'J.O. slipped and the dude still left on the stretcher'- Stephen Jackson thinks 'Malice at the Palace' could've ended tragically

The "Malice at the Palace" will forever be an unremovable stain on the rich and illustrious history of the NBA. It was a dark moment that saw players go toe-to-toe against fans in fights that had players and fans alike scared for their lives. One person fortunate enough to still have his was Charlie Haddad, a fan who went onto the floor during the brawl and tried to instigate a fight with fiery Pacers forward Ron Artest—one of the catalysts of the infamous incident.

According to former Pacers wingman Stephen Jackson, who was suspended 30 games for his role in the fight, Haddad was lucky that Indiana All-Star Jermaine O'Neal slipped when he threw the punch at his face, or else the story might have been a whole lot more tragic.

J.O. teed that fan up

The spark was lit late in the game between the Pacers and the Detroit Pistons when Artest fouled Ben Wallace. A furious Wallace then shoved Artest, and the latter decided to step away from the escalating situation by lying on the scorer's table. But then, a fan threw a cup of beer at Artest, leading the latter to head to the stands and ignite the entire brawl.

As the conflict reached a fever pitch, Alvin "A.J." Shackleford and Haddad went to the floor to engage Artest. As Shackleford traded blows with Ron, Charlie tried to get in on the action but fell. O'Neal, who had a running start, then punched Haddad but slipped on some liquid on the floor just as his fist was about to connect with the latter's jaw.

According to Stak, he was glad that his teammate slipped; otherwise, that could have been the end of Haddad's life.

"J.O. slipped, and the dude still left on the stretcher, bro. That's how—I'm glad, I'm glad he—oh my God, can you imagine J.O. teeing up and lining somebody up?" Jackson said on "Club 520."