The Malice in the Palace escalated because of a $50 bet, according to the man at the center of the infamous brawl, Metta World Peace.
During an interview with Chris Broussard's "In the Zone" podcast, the former NBA player formerly known as Ron Artest shared some little-known details about the infamous event, which occurred with 45.9 seconds left in the game between the Indiana Pacers and Detroit Pistons at the Palace of Auburn Hills on Nov. 19, 2004.
Most-notably, the bet between Pistons' fans that ultimately led to Artest going into the stands and escalating a run-of-the mill NBA altercation into something much more.