Suspend MWP for the playoffs...

[Cow Eye]

You can't even do what Metta World Violence did in the MMA...

Striking someone in the back of the head, with an elbow, no less, is extremely dangerous.

[SA210]

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/page/5-on-5-120422/nba-happens-metta-world-peace

[Laredoart]

First of all, what would happen if Bryant was at the end of an assault of that level?
Second, Artest should not only be banned by the league for life, but they also need to help James with taking this criminal action to court.
The league has to think in James health not only at this moment, but in matters of years, getting hit in the head is a very serious injury a type of injury that can not be seen right away.
Artest should have been banned out of the league when he made the decision to go into the stands, back when he was with the Pacers.
Not only did he hurt somebody with the game in a stop mode, but he also was challenging players from the Thunder into a fight.
This type of situations make the NBA a joke, specially if they dont banned his sorry azz....

[Legacy]

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/page/5-on-5-120422/nba-happens-metta-world-peace



Thanks for sharing. :tu

[Splits]

that was bullshit on hardens part, what was his head being on the end of the elbow....

Reminds me of Nancy, forcing her leg in front of a crowbar.

6T09XWRkq5M

[BG_Spurs_Fan]

... I slammed my head on a large rock...

Ahhhh finally some explanation for the full blown retardedness.

Not sure what Vander's excuse is, though.

[TJastal]

Damn. :lol

That looked like a movie. That's at least 5 games. Considering his history, 10 games wouldn't shock.

But he's a Laker so probably 2 games.

:lol

MWP back for the faker playoff run, Stern will make sure of it.

[TJastal]

You can't even do what Metta World Violence did in the MMA...

Striking someone in the back of the head, with an elbow, no less, is extremely dangerous.

Wow that is absolutely right. Great observation there, Cow Eye.

[TJastal]

Of course, once you got a guy pinned to the ground, the MMA allows you to pummel full boar with elbows on a guys temple. Unless I'm mistaken.

[TJastal]

...you guys sound like a bunch of little girls...back in the day the legends like Barkley, Bird, Isiah, Dr J and many more would actually get into real fist fights on the court. Nobody ever cried about them being pieces of shit..

..Sure it sucks and it was a cheap shot and he should be disciplined, but get over it. It wasn't that bad....

They do that in hockey all the time to. But getting into a fisticuff with another guy you have a beef with is alot different than cowardly coldcocking a guy in the back of his head. With an elbow no less.

[TJastal]

I would not only have gotten up I would not have even fallen down.

:lmao

[Obstructed_View]

Fall down nonce, get up twice.

[LkrFan]

Kobe suffered a broken nose and a concussion on an intentional foul by Wade in an All Star Game. Where was this thread then? I remember it like it was yesterday. Many in this very thread laughed (http://www.spurstalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=191929&highlight=Wade+suspension). SMDH.

Carry on. :wakeup

[LkrFan]

Kind of funny. Harden has a history of this shit. Daddy Tyson is nowhere near as strong as MWP. Tyson barely tapped him with an elbow, yet he had the same pathetic reaction:

wGzSNsPafY0&feature=youtube_gdata_player

At first BSPN reported that the Lakers' team physician cleared him to return to action (meaning he passed the concussion tests). Next thing you know they held him out because he was concussed?

And what about 290lb Porkins? He violently kicked the shit out of Wade after a dunk (see my sig). Yes it was funny, but where was the outcry for a suspension? :downspin:

[polandprzem]

Of course, once you got a guy pinned to the ground, the MMA allows you to pummel full boar with elbows on a guys temple. Unless I'm mistaken.

Not to the back of the head

[Russo21]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6BgSB2aFRP4

Not very good quality video of the infamous Malone hit on David Robinson but here it is nonetheless. Malone's elbow doesn't look as malicious as Ron Artest's elbow on Harden in my opinnion.

Does anyone know if Malone got suspended after knocking out the admiral? Just been trying to search for other similar plays in the NBA but being a spur fan this is the only one i could think of/be bothered finding.

[pgardn]

No way Harden was clearly wrong. Guys bump each other all the time. On an inbound situation after a made basket, guys come up and initiate contact all the time and then push free to get space for a pass. Harden was looking at Durant as a potential option for the pass when he was clocked.

This is what I thought. I thought he was getting an angle for the inbounds. Its very revealing how people look at the same incident so differently.

[pgardn]

Kind of funny. Harden has a history of this shit. Daddy Tyson is nowhere near as strong as MWP. Tyson barely tapped him with an elbow, yet he had the same pathetic reaction:



At first BSPN reported that the Lakers' team physician cleared him to return to action (meaning he passed the concussion tests). Next thing you know they held him out because he was concussed?

And what about 290lb Porkins? He violently kicked the shit out of Wade after a dunk (see my sig). Yes it was funny, but where was the outcry for a suspension? :downspin:

Yeah sure. And the Cleveland Brown staff let Colt McCoy back into a game where he was judged fine. And that was his own staff...

These are absolutely pitiful examples. Do some more research. BTW I thought Wade on Kobe was pure bovine residue and typical of Wade. But no way was it this violent, not even close. The Perkins example is just a silly comparison.

[LkrFan]

Yeah sure. And the Cleveland Brown staff let Colt McCoy back into a game where he was judged fine. And that was his own staff...

These are absolutely pitiful examples. Do some more research. BTW I thought Wade on Kobe was pure bovine residue and typical of Wade. But no way was it this violent, not even close. The Perkins example is just a silly comparison.

You are comparing what MWP did to a football hit? :rollin

LOL at you taking the Porkins example seriously. Your sarcasm meter needs fine tuning. :downspin:

[Fireball]

Artest should be suspended for the whole playoffs ... so 12 games from now on should be enough ...

[DieMrBond]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6BgSB2aFRP4

Not very good quality video of the infamous Malone hit on David Robinson but here it is nonetheless. Malone's elbow doesn't look as malicious as Ron Artest's elbow on Harden in my opinnion.

Does anyone know if Malone got suspended after knocking out the admiral? Just been trying to search for other similar plays in the NBA but being a spur fan this is the only one i could think of/be bothered finding.

Number 5: David Robinson got knocked the hell out. Karl Malone may be a certified superhuman stud, but David Robinson is no slouch himself. That dude is so defined, his muscles could split atoms. But back in April of 1998, Malone sunk the Admiral's battleship with a mighty elbow to the head. The former MVP and Sportsman of the Year was knocked unconscious and didn't wake up for over two minutes. When they finally revived him and convinced him that he wasn't actually Charo, Robinson was immediately taken to the hospital and treated for a concussion. As an amusing sidenote, Robinson, and not Malone, was called for a foul on the play. The fallout: Malone was fined $5,000 and suspended for one game, but was later forgiven by the concussed Admiral.

http://basketbawful.blogspot.com.au/2006/03/karl-malones-greatest-hits.html

[Bruno]

Artest will be suspended at least 5 games. He has a troubled past, he did it during a high exposure game and the other player got injured. I don't see at all how the league could be lenient with him and gives him a 1 or 2 games suspension.

[TheSkeptic]

Artest will be suspended at least 5 games. He has a troubled past, he did it during a high exposure game and the other player got injured. I don't see at all how the league could be lenient with him and gives him a 1 or 2 games suspension.

5 isn't enough in my opinion. Especially since we still don't know how this concussion is going to affect Harden later on down the road. Artest is mentally unstable and if *this* is how he's going to react to being bumped by another player in an intense game then I'd rather not wait until somebody else gets hurt to get tougher.

While I would hope a ban is on the table, at the very least he should be out for the rest of the regular season and this year's playoffs without pay.

[DisAsTerBot]

Dude should be out of the league. He apologizes and then says it was unintentional. He's obviously unstable and thus has no business in the league

[timvp]

ESPN's poll linked from the front page:


How should Metta World Peace be penalized after being ejected for elbowing James Harden in the head?

Just a fine

Suspended for one game

Suspended for two games

Suspended for three or more games

http://espn.go.com/sportsnation/post/_/id/7843281/fair-penalty-world-peace


:lol @ Just a fine

:lol @ Three games being the harshest option





Tbh, I think Stern is going to throw the book at him. It's blown up in the media and with that hockey player getting a 25-game suspension for a hit that probably wasn't as dirty, Artest is cooked. I think he's getting at least ten games.

My prediction is Artest will get suspended "indefinitely" and we won't see him again this year. Personally, I think about five games is fair but Stern is going to make a statement with this one.

[DisAsTerBot]

The reason I disagree with this is because Harden had no business bumping Artest during his celebration. Yes the Elbow was intentional, but Artest was more like get the F outta my way F'er, not with the intent to purposely injure Harden. I think 5 games is enough.

That Kermit Washington punch, he purposely punched Rudy T and Rudy T wasn't even going after him but just probably going over to stop the altercation. Washington stepped up a INTENTIONALLY meant to clock him.

I have watched Harden and he is a chippy player, flopping and throwing little elbows to players off of screens and such. As the saying goes, he just messed with the wrong F'er this time around. Not excusing Artest, which why I think he should be suspend at least 5 games for his actions.

so it's not so bad because someone was in his way? Also you say the elbow was intentional but Washington's was worse because it was intentional?? :blah

[TheSkeptic]

The reason I disagree with this is because Harden had no business bumping Artest during his celebration. Yes the Elbow was intentional, but Artest was more like get the F outta my way F'er, not with the intent to purposely injure Harden. I think 5 games is enough.

That Kermit Washington punch, he purposely punched Rudy T and Rudy T wasn't even going after him but just probably going over to stop the altercation. Washington stepped up a INTENTIONALLY meant to clock him.

I have watched Harden and he is a chippy player, flopping and throwing little elbows to players off of screens and such. As the saying goes, he just messed with the wrong F'er this time around. Not excusing Artest, which why I think he should be suspend at least 5 games for his actions.

Looked to me like Harden was going for the ball in this one. He wasn't even looking at Ron and he definitely wasn't expecting to get clocked. Even then Artest's complete lack of proportionate response is disturbing. Bumps like that happen all the time during the course of a game and while an opposing player might be annoying that's not a valid reason to concuss someone who clearly wasn't a threat.

Put simply, brain-related injuries are serious business and Artest already has a history of lacking self-control. Throwing that elbow was reckless at best and either way excessive. The fact that he tends to react in extremes and is unpredictable makes it too risky to have him on the floor with other players in my opinion.

Physical basketball is one thing but this play was disgraceful. Artest has had his chances. Stern/Jackson need to drop the hammer on this one. 12 games would be a start followed by a review in the offseason and mandatory anger management courses after that if the league is intent on not banning him.

[T Park]

He should be gone. Out. Done. His antics are tired and played out. HS proven time and time again he's not mentally stable or able enough to control his actions and emotions to play the game of basketballl. Playing the game is a privilege not a right. Goodbye, get out, go away.

[GSH]

Just a little reminder. One year ago, in the playoffs. Not long after Artest had been given the "citizenship award", to try and help sanitize his image.

gZUkrFDr7rs

[rascal]

Kevin Love only got two games for stomping on Scola's head.
2 or 3 games max. Especially if Harden is cleared to play.

Stern isn't going to mess with his potential dream Lakers vs Miami matchup.

A sure way to kill ratings is to have the Spurs make it to the finals.
OK City being their first trip to the finals would even be a better draw than San Antonio.

[ambchang]

I saw rascal play in a game, got chippy, one of the dudes pulled out a gun, shot at him three times. All misses, and the police didn't press any charges because nobody was hurt.

Later in the game, somebody pulled out a chainsaw, chopped off rascals left arm, picked him up threw him on solid concrete head first, then ran over him with a pickup truck. Rascal got up, put his arm back on, and continued playing.

True story.

[timvp]

Rascal got up

rascal didn't get up ... because he never fell down to begin with.

[GSH]

And for the idiots who suggest that OKC cooked up the concussion, just to get Artest in trouble (anyplace there are Laker fans, you can read these kinds of stupid comments) - have a look at the league's concussion guidelines. Diagnosing a concussion isn't something that any team would do unnecessarily - especially with one of their star players.
------

Under the NBA's newly instituted concussion policy, Harden can return to the court only after passing a rigorous evaluation process that could take several days.

Once he's considered free of concussion symptoms, Harden must make it through increasing stages of exertion — from riding a stationary bike, to jogging, to agility work, to individual basketball skills — while ensuring the symptoms don't return after each stage.

If Harden passes each test the team then has to consult with Dr. Jeffrey Kutcher, the director of the NBA's concussion program, to determine when Harden can return. The NBA's concussion policy went into effect at the start of training camps this season.

[T Park]

Rascal can't quite grasp the "rap sheet" "past history" thing.

[GSH]

Stern isn't going to mess with his potential dream Lakers vs Miami matchup.

A sure way to kill ratings is to have the Spurs make it to the finals.
OK City being their first trip to the finals would even be a better draw than San Antonio.


This is a photo of the cap that rascal was wearing in that infamous softball game:

http://www.absolutely-unbelievable.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/tin-foil-hat.jpg

[rascal]

rascal didn't get up ... because he never fell down to begin with.

Worst part of the play after I made the diving catch was I rolled into poison ivy. A couple of days later my forearms were seeping fluid from poison ivy blisters really bad. I remember standing in line at a bank and the fluid dripping down my arm and a guy I worked with said I needed to get that fixed.


Had to go get the steroid pills to clear it up. Bandaged the arms up and was back on the field for the next week.

[rascal]

And for the idiots who suggest that OKC cooked up the concussion, just to get Artest in trouble (anyplace there are Laker fans, you can read these kinds of stupid comments) - have a look at the league's concussion guidelines. Diagnosing a concussion isn't something that any team would do unnecessarily - especially with one of their star players.
------

Under the NBA's newly instituted concussion policy, Harden can return to the court only after passing a rigorous evaluation process that could take several days.

Once he's considered free of concussion symptoms, Harden must make it through increasing stages of exertion — from riding a stationary bike, to jogging, to agility work, to individual basketball skills — while ensuring the symptoms don't return after each stage.

If Harden passes each test the team then has to consult with Dr. Jeffrey Kutcher, the director of the NBA's concussion program, to determine when Harden can return. The NBA's concussion policy went into effect at the start of training camps this season.

Harden will be on the floor for game 1 of the playoffs.

[TheSkeptic]

You miss the point. Artest elbow was intentional but it wasn't directed at Harden in a premediated fashion. Washinton stepped in front of Rudy T and punched for him no reason and that punch was not only intentional, but it was premediate and was direct purposeful manner at Rudy T's head. There is a big difference.

Kobe had it right when he said that Artest exploded with an Outburst on the play because Harden got in his way of celebrating. He was right there and saw the whole thing. It wasn't intentional, it as to injure someone, but it was intentional as to move Harden out of his way. He just reacted in a more violent fashion than most people would.

I for one would have pushed Harden off of me if he came and bumped while I was celebrating a big play to cap off a 12 point swing in a game over the course of a few minutes.

Im sorry if I stumped you on the meaning of my prior post. :bang

See that kind of proves my point. Either Artest comes from the celebration> colleague's health and physical well-being school of thought or he lacks the ability to measure an appropriate response. Either way, he shouldn't be on the floor.


Harden will be on the floor for game 1 of the playoffs.

Good to hear. :tu

[GSH]

Harden will be on the floor for game 1 of the playoffs.



Good to hear. :tu



He doesn't know that, Skeptic. Nobody knows the timeline yet. Not Harden, not the Thunder medical staff. Not the league. It may turn out that way, but he's just making shit up. Errr... making more shit up.

Read my post with the NBA guidelines. There's a whole process he has to go through, including being evaluated by the league's own concussion specialist. It takes a minimum of a few days. Nobody has announced that Harden will be playing in Game 1, because nobody knows yet. People thought Kevin Love would be back a lot quicker from what looked like a minor concussion. It didn't exactly work out that way, did it?

I bet the T-Wolves made that shit up, too, just to try and get Javale McGee in trouble.

[Mel_13]

Predictable.

A horrible act by a mentally disturbed athlete being defended with horrible takes from a delusional poster.

[GSH]

This happened to Kevin Love on 4/12. It wasn't nearly as violent of a hit as the one on Harden. He could have been cleared to play last night - 10 days later. The Wolves decided to keep him out the remainder of the season, for precautionary measures. But the 10 days to get clearance was unavoidable. Concussions are funny things, and with all the attention they are getting, he won't be rushed back, no matter how much he or the Thunder want it. If he is back by Game 1, it will be sheer luck for Artest.

Tgj6VtlSX9s

[DisAsTerBot]

premeditated or not, he made a decision is a split second to elbow, with full force, someone's head. He's obviously got issues if that's how he responds. Get him out of the league.

[Mel_13]

Predictable.

A horrible act by a mentally disturbed athlete being defended with horrible takes from a delusional poster.


And you are still stupid. I am not defending his actions whatsoever.

:lmao

I wasn't even referring to you, but apparently you believe that the delusional tag fits you.

[BG_Spurs_Fan]

:lmao

I wasn't even referring to you, but apparently you believe that the delusional tag fits you.

You're giving donjuansdaddy too much credit if you thought he wouldn't bite. He's as dumb as they come.

[GSH]

And you are still stupid. I am not defending his actions whatsoever. He deserves to be suspended. But his actions weren't premediated and Harden has no business going over there and bumping him while he was celebrating his play.

Artest was response was totally wrong, just to let you stupid ass know. But it wasnt premediate, and if Harden didn't purposefully step in front of Artest and bump him, we wouldn't even be talking about this incident.

There is a reason after getting blowout twice by the Spurs, none of the Lakers but a hard foul on the Spurs players, because they play straight up basketball and don't instigate confrontations, which IMO Harden did. Majority of players would at the very least pushed Harden if he stepped in front of them needlessly while celebrating a play.

Jimmy Page would beat your ass with a Les Paul.

[TheSkeptic]

We all know World Beast has mental issues. I think Harden definitely KNOWS that by now. But Honestly, Love hacking the shit outta of Scola and then stomping on his face was just as bad and this was premediated for Scola NOT INTENTIONALLY throwing the ball off Love's balls and racking him a few days earlier, when Scola was falling outta of bounds.

Love only got a 2 games suspension for his actions.

Artest hasn't have a serious infraction in years, but he does have a history, so that is why I think 5 games and a hefty fine should be suffice. If he does this again, not controlling his emotions, in the playoffs or next season, 10-15 game or longer suspension would definitely be warranted.

For the hockey hit, Torres intentionally left his skates and drove his shoulder into Hossa head going full force. Totally Intentional and premediated. There is a huge difference as to why he got a 25 game suspension.

Love doesn't have Artest's history and even at the time it happened I thought that Love was getting off too easy.

Even you admit that Artest did the wrong thing and even if I agreed with you that Harden's motive was to disrupt the celebration, that doesn't make it look any better. In fact, that looks even worse because it shows that Ron doesn't have the ability to respond appropriately to other people.

And no, I'm not giving Artest brownie points because he's gone a few seasons without jumping into the stands and brawling with fans. Harden could've died last night and no amount of irritating basketball plays can justify that. Ron needs a hefty suspension along with a mental evaluation.



He doesn't know that, Skeptic. Nobody knows the timeline yet. Not Harden, not the Thunder medical staff. Not the league. It may turn out that way, but he's just making shit up. Errr... making more shit up.

Read my post with the NBA guidelines. There's a whole process he has to go through, including being evaluated by the league's own concussion specialist. It takes a minimum of a few days. Nobody has announced that Harden will be playing in Game 1, because nobody knows yet. People thought Kevin Love would be back a lot quicker from what looked like a minor concussion. It didn't exactly work out that way, did it?

I bet the T-Wolves made that shit up, too, just to try and get Javale McGee in trouble.

Just saw it. I actually think the NBA did the right thing with those guidelines. Thanks a lot for the information. :tu

[Mixability]

I think he'll get 10, anyone else, it would have been 2-3.

[temujin]

This is what I think.
1) Less than 5 games would probably mean that the PO will turn into a constant fight. A dangerous fight. Anything will be allowed from now on. Just watch the "average" position of the elbows of that bastard of Bynum, when he comes down with a rebound, already.
2) Unnecesary, provocatory and gorilla-like "celebrations" (for what? what did he accomplish with that basket EXACTLY? By the way, he should have been called for travelling) should get an immediate T. Straight up.
3) Bryant, the team captain, saying that Harden had no business interrupting Artest' celebrations should get a fine (laughters) AND a suspension (another laughter since it's Sac). In my eyes, this is even worst than Artest's act.
4) Thunder players, as a bunch, are soft and won't go anywhere. Their reactions to seeing Harden on the floor was slow and pathetic, with the exception of Ibaka. Not coincidentally Ibaka.
5) LA has two teams. And Stern has personally given one an All Star for essentially nothing. Not the Lakers.
6) No way LAL comes back yesterday with Harden on the floor. He is a heck of a player and the only one in the NBA that has Ginobili-like potential. I really hope he comes back in good shape.

[wildbill2u]

at the risk of pissing everybody off and bringing down a ton of shit on my head look at what Harden is doing.

MWP has turned from the baket and is running back down court, beating on his chest. Nothing wrong with that so far.

What does Harden do. He slides over to his left, beginning to block MWP path downcourt and actually gets into MWP body with his body and elevated left arm while still moving his feet.

This was an unnecessary move on the part of Harden who may have been trying to press on defense.

If MWP trips or bumps or flops--without the elbow-- it might have been a close call for a defensive block on Harden.

All that being said, the elbow was a deliberate action and unnecessarily violent reaction to a common body-to-body bumping situation. Given the size, speed and power of these athletes, you can't have someone on the court who cannot control his reaction to the actions of other players.

Given the past history the player and of punishments for especially violent hits to the head--and I'm thinking here of Kermit Washington and Rudy Tomjanovich--MWP should be suspended for the rest of the year.

[YoMamaIsCallin]

I'm calling the over under at 19 games and I have got the over.

[GSH]

at the risk of pissing everybody off and bringing down a ton of shit on my head look at what Harden is doing.

MWP has turned from the baket and is running back down court, beating on his chest. Nothing wrong with that so far.

What does Harden do. He slides over to his left, beginning to block MWP path downcourt and actually gets into MWP body with his body and elevated left arm while still moving his feet.

This was an unnecessary move on the part of Harden who may have been trying to press on defense.

If MWP trips or bumps or flops--without the elbow-- it might have been a close call for a defensive block on Harden.

All that being said, the elbow was a deliberate action and unnecessarily violent reaction to a common body-to-body bumping situation. Given the size, speed and power of these athletes, you can't have someone on the court who cannot control his reaction to the actions of other players.

Given the past history the player and of punishments for especially violent hits to the head--and I'm thinking here of Kermit Washington and Rudy Tomjanovich--MWP should be suspended for the rest of the year.

If Artest had turned and shoved the shit out of Harden, I would be 100% on his side. But the huge wind-up, and elbow to the head? Nope.

There's an article today, talking about Rudy T's reaction to the incident. He hasn't made a public statement, but he couldn't watch it.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

inexcusable.

BUT Harden was not giving him any space to celebrate.
.

I must have missed the part of the rulebook that talks about allowing space for other players to celebrate a routine play.

[wildbill2u]

I was a Houston fan (behind the Spurs) at the time, but I felt bad for Washington. Most fans only remember the punch which has been shown in slo mo time after time. But if you run the clip at full speed, the argument against Washington gets a little more complex.

That night Washington is several steps back off of the fight that is going on. He is looking at the fight, but is not a participant. He's bouncing around with his fists up, but looks like he's just being ready in case something comes his way.

Then Rudy T comes flying off the bench toward Washington's back with his hands/arms extended (Let's say he was probably going to grab Washington and pull him farther away, but we'll never know what was going through Rudy's mind.)

Washington hears the running footsteps behind him and spins toward Rudy. What he sees as he turns around is another 6-9" guy in an opponent's uniform a few feet away, running at him with his arms up.

Split second decision. Does he wait and see if Rudy is a peacemaker--or is he running toward his back to deck him with a sucker punch? He has to act--no time to think.

Washington reacted by following through with the famous punch. Because Rudy was running right at him at the time, the force of the blow was amplified and his cheekbone was caved in.

All of this happened in a fraction of time but the clip was almost always shown in slo mo, perhaps for dramatic effect, because at live speed the punch wouldn't have shown as well.

I always thought Washington got a bad rap for defending himself on a split second decision that resulted in a serious injury.

[wildbill2u]

I was a Houston fan (behind the Spurs) at the time, but I felt bad for Washington. Most fans only remember the punch which has been shown in slo mo time after time. But if you run the clip at full speed, the argument against Washington gets a little more complex.

That night Washington is several steps back off of the fight that is going on. He is looking at the fight, but is not a participant. He's bouncing around with his fists up, but looks like he's just being ready in case something comes his way.

Then Rudy T comes flying off the bench toward Washington's back with his hands/arms extended (Let's say he was probably going to grab Washington and pull him farther away, but we'll never know what was going through Rudy's mind.)

Washington hears the running footsteps behind him and spins toward Rudy. What he sees as he turns around is another 6-9" guy in an opponent's uniform a few feet away, running at him with his arms up.

Split second decision. Does he wait and see if Rudy is a peacemaker--or is he running toward his back to deck him with a sucker punch? He has to act--no time to think.

Washington reacted by following through with the famous punch. Because Rudy was running right at him at the time, the force of the blow was amplified and his cheekbone was caved in.

All of this happened in a fraction of time but the clip was almost always shown in slo mo, perhaps for dramatic effect, because at live speed the punch wouldn't have shown as well.

I always thought Washington got a bad rap for defending himself on a split second decision that resulted in a serious injury.

[silverblk mystix]

This is what I think.
1) Less than 5 games would probably mean that the PO will turn into a constant fight. A dangerous fight. Anything will be allowed from now on. Just watch the "average" position of the elbows of that bastard of Bynum, when he comes down with a rebound, already.
2) Unnecesary, provocatory and gorilla-like "celebrations" (for what? what did he accomplish with that basket EXACTLY? By the way, he should have been called for travelling) should get an immediate T. Straight up.
3) Bryant, the team captain, saying that Harden had no business interrupting Artest' celebrations should get a fine (laughters) AND a suspension (another laughter since it's Sac). In my eyes, this is even worst than Artest's act.
4) Thunder players, as a bunch, are soft and won't go anywhere. Their reactions to seeing Harden on the floor was slow and pathetic, with the exception of Ibaka. Not coincidentally Ibaka.
5) LA has two teams. And Stern has personally given one an All Star for essentially nothing. Not the Lakers.
6) No way LAL comes back yesterday with Harden on the floor. He is a heck of a player and the only one in the NBA that has Ginobili-like potential. I really hope he comes back in good shape.

Good points....

Kobe has also "approved" and even praised these thug tactics by both Bynum and Artest....every time someone talks about Bynums' bush league antics Kobe responds with praise of Bynum and actually says that he understands because Bynum is "competitive" like Kobe was when he was younger....

In other words....Kobe and the lakers are helping to instigate these type of actions and sooner or later someone will get hurt really badly.

On top of all that...

The lakers and their fans knew what they were getting in Artest when the lakers front office betrayed Ariza for Artest....now they might bitch about a suspension but when they got Artest on the cheap $$ ...they were happy as shit....

Well...this is part of the deal that you get with Artest.

[cheguevara]

:lmao defending an intentional elbow to the head

[temujin]

Good points....

Kobe has also "approved" and even praised these thug tactics by both Bynum and Artest....every time someone talks about Bynums' bush league antics Kobe responds with praise of Bynum and actually says that he understands because Bynum is "competitive" like Kobe was when he was younger....

In other words....Kobe and the lakers are helping to instigate these type of actions and sooner or later someone will get hurt really badly.

On top of all that...

The lakers and their fans knew what they were getting in Artest when the lakers front office betrayed Ariza for Artest....now they might bitch about a suspension but when they got Artest on the cheap $$ ...they were happy as shit....

Well...this is part of the deal that you get with Artest.

For Kobe it's OK for OTHER TEAMMATES to be exposed.
he doen't have the guts to do that, simple truth.
That's the kind of leader he is.

As for Artest, I watched a game at Detroit only the second or third time he went back after the brawl.
He was been booed constantly. Nothing serious.
He played a great game (scored 30 I think) and after EVERY basket, even FTs, he was provoking the crowd, gestures, smiles, words, waving of hands.
If the guy did that shit in some of the Euro places, he is still locked in the place, police outside, four years on.

[EVAY]

This is what I think.
1) Less than 5 games would probably mean that the PO will turn into a constant fight. A dangerous fight. Anything will be allowed from now on. Just watch the "average" position of the elbows of that bastard of Bynum, when he comes down with a rebound, already.
2) Unnecesary, provocatory and gorilla-like "celebrations" (for what? what did he accomplish with that basket EXACTLY? By the way, he should have been called for travelling) should get an immediate T. Straight up.
3) Bryant, the team captain, saying that Harden had no business interrupting Artest' celebrations should get a fine (laughters) AND a suspension (another laughter since it's Sac). In my eyes, this is even worst than Artest's act.
4) Thunder players, as a bunch, are soft and won't go anywhere. Their reactions to seeing Harden on the floor was slow and pathetic, with the exception of Ibaka. Not coincidentally Ibaka.
5) LA has two teams. And Stern has personally given one an All Star for essentially nothing. Not the Lakers.
6) No way LAL comes back yesterday with Harden on the floor. He is a heck of a player and the only one in the NBA that has Ginobili-like potential. I really hope he comes back in good shape.

Well said. Especially No. 6.

[ambchang]

And you are still stupid. I am not defending his actions whatsoever. He deserves to be suspended. But his actions weren't premediated and Harden has no business going over there and bumping him while he was celebrating his play.

Artest was response was totally wrong, just to let you stupid ass know. But it wasnt premediate, and if Harden didn't purposefully step in front of Artest and bump him, we wouldn't even be talking about this incident.

There is a reason after getting blowout twice by the Spurs, none of the Lakers but a hard foul on the Spurs players, because they play straight up basketball and don't instigate confrontations, which IMO Harden did. Majority of players would at the very least pushed Harden if he stepped in front of them needlessly while celebrating a play.

If I didn't carry that wallet out, I wouldn't have been robbed. It really was, afterall, my fault .... at least partially.

Back to topic:

1) There is no way you would know if the hit was premeditated or not. Any normal person would be able to know that if you swing your elbow above your head, you are going to hit another person of similar size in his head. But then this is MWP we are talking about, so you can throw the normal part out.

2) Harden has every single right to go over to that spot. He could be going for an inbounds, he could be there to slow down MWP and prep the OKC for a fast break opportunity. Even if he was just there to bump MWP, Harden has every right to do it.

3) There is a huge difference between a hard foul and an elbow in the head after a made shot.

[GSH]

Oh, man, I'm really feeling sorry for MWP. He still needs to be suspended, but I really think he wants to be a good guy and a good teammate. And I really do think the name change was his attempt to sort of leave his past behind, in his own uniquely weird way. But he's catching a world of shit in the Twittersphere over his name, and it's not going to stop any time soon.
http://content.usatoday.com/communities/gameon/post/2012/04/metta-world-peace-ron-artest-angry-tweets-mock-vicious-elbow/1

My kids have asked about people begging for money on streetcorners, who look like they are healthy enough to get a job. And I always tell them that anyone who has sunk far enough to beg for money deserves some sympathy, or at least pity. That's kind of how I feel about MWP. I really don't think he would be like this, if he could help it.

[therealtruth]

I think Artest lost himself in the moment and Harden getting into his celebration made him react.

[EVAY]

Oh, man, I'm really feeling sorry for MWP. He still needs to be suspended, but I really think he wants to be a good guy and a good teammate. And I really do think the name change was his attempt to sort of leave his past behind, in his own uniquely weird way. But he's catching a world of shit in the Twittersphere over his name, and it's not going to stop any time soon.
http://content.usatoday.com/communities/gameon/post/2012/04/metta-world-peace-ron-artest-angry-tweets-mock-vicious-elbow/1

My kids have asked about people begging for money on streetcorners, who look like they are healthy enough to get a job. And I always tell them that anyone who has sunk far enough to beg for money deserves some sympathy, or at least pity. That's kind of how I feel about MWP. I really don't think he would be like this, if he could help it.

I agree with you completely about people who are down so far they are begging.

I even agree that perhaps Artest couldn't help himself in that moment.

But the point is that if he cannot control (help) himself in every moment when it comes to violence on the court, he needs to be doing something else for a living. He needs not to be on a basketball court. If he cannot help himself when he gets too emotional, he needs to take his calmer moments and realize that he endangers others when his emotions are out of control, and take himself out of situations where his emotions can get out of control.

And if he doesn't take himself out of those situations, then the NBA should do it for him...and for the rest of the league...and for the reputation of the league.

[spursince#99]

no game suspension but that's only because they'll play OKC in the 2nd round and I want him to do it again lol

[dylankerouac]

"I saw it happened and it was a very hard hit," Ibaka said. " ... That's the first I've seen anything like that happen live. I was surprised. I went up to him to ask him why he did that and he wanted to fight me too. I don't know what he was thinking. I have no idea."

Lots of emotion or not, Artest lost his cool and self control at that moment. If Harden ends up being out for an extended amount of time because of the barrage of tests they're going to have to run, and continued concussion like symptoms Artest should be out for the same amount of time if it exceeds 5 games or whatever the leading expectation is for his suspension. Where is the accountability? There should be a punitive penalty associated with his latest loss of self-control.

[vander]

man, from reading this thread, one would start to think that Artest hit him with a tire iron or a baseball bat or something.

didn't know James Harden had so many moms on ST

[DisAsTerBot]

vander with the bads

[Jimcs50]

http://espn.go.com/los-angeles/nba/story/_/id/7843190/los-angeles-lakers-metta-world-peace-ejected-elbowing-oklahoma-city-thunder-james-harden-head


Breaking news:

NBA suspends Oklahoma City's James Harden for 3 games for causing a severe bruise to Los Angeles Laker Meta World Peace's elbow.

David Stern was quoted as saying that, "The league can not tolerate this kind of dangerous behaviour during games, and Mr Harden's complete disregard for World Peace's safety by head butting Meta's elbow will not go without punishment"

[Sean Cagney]

"I saw it happened and it was a very hard hit," Ibaka said. " ... That's the first I've seen anything like that happen live. I was surprised. I went up to him to ask him why he did that and he wanted to fight me too. I don't know what he was thinking. I have no idea."

.

LOL him and thinking should not be used in the same sentence! He doesn't think, dude is a damn nutcase and this proves it.

[pgardn]

1. You are comparing what MWP did to a football hit? :rollin



I will spell it out for you clown. Sorry, unintended hatred towards clowns.

The Laker medical staff declaring Harden as fine does not mean he is fine.

Once again for the slow clowns. Colt McCoy was deemed fine BY HIS OWN MEDICAL TEAM. This has nothing to do with the diff. between the two sports, just the ability to assess a players condition without doing any sort of scan. "I asked him if he was ok and he said yes." Excellent...

You compared football to basketball. Good try, but unfortunately, a fail.

[pgardn]

Worst part of the play after I made the diving catch was I rolled into poison ivy. A couple of days later my forearms were seeping fluid from poison ivy blisters really bad. I remember standing in line at a bank and the fluid dripping down my arm and a guy I worked with said I needed to get that fixed.


Had to go get the steroid pills to clear it up. Bandaged the arms up and was back on the field for the next week.

Nooo.

Remember you dropped it? And the seeping fluid was blood from a land shark bite. You pummeled the shark with your arm after he tore it off. 6 games out of the softball beer league for striking an endangered species with a blunt appendage. You are forgetful and I cant imagine why.

The softball beer leagues are a step up in violence compared to say, hockey...

[SA210]

man, from reading this thread, one would start to think that Artest hit him with a tire iron or a baseball bat or something.

didn't know James Harden had so many moms on ST




vander with the bads


:lol

[Splits]

Good points....

Kobe has also "approved" and even praised these thug tactics by both Bynum and Artest....every time someone talks about Bynums' bush league antics Kobe responds with praise of Bynum and actually says that he understands because Bynum is "competitive" like Kobe was when he was younger....

In other words....Kobe and the lakers are helping to instigate these type of actions and sooner or later someone will get hurt really badly.

On top of all that...

The lakers and their fans knew what they were getting in Artest when the lakers front office betrayed Ariza for Artest....now they might bitch about a suspension but when they got Artest on the cheap $$ ...they were happy as shit....

Well...this is part of the deal that you get with Artest.

I never thought I would read a post from silverblk which I actually agreed with, from beginning to end. Maybe stick to Laker takes and away from "Popsucker" ones.

[Obstructed_View]

Can't remember if I already posted this elsewhere, apologies if I did, but now's when the Lakers can really benefit from having fully 3/4 of the basketball writers being Laker homers. The excuse parade has been going on most of the day: "It was an accident", "He didn't even see him", "What was Harden doing there", "It was just heat of the moment".

[SA210]

http://i.imgur.com/wviKQ.gif

I wouldn't be surprised if he's banned from the league. He's putting other lives at risk when he does that.

One may argue he was out of control, ok, doesn't change the fact he rolled the dice on that guy's life, unconscious or not, I think this is one of those case to "send a message".

Let's hope

[SequSpur]

Who gives a shit...

fuck artest..

[Obstructed_View]

It's really odd to keep hearing everyone talk about Artest being suspended for "as much as 3 games".

Dude got suspended 3 games for breaking HD video cameras BEFORE the Palace brawl.

[TheSkeptic]

It's really odd to keep hearing everyone talk about Artest being suspended for "as much as 3 games".

Dude got suspended 3 games for breaking HD video cameras BEFORE the Palace brawl.

If he gets suspended for only 3 games, I'm not sure that bodes well for the playoffs tbh because that'll give guys like Bynum and Artest the impression that they can get away with this type of thing. That could really be (even more) dangerous for other players. For the sake of safety, he needs to be off the court.

[silverblk mystix]

I never thought I would read a post from silverblk which I actually agreed with, from beginning to end. Maybe stick to Laker takes and away from "Popsucker" ones.


Damn!...I'm starting to slip....fuck!

[Aztecfan03]

man, from reading this thread, one would start to think that Artest hit him with a tire iron or a baseball bat or something.

didn't know James Harden had so many moms on ST

probably not too much less force tbh.

[easjer]

It's really odd to keep hearing everyone talk about Artest being suspended for "as much as 3 games".

Dude got suspended 3 games for breaking HD video cameras BEFORE the Palace brawl.

Well, the traditional punishment for thrown elbows or hits of that kind has been 1-2 games. FWD already pointed out what you have, that MWP seems to be a stricter punishment system than most, so you are right that it will probably be more than 3, but it's not insane, given punishment history in the league, to have a baseline of 'as much as 3 games.'

TBH, I'm really side-eyeing the idea that he needs to be out for x number of games longer than Harden. What a terrible guide for punishments/suspensions, however inappropriate the actions. That's really the precedent we want? I mean, I sort of get it if I consider him doing that to one my team's players, but even so - I think that is a terrible, terrible idea.

[Obstructed_View]

TBH, I'm really side-eyeing the idea that he needs to be out for x number of games longer than Harden. What a terrible guide for punishments/suspensions, however inappropriate the actions. That's really the precedent we want? I mean, I sort of get it if I consider him doing that to one my team's players, but even so - I think that is a terrible, terrible idea.

That's got to be Lakerfan's idea. They wouldn't be suggesting it if Artest's elbow had put Harden in the hospital or ended his career.

[loveforthegame]

When will they announce his suspension?

[Obstructed_View]

When will they announce his suspension?

Since he's a Laker, they probably took an extra day to get a feel of the room. Now they know they can safely get away with suspending him for three games and not take any heat for it. You know damn good and well that if he were still in Indiana he'd be suspended for a minimum of 30 games. Though if he were still in Indiana, the Pacers fans likely wouldn't be defending what he did.

[dylankerouac]

How has Davis Stern not issued a statement? If he thinks that a long suspension will cause the nba to lose some fans he underestimates the respect the league will get sticking up for its players. I thought the point of all the rules of the last decade plus was to stop the physicality and intentional hurting of players. He is a terrible leader.

[TD 21]

I'd be fine with that. To me, he's got to get at least the first two rounds, not only because he deserves that, but because then the suspension will have an impact. Them not having him to be the primary Durant defender in round two would be a big loss. But if he can return, even relatively early in that series, then the suspension will essentially amount to a break.

But I'd suspend him for the playoffs too. They need to send a message to him, to the Lakers and to the rest of the league and a slap on the wrist isn't going to do that. If they want to greatly diminish the chances of someone doing this or anything similarly dirty in the future, then they need to go overboard with the suspension.

[easjer]

The 'experts' are saying the suspension should come tomorrow. That it's not just a matter of handing down a ruling, the league needs to review the circumstances, the tape, interview all players involved and review previous similar infractions/punishments before issuing a ruling.

It would be inappropriate for the NBA to comment prior to fully investigating the issue and issuing a punishment - it would be considered prejudicial and that they didn't fully do their investigatory duty, particularly if they suspend him enough that it exceeds the limit that can't be appealed. If there is a chance it's a long enough suspension for MWP to appeal to an outside arbitrator (and I doubt it will be), the last thing the NBA wants is the appearance that they rushed to a decision based on his reputation or media pressures or something.

[easjer]

Since he's a Laker, they probably took an extra day to get a feel of the room. Now they know they can safely get away with suspending him for three games and not take any heat for it. You know damn good and well that if he were still in Indiana he'd be suspended for a minimum of 30 games. Though if he were still in Indiana, the Pacers fans likely wouldn't be defending what he did.

I really don't know that I agree with that, that it would be a 30 game suspension. As you pointed out, he's gotten longer suspensions for damaging equipment. The fact of the matter is that similar incidents (flagrant 2's, intentional elbows, head shots) are traditionally 1-2 game suspensions, though the Barea hit by Bynum was 5 games. Many people in the NBA community (reporters, players, etc) seemed to feel 5 games was appropriate - it seems to be non-Laker fans and some reporters loudly proclaiming the longer suspensions on the basis of viciousness or intention or concussion hysteria.

As someone (Mel? timvp?) suggested, the max number of games that he can be suspended without appeal is the most likely scenario here, imo.

[TheSkeptic]

I really don't know that I agree with that, that it would be a 30 game suspension. As you pointed out, he's gotten longer suspensions for damaging equipment. The fact of the matter is that similar incidents (flagrant 2's, intentional elbows, head shots) are traditionally 1-2 game suspensions, though the Barea hit by Bynum was 5 games. Many people in the NBA community (reporters, players, etc) seemed to feel 5 games was appropriate - it seems to be non-Laker fans and some reporters loudly proclaiming the longer suspensions on the basis of viciousness or intention or concussion hysteria.

As someone (Mel? timvp?) suggested, the max number of games that he can be suspended without appeal is the most likely scenario here, imo.

Hysteria? What?

12 games or so would be good because that would probably be effectively pulling him for the rest of the season and the playoffs.

[Cow Eye]

This made main stream news today. I heard it on talk radio, as well as seeing national news pundits discussing it.

Knowing how Stern is so proactively trying to redefine a goody-goody NBA image, I'm thinking he's going to come down with a huge punishment for Artest. As he should.

It wouldn't surprise me if he was suspended for the remainder of the playoffs. Stern's going to make an example out of this, especially since it's a repeat offender. Hey, America, remember that guy that went into the stands and brawled a fan? Yeah, it's him again...

It's also funny to me seeing the Artest apologists talking about how hard he's struggled to remake his image and start being a good person. LOL he was suspended just last year during the playoffs as well...

[Venti Quattro]

Alex Kennedy (https://twitter.com/#!/AlexKennedyNBA/status/194791782461079552): The NBA will likely decide what to do with Metta World Peace today. Announcement is expected this afternoon. Lakers' next game is Thursday.

[T Park]

Ron's brother making an ass of himself on twitter.

[DisAsTerBot]

what's he saying? cant read twitter at work

[GSH]

I read a bunch of the articles being written about the possible punishment. But I pay extra attention to the ones on NBA.dotcom. And they sort of have a theme. Start out saying that he MUST be punished, and that his action was egregious, etc. Then they go on to say something like "he should be suspended for at least the remainder of the regular season". Or they talk about Andrew Bynum's 4 game suspension (originally 5 games, but reduced after the public outrage died down), and how MWP's suspension "might even be longer than that".

It looks to me like they are trying to get people used to the idea that 5 games IS a harsh suspension. You can bet they've got the image consultants busy, trying to see what the public will swallow. I don't think they can possibly go with less than Bynum's reduced sentence of 4 games, but I wouldn't be surprised if Stern goes with 5 games and a severe warning.

[Mugen]

I read a bunch of the articles being written about the possible punishment. But I pay extra attention to the ones on NBA.dotcom. And they sort of have a theme. Start out saying that he MUST be punished, and that his action was egregious, etc. Then they go on to say something like "he should be suspended for at least the remainder of the regular season". Or they talk about Andrew Bynum's 4 game suspension (originally 5 games, but reduced after the public outrage died down), and how MWP's suspension "might even be longer than that".

It looks to me like they are trying to get people used to the idea that 5 games IS a harsh suspension. You can bet they've got the image consultants busy, trying to see what the public will swallow. I don't think they can possibly go with less than Bynum's reduced sentence of 4 games, but I wouldn't be surprised if Stern goes with 5 games and a severe warning.

Yeah it'd be pretty ridiculous for it to be only 5 games. I thought 5 games was a good number when i first saw it. But when i factored in the fact that it's Artest and that he got suspended last year against the Mavs, there's no way it should be the same as Bynums.

An elbow to the back of the head is way more dangerous than Bynum's hit on Barea. 10-15 games sounds about right considering the perpetrator and the severity of the hit.

[TheSkeptic]

Yeah it'd be pretty ridiculous for it to be only 5 games. I thought 5 games was a good number when i first saw it. But when i factored in the fact that it's Artest and that he got suspended last year against the Mavs, there's no way it should be the same as Bynums.

An elbow to the back of the head is way more dangerous than Bynum's hit on Barea. 10-15 games sounds about right considering the perpetrator and the severity of the hit.

He needs to be banned or at the very least suspended indefinitely and then to have his case reviewed at the start of next season. Between his history, his lack of impulse control, and his inability to handle his emotions, I'm not sure it's worth the risk of someone else getting seriously hurt.

I mean concussing someone for getting in the way of his celebration? To ensure the safety of opposing players, he shouldn't get another chance imo.

[Mel_13]

From the LA Times. The caption for this picture reads:

Lakers forward Metta World Peace is in full celebration following a dunk as Thunder guard James Harden bumps into him before the elbow-swinging incident.

http://www.trbimg.com/img-4f96b9cf/turbine/la-sp-ln-la-how-serious-will-be-metta-world-pe-001/600

http://www.latimes.com/sports/lakersnow/la-sp-ln-la-how-serious-will-be-metta-world-peaces-suspension-web-links-20120424,0,3386457.story?track=rss&utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter&dlvrit=53297

[TDMVPDPOY]

this announcement is takin its time then lebrons great announcement

[Legacy]

From the LA Times. The caption for this picture reads:

Lakers forward Metta World Peace is in full celebration following a dunk as Thunder guard James Harden bumps into him before the elbow-swinging incident.

http://www.trbimg.com/img-4f96b9cf/turbine/la-sp-ln-la-how-serious-will-be-metta-world-pe-001/600

http://www.latimes.com/sports/lakersnow/la-sp-ln-la-how-serious-will-be-metta-world-peaces-suspension-web-links-20120424,0,3386457.story?track=rss&utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter&dlvrit=53297



LMFAO!! Whatta' fucken joke! ... And whatta' "Mega World Piece (of turd)" he is--whether he realizes it or not. He needs to be mentally re-evaluated ASAP, and his meds/doses need to be adjusted accordingly and pronto. A completely 'fresh' Mental Health Eval, Anger Management courses, a new shrink, etc, etc, ... Just the fucken' WORKS, dude. Get him the HELL outta' here, already. EEEEeeewwwww. Fucken' sick and grotesque journalism to say the least. Media Suckers (not that I'm the least bit surprised about this, lol). Just... eeewwwww. I can't wait to see what they finally decide to do with his sorry arse... then we can go from there, heh. :vomit:

[T Park]

what's he saying? cant read twitter at work


Said the "White media and Uncle Toms at ESPN want Ron out of the playoffs"

Said he lost all respect for Bruce Bowen. So Im more than likely guessing he dropped the uncle tom on him.

Reverse racism. Gotta love it.

[Spurminator]

Everybody keeps saying he's going to get preferential treatment because he's a Laker, but I feel like it's more likely that Stern will err on the side of OVER-punishing him because he knows that would be the perception otherwise.

[DisAsTerBot]

Said the "White media and Uncle Toms at ESPN want Ron out of the playoffs"

Said he lost all respect for Bruce Bowen. So Im more than likely guessing he dropped the uncle tom on him.

Reverse racism. Gotta love it.

:rolleyes im sure bruce is crushed he's lost the respect of the less talented artest

[T Park]

Everybody keeps saying he's going to get preferential treatment because he's a Laker, but I feel like it's more likely that Stern will err on the side of OVER-punishing him because he knows that would be the perception otherwise.


See thats what he'd WANT you to think!

Dah dah DAHHHHHHHH

[Mugen]

He needs to be banned or at the very least suspended indefinitely and then to have his case reviewed at the start of next season. Between his history, his lack of impulse control, and his inability to handle his emotions, I'm not sure it's worth the risk of someone else getting seriously hurt.

I mean concussing someone for getting in the way of his celebration? To ensure the safety of opposing players, he shouldn't get another chance imo.

I understand the thinking. But I really don't think Metta is a bad guy. He's just certifiably insane. So i guess you can say ban him for the playoffs because he's nuts but 10-15 games is pretty much the playoff lifespan for the Lakers anyways :lol

He's a Laker so i wouldn't complain if he's out til next year. But if he did this while wearing any other uniform, i'd say 10-15 games seems about right.

[Obstructed_View]

The fact of the matter is that similar incidents (flagrant 2's, intentional elbows, head shots) are traditionally 1-2 game suspensions, though the Barea hit by Bynum was 5 games.

I'm struggling to think of a "similar incident" since the rules were changed. If you can name one, please share it. The Bynum hit was nothing compared to this, I'm sure you'll agree.


Many people in the NBA community (reporters, players, etc) seemed to feel 5 games was appropriate - it seems to be non-Laker fans and some reporters loudly proclaiming the longer suspensions on the basis of viciousness or intention or concussion hysteria.
Yes, the non-Laker fans think it was a vicious, intentional hit that deserves far more than a 5 game suspension. That's exactly what I said. I have no personal dog in this fight; there's nothing for the Spurs to gain by Artest missing the playoffs.


As someone (Mel? timvp?) suggested, the max number of games that he can be suspended without appeal is the most likely scenario here, imo.
Feels like they're trying to make sure the world will be able to digest a suspension that allows Artest to come back during a potential second round series with OKC, which is shameful. I like the scenario above, and also liked the other suggestion that he just be suspended for the remainder of this season to be re-evaluated before next year.

[Bruno]

Said the "White media and Uncle Toms at ESPN want Ron out of the playoffs"

Said he lost all respect for Bruce Bowen. So Im more than likely guessing he dropped the uncle tom on him.

Reverse racism. Gotta love it.

Ron Artest's brother is weird too. Earlier this season, he said that he was still mad at Spurs for not having made the trade for Ron Artest in 2008.

[Bruno]

From the LA Times. The caption for this picture reads:

Lakers forward Metta World Peace is in full celebration following a dunk as Thunder guard James Harden bumps into him before the elbow-swinging incident.


:lmao

What's next? Harden should be suspended for having attacked Artest elbow with his jaw?

[hater]

:lol Bowen trolling the shit out of lakerfans from his grave

epic

[easy7]

According to this article http://sports.yahoo.com/news/harden-not-cleared-yet-return-162022770--nba.html;_ylt=AhVyAlsEWlUV22tdPGou.8w5nYcB James Harden has not been cleared to play as of today, so it does not look good for MWP.

[TheSkeptic]

I understand the thinking. But I really don't think Metta is a bad guy. He's just certifiably insane. So i guess you can say ban him for the playoffs because he's nuts but 10-15 games is pretty much the playoff lifespan for the Lakers anyways :lol

He's a Laker so i wouldn't complain if he's out til next year. But if he did this while wearing any other uniform, i'd say 10-15 games seems about right.

That's the problem. The fact that he lacks proper judgement skills and impulse control is a large part of what makes him a danger. Did you see his reaction to Ibaka afterwards? It's like something primitive was controlling him. He just snapped.

Harden got off with *only* a concussion and even then he could've been killed. The NBA shouldn't continue to tempt fate with Artest. He may not be a bad person but he *is* dangerous to the other players on the court.

At some point you just have to recognize that Ron isn't capable of handling himself in a competitive setting where his emotions run high. Stern/Jackson need to cut their losses with this guy before he ends up putting someone in the hospital.

[Pocket Hippo]

Harden got off with *only* a concussion and even then he could've been killed. The NBA shouldn't continue to tempt fate with Artest. He may not be a bad person but he *is* dangerous to the other players on the court.

At some point you just have to recognize that Ron isn't capable of handling himself in a competitive setting where his emotions run high. Stern/Jackson need to cut their losses with this guy before he ends up putting someone in the hospital.

I completely agree.
A friend made the point that if you have been suspended ten times, several times for violence outside the bounds of the game and you don't get kicked out of the league, then what does it take to get kicked out? Murder?
Several of his suspensions, including this one, were not for "hard fouls" they were for outright violent assaults, there was not even a ball in play.

Not getting rid of him is setting a dangerous precedent. If it is only a 5-10 game suspension for attacking someone while the ball is not in play I would recommend that the Denver Nuggets use Timofey Mozgov to take out Bynums MCL or ACL in the first game. Just walk up to him and kick the shit out of his knee Jet Li-style.
5-10 game suspension to guarantee that your team wins a series? Sounds like a deal, right?

[Obstructed_View]

Read something that Vegas has the o/u set at 7.5 games, fwiw.

[therealtruth]

That's the problem. The fact that he lacks proper judgement skills and impulse control is a large part of what makes him a danger. Did you see his reaction to Ibaka afterwards? It's like something primitive was controlling him. He just snapped.

Harden got off with *only* a concussion and even then he could've been killed. The NBA shouldn't continue to tempt fate with Artest. He may not be a bad person but he *is* dangerous to the other players on the court.

At some point you just have to recognize that Ron isn't capable of handling himself in a competitive setting where his emotions run high. Stern/Jackson need to cut their losses with this guy before he ends up putting someone in the hospital.

I think the deciding factor will be intent. If it's clear it was intentional I think the league will go hard. He tried his best to make it seem non-intentional but you have to wonder.

[Obstructed_View]

I'm unsure how anybody could wonder, unless you're just wondering if he's lying about it or not.

If it's intentional then it's worthy of a lengthy suspension. If he really did something like that and was unaware that he did it, both during and after, then he's probably not sane enough to be driving a car or walking down the street.

[TheSkeptic]

I think the deciding factor will be intent. If it's clear it was intentional I think the league will go hard. He tried his best to make it seem non-intentional but you have to wonder.

I think the wind-up, his behaviour, and Kobe's comments really remove all doubt for me.

Either way I think they should look at banning him although they probably won't tbh.

[Mel_13]

No James Harden for the Thunder tonight vs. Kings. He hasn't passed the tests required by NBA's concussion policy to return.

http://twitter.com/#!/usat_jzillgitt

[DesignatedT]

Marc Stein ‏ @ESPNSteinLine Reply Retweet Favorite · Open
NBA announces that Metta World Peace has been suspended for seven games for striking OKC's James Harden

[DesignatedT]

John Hollinger ‏ @johnhollinger Reply Retweet Favorite · Open
OKC now in odd position of rooting for a Laker first-round sweep so MWP will miss first two games of second round.

[Obstructed_View]

Feels like they're trying to make sure the world will be able to digest a suspension that allows Artest to come back during a potential second round series with OKC, which is shameful.

Damn, I'm good.

[ducks]

7 games

:wow

[Legacy]

Disgusting. Simply disgusting. :greedy