Players, Fans Charged In NBA Brawl
Five Indiana Pacers players and five Detroit Pistons fans are being charged in connection with one of the worst brawls in U.S. sports history, a Michigan prosecutor announced Wednesday.
All charges are for misdemeanor assault and battery, except for one count of felony assault against a fan accused of throwing a chair, Oakland County Prosecutor David Gorcyca said at an afternoon news conference.
The fight among spectators and players broke out near the end of a Nov. 19 game at The Palace of Auburn Hills after an on-court dispute over a foul. A fan tossed a drink at Indiana forward Ron Artest, who then charged into the stands and attacked a man he thought had done it.
Artest faces one assault count, while John Green — the man accused of throwing the cup — faces two.
"John Green ... in my mind single-handedly incited this whole interaction between the fans and players and probably is the one that's most culpable," Gorcyca said.
Three-time NBA All-Star Jermaine O'Neal faces two assault counts, while teammates David Harrison, Stephen Jackson and Anthony Johnson face one count each.
Bryant Jackson, a 35-year-old Flint-area resident, faces the most serious charge — felony assault — on accusations that he threw a chair into the crowd. He also faces a misdemeanor assault charge.
Detroit Pistons star Ben Wallace's brother, David, is one of three fans who face a single count each of misdemeanor assault and battery. The others are John Ackerman and William Paulson.
Assault and battery carries a maximum penalty of 93 days in jail and a fine of up to $500. Felonious assault carries up to four years' imprisonment.
With less than a minute left in the game, Artest fouled Ben Wallace on a drive to the basket. Wallace delivered a hard, two-handed shove to Artest.
That sparked an initial skirmish that wasn't all that bad, and Artest retreated to the scorer's table while calm was restored by the officials. But then a spectator tossed a cup at Artest, and he stormed into the stands, throwing punches as he climbed over seats.
Stephen Jackson joined Artest and threw punches at fans, who punched back. O'Neal hit a fan who ran onto the court. At one point, a chair was tossed into the fray.
Two days later, NBA commissioner David Stern suspended Artest for the rest of the season. Jackson was banned for 30 games, O'Neal for 25, and other players received shorter suspensions.
The players' union is appealing the suspensions of Artest, Jackson and O'Neal, and a grievance hearing is scheduled for Thursday in New York.