Reggie Miller chokes up as ex-Pacers teammate expresses regret over infamous Malice at the Palace brawl: "You don't need to apologize"

Former NBA All-Star Reggie Miller and his former Indiana Pacers teammate, Stephen Jackson, shared a heartfelt moment Thursday on the "All The Smoke" podcast, hosted by Jackson and fellow ex-NBA player Matt Barnes.

During his appearance, Miller and Jackson ended up reflecting on the infamous brawl between the Pacers and Detroit Pistons in November 2004, dubbed "Malice at the Palace." Jackson opened the show by apologizing to his former teammate for what had happened on that day, bringing Miller to tears.

After he had composed himself, Miller told Jackson that an apology was not necessary.

"You don't need to say that to me, come on man," Reggie Miller said. "You don't need to apologize to me, first of all. You young cats, and when I say young I mean Jamaal (Tinsley), Jermaine (O'Neal), Al (Harrington), yourself, Ron (Artest). Those last few years in Indiana, were my best years."

The Malice at the Palace took place at the Palace of Auburn Hills — the Pistons' former home arena. On Nov. 19, 2004, Reggie Miller and the Indiana Pacers were in town.

During the waning moments of the game, Ron Artest fouled Ben Wallace. Wallace responded by shoving Artest, which then prompted others to step in to prevent the fight from escalating.

In an attempt to calm down, Artest lay down on the scorer's table while the situation was being sorted. However, a fan threw a drink at him, which caused him to blow up. Agitated, Artest charged up the stands to confront the fan. This resulted in a chaotic brawl that involved fans and Pacers players.

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The Malice at the Palace potentially robbed Reggie Miller of a championship

Reggie Miller hung up his sneakers without ever winning the NBA title, though he came close multiple times. One such instance was the 2004-05 season, when the Indiana Pacers, fresh off a 61-21 season, reached the Eastern Conference Finals but fell to the Pistons.

They got even better as a team by adding Stephen Jackson, who had already won a title with the San Antonio Spurs in 2003.

However, the Malice at the Palace resulted in suspensions, which likely derailed Indiana. Suspensions to Ron Artest, Jermaine O'Neal and Stephen Jackson affected the team's record, perhaps even chemistry. Instead of finishing at the top of the East again, they finished sixth (44-38).

Had they finished with a better record, they could have had home-court advantage in the postseason. An advantage that could have helped Reggie Miller win a title.