Remember the Brawl

Ten years ago yesterday, one of the worst, yet most unforgettable moments in NBA history occurred in Auburn Hills, Mich. The result of the game was a 15-point Pacers win against the reigning NBA champion and division rival Pistons, but only two words are required to sum up what transpired after Ben Wallace’s hard foul on Ron Artest in the fourth quarter. Maybe hearing the name Ron Artest brings those two words back to most people. After all, two name changes and a contract in China later, Artest couldn’t be further from that cup of beer that hit him while lying on the scorer’s table. The Brawl was the ugliest moment to happen in an NBA arena, and the NBA had an image crisis on its hands.

I could write forever about the endless impact the Brawl had on my beloved Pacers franchise, but for the sake of space, I’d rather discuss the overall impact it had on the league. After the incident, many measures were taken by the NBA to ensure that nothing like that would ever happen again. For example, the league created new and improved arena guidelines and criteria for hiring security personnel. The NBA also modified its alcohol policy, banning the sale of alcohol during the fourth quarter of games and limiting how much alcohol an individual could purchase to two 24-ounce containers. Lastly, the NBA instituted a nine-point fan code of conduct that appears in every NBA arena to this day.

In 2005, the NBA established NBA Cares, which conveniently appears front and center during commercial breaks. NBA Cares is a way for players to connect not only to the communities in which they play, but also the global community. Since 2005, the league and teams have raised more than $242 million for charity. The NBA also introduced a new dress code that forced players to wear “business casual” attire while they participate in league or team activities.

"It wasn't just the brawl, but there was a generalization being made often by the public and sometimes by the media … that our players were thugs," current NBA commissioner Adam Silver told IndyStar. "It was a malicious and unfair stereotype about a group of 450 men.”

It is a shame that it took the Brawl to incite this passionate response from the NBA to repair its image. There was nothing the league could do to reverse anything that happened on that Friday night in the Palace of Auburn Hills, but it faced a challenge and an opportunity to define who it was. The NBA held itself accountable for what happened, rolled up its sleeves and began the long and arduous process of digging itself out of a deep hole.

In the past ten years, the NBA has not seen another incident like the Brawl, and its public image has improved dramatically. Today the NBA and the game of basketball have never been more popular around the world. Nevertheless, on the 10 year anniversary of the darkest moment in NBA history, it is important to look back at what occurred and its impact.

Artest, Jermaine O’Neal, Stephen Jackson, Anthony Johnson and Reggie Miller were all members of the Pacers in 2004 and all declined to comment to IndyStar. In addition, Rick Fuson, the president and chief operating officer of Pacers Sports and Entertainment, echoed the sentiment of moving on. 

Regardless, it is important to reflect on how far the Pacers and the NBA fell to truly appreciate the state of the game today.