The Detroit Pistons’ Friday night game with the Indiana Pacers seemed like any other NBA game, even as the Pacers’ Ron Artest fouled Detroit’s Ben Wallace on a drive to the basket with 45.9 seconds remaining. But when a spectator launched a cup at Artest after the players scuffled, Artest and his teammates took off into the stands, setting off one of the ugliest incidents in American sports.
The punishment for Friday’s fight came Sunday: Artest is suspended for the rest of the season for fighting with fans, and overall, nine players from the teams were banned for a total of more than 140 games, including some of the harshest penalties the NBA ever issued. Artest is the first player to be suspended for nearly an entire season for a fight during a game.
“The message the league sent was so powerful to players that they’ll never do that again,” Pistons CEO Tom Wilson said.
For more on the Sunday’s suspensions and reaction as well as Jimmy Greenfield’s take on the brawl’s legacy, see Pages 16-17.
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Stern punishment
While NBA Commissioner David Stern benched Artest for the rest of the season, eight other players were also suspended by the NBA, Sunday. Here is the length of their suspensions and how much salary they stand to lose:
Ron Artest
Forward
Games: 73
Cost: $5,482,028
Stephen Jackson
Guard
Games: 30
Cost: $1,792,683
Jermaine O’Neal
Forward
Games: 25
Cost: $4,506,860
Anthony Johnson
Guard
Games: 5
Cost: $29,878
Ben Wallace
Forward
Games: 6
Cost: $439,024
Reggie Miller
Guard
Games: 1
Cost: $72,620
Chauncey Billups
Guard
Games: 1
Cost: $66,526
Elden Campbell
Center
Games: 1
Cost: $53,659
Derrick Coleman
Forward
Games: 1
Cost: $54,878
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Edited by Chris Malcolm (ccmalcolm@tribune.com) and Chris Courtney (cdcourtney@tribune.com)
