.
With 45 seconds remaining and the Indiana Pacers leading by double digits over the Detroit Pistons at their home court the Palace of Auburn Hills, Ron Artest sparked a riot when he fouled Ben Wallace.
Wallace responded with an aggressive shove and tensions boiled over for both sides as the referees tried to break up the all-in fight.
A smug Artest then walked over and lay down on the scorers' table while the action continued on around him.
One of the Detroit fans took it too far and threw his drink at Artest, hitting him square on the chest.
Without any hesitation, Artest raced into the stands to drop the fan while team-mate Stephen Jackson followed with punches of his own. Jermaine O'Neal also punched a fan who confronted him on court.
Things went from bad to worse as more fans joined in the scuffle, throwing drinks, food and even chairs.
Several innocent bystanders were injured in the ugly event, including women and children.
Artest, who now plays for the Los Angeles Lakers, was suspended for the remainder of the 2003/04 season for his actions.
Several of his team-mates also copped long bans and overall the NBA suspended nine players from both teams for a combined 140 games.
Artest's hefty suspension was the longest ever handed down for a game-time fight.
The fan who threw his drink at Artest and then punched him when he ran into the stands, John Green, was convicted of assault and sentenced to 30 days behind bars.
Green was also banned from Detroit's home court for life.
But five years on the anger is well and truly gone and the two men at the centre of the brawl have come together in an attempt at redemption.
Speaking on ESPN, Green said he and Artest had been speaking for some time about the possibility of a community-based project in Detroit.
He said Artest had called his home to personally apologise for what went down.
"He said that he was sorry, that the whole thing embarrassed him as it did me," Green told ESPN.
"He wanted to do something for the community for troubled youth. Of course, I can't do much on this end without him.
"We tried to come up with something to give back to the community and come up with something positive. It's not like it's not always going to be known as the brawl, but maybe we could take something good out of it.
"I remember throwing the cup, actually a cup of Diet Coke, not a beer, but I had been drinking and I've had issues with alcohol in the past.
"I remember [Artest] running into the stands and grabbing the wrong person and I felt bad. I grabbed Artest from behind, the whole thing was kind of a huge blur. It happened so fast."
"Just a very bad scene. It was a scary situation."
"Ron Artest charging into the stands, about to punch the man (in the black shirt) who he believed threw the cup at him when actually John Green (the man in the blue shirt) threw the cup." (Wikipedia)
Look it, let me put it to you this way. The NFL all too often looks like a game between the Bloods and the Crips without any weapons.
1. NBA players carried unlicensed guns? 3. Had out-of-wedlock illegitimate kids they didn't support?
4. Were arrested?
5. Had criminal records?
6. Couldn't speak English?
7. Used narcotics?
8. Committed rapes?
No, those started a long time ago.
The question remains, how could these two teams have been passed over for nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize?????
Not really. The NBA is still the same sad, sorry spectacle of thugs, gangstas, hoodlums, miscreants, felons, deadbeats, misfits, delinquents, jailbirds, degenerates and reprobates it's always been.
I had not heard of this incident. But then, I would prefer to have prostate surgery through my nasal passages than to watch a basketball game.
No one died.
Some people are too serious.
Thank you. I played a number of sports in my youte. Bball was always the most emotional and the sport most likely to promote a shoving match or fight. Apply that to glorified adolescents who never had to grow up and now make millions.
Artest, who now plays for the Los Angeles Lakers, was suspended for the remainder of the 2003/04 season for his actions... Artest's hefty suspension was the longest ever handed down for a game-time fight. The fan who threw his drink at Artest and then punched him when he ran into the stands, John Green, was convicted of assault and sentenced to 30 days behind bars. Green was also banned from Detroit's home court for life... Speaking on ESPN, Green said he and Artest had been speaking for some time about the possibility of a community-based project in Detroit. He said Artest had called his home to personally apologise for what went down... "He wanted to do something for the community for troubled youth. Of course, I can't do much on this end without him. We tried to come up with something to give back to the community and come up with something positive... I remember throwing the cup, actually a cup of Diet Coke, not a beer, but I had been drinking and I've had issues with alcohol in the past.Bravo!
BS!
The foul was part of the game. The riot started when fans started throwing things. Artest was at the scorers table minding his own business while Ben Wallace would not leave the floor after being ejected. All the while the security were sitting on their butts while Decrap fans were throwing stuff!
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Looks like a little revisionist history. Artest wasn't exactly "minding his own business" at the scorer's table. He was LYING on the scorer's table with his typical passive-aggressive BS. Somebody threw an empty cup at him from the stands and he goes all ballistic, running up into the stands throwing haymakers at everyone in his way...including fans who had nothing to do with the throwing of the paper cup.
By the way, the start of all this was when Artest did a thuggish foul on Wallace with under a minute to go in a game that was no longer in doubt. If somebody tried to take my head off with a cheap foul, I'd have reacted exactly as Wallace did. Things were simmering down before Artest ran into the crowd.
He got away from the ruckus after Ben Wallace went after him. The foul was part of the game. They happen all the time regardless of the time of the game. Wallace was EJECTED after going after Artest after the WHISTLE HAD BLOWN and would not leave. Wallace was the one continuing to make trouble.
Somebody threw an empty cup at him from the stands and he goes all ballistic
Empty? BS Talk about Revisionist! And there was all kind of crap being thrown.
, running up into the stands throwing haymakers at everyone in his way...including fans who had nothing to do with the throwing of the paper cup.
Hey he was acting all bad boy. Isn't it the Detroit way? Oh that's right when somebody else does it it wrong? Hypocrites!
By the way, the start of all this was when Artest did a thuggish foul on Wallace with under a minute to go in a game that was no longer in doubt. If somebody tried to take my head off with a cheap foul, I'd have reacted exactly as Wallace did. Things were simmering down before Artest ran into the crowd.
Wallace got was was coming. He played that way . The biggest cry baby in the NBA had no reason to complain!
It was not settling down. Wallace was being restrained because he would not leave the floor, and was trying to get to Artest. Also several other Detroit players were trying to get to Artest. Guess you missed that part?
The idiot Detroit fans were later running on the floor after the Pacer players.
I'll surmise it for you.
1.Wallce not leaving the floor after being ejected.And continuing to go after Artest.
2.Other Detroit players going after Artest too.
3. Fans throwing stuff at Artest and the Pacers bench.
4. Fans rushing the floor and going after other Pacers.
5. Stupid Detroit security trying to grab Pacer players instead of fans running the floor.
Artest should not have went into the stands but to justify all the Detroit idiocy on Artest is MORONIC!
detroit does have a history of picking up aggressive crybabies.
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