Malice at the Palace facts for kids
The Palace of Auburn Hills, where the brawl took place
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| Game called with 45.9 seconds left in the fourth quarter | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Date | November 19, 2004 | ||||||||||||||||||
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| Venue | The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, Michigan, U.S. | ||||||||||||||||||
| Referees | Tim Donaghy Ron Garretson Tommy Nuñez Jr. |
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| Attendance | 22,076 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Network | ESPN FSN Midwest FSN Detroit WDIV-TV |
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The Malice at the Palace was a famous fight during an National Basketball Association (NBA) game. It happened on November 19, 2004. The game was between the Indiana Pacers and the Detroit Pistons. The Pistons were the champions at that time. This event took place at The Palace in Auburn Hills, Michigan. Many people call it the most well-known fight in NBA history.
The Pacers were winning the game 97 to 82. There were only 45.9 seconds left to play. Ben Wallace from the Pistons tried to score. He was fouled by Ron Artest from the Pacers. Wallace became very angry and pushed Artest. A small fight started on the court between some players.
The players were separated by officials. Artest was lying on the scorer's table. Then, a fan named John Green threw a drink at Artest from the stands. Artest quickly ran into the crowd. He grabbed another fan, Michael Ryan, by mistake. He thought Ryan had thrown the drink.
Several of Artest's teammates followed him into the stands. More drinks were thrown, and punches were exchanged. The incident grew into a large fight. It involved both fans and players. The game was stopped and never finished. Police came to the arena to bring back order. They also helped the Pacers leave the building safely.
After the game, the NBA punished nine players. This included Artest and Wallace. They were suspended for a total of 146 games. This meant the players lost about $11 million in salary. Five players were charged with assault. They were given probation and had to do community service. Five fans also faced charges. They were banned from attending Pistons home games for life. This fight also made the NBA improve security between players and fans.
Almost four years later, a similar event happened. It was at the same arena. This time, it was a game between the Los Angeles Sparks and the Detroit Shock. These are teams from the WNBA. This later event was nicknamed "The Malice at The Palace II".
NBA Security Changes
After the fight, some NBA teams quickly made their arenas safer. They also increased protection for players. The NBA reminded teams about their existing security rules.
On February 17, 2005, the league put new security rules in place. These rules applied to all NBA arenas. The NBA also ordered that each team must have at least three security guards. These guards must stand between the players and the fans. This was to help prevent similar incidents.
Images for kids
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Ron Artest running into the stands. He thought Michael Ryan (the man he grabbed) threw a cup at him. John Green (in the blue jersey) was the one who actually threw the cup.
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A year after the fight, Ron Artest was traded to the Sacramento Kings.
See also
In Spanish: Pelea entre Detroit Pistons e Indiana Pacers para niños
