Metta World Peace and Fan Who Threw a Drink During 2004 Brawl in Detroit Are Now Buddies

by Austin Pollack on Sat, Jul 21, 2012 at 11:20PM

Ron Artest has friends? Does that mean Metta World Peace has friends, too?

Remember the infamous brawl between the Detroit Pistons and Indiana Pacers in 2004? If the Malice at the Palace isn't burned into your memory, take a look at the video below.

The drama started when a fan threw a beverage at Artest, one of the Pacers' best players. Well, apparently Artest and the fan, who goes by the name of John Green, are now buddies, according to Deadspin and Sports Radio Interviews.

Social media appears to have struck again. World Peace, on one of his visits to a psychiatrist, said he felt bad for whoever the fan was and wanted to connect with him. World Peace then tweeted to his followers and promised lunch if he could find the man's contact information.

When Green and World Peace connected, they started talking about their similarities. Despite their differences nearly eight years ago, Green now considers World Peace "a good guy."

People are probably still questioning why Artest was lying down on the scorer's table. Apparently, his psychiatrist wanted him to practice relaxation. Tempers are flaring, and you decide to take a nap on the scorer's table? Wow.

Either way, good for you, Ron. You just made a friend!