It was more than "just a foul." Artest didn't attempt to go for the ball and slapped him in the head from behind with less than a minute left in a blowout. It was a hard fould done on purpose. Wallace overreacted, but it's the same overreaction that happens several times a year. Artest laying down was a calculated move to tick Wallace and the rest of Detroit off after that. If Artest doesn't do the laying down thing the event doesn't escalate. It had the unintended result of ticking off the fans and the beer was thrown. And then Artest overreacted (if he does nothing but point the fan out, then the fan is arrested and the game finishes) and so on. The fan should be arrested (and the other fans involved too), but Artest is far from lilly white in this event.
Any player that went into the stands and threw punches or applied a choke hold to any fan needs to be suspended for no less than 20 games. Artest and Jackson deserve this stiff penalty. Nothing justifies going into the stands. While Artest was justified in being pissed, and I believe the fan that threw the beer got what he deserved, Artest was NOT justified in going into the stands. What a mess.
What freakin ever. If you someone did that to you, you'd clock him. If someone throws beer point blank at him, even the POPE would have thrown down!
ESPN News is showing the fight over and over and over. I can't believe the Pistons CEO basically blamed everything on Artest.
The fans are despicable. Absolutely horrible. They continued to throw beer and water (not pour, literally throw, like hurl in a downward motion) as well as hard objects like cups and bottles at the Pacers players walked off through the tunnel. There is absolutely no need for that. The NBA needs to realize this was a passionate game (Eastern Conference Finals) and there were some tempers flaring. Artest did nothing to instigate any anger from the Pistons. Artest should get maybe 2-3 games, SJax should get probably 6, and Ben should get somewhere from 4-6. Artest just laid down. The man got choked/pushed, had a towel thrown at him (by Ben Wallace, according to the commentators), and through it all, he maintained his cool. The league needs to realize that he did everything in his part to stay away from conflict. SJax was just looking for a fight, first with Rasheed Wallace and then with every single fan within swinging distance. Ben Wallace instiagated this whole thing, but even he seemed to be trying to stop the whole thing before it got out of hand... Once the fan throws something at Artest, he's fair game to get his ass beat. I'm sorry, but as a fan, you have to know your limits. All the players charging the stands in the past have been brought about because of heckling and verbal abuse. A PROFESSIONAL basketball player should be able to take that in stride. Once you make physical contact with a player, whether it be by throwing a beer bottle or a throwing a punch, all bets are off. You just made yourself fair game to get beat to a bloody pulp. In fact, doesn't your ticket stub or you buying the ticket stipulate that you are not to make contact with the players or throw stuff on the court? You waive that right, you waive the right to sue and your ass is going to get kicked.... ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTING.
Point taken about the foul in a blow out. It was not a hard foul. No one is saying Artest is lilly white. We just understand. I would do the same thing in that situation.
Yes, what freakin ever. Nothing justifies an NBA player going into the stands to confront a fan. If a fan is out a line, security should handle it. Maybe the fan got what he deserved, Artest just was not justified in the action he took. No way.
just now saw it. Im pissed. My favorite players are Ron Artest, Stephen Jackson, and Oneal. I wish i was there. what lowlife punks in the stands. Im reeeling!
i agree cause it could very well get really ugly again. Overal I think that this is just a horrible and unfortunate situation that could hurt the league.
They're showing the replay again, and Artest nailed some idiot fan in a Pistons jersey who came onto the court. Jim Gray is choking back tears right now....he seems really shaken up.
one more thing im pissed about,, a second fan walks on the court to challenge artest again and a detroit cop runs up and pulls out his mace and aims towards artest instead of this punk fan who walks on the court coming at artest. i'm irate.
best NBA fight EVER. better than Charles body slamming shaq. Rasheed had an episode similar like this also agaisnt Golden State.
Jim Gray is choked up because he thinks he might get some journalist award for his stellar reporting!
Dude, If someone threw beer at you point blank, you would clock him or go after him. Security should have been better and grabbed that dude before Artest did, but Artest was justified. If the fan crosses that line by coming up that close. If the fan was in the upper deck, Artest would have not ran all the way up there. It was CLOSE PROXIMITY. Replay that incident with ANY player or person, 99% would have done the same thing. THe only person not running after that dude is Stevie Wonder or Ray Charles. I agree the absolute right thing to do is not fight, but its hard to argue in the heat of the momment. What if he threw something like a hard object at Artest? A cell fone or something? what then?
i'm completely siding with the pacers on this one. the detroit fans kept egging the pacers on. they deserved what they got.
