Indiana Pacers players Ron Artest, Jermaine O'Neal and Stephen Jackson all reportedly pleaded no contest Friday to charges of misdemeanor assault and battery stemming from a November 2004 brawl at the Palace of Auburn Hills.
According to a story in the Indianapolis Star, the three players all avoided jail time as expected, but were sentenced to one year's probation, 60 hours of community service (split between Michigan and Indiana) and fined $250 apiece.
In addition, the paper stated that O'Neal and Jackson were told they must undergo an anger management program. Artest had already participated in a similar program last year before being reinstated by the NBA.
There were two other Pacers involved in the melee, and both will also likely avoid jail time. Guard Anthony Johnson has already pleaded no contest to an assault charge in a pre-trial hearing on September 16, while center David Harrison is scheduled for his hearing on October 3.
The maximum penalty for each player is 93 days of jail and a $500 fine.
The infamous brawl involving spectators and players broke out near the end of the November 19 game between the Pacers and Detroit Pistons after an on-court dispute over a foul.
The contest was stopped with 45 seconds left in the fourth quarter and Indiana was credited with a 97-82 victory. With the Pacers ahead by 15 points, things unraveled when Ben Wallace was fouled by Artest and the Pistons' center took exception to what he deemed a hard foul and gave Artest a two- handed push to the face.
The pushing and shoving continued by the scorers' table as players came off both benches. The Detroit fans then lost control and began throwing cups filled with liquid and ice at Artest, who was surprisingly staying out of harm's way on top of the scorers' table. Artest was hit in the head by a flying cup and immediately raced into the stands and started punching whom he thought was the culprit.
Jackson followed into the crowd, along with other players, and started swinging away at the unruly fans.
Two days after the disgraceful incident, NBA commissioner David Stern issued harsh penalties, including the suspension of Artest for the remainder of the season. In addition, the NBA issued a revised set of arena guidelines to all teams. The guidelines consisted of policies dealing with security, alcohol sales and fan behavior.
