Phoenix Suns forward Josh Jackson told Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated that at eight-years-old he was present for the infamous "Malice at the Palace" brawl in Detroit. the Detroit-native entering his 3rd season in the NBA was sitting in the stands with his parents when all hell broke loose. He recalls seeing Pacers' forward Jermaine O'Neal getting hit with a chair. Most of the melee remains ingrained, including the infamous scene where Ron Artest (Metta World Peace) lay outstretched on the scorer's table while drinks were being thrown at him by rowdy Piston fans, angry to see the game disrupted over a mere pushing match.
The Phoenix Suns' forward even admitted that he too took part in the exchange, throwing a well-aimed water bottle right into the heart of the action. "I was looking around and everyone was throwing something onto the court. I am not going to lie. I threw a water bottle," he told Spears. "Why? It’s my home team. I’m a Pistons fan. What? The Pacers came in here throwing punches on my favorite players. I couldn’t have that. But that is neither here nor there."
The recent Lakers-Rockets brawl has reignited fan-interest in some of the more iconic, or rather aggressive moments in NBA history. For all we know, an eight-year-old Josh Jackson may have been a catalyst in the "Malice" brawl. The Pistons-Pacers' fan brawl carried with it a multitude of suspensions. Interestingly enough, Tayshaun Prince was the only player not to leave his bench on that fateful evening.
