Metta World Peace Suspension: NBA Makes Right Call with 7-Game Punishment
The NBA made the exact right call when doling out the tricky suspension for Metta World Peace. He will be forced to sit out seven game. Six of which will take place in this year's playoffs—unless the Lakers crumble in his absence and they are eliminated before playing six.
ESPN's Marc Stein tweeted out the news.
""NBA announces that Metta World Peace has been suspended for seven games for striking OKC's James Harden"
— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) April 24, 2012"
This suspension was loaded with circumstances that made the length a tough call.
First off is the incident itself: It was a flagrant blow in a high-profile game.
That flying elbow was launched with malicious intent. It was aimed at the head, and in this era of increased concussion awareness, this is an obvious no-no.
That right there is enough to make this situation sticky.
The other factor here is that the person facing the suspension is the former Mr. Ron Artest, and he has a serious history with the punishment department of the Association.
And here is where the NBA truly succeeded. It does not appear that Peace's past played a big role in this suspension, and it shouldn't have.
Peace has come a long way since his Malice in the Palace days. He has made a real and apparent effort to change his ways, and he had built up a nice history of non-insane behavior. He deserved a clean slate when the decision was made on this suspension.
Peace has done enough on and off the court to prove that he has worked hard to be a kinder and gentler version of the man who once rushed the stands to attack a fan. His effort to show remorse and correct his behavior is commendable and was rightfully not ignored.
That said, what Peace did was clearly unacceptable. It was way out of line, and it deserved a stiff penalty. And make no mistake about it, missing playoff games is a stiff penalty.
This suspension sends a clear message that this kind of behavior will not be tolerated, while at the same time showing players that if they try and correct their issues, they will not be forced to play out the rest of their careers on thin ice.
