Metta World Peace Suspension: Harsh Punishment Does Not Fit the Crime

Metta World Peace has been handed a seven-game suspension by the NBA league office. It was determined by commissioner David Stern and his advisers that his malicious elbow to James Harden’s head was an intentional act.

However, if you ask The Player Formerly Known as Ron Artest and the many people who witnessed it, it appears that he was just celebrating his dunk and Harden got in the way.

Unfortunately—unless MWP appeals—he will be forced to sit the final game of the season, likely the entire first round of the playoffs and possibly some time into the second (should the Lakers make it).

It just doesn’t make sense because it’s highly debatable that the violent act was with malicious intent.

If you look at the full sequence in the footage, it is clear that World Peace is fired up after slamming home a tough basket during a critical moment in the game. He’s facing away from the OKC shooting guard and pounding his chest.

Then he decides to swing his elbow and it made perfect contact with Harden’s head, but there is no way he could have known it was there. That could have been Kobe Bryant for all MWP knew and it wasn’t like he was trying to kill the random player behind him.

Stern rationalized the decision by saying:

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"We remain committed to taking necessary measures to protect the safety of NBA players, including the imposition of appropriate penalties for players with a history of on-court altercations."

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Obviously, that is a nicer way to say one thing. Metta World Peace has a bad reputation stemming from his days as Ron Artest. It clearly hurt him in this case.

If someone like Steve Nash were to have done this, it would have resulted in a limited penalty or perhaps none at all.

But because a player who was involved in the Pacers-Pistons brawl that spilled into the stands committed the act, it’s a major punishment that will cost the Lakers games and MWP almost $348,000.

The league really should have thought more about intent and less about his past history when doling out this suspension and fine.