November 19, 2004 — The “Pacers-Pistons Brawl”, the “Malice in the Palace”, call it whatever you want, it was undoubtedly one of the lowest points of the NBA, and a day that will live in The Association in infamy. It led to nine player suspensions (including fines and legal charges) and shaped how the modern NBA operated today which includes restructuring in security, limits to alcohol consumption for the fans, and a tighter watch on trash talking and fighting.
Most egregiously was the life of the man at the center of it all — Ron Artest. He was suspended for the remainder of the season, demanded a trade 16 games into the season once he got back, and had his wish promptly granted as he was shipped to the Sacramento Kings and became a journeyman of sorts, going from the Houston Rockets, to the Los Angeles Lakers, to the New York Knicks, and back to Los Angeles.
Along the way, he won an NBA championship, changed his name to Metta World Peace hoping to shed the dirty labels he accrued from the spate of controversies throughout his career (save for a clothesline on JJ Barea and groin attack on teammate Lamar Odom) and has remained largely on his best behavior since then, and is enjoying a very productive and lucrative life since he hanged his sneakers for good.
World Peace made an appearance on Chris Broussard's “In The Zone” recently to share an interesting story about the brawl, particularly his mindset as he went to the stands as well as his thoughts on Ben Wallace, among many, which you can view below.
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