The grand era of the Magic Johnson and Larry Bird rivalry put NBA, as a league, on the map. The respective faces of their franchises, the most successful teams in league history, Larry and Magic were blessed with the undivided attention of America. They were stars among stars. But while Larry enjoyed his private time, Magic was people’s person.
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He was innately charming and, of course, intuitive. Magic, more than anyone of his time, knew what needed to be done to succeed, to become popular. In his book When the Game Was Ours, Johnson wrote how the NBA rode the wave created by his rivalry with Bird to a $4.6 Billion TV Deal. So, naturally, when he saw an all-out brawl break out between the Pacers and Pistons.
Magic Johnson watched the brawl unfold at The Palace
In 2004, Johnson, sitting from the comforts of his house, watch the horror unfold at the infamous Palace. The brawl, immortalized as ‘Malice at the Palace’ was strong enough to jeopardize the league. Johnson, who had helped make it so successful, feared this would affect the league’s TV rights and future. In his book When the Game Was Ours, he detailed his reaction to the dirtiest brawl in NBA history.
“Earvin Johnson, watching from his study in Beverly Hills, was dumbfounded. He had made a special effort to watch the game, a rematch of the 2004 Eastern Conference Finals, because he knew Bird’s team was playing. Magic’s habit of keeping tabs on his old rival hadn’t subsided even after they stopped competing. “Cookie, come here, you won’t believe this,” Magic called to his wife. “These crazy fools are fighting with the fans!”
Clearly, Magic was shocked enough to call his wife Cookie with such urgency. In all fairness, who wouldn’t be? As a former player, watching the entire stadium become hostile against a team must have been horrifying.
Johnson, aware of the NBA’s 2002 $4.6 billion TV deal, worried the league was set to face damage. It was hard to imagine any organization coming out of a disaster of this scale unscathed.
When the Game Was Ours: “As he watched the brawl unfold, Magic began calculating the damage it would inflict on the NBA. The league had been enormously successful, riding the momentum that he and Bird and Michael generated. Their exploits transformed the NBA into must-see TV, and in 2002 the league signed a network contract valued at $4.6 billion, a significant upgrade over the four-year, $74 million pact the NBA inked in Magic and Larry’s rookie season.”
The nasty aftermath of the Malice at the Palace
Despite Johnson’s initial worries, the NBA’s TV deal did not suffer much impact because of the brawl. However, the league knew it had to set an example. Ron Artest was suspended for the remainder of the season, Stephen Jackson for 30 games, and Jermaine O’Neal was forced to remain absent from 15 games.
Six more players were suspended after the infamous fight but none of those suspensions were significant. Perhaps no one was more hurt than Artest, who, apart from being suspended for the entire season, was also crucified in the media. To this day, no sports brawl comes close to the viciousness that was displayed at the palace on November 19, 2004.
