Derek Kramer

Reggie Miller tears up after Stephen Jackson apologizes for Malice at the Palace

Reggie Miller got emotional during his appearance on the All the Smoke podcast when Stephen Jackson started the conversation with an apology for his part in the brawl between the Indiana Pacers and the Detroit Pistons and their fans, the Malice at the Palace. 

“I’ve never had a chance just to tell you that I’m sorry,” said Jackson, who was suspended 30 games after the most infamous night in NBA history. “We all understood what our motivation was for that season. It wasn’t for us. It was for you. It was the whole motivation for getting things done the right way and getting a championship for you. I never got a chance to apologize to you for my actions. With me saying that, I love you even more because you defended me because you knew that I was just being a loyal teammate.”

Miller immediately got choked up and his eyes began to water after hearing his former teammate’s heartfelt words.

“I did not want to go there. You don’t have to say that to me, man,” Miller told Jackson. “Come on, man. You don’t need to apologize to me. You young cats, Jamaal (Tinsley), Jermaine (O’Neal), Al (Harrington), yourself, Ron (Artest, now Metta Sandiford-Artest), made those last few years in Indiana my best years. I didn’t have my superpowers but I felt and you guys made me feel like I was Superman.”

Miller still has plenty of love for that particular squad that he believes was arguably the best of among many great Pacers teams during his 18-year career in Indiana.

“We had some dogs, man. We had a squad. I played on some Indiana teams that were destined, should of, could of, but always came short. That team, we were stacked. We had the best interior defender in Jermaine, the best perimeter defender in my opinion to this day in Ron, … you coming having been a champion with these young guys. We had just lost to Detroit without you and we smacked them there. But you don’t need to apologize because that’s basketball, that’s life. Shit’s going to happen.”

“It bothered me (that I never apologized) because after some time passed I had a conversation with Rick (Carlisle),” Jackson said. “He told me that they came to you before they signed me because they knew you were on your way out and you vouched for me without even knowing me.”

This shirt and many more designs available here.

The former teammates then discussed the details of the night itself both before and after their season completely changed.

“That night was surreal because Detroit was the defending champs. We were coming off in my mind the replay loop of Tayshaun (Prince) blocking my shit. I want to get back. I’m hurt, I’m in a cast. I always prided myself doing stuff on the road … We went into Detroit and we made a statement. We kicked the dog shit out of them (pause) until…”

Jackson wasn’t sure if Miller knew the story of how the initial scrum started with the Pacers up 97-82 with 45 seconds remaining—when Tinsley told Artest that it was time “to get his lick back” from something that happened in the Eastern Conference Finals the previous season. Miller confirmed he knew and complimented the job that JO and Jackson did on the Netflix documentary. Jackson said that when he heard Tinsley tell that to Artest, he immediately started guarding Ben Wallace and tried to get Artest on somebody else. Jackson, knowing the game was over, was attempting to let Wallace score on the play but Artest was the closest defender and gave him a hard foul anyway. And just like that, Pacers history and the NBA would be changed forever.

(Watching the initial foul through the lens of the modern NBA which would have had Artest on Rasheed Wallace spacing at the 3-point line instead of on the opposite low block adds a new layer for myself.)

“They didn’t like us, we didn’t like them,” Miller said, echoing current Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton’s recent comments about the Pacers and Bucks rivalry. “I get it … then I’m over there with Ron just stroking him while he’s laying on the scorer’s table thinking everything is defused. You know how those scrums go. Everyone puffs out their chest, tech, double tech, let’s shoot some free throws and get out of here. That’s what we thought until—Ron didn’t even see the cup coming, I did. In slow 3D-motion, flying down, BAM, and I said to myself ‘Oh, shit.’ 

“He turned into the Hulk. He turned green. I tried to grab him and he was gone.”

Miller has used that analogy previously to describe that moment on the Dan Patrick Show in 2015. He also said back in 2015 that Artest had always been remorseful for similar reasons to Jackson when they’ve interacted.

Miller talked about how the narrative of the event shifted from the time they got on the plane with the story being how despicable the fans were to the issue being the Indiana Pacers and its players. Artest would be suspended for the entire season, Jackson for 30 games, O’Neal for 25 (later reduced to 15), among others. The Pacers championship dreams were dead.

“People talk about Band of Brothers,” Miller said. “They don’t remember that we went into the game the next night with six guys. … We still made the playoffs.”

Read about the Pacers game with only six players here.

The Pacers would end up losing in the second round to the Pistons 4-2 with Reggie Miller receiving a long standing ovation from the Indiana crowd and his teammates and the opposing team as his former coach Larry Brown called an extra timeout to give his former player his due and let the crowd soak in the final moments of a legend’s career after a valiant effort in his last game with 27 points on 11 of 16 shooting.

“It will always haunt me not winning a chip,” Miller said. “It wouldn’t haunt me as much if I was never so close … I had opportunities. That’s what hurts. That’s why it burns me. Because you want to win it for the guys in that locker room that run through that brick wall for you when you’re the man—my Davis boys (Dale and Antonio)—and the fans.”

Miller discussed many other topics in the podcast including trash talking, fighting with Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant, how growing up with Cheryl Miller and his siblings shaped his career, those storied battles with the New York Knicks and Spike Lee, trying to retire Michael Jordan and the Bulls in 1998, and the nonstop loop of moments he wishes he could get back over his career. The entire podcast is worth a listen for Pacers fans.

You can watch the full podcast here. It starts with the conversation about the Brawl.

-#31-

18 comments

  15. […] “It will always haunt me not winning a chip,” Miller said. “It wouldn’t haunt me as much if … … I had opportunities. That’s what hurts. That’s why it burns me. Because you want to win it for the guys in that locker room that run through that brick wall for you when you’re the man—my Davis boys (Dale and Antonio)—and the fans.” Source: iPacers.com […]

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  18. […] The Brawl that took away what was long thought to be the Pacers best chance at winning an NBA title. Ron Artest, Metta World Peace, has been desperate for this title for Indiana for years because of what happened on that infamous night in Detroit. While he eventually got to feel the thrill of a title with the Lakers, he still feels guilty that he took that chance away from the Pacers. He’s been there at the arena wearing the gold shirt, rooting for this franchise and his former coach Rick Carlisle. Stephen Jackson has been there too after he apologized to Reggie Miller for his part in the Brawl removing Miller’s last chance at a champions…. […]

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