"We going to jail?" - Former NBA champion reveals Pacers' locker room fallout after infamous 'Malice at the Palace' brawl
On the 20th anniversary of the Indiana Pacers and Detroit Pistons' infamous "Malice at the Palace" brawl, ex-Pacers wing Stephen Jackson reflected on the aftermath. According to the 2003 NBA champion, Indiana's players were concerned about facing jail time upon police entering their locker room.
On Nov. 19, 2004, the Pacers and Pistons matched up at Detroit's Palace of Auburn Hills. With Indiana leading 97-82 with 45.9 seconds remaining, a fight between Pacers forward Ron Artest (now Metta Sandiford-Artest) and Pistons big man Ben Wallace broke out.
During the ensuing play stoppage, Artest laid on the scorer's table to collect himself. However, Pistons fan John Green threw a plastic cup of soda at his chest, sparking a melee that spilled into the crowd.
Artest jumped into the stands to throw punches, with Jackson coming to his defense. Several other players from both sides got involved, creating what many consider the worst brawl in NBA history.
Fans rushed onto the court and began fighting players, including Pacers big man Jermaine O'Neal. Afterward, referees called the contest, and players and coaches were escorted to their locker rooms.
On Tuesday's episode of "All The Smoke," Jackson comically recounted the incident's immediate aftermath with former Indiana assistant coach Mike Brown. Per Jackson and Brown, their locker room was fired up. However, that quickly transitioned to fear after the police arrived.
"I remember it like yesterday, dog. The emotions were high," Jackson said.
"Until they came in and said, 'Okay, we're gonna arrest two players and one coach,'" Brown said.
"We were like, 'What! Arrest? (Are) we going to jail? Hold up. (Are) we going to jail now?'" Jackson said. "It got serious. It got serious."
However, Jackson noted that Artest diffused the tension by questioning whether he would be among those disciplined.
"Ron killed the whole everything when he asked (if he was) going to get in trouble," Jackson said (Timestamp: 0:55). "When he said that, the whole locker room was like, 'Ah, lord, come on, bro. In trouble? Bro, you ain't playing no more this year, dog.'"
Numerous Pacers and Pistons players received suspensions and faced charges after notorious "Malice at the Palace" brawl
As for the punishments handed down after the "Malice at the Palace" brawl, nine Pacers and Pistons players were suspended. Their suspensions totaled 146 contests, amounting to over $11 million in lost salary.
Ron Artest received the longest suspension, as he was sidelined for the remainder of the 2004-05 NBA regular season (73 games) and playoffs (13 games). Meanwhile, Stephen Jackson and Jermaine O'Neal were hit with 30-game and 15-game suspensions.
Moreover, Artest, Jackson and O'Neal were among five Indiana players who faced criminal assault charges. However, they each pleaded no contest, and were later fined and had to carry out community service and participate in anger management classes.