6 years ago today: Malice at the Palace

[Dpantherman]

:lurk5:

[Zaximus]

No wonder the NBA is so hard on emotion and stuff at games, they want to avoid any PR incident like this one.

I'm not saying Artest was in the right, but if someone threw a bottle at me I'd be pretty pissed too.

The worst showing was from the rest of the Detroit crowd, throwing EVERYTHING onto the court. I don't think our fans here would do that.

[Its The Milk]

It's Detroit....

[King Taharqa]

And now people bitch about the NBA being too soft and not as good as the golden eras of the 80s and 90s. Well, this is why. Used to be guys would get in a fight, get suspended a game, maybe 2 games tops and it'd be over and done with. Now, a guy gets in a fight, its shown 40 million times on ESPN News and sportscenter for a week. It gets microanalyzed by the analysts and the fans today have more access to voice their opinions on these things than ever before. Different times, different era. But this incident should serve as a reference point as to when Stern really started clamping down on the physicality of the game.

I also agree with others man, we gotta take into account where this happened. The players were clearly outta line and went too far, but c'mon man, those fans were classless and out of their fuging minds that night. This was just one of those "Pulp Fiction" too real for TV moments that happens once every generation.

[Panthers128]

Stern is a terrible owner and went about this situation entirely wrong and only cared to please Pistons fans. Most sports fans saw this as being obviously incited by the Pistons fans. Stern wanted to put all the blame on the players.

This would not have happened in any other arena aside from in New York or Philadelphia imo.

Also they should stop serving alcohol at basketball games. If anything that had as much to do with it as Pistons fans.

[Dpantherman]

I was amazed how gutless those fans were. Artest should never have jumped in stands, but you pour your drink on him while hes minding his business? the whole thing was horrid. and I put just as much blame on the "fans" as players.

[Zaximus]

I agree with most of everything said here.

[Porn Shop Clerk]

One of the most awesome sporting incidents to ever happen in my lifetime.

[Henne Given Sunday]

i was in disney world when this happened, i was 17....got back to the hotel from a day at the parks to see what happened, we couldnt believe it. crazy stuff.

[Darth Biscuit]

Hard to believe it's been six years... time flies when you're old.

[Jbro]

I wish I was there for that.

[Porn Shop Clerk]

Hard to believe it's been six years... time flies when you're old.

Seems like its been longer than 6 years to me. :|

[iamcline]

Austin Croshere's expression and body language told the entire story there. Dazed and confused...kind of disbelief.

[WOOD]

It is safe to say that both Artest and Jax have come along way since then.