There have been some crazy off-the-court incidents involving NBA players over the years, and one of the crazier ones was a shootout in 2006 involving players on the Indiana Pacers. Al Harrington and Stephen Jackson, who was a central figure in the incident, were on the team at the time, and they shared details about that crazy night.
“I should’ve known the night was going to be crazy because I come out of this restaurant called Champs and Jamaal Tinsley’s driving by, so I wave him down,” Harrington said. “So I’m like, ‘Maal, Maal, Maal.’ So he pull over. So I’m like, ‘What you about to do?’ So as I stick my head in the car, in the back seat of his car, he has like 25 guns.”
This occurred on October 6 during training camp and Harrington said players on the team were heading out, as they had no practice the next day. Jackson revealed they all had just gotten their gun license around two weeks earlier, and Jamaal Tinsley told Harrington he was coming from the gun range.
Harrington suggested they all go out somewhere at night as there was no practice and so, the whole team headed to Club Rio in Indianapolis. He personally called Jackson, who was at home at the time, to join them, and he did.
“We all in there, throwing some dollars around,” Harrington said. “Having a great time. Get around that time for me, I’m like, ‘Alright, I’m gone.’ So, shake his hand. Stak like, ‘I’m right behind you.’ I’m like, ‘Alright cool.'”
So, Harrington left for his hotel and assumed that Jackson had also exited right behind him. He woke up the next day and headed to the barbershop, where he was informed that his teammates had been involved in a shootout at the club.
A puzzled Harrington tried to contact Jackson but couldn’t reach him. He then connected with Jermaine O’Neal, who told him they were at the hospital and would later meet at Jackson’s house. The man himself then revealed what exactly happened that night.
“So, when Al pulled out (of) the parking lot, I was right behind him,” Jackson said. “But as Al was turning the corner the light, I seen Jamaal running out (of) the club and they were chasing Jamaal to his car.”
As he saw that Tinsley might be in trouble, Jackson reversed his car and headed to the scene to help him.
“We just got our gun license, so I pulled my s*** out and I ran over there with Jamal,” Jackson continued. “I had my s*** in my hand. By the time I get over there, we about to fight, so I hit one of them with my pistol… We get to fighting, more dudes come up out (of) the club.”
Realizing he was about to be surrounded, Jackson fired off two warning shots in the air and then headed to his car. Before he got there though, he was struck by one.
“One of the n****s got in their car and sized me up in the parking lot and hit me going like 35-40 miles per hour,” Jackson stated. “Boom. Knocked me in the air, I hit the ground. The momentum of the car hit me, My face is hitting the ground. I stand up, all my teeth (are) gone, my lip shattered.”
Jackson said he was out of it after being hit by the car but somewhat regained his senses when a teammate, whom he chose not to name, started firing at the vehicle.
“So, as I stood up and saw that, I pulled my s*** out and chased the car down,” Jackson added. “As I shot my last shot, I passed out. Wake up in the back of the car with Marquis Daniels in the police car because just for the simple fact that they had all of us arrested.”
This story is crazy bro lmao that Indiana Pacers team was wild – a shootout !? During the season?! 😂 pic.twitter.com/HhidGumq0y
— nat 🪬 (@habibiting) January 1, 2024
The players who were reportedly involved in this shootout, were Jackson, Tinsley, Marquis Daniels, and Jimmie Hunter. Jackson said they were let go after 10 minutes and the players met up at a gas station where they plotted revenge against the attackers.
Jackson was about to go crazy, but O’Neal insisted he had to go to the hospital. As he was in a fair bit of pain, Jackson agreed and disaster was averted. I dread to think what might have happened had these armed players gone after their attackers. Fortunately, that was that and no lives ended up being lost.
Jackson later claimed it was all done in self-defense but he was charged with a felony count of criminal recklessness, and misdemeanor counts of battery and disorderly conduct. He pled guilty to criminal recklessness and received one year of probation. Jackson was also ordered to pay a $5,000 fine and perform 100 hours of community service.
Not long after, the Pacers would cut ties with Jackson and Harrington, as they were both traded to the Golden State Warriors in 2007. The NBA also suspended Jackson for the first seven games of the 2007-08 season, but no further action was taken against him.
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