Suspend MWP for the playoffs...

[Juventini]

...You can't be serious.

His name if "Rascal" for a reason I guess......

[z0sa]

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

You'd be leaving on a stretcher comatose.

[pgardn]

...You can't be serious.

I lost my lungs, stomach and lower duodenum due to a scissor kick right in the torso.

[TheSkeptic]

I lost my lungs, stomach and lower duodenum due to a scissor kick right in the torso.

Ok. Now your stories are scaring me.

[MannyIsGod]

Rascal.

[FromWayDowntown]

Artest got 3 games for breaking video equipment a few years ago and got 4 games for running noise at Pat Riley and flipping off the crowd in Miami -- and that was before the Palace brawl.

I can't imagine that this incident gets him anything less than 4, and given the precedent, it would be appalling if he got 4, in my view -- the risk to others in this sort of conduct is far more substantial than any risk posed by flipping off a crowd or throwing a television to the ground. And it sure looks as if he's already on the league's progressive discipline policy.

[Mel_13]

Minimum of 5 games, but no more than 12. Suspensions up to 12 games can't be appealed. Suspensions over 12 games can be appealed to an arbitrator.

[pgardn]

Artest got 3 games for breaking video equipment a few years ago and got 4 games for running noise at Pat Riley and flipping off the crowd in Miami -- and that was before the Palace brawl.

I can't imagine that this incident gets him anything less than 4, and given the precedent, it would be appalling if he got 4, in my view -- the risk to others in this sort of conduct is far more substantial than any risk posed by flipping off a crowd or throwing a television to the ground. And it sure looks as if he's already on the league's progressive discipline policy.

Artest is progressing right off the cliff.

And he was actually playing well, this is what is confusing. He was getting off the ground, creating off the dribble, hitting some 3's, he was playing his best basketball by far.

Guy has some serious mental problems. I wonder if he can claim his meds need to be changed. Bipolar as a magnet.

[Rapper]

Everyone hates World Peace.

[GSH]

Minimum of 5 games, but no more than 12. Suspensions up to 12 games can't be appealed. Suspensions over 12 games can be appealed to an arbitrator.

Mel with the goods. Again. I bet you didn't even have to look it up, did you?

It makes sense. Stern will send a message, and he won't want it delayed or watered down by arbitration.

[2centsworth]

The difference in most of these instances and what happened was intent. A prosecutor would have a of a time proving anything other than a hard foul to clear space since MWP was not even looking at Harden. Yes he knew someone was there, and yes, he threw and elbow in a viciously unnecessary way and yes, it was a cheap shot and yes, the league should punish him for that.

But good luck with criminal charges. Far more deliberate actions have happened on court with no charges - because it's difficult to prove.

The brawl was a different situation because that was a fight that went into the stands and could have incited a riot. This was an elbow thrown in the course of game action.

As for civil cases, yes, that would be a possibility if Harden were unable to play again, but it would take years and go through a whole lot of out of court negotiations.

In San Antonio we are all too familiar with Basketball Elbows landing players 5 yrs in prison. read this

[DeadlyDynasty]

Give the guy a break, he was excited.

[SA210]

Criminal charges? Seriously? Never. Going. To. Happen. Unbelievable. It was a cheap shot, it was wrong, it was obviously intentional, it was completely unnecessary, but criminal? My god you people overreact.

Are you serious, you go to jail for like that in the real world. Why is it different to you, because they are NBA players? wtf

[024]

tbh, harden should have milked the injury, stayed down, and requested a stretcher to get him off the court. one cheap shot for another.

[DeadlyDynasty]

tbh, harden should have milked the injury, stayed down, and requested a stretcher to get him off the court. one cheap shot for another.

This ain't soccer, b.

[Solid D]

Ironic, that he goes by the name "World Peace"

Metta's comments after changing his name from Ron Artest:
"Changing my name was meant to inspire and bring youth together all around the world," he said in a statement. "I'm glad that it is now official." The Buddhist term Metta means "loving kindness and friendliness towards another."

[DPG21920]

I kind of saw something coming. If you've been watching him he has been flirting dangerously close lately to boiling over. There have been a lot of "close calls" (throat elbows, awkward moments of stare downs the friendly taps). I remember thinking he's behaving very oddly over the past few weeks and that I wouldn't be surprised if he lost it again.

[GSH]

BTW - I'm one of the few people here (other than Laker fans) who has always spoken up in support of Artest/WP. And I've always maintained that he isn't a dirty player. He plays hard - but not dirty. Even after tonight, I don't think he plays dirty. He's just crazy as a ing loon.

I honestly don't think he knew specifically that it was Harden behind him, or that he had time to think about how he wanted to hurt him. But that doesn't change the fact that he knew he was throwing a high elbow, into the head area of another player. And he wound up for that elbow in a way that most other players never would, even in the heat of the moment. I just think there's a part of RonRon's brain where the meds will never reach.

Like I said, I'm a rare Spurs fan that actually likes MWP. And I feel sorry for him a lot of the time. That being said, what he did was way too dangerous to just overlook. Stern has to send a message, and he's going to send a message. All the talk about criminal charges is just bantering, but I do think he should be glad that they weren't playing in Oklahoma. Because a local prosecutor would have the ability to try and make an example out of this, too. And just might. Since it was in LA, you can forget about it.

[SA210]

Ummm... so if you shove someone into traffic, and the cars all manage to avoid hitting him, it's no big deal? If someone fired a gun at you, but just nicked you, you'd just go have a beer with them and laugh it off? I mean, why make assumptions about what could have happened, right?


I don't think you even believe the you're saying.

[SA210]

I've been laughing for about 20 mins @ rascal say he'd get up from that hit.

There'd be a 5 page "RIP rascal" thread by now if he ever got an artest elbow to the head.

Rip Rascal

[2centsworth]

BTW - I'm one of the few people here (other than Laker fans) who has always spoken up in support of Artest/WP. And I've always maintained that he isn't a dirty player. He plays hard - but not dirty. Even after tonight, I don't think he plays dirty. He's just crazy as a ing loon.

I honestly don't think he knew specifically that it was Harden behind him, or that he had time to think about how he wanted to hurt him. But that doesn't change the fact that he knew he was throwing a high elbow, into the head area of another player. And he wound up for that elbow in a way that most other players never would, even in the heat of the moment. I just think there's a part of RonRon's brain where the meds will never reach.

Like I said, I'm a rare Spurs fan that actually likes MWP. And I feel sorry for him a lot of the time. That being said, what he did was way too dangerous to just overlook. Stern has to send a message, and he's going to send a message. All the talk about criminal charges is just bantering, but I do think he should be glad that they weren't playing in Oklahoma. Because a local prosecutor would have the ability to try and make an example out of this, too. And just might. Since it was in LA, you can forget about it.

you're on the money. In OKC criminal charges probably would have been filed. I know damn well in San Antonio they would have been.

[SA210]

Metta's comments after changing his name from Ron Artest:
"Changing my name was meant to inspire and bring youth together all around the world," he said in a statement. "I'm glad that it is now official." The Buddhist term Metta means "loving kindness and friendliness towards another."

This guy is an idiot. I'm all for real "World Peace", but I never took this moron seriously when he came out with this.

[100%duncan]

ing cheap. I hope he gets injured to prevent someone being injured by his actions.

[2centsworth]

i think someone else mentioned this, but this could have been a tragedy if that elbow lands a little higher.

[SA210]

i think someone else mentioned this, but this could have been a tragedy if that elbow lands a little higher.

That's why the NBA needs to come down VERY hard on him and make an example out of him. Like I said earlier in this thread, what happens next time? Why risk it?