Monday, April 23rd, 2012 at 9:00 am  |  249 responses

James Harden Has a Concussion from Metta World Peace’s Elbow


by Marcel Mutoni / @marcel_mutoni

Metta World Peace’s elbow to the head of James Harden yesterday afternoon, resulted in a concussion for the OKC Thunder’s star forward.

At the moment, there’s no telling when Harden will return to the court. The leading candidate for the NBA’s Sixth Man Award this season must first pass a battery of tests, under the League’s newly-instituted concussion policy.

Reports the Oklahoman:

Once he’s considered free of concussion symptoms, Harden must make it through increasing stages of exertion — from riding a stationary bike, to jogging, to agility work, to individual basketball skills — while ensuring the symptoms don’t return after each stage. If Harden passes each test the team then has to consult with Dr. Jeffrey Kutcher, the director of the NBA’s concussion program, to determine when Harden can return.

A team spokesman said Harden passed league-mandated testing at halftime, and Harden originally was set to return to the game. But the team’s medical staff prevented Harden from returning because of concern with his condition, the spokesman said. Harden later was diagnosed with a concussion. He was not made available to the media following the game and was unresponsive to multiple attempts to gauge his health when seen outside of the locker room. Harden did fly back to Oklahoma City with the team. But concussions can be puzzling, making the timeline for Harden’s return a mystery to all.

Players and coaches on both the Lakers and Thunder (and others watching it on TV) were critical of the vicious elbow, and Metta World Peace did issue an apology to James Harden, calling the incident “unintentional.”

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  • http://www.thedynastyboys.com lix

    Flash, not only does your comment demonstrate your stupidity but your grammar is that of a 4 year old’s.

  • alphabeta

    I think Ron Arrested should enter the UFC and face Overeem, so he can be put into permanent disability.

  • LeBrOn 4 MvP!

    harden up

  • Sesa

    I just think at that point, Metta World Peace is out of control and about to elbow anyone that bump him. Teammate, ref. I felt sorry for him trying to rebuild his image but I guess suspension is due. He should really learn to control himself…

  • kingbball

    James Harden is a Softie…….get up and play ball

  • http://www.slamonline.com Red

    I think the whole year is too much. Look, you can’t sit here & deny that Ron is leaps & bounds away from the Palace now.

  • RedRum

    To be fair, didn’t we all expect that something like this would happen once he announced the name change?

  • jimmer

    all of this would be far more interesting if it HAD been Ibaka that Artest threw one at. I think he probably would have gone after a fan instead, seeing as he was backing away from Serge even when there was a ref in between.

  • http://www.slamonline.com ponkz

    i think the best name for ron artest is metta world war.

  • Addam

    The Strait Jacket!!!

  • http://slamonline.com Allenp

    All of those suspensions weren’t for violence. Go check the list man. He got suspended for other non-violent stuff. He’s had two high profile elbows, one against Manu and one against Kobe.

  • K.a.

    Srsly at this point i just log in to read allenp school fools.

  • http://www.triplejunearthed.com/dacre Dacre

    Does this make for a PEACE-ful resolution?

  • http://Kaeaes@gmail.com Ka

    Hey allenp buddy, can you email the link to ur blog? I keep forgetting the name/link, My emails in the link thx.

  • Drig

    Allenp, I thought Kobe got one elbow on Ron’s chest in the Houston series……Ron-Ron elbowed Kobe when he was in sac-town or indiana????

  • ab40

    This is all LeBron’s fault!

  • AQWORD

    ^^^ true ab40^^^^ he should not have disrespected yo momma like that. I mean publically? !

  • http://www.slamonline.com TADOne

    Considering the person (Artest) and considering his history (Malice at the Palace) I would kick him out of the league if I was Stern. I’m quite certain this is being considered because it is taking so long for them to come back with a ruling. I’m sure the lawyers are looking into any legal ramifications as we speak. I would be for the ban as well.

  • Kane

    fckkkkk ron artest!!!!!!!!!! softy (thunder all the way):p

  • trey-ball

    James Harden is a bit stupid to brush Artest. LOL

  • Salty

    Wow, I always think it’s funny to watch people defend someone for losing their s#!@ like he did. Dude lost his temper and acted like a 16 year old in comp ball. I know in sports things get testy but grow up, there’s no excuse for losing control at that age. Suspend him for the year, let him come back next season and work on his rap career in the meantime

  • BIg Balls Smalls

    METTA. WORLD. PEACE! (Kevin Harlan voice)

  • http://slamonline.com LakeShow

    Dam, Tad, really? Ca’t believe legitimate people are calling for a ban. WTF.

  • Jerome

    Legitimate people … funny stuff.

  • 23

    artest has tarnished the league on more than 1 occasion. so i am ok with a lifetime ban as well. not to mention he basically caused slight brain damage to another human being for NO GOOD REASON! artest is all about attention, so i feel like right now he is not even worried. i bet he is smiling and joking at this very moment

  • lakernation

    @Allenp two thumbs up on your posts, your’e right on! I think he should be suspended through the first round of the playoffs… I think the fact that its ron artest makes the incident worst.

  • bike

    I vote for rest of season + playoffs with a warning that if it happens again he’s looking at permanent ban. I don’t buy the ‘he doesn’t have a history’. He spearheaded the ugliest brawl in sports history and has been diagnosed with significant impluse control problems.

  • LO

    I dont think he deserves a suspension. Flagrant 2 was enough. Let Peace play…

  • shutup

    Its not so much calling for the ban of the player, but seeing the climate of the sport and predicting what the punishment will be. Personally I think its the Lakers fault for putting this guy on the court and they should suffer the consequences along with him. Dude is a loose canon and despite viewing his past with ruby glasses, Ron Artest is Ron Artest, his reputation is earned and if it serves him in a negative way now; he has no one to blame but himself. Anyone who has the gall to say its just a foul or compare it to any type of basketball play or to even blame Harden in any way shape or form is completely off-base. If I was Harden I would pursue this legally and press charges, just because your on a basketball court it does not absolve you from adhering to the laws of society. and Allenp hate to call you out but a little research lead me to this bit of information- Louisiana
    Louisiana states that homicide in the first degree is killing of a human being with intent. There are other specific guidelines like killing a police officer or firefighter is an automatic first degree charge or intent to kill more than one person is automatically a first degree charge. In the State of Louisiana you can receive life imprisonment or the death penalty.

  • shutup

    These are the federal definitions of murder they do not vary from state to state. First degree murder is any murder that is willful and premeditated. Felony murder is typically first degree.[5]
    Second degree murder is a murder that is not premeditated or planned in advance.[6]
    Voluntary manslaughter sometimes called a “Heat of Passion” murder, is any intentional killing that involved no prior intent to kill, and which was committed under such circumstances that would “cause a reasonable person to become emotionally or mentally disturbed.” Both this and second degree murder are committed on the spot, but the two differ in the magnitude of the circumstances surrounding the crime. For example, a bar fight that results in death would ordinarily constitute second degree murder. If that same bar fight stemmed from a discovery of infidelity, however, it may be mitigated to voluntary manslaughter.[7]
    Involuntary manslaughter stems from unintentional, but criminally negligent behavior. A drunk driving-related death is typically involuntary manslaughter. Note that the “unintentional” element here refers to the lack of intent to bring about the death. All three crimes above feature an intent to kill, whereas involuntary manslaughter is “unintentional,” because the killer did not intend for a death to result from his intentional actions.[8]

  • shutup

    Oh and as a precedent Kermit Washington got a 60-day suspension for punching Rudy Tomjanovich, I don’t see Artest getting less than that, especially since the NBA has tried so hard to distance itself from the “Thug” image.

  • http://slamonline.com nbk

    Once again, they won’t be able to issue that kind of punishment because they can’t prove any intent. Unlike Kermit Washington who straight cold clocked Rudy T.

  • http://slamonline.com LakeShow

    “AllenP hate to call you out.” No you don’t! You love it. lol.
    I honestly can’t imagine anything more than 10 games for Ronnie.
    Shutup, I think your to hard on Ron though. Yes he has an earned name and image, but he’s also done allot to clean up that image. There is no excuse for what he did. He intended to do it, but you can’t say he intended to actually hurt him. That elbow was hard, but it was only hard if your taking it to somewhere on the head. Since Ron wasn’t looking at him when he threw the bow, there is no reason to think that he meant to hit him where he did.
    If that elbow landed on his shoulder or chest, it would have been at most a flagrant 1, borderline flagrant 2. No suspension. But he did hit him in a bad spot and that has to be taken into account. I think he should serve 5 games more than Harden is out, or 10 games at most total.
    In addition to a $50k++ penalty.

  • shutup

    You don’t have to make eye contact to prove intent, intent is in the motion of his arm pulling back he knew it was an opposing player beside him. And even if intent can’t be proven it can be assumed and if you want to argue that; then his reputation will argue otherwise. Once you clear that he intended to throw the elbow everything else is immaterial, the damage he cause is the damage he caused. As for calling Allenp out, I derive no pleasure from it,like I stated earlier I am further my education on the legal system especially homicide law, so any chance to gain truthful knowledge on the subject will be pursued. He provided a counterpoint and I took it to either solidify my understanding of the facts or to alter my perception, it just so happens that my research led me to the information I presented earlier which is in juxtapose to the information he presented.

  • http://slamonline.com nbk

    You can’t prove he meant to do more than get Harden out of his way. The elbow was clearly intentional, but that isn’t enough. Reputation doesn’t prove intent. There is just no legal basis in trying to ban him for life, or to give him more than 10 or so games. 60 seems impossible, given that’s what Kermit Washington got, and what he did was terribly heinous and way worse than this.

  • shutup

    In the same breathe you cant prove he didnt mean to hit him in his head. He hasn’t even admitted that the elbow was intentional. If he wanted to clear space he could have just pushed out with the same elbow not bring it back over his other shoulder and swing it. And absolutely you can use someones past to prove intent, its done every day someone applies for a credit card, a job or some get slapped with a repeat offender tag. Remember the good citizen clause alluded to earlier in this post, if it does exist it is more than enough to keep him out an extended period of time. Its just speculation right now but I expect his punishment to be severe and lengthy. Also one could argue that this in some ways was more heinous of an act than the punch, its a proven fact that an elbow can cause more damage than a fist and at least Kermit had the decency (if you can call it that) to punch him in the face, not the back of the head (something not even allowed in the UFC)

  • http://Slamonline.com nbk

    Well considering innocent until proven guilty…..

  • shutup

    LMAO… doesnt apply when there is video evidence, and a history of violence and anti-social behavior. That’s the thing about reputations, there great until they aren’t.

  • http://www.triplejunearthed.com/dacre Dacre

    The thing is:
    The video of this incident CLEARLY establishes intent. Metta, threw a forceful elbow. The mechanics of his body language runs contrary to the movement of that arm. He definitely intended on SWINGING AT SOMEONE in one direction… as he walked/celebrated whilst moving in a different direction.
    —
    I just said One Direction…
    : (

  • http://Slamonline.com nbk

    You still can’t prove he meant to elbow him in the back of the head with the evidence you have. I’m sorry but your just can’t. You can argue it all you want but it doesn’t prove anything. You have as much information on this as everyone else. Making the argument that this is somehow equal to more severe then “the punch” makes your argument ridiculous.

  • http://www.thesmashbrothas.com zen garden

    Who are you kidding nbk? This isn’t law and order, use your common sense. The dude lost control and started wiling. Now he has to deal with the repercussions. As bad as “the punch”? Obviously not. But so what? He gets a pass?

  • Joey Jo Jo

    7 game suspension for World Peace. There you go.

  • http://Slamonline.com nbk

    Lol maybe don’t jump in conversations at the midway point.

  • http://outlaw.com bo outlaw

    7 games y’all!!!

  • http://theurbangriot.com The NUPE

    I think when K. Love stomped on Scola that was worse. Stomping on someones knee or ribs is more likely to cause injury than an elbow to the head. Plus, I’d argue that Harden is the person that initiated the contact with Artest (not the other way around). So, Yes – Artest was 100% wrong for the elbow, but if K. Love ‘only’ got suspended for 2 regular season games, I don’t think Artest should get 7 games, including multiple playoff games.

  • bravo

    James harden should b suspended as well. He flopped on such a soft play. MWP shud rewarded for his tough love actions. An outrage an im a okc fana

  • shutup

    It really wouldn’t matter where he meant to hit him, just that his intent was to hit him with a forcibly thrown elbow. Also if you ever study escalation of force anything from the neck up would be a red area or the third tier of physical force(the most severe)

  • shutup

    and 7 games is fair, personally I was hoping for about 10 but expecting more because of the violent nature of it.

  • https://www.libertysilver.ee/se/ MikeTheSpike

    I definitely think this was intentional. Metta World Peace has always acted like a thug on the court and that part of him will never change. He is one of the nicest guys of it but once he is on the court, his personality really changes. James Harden didn’t deserve this. Suspending Metta for 7 games seems severe but for me it’s just about right.

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