Metta World Peace Suspended For 7 Games

Metta World Peace Suspended For 7 Games

World Peace gave Harden a concussion 

from vicious elbowing

Many people know him as a forward on the Los Angeles Lakers with bad sportsmanship and temper control problems. That’s why when Metta World Peace elbowed James Harden of the Oklahoma City Thunder no one was surprised. He was ejected from Sunday’s game for elbowing Harden in the head and giving him a concussion. With playoffs just around the corner, World Peace’s 7 game suspension may cost the Lakers. He’s been playing on an average of 26.9 minutes per game during the 2011-12 season and his suspension will lead into the first round of the playoffs and maybe even into the second. If both teams make it through the first round, they will meet up again in the second with World Peace playing. Metta World Peace claims that the hit was just an accident but even his teammates weren’t defending his actions. "It's hard to get into a guy's head and know exactly what happened in that situation," Bryant said. "I haven't really spoken to him about it. You've really got to ask him."  

Due to his suspension, World Peace will be losing nearly $348,000 in salary if he serves the whole suspension this year. After Thursdays game in Sacramento, World Peace will be out for 6 of the playoff games. If the Lakers exit the first round, the rest of his suspension will be served next season. Many people believe that his suspension should be expanded to a longer period of time because of the severity of the hit. "The concussion suffered by James Harden demonstrates the danger posed by violent acts of this kind, particularly when they are directed at the head area," Stern said in a statement. "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." In 2004, World Peace got the longest ban for an on-court incident in NBA history with an 86 game suspension for jumping into the stands to fight a fan. Also, in 2007 he received a 7 game suspension for his no-contest plea on a domestic violence charge. 

Maryam Rezaie

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