We all knew this day was coming, so why is everyone so surprised?
Despite the name change and the J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award, the Artest formerly known as Ron, gave Metta World Peace the day off Sunday as he returned to infamy.
After completing a slam dunk, an overly-excited World Peace leveled Oklahoma City Thunder player James Harden with a vicious elbow to the head. Harden immediately crumpled to the floor and was later diagnosed with a concussion by team doctors. World Peace was ejected for a flagrant 2 foul and is awaiting suspension by the league.
World Peace claims the shot was accidental – that it was simply a case of an overly-exuberant celebration gone wrong.
Please.
The slow-motion replay shows the 6’7″, 260lb. reformed bad boy winding up his elbow and throwing it with conviction. The “accidental” elbow landed with far more destruction and precision than any thrown by Jon “Bones” Jones in his UFC fight the previous night. Maybe World Peace was auditioning for a career after basketball.
While I genuinely applaud his efforts for turning his life after after the disastrous ‘Malice in the Palace’ brawl back in Nov. ’94, it was just a matter of time before the mean streak returned in a guy who once rapped:
Now I might be quick to get a tech
But I keep my girls in check
Punch ‘em in the neck
With the utmost respect
Even if I were naive enough to believe his story about the blow being an accident, the way in which he squared off (fists balled & ready) with Thunder player Serge Ibaka, who naturally wanted some revenge for the heinous foul, showed the World Peace’s self-transformation is far from complete.
On the basketball side, if he’s not hit with a monster suspension, the Lakers may want to tell Artest to stay for a while. Artest was at his best when he played as a rough and brute defender who intimidated opponents as soon as he walked onto the court. While the elbow was unacceptable, if Stern gives him a simple slap on the wrist, World Peace could go from an inconsistent, enigmatic reserve to a playoff enforcer and give the Lakers a major boost.
Thunder fans are hopeful Harden will make a full recovery in time for the playoffs. After losing their key reserve, the team blew a large lead and ultimately lost the game in double OT. Without a contribution from Harden during the second-half, Russell Westbrook’s ugly side make a return as he shot 3-22.
If the basketball gods are on the clock, we may see a Thunder vs Lakers series coming at some point in the playoffs. If so, the storyline will be on James Harden, Metta World Peace and Ron Artest. Only time will tell which of the three will be present.
