A year ago today , Commissioner David Stern reacted to the brawl involving the Indiana Pacers and the Detroit Pistons at the Palace of Auburn Hills by sending a forceful message to sponsors , fans and players that images of violence had no place in the N.B.A . Ron Artest 's 73-game suspension from the Indiana Pacers has ended , but Stern 's crackdown continues in subtler and more pervasive ways than the contentious off-court dress code .