AUBURN HILLS, Mich. -- Ron Artest was booed when he was
introduced and almost every time the Sacramento Kings forward had
the ball Saturday night against the Detroit Pistons.
"I wasn't paying it no mind," Artest insisted.
The last time Artest was at The Palace, it wasn't so tame,
though. He was at the center of the infamous brawl on Nov. 19,
2004, between Indiana Pacers players and Pistons fans.
Artest had 14 points, six rebounds and four assists before
sitting out most of the fourth quarter of the Kings' 91-74 loss.
Artest declined to talk to reporters until after Saturday's
game. But last week, he did discuss his first game at The Palace in
New York and with The Sacramento Bee.
"At times I've been excited about going back there to play
well, given everything that happened, but it's not too big of a
deal," Artest said in a story published Saturday by The Sacramento
Bee. "I suffered a lot, but it's over now, and I'm back playing
now. When I look [back] at it, it's just a little small thing that
happened in my life."
Artest dodged answering what he would do if he was hit with a cup,
an act by a fan that sparked the melee more than two years ago.
"I just don't think it'll happen," he said. "I just can't see
it."
Kings coach Eric Musselman said extra security personnel would
be near the bench against Detroit, and it did appear that a few
arena security guards were in the area besides the usual sight of a
police officer, arena and team security.
Musselman insisted it was not a distraction. "We got together
this morning and approached it like any other game," he said.
Other than the boos, fans jeered Artest about his CD, Mohawk
haircut and the black supportive sleeves that covered much of his
left leg.
"It's kind of cool to see him back here and to see people's
reaction," said Justin Krawiec, a 25-year-old fan from Bloomfield
Hills. "We know he's kind of crazy. You just want to see what he
does."
Pistons guard Richard Hamilton said it was hard to believe
Artest hasn't played at The Palace since the brawl.
The return was delayed because the NBA suspended Artest for the
rest of the 2004-05 season and by the time he was traded to
Sacramento last season, the Kings had already played on the road
against the Pistons.
"That's crazy," Hamilton said. "Wasn't that like three years
ago?"
Pistons coach Flip Saunders was watching the brawl from New
Orleans, where he was coaching the Minnesota Timberwolves.
"I think everyone was more shocked than anything else,"
Saunders said. "Everything happened so quick. It just escalated so
quick."
It started when Artest fouled Detroit's Ben Wallace with 45.9
seconds left in a game that the Pacers were leading by 15. Wallace
responded with a two-handed shove to Artest's chin, leading to
several players pushing and Artest lying on the scorer's table.
Just when the confrontation appeared to be over, Artest was hit
with a cup filled with an icy beverage. The volatile player bolted
into the stands in a rage, followed by fist-swinging teammate
Stephen Jackson.
Artest and teammate Jermaine O'Neal later slugged fans on the
court. When the Pacers finally were able to get off the court, they
were pelted with beer, popcorn and other debris.
Two days later, Artest was suspended for the rest of the season
-- 73 games, plus the playoffs -- in a move that cost him almost $5
million.
Several players and fans lost control during a five-minute
stretch on an unforgettable night that Pistons chief executive Tom
Wilson aptly described as the perfect storm. The brawl transcended
sports, landing on front pages, leading newscasts and even
inspiring an episode of NBC's fictional "Law & Order."
Artest and Jackson were among the participants sentenced to one
year of probation and 60 hours of community service after pleading
no contest to misdemeanor assault charges. Artest returned to the
Detroit area last summer for community service.
"Someone started trouble and I ended it," Artest told about 50
children at the Judge Mathis Community Center. "I would always
encourage you to protect yourself but in certain situations, if you
can avoid them, avoid them."
John Green, the man accused of throwing the cup, was sentenced
in May to 30 days in jail on an assault and battery charge.