In the summer of 2003, the Indiana Pacers underwent a major transformation. Larry Bird returned as team president. Jermaine O’Neal and Reggie Miller re-signed. The franchise also brought in Rick Carlisle as head coach. It was Carlisle’s first year in charge, and with a young roster, the Pacers immediately posted a league-best 61–21 record a new franchise high.
That postseason, the Pacers swept the Celtics and beat a rising Miami Heat team led by Dwyane Wade to reach the Eastern Conference Finals. Though they lost to the rugged Detroit Pistons in six games, most observers believed Indiana was on the brink of a title run. Their core O’Neal, Ron Artest, Stephen Jackson, and Jamaal Tinsley was still young, and Carlisle had already delivered the best record in the NBA in his first season. Hopes were sky-high.
The 2004–05 season began with Indiana seen as a legitimate title contender.
But one game changed everything.
On November 19, 2004, the Pacers visited the Pistons in Detroit. With 45.9 seconds remaining, Indiana led 97–82. The game was all but over. As starters began to check out, Ben Wallace lashed out at Artest after a hard foul. Artest did not retaliate. Following advice from his therapist, he laid back on the scorer’s table to cool off.
Then chaos erupted.
A fan from the stands threw a drink that struck Artest in the chest. Artest charged into the crowd. Stephen Jackson followed to protect him. Jermaine O’Neal punched a fan who had entered the court. What followed became known as the “Malice at the Palace the darkest brawl in NBA history.
Arena security was minimal. Players had no bodyguards. Fans could reach the floor. If it happened today, cellphone videos would circulate online, and public opinion might side with the players. But in 2004, the NBA shifted all blame to the Pacers to contain the scandal.
The punishments were unprecedented.
Ron Artest was suspended for the remainder of the season 73 games, the longest non-drug-related suspension in NBA history. Stephen Jackson was banned 30 games. Jermaine O’Neal’s initial 25-game suspension was reduced to 15 on appeal. Nine players were suspended in total, five from Indiana.
Overnight, Indiana lost more than half its active roster.
With the team in shambles, Reggie Miller took the lead. He joined forces with Fred Jones, James Jones, Austin Croshere, Eddie Gill, and David Harrison. Fans nicknamed them “The Six Warriors. With these six rotating bodies, the Pacers still reached the playoffs. They beat the Celtics in the first round but ran out of steam against the Pistons in the second.
That spring, Reggie Miller played the final game of his legendary career. The home crowd rose in ovation. Their beloved captain had led the team as far as he could.
That season was supposed to end in a championship. Instead, it ended in punishment and heartbreak.
The following year, Rick Carlisle scrambled to keep the team afloat. Injuries and suspensions plagued the roster. By season’s end, Carlisle had used nearly every healthy player rotating through over 30 different starting lineups.
It was the beginning of the end.
In the years that followed, the Pacers entered a rebuilding phase. Danny Granger and Roy Hibbert became the new pillars. The team made brief playoff returns but never truly contended. Carlisle left after the 2006–07 season.
Even so, Indiana never tanked.
They drafted Paul George. They developed him into a superstar. They later traded for Victor Oladipo and continued to fight their way into the postseason. But every time they reached the Eastern Conference Finals, LeBron James stood in their way.
That unfinished journey stayed frozen in 2005.
Until now.
Rick Carlisle returned to Indiana in 2021. By 2024, he had built a new identity a young, selfless, and mature Pacers team, grounded in team-first values. In the 2025 playoffs, they finally broke through and reached the NBA Finals for the first time in 25 years.
This team isn’t just playing for the present. They’re finishing what the 2005 team never could.
This is a tribute to Reggie. A tribute to the Six Warriors. A tribute to a team that was ready to win it all — before the league took it all away.
And if you saw Tyrese Haliburton’s choke gesture at Madison Square Garden, you’ll notice he turned and pointed straight toward the broadcast booth where Reggie Miller was seated. He shouted, “Reggie!” That was more than hype. It was a salute.
Indiana is back.
It’s time the league made things right.
Let this be the ending that Reggie, Carlisle, and 90-year-old team owner Herb Simon have waited for.
Let this be the year.
We’re back. Yes ‘Cers!
