When famous journalist Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN provided the first information about the Houston Rockets players rushing to find the Clippers’ locker room, fears of a big fight appeared again.
However, with the level of punishment only including 2 players with a 4-match suspension, the recent incident cannot be compared in severity if placed next to the “Nightmare at the Castle” event. This is the phrase used to refer to the terrible brawl that took place during the match between the Detroit Pistons and Indiana Pacers during the NBA tournament in the 2004-05 season.
Because the location took place at The Palace of Auburn Hills arena in Detroit, the event is also known as “Nightmare at the Castle”.
After the match, the NBA ordered the suspension of 9 players, the number of missed matches reached 146 matches, equivalent to 11 million USD in lost wages. Five players were accused of assault and sentenced to one year of probation in community activities. Five spectators face criminal charges and a lifetime ban from going to the stadium to watch the Detroit Pistons play.
Since the incident, the NBA has been forced to increase security vigilance between players and fans, in addition to restricting the sale of alcohol in arenas.
Match context
The event took place in November 2004, a time when both the Pistons and Pacers were the strongest forces in the East region. This is the first meeting between the two teams in the 2004-05 season after a tense clash in the Eastern Finals last season, where the Pistons overcame the Pacers to advance to the finals to win the NBA championship.
The Pistons, as the defending champions, continue to maintain their playing style that focuses on defense, plays with fire and is not afraid of collision. The Pacers also have players with a cunning and fierce playing style like Ron Artest or Stephen Jackson. The confrontations between the two teams witnessed merciless fighting. The audience and media all seemed to be warmed up in this fighting atmosphere.
Origin of the fight
Unfortunately, the brawl took place with only 45.9 seconds left in the match and the Pacers were almost certain to win with a 97-82 lead. NBA fans can now rewatch the collision situation many times, but there are many little-known details that are only gradually revealed over time.
First, center Ben Wallace was fouled from behind on a toss attempt by Ron Artest. To date, video footage has confirmed that it was a blow to the head. Wallace explained that previously, Artest had warned him that he would pat him on the head during the next ball. Wallace emphasized that this was the reason why he was angry because Artest clearly played badly on purpose.
Collision between Wallace and Artest.
Out of anger, Wallace used both hands to push Artest’s face hard, causing players from both sides and the referees to quickly rush in to stop the fight. At this time, Pistons coach Larry Brown still appeared calm because usually when he is retained, scuffles in the NBA usually end a few minutes later.
While Ben Wallace was still very angry and talking towards the Pacers bench, Ron Artest lay on the commentary table trying to “relax” with a headset. Later, Pacers radio commentator Mark Boyle confirmed that he was the person Artest wanted to talk to at that time.
However, Boyle also said: “There is no way we would put an open microphone in front of Ron in such a situation. He’s bound to say something that could make things more tense.” Pacers President Donnie Walsh affirmed that Artest’s behavior was a way for this player to stay calm in a stressful situation.
Chaos broke out
Most players on each team stood up and walked away from the bench to reassure Wallace and Artest, each of whom received an automatic one-game ban according to NBA rules. Even though he was retained by his teammates, Wallace was still extremely upset, especially with Artest’s euphoric gesture on the commentary table.
The Pistons center picked up a towel and threw it at Artest, but the force of the throw was not strong enough. Artest stood up but was pulled back by people nearby. However, John Green, a spectator standing above observing, threw his glass of water so hard at Artest’s chest that the rope holding back the player’s anger slipped. He rushed to the stands but chose the wrong target to retaliate.
William Paulson, another Pistons spectator, gave Artest a second water throw to the head but did not take into account that Artest’s teammates Jermaine O’Neal and Stephen Jackson also rushed into the stands. Jackson threw a strong punch straight into Paulson’s face. Chaos broke out, the audience and players intertwined in hysteria. People nearby rushed to approach while people far away threw water and food into the fighting area.
The players on the field rushed up to pull Jackson, Artest and O’Neal out of the danger zone. Many members of the Pacers therefore also suffered unfair criticism from angry fans.
On the way down to the stands, Artest faced two other spectators, Shackleford and Haddad, who had left their seats to run to cause trouble. Artest punched Shackleford in the face and knocked Haddad down.
While Haddad was lying on the ground, he was hit in the back of the head by Pacers player Anthony Johnson. Struggling to get up, Haddad was given another punch to the jaw by Jermaine O’Neal and fell down. Several Pistons employees panicked and rushed to intervene, fearing O’Neal would kill Haddad.
Unexpected details about the unlucky fan Haddad were also later revealed, revealing his motive for participating in the fight. Haddad actually proactively rushed onto the field and wanted to fight with NBA players in hopes of receiving compensation.
The Pacers team rushed to cover and drag all the players into the locker room under a rain of objects thrown at them. The angry atmosphere spread to every corner of The Palace of Auburn Hills.
Where are the police and security forces?
There were officially only 3 police officers in the stadium at that time, they were almost unprepared for the chaotic situation between the audience and the players. This incident in NBA history is truly unique. When the situation became complicated, a new notification was sent to the Auburn Hills police department.
The authorities immediately issued an order to blockade the stadium area. No fans or players are allowed access to the media. In the Pacers locker room, former player Scott Pollard recounted a confused conversation between Artest and Stephen Jackson, as if both were mentally disturbed and couldn’t understand what they were saying. Each person asks questions and answers each other with unrelated statements.
Next, the Auburn Hills police rushed in, demanding to escort Ron Artest back to work, but were strongly opposed by the football team. Later, they were forced to agree to help escort all Pacers members to the parking lot outside the arena. Luckily, the journey from Detroit to Indiana did not encounter any major trouble.
Repercussion
Coach Rick Carlisle described the feeling of fear: “I felt like I was fighting for my life when I got out of there.” Many reporters at the scene said they suddenly stopped feeling anything in that moment.
Pacers assistant coach Chuck Person compared the situation to being “trapped in a Roman arena, where the Pacers were like helpless people facing a group of lions.” death, under the screams of thousands of people above.”
Ben Wallace, who opened it all, also admitted that he was extremely scared in the fiery atmosphere. NBA President David Stern, witnessing the match on TV, exclaimed, “Oh, my God.” He fears that the NBA’s image will definitely become more terrible after this incident.
Nine spectators were injured, and two were taken to the hospital. Many children who followed their parents to watch the match felt extremely scared. Chairman Stern said that the incident must have made many spectators not dare to go to NBA arenas to watch for a while. The impact is extremely bad.
Many players and basketball coaches of different generations admitted that this was the biggest fighting disaster they had ever witnessed. Public opinion also expressed its opinion when placing responsibility on main character Ron Artest. He received 48% of the criticism because his actions on the commentary table provoked and teased the audience. The remaining 42% of public opinion directed at John Green and the enthusiastic audience in Detroit.
This upheaval ended with significant damage to the Indiana Pacers’ process of conquering the NBA championship title. They have a generation of proven talent, but penalties and public pressure have gradually disintegrated this group.
It was not until 2005 that Artest returned to Detroit to compete. The match had to be postponed for 1 and a half hours because of reports of a bomb in the Pacers locker room. However, after being checked, the match took place normally. In the days that followed, Artest was always on the list of the most hated players in the NBA.
