Detroit Pistons: Memories of The Palace of Auburn Hills
The Diet Coke heard around the NBA
Nov. 19 marked the 15-year “anniversary” of the Malice at the Palace. I put anniversary in quotes because usually, I attribute an anniversary as being a good, happy thing. And this sort of wasn’t.
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As a spectator on TV, the brawl between the Indiana Pacers and the Detroit Pistons looked like a rowdy ole time. You had Ron Artest (now known as the peaceful Metta World Peace) up in the stands assaulting fans. And you had Stephen Jackson up in the stands assaulting fans. Pacers broadcaster Mark Boyle suffered five fractured vertebrae and a gouge on his head.
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Then-Detroit CEO Tom Wilson said that Artest laying on the table took away the natural barrier that players had from the fans (Writer’s note: If you want more reading on the Malice, this Grantland article by Jonathan Abrams is a wonderful read). The NBA imposed new security measures as well as new policies involving the purchasing of alcohol.
"The new NBA guidelines ban alcohol sales from the start of the fourth quarter, limit the size of drinks to 24 ounces and limit buyers to two drinks per purchase. They also require designated driver programs at each arena. The league plans to provide guidelines on the number of security officers teams should employ, as well as their tactics and placement in the arena"
I think we can all agree that athletic events for the fans are supposed to be for entertainment. However, the players on the court are also playing basketball as a career and as a passion. On that night, the two circles got notoriously intertwined and change the scope of the sporting experience.