Pacers Guard Johnson Pleads No Contest

PONTIAC, Mich. - Indiana Pacers guard Anthony Johnson pleaded no contest Friday to a misdemeanor assault charge from November's brawl with Detroit Pistons fans — the last criminal case left over from the ugliest night in NBA history.

Johnson, 31, was sentenced to a year of probation, 100 hours of community service and ordered to attend anger-management counseling, closing the legal file on a melee that scarred the league's image and reshaped its security rules.

The Nov. 19 brawl at the Palace of Auburn Hills began when Indiana's Ron Artest lay on the scorer's table after a hard foul and a fan's cup of ice hit him. Artest charged into the stands, teammates followed, and players and fans traded punches on the arena floor.

Commissioner David Stern responded with the harshest penalties in league history: Artest was suspended for the season — 73 games and the playoffs — Stephen Jackson for 30 games, Jermaine O'Neal for 15. All five Pacers charged in the case have now resolved it with pleas drawing probation and service.

The NBA has since overhauled its arena policies — limits on alcohol sales, minimum security staffing, a fan code of conduct posted in every building — and commissioner Stern has continued to press what he calls a respect agenda, including a new dress code for players this season.

The Pacers open training camp next month with Artest back and O'Neal healthy, widely picked as a contender in the East — and still carrying the weight of a night that cost them a season and the league a measure of trust.

"We paid for it, we apologized for it, and we are done talking about it," coach Rick Carlisle said this week. "The only thing left is to play."

Several fans also faced charges from the brawl; the fan who threw the cup that hit Artest was sentenced to probation and barred from the arena for life.