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"It put a cloud over me" - Stephen Jackson on his biggest regret about the Malice at the Palace
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- "It put a cloud over me" - Stephen Jackson on his biggest regret about the Malice at the Palace
The 2004-05 season was Reggie Miller 's final in the NBA and so the Indiana Pacers wanted to give their franchise superstar one last chance to win a championship.
With a team that had Ron Artest , Jermaine O'Neal, Jamal Tinsley, Fred Jones, Dale Davis, Austin Croshere and Miller, they felt that adding an up-and-coming guard, Stephen Jackson , would help propel them to the next level.
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However, instead of Jackson becoming the help they needed to get over the hump, he was heavily involved in the notorious Malice at the Palace and ended up getting a long suspension. Indiana's season ended in the second round of the playoffs against the same team they infamously brawled with.
During an appearance on Byron Scott's podcast, Jackson said he regretted the incident not only because he felt they failed Reggie, but also because it affected the rest of his career.
"That incident caused me a lot of All-Star games…Yeah, $3 million and court fees and all that stuff, so yeah, I definitely regret it," said Jackson.
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Stak had three 20-point seasons in his career
Artest got the longest ban, 86 games. Jackson came in next with his 30-game suspension. Based on reports, he also lost $1.7 million in salaries for missing 30 games.
But more than money, Jackson's reputation took a hit and that changed the trajectory of his career.
As mentioned earlier, Jackson was coming off his best season ever in 2003-04 when he averaged 18.1 points per game for the Atlanta Hawks .
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After the Pacers traded him to the Golden State Warriors , Jackson averaged 19.4 points per game in four seasons, including three straight 20-point campaigns, but he never received an All-Star Game invitation. He went on to average 19.8 points per game in two seasons in Charlotte, but still did not get an All-Star selection there.
"If anybody in that says they don't regret it, they're lying. I definitely regret it because it put a cloud over me, too. But what I don't regret is being there for my teammate. You throw a beer in anybody's face around the world, that's assault. But it's not assault when you're dealing with a tall, rich, Black athlete," he added.
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Jackson apologized to Miller
Last year, when Miller appeared on the "All the Smoke" podcast, which Jackson co-hosts with Matt Barnes , Stak used the opportunity to apologize to Reggie not only for failing to give him an opportunity to win a championship in his swansong year but also for putting a dent in his last year in the association.
"I never had a chance to tell you that I am sorry. We all understood what our motivation was for that season. It wasn't for us; it was for you. As a whole, motivation for getting things done the right way and getting a championship was for you," Jackson said .
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"With me saying that I love you even more, because you defended me, because you knew I was being a loyal teammate."
There's no questioning Jackson's loyalty as a teammate. What he did for Artest was proof of that. However, he paid the price for it. Not only would people look at him differently today, but he also would have had at least had a couple of All-Star Game appearances, more productive years, and perhaps more money in the bank.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Sep 5, 2026, where it first appeared in the Old School section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
