Anyone picking Wallace doesn't know much about Artest.
The guy got a job at Best Buy as a rookie with the Bulls so he could get a discount on purchases. He busted MJs rib during pickup games when MJ was working back into shape prior to his second 3-peat. Every hear him talk about the pick-up games he played in while growing up? Someone got pissed, ripped the leg off the scorers table and stabbed another dude with it.
When you don't care much about yourself or of anything(Artest) you are a very scary person. Artest used to get elbowed in the face during games and not even budge as he insisted on bodying you up.
What's crazy is that Artest handled the first part of the incident with amazing poise. After Wallace shoves him, he just took it and kept backing up. While everyone else is shoving, Artest is laying down on the scorer's table with his hands behind his head just watching it. Until the cup comes flying down on him.
Here is a great article about the event. https://www.sbnation.com/2009/11/20/1015620/11-19-2004-malice-at-the-palace
Most interesting is that the guy in the blue shirt, not the guy in the black shirt is who threw the cup at him. The fact that the guy in the black shirt could stand there and deny that he threw it is ballsy.