Basketball is not as physical or aggressive of a sport as football or hockey, but it is not without its fights.  It’s not completely uncommon for fans to witness short scuffles between players and there have been a few famous ones in history.  What is less common, some would even say unimaginable, is a fight between basketball players and fans in the stands, but that is exactly what happened in 2005.

On this day, November 19th, in 2004, the NBA witnessed the worst brawl in its 50+ year history.  The fight, known as the Pacers-Pistons brawl or Malice at the Palace, occurred near the end of a game between the Indiana Pacers and Detroit Pistons in Detroit.  The fight began with an altercation between Piston Ben Wallace and Pacer Ron Artest, which quickly grew to include several members of both teams. After the fight was subdued, a fan through a cup at Artest.  In retaliation, Artest and teammate Stephen Jackson entered the stands to fight fans.  The brawl continued for several minutes both in the stands and on the court.

The end result of the worst fight in basketball history was 146 total games of suspension for 9 players.  Ron Artest received the most harsh punishment, with an 86-game suspension and nearly $5 million in lost salary.