"He didn't punch me in my face" - Metta World Peace reveals what truly led to infamous 'Malice at the Palace' chaos

Former NBA star Metta World Peace had a decent career, during which he collected a few accolades. Despite this, many remember him because of an infamous incident that changed the league forever. World Peace was part of the Malice at the Palace, where multiple players were suspended for their actions.

Back then, the league was quite physical and a bit hotheaded. World Peace was a rising star for the Indiana Pacers, who boasted a solid group that featured a veteran All-Star in Reggie Miller, a star center in Jermaine O'Neal and a reliable role player in Stephen Jackson.

During a regular season game against the Detroit Pistons, who were the defending NBA champions at the time, at the Palace of Auburn Hills, things got out of hand. World Peace and center Ben Wallace got physical after the latter was fouled hard by the Pacers star. This led to a shoving match.

World Peace didn't want the altercation to escalate, which is why he relaxed and laid down on the scorer's table. However, a fan threw a cup of beer that hit the Indiana forward. That pushed him to charge at the fan, and an all-out brawl started.

Recently, the one-time champion appeared on "The OGs Show" where he shared what ticked him off during the event.

"I'm trying not to be suspended anymore," World Peace said. "So I said, 'A'ight, cool. I'mma take this push. I'mma try to be the bigger man.'

"He didn't punch me in my face, so I'm cool. That had nothing to do with what actually happened. I wasn't prepared for somebody to throw something at me."

According to World Peace, he was prepared for everything else except for the fan's action. In past accounts, the Pacers star mentioned that he was already in therapy at the time. But it didn't help when he was targeted by the fan.

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Metta World Peace's career was given hope even after the incident

Many believed that Metta World Peace's career was over after the events that took place in Detroit. He was suspended immediately by the league, causing him to miss 86 games (73 regular season and 13 playoff games). That also led him to lose $4,997,500.

World Peace was traded the following season and would still average numbers similar to an All-Star. But due to his reputation, he was never voted in. He joined the LA Lakers in 2009 and helped the team win their second title in a row. And who could forget his iconic post-game interview after winning the title?

He continued his career as a role player, but fans of the Lakers organization know how important he was during their championship run against the Boston Celtics. He may have had a hurdle along the way, but that didn't stop him from becoming a champion.