Throwing a drink at Ron Artest would be a huge mistake today and it was a huge mistake 17 years ago, today. The second drink was a mistake too, but whatever let’s flashback on Friday to just a normal regular season Pacers/Pistons game in 2004.
Malice at the Palace
It was one of those typical Ron Artest early 2000’s foul, slapping Ben across the head. Ben retaliated and the teams were separated. Pretty routine competitive shit going on (other than Ron laying on the score table) that eventually led to some pretty not routine shit going down.
The Pacers hadn’t seen the Pistons since the Eastern Conference Finals a year before when the Pistons and Chauncey Billups won in six.
It was in THE PALACE OF AUBURN HILLS. (not in Detroit)
Now closed permanently.
You Remember…
I don’t know a single person that doesn’t remember exactly where they were when this happened. Personally, I was inside a Days Inn hotel in Florida. Why were we all watching the Pacers/Pistons regular season game? Simple answer, times were simple and we didn’t have shit to do. In 2004, everybody was watching ESPN.
This shit was crazy as fuck. Absolutely no organization by the security and no idea this shit could actually happen. Fans were on the fucking court stepping up to RON ARTEST!!! The last fucking man you wanted to test in the entire NBA.
Everybody has been drunk at a game and called out the opponents, but this guy threw a drink just feet away from Ron Artest. Ron wasn’t having it and anything after that was a result of things escalating.
Bill Burr take it from here.
The Takeaway
I watched the Netflix special (it’s great) and saw the different angles, perspectives. Idk man, sometimes just keep it simple as this was simple times. Drunk idiot throws drink at the wrong mothafucka and the security was nowhere to be found, incapable of handling the situation.
The fans were wrong for going that far and the players did something we’ve never seen done in sports before, beat the shit out some fans. Thousands of players have kept their head on and never jumped into the stands. Artest chose to do it. Reggie Miller’s last season in the NBA, they’d eventually get bounced in the 2nd round of the playoffs.
The fan deserved the punch, but it came at a price for the Pacers.
The fans were to blame on why it started, but… I wouldn’t say it was like right what everybody did after. I mean, who cares at this point? Not me. I just care about the moment, it was great.
If ya need to be refreshed, check out the Netflix untold on the entire fucking incident that took place November 19th, 2004. (click here)
The most infamous brawl in sports history.
HOLD IT.
