Metta World Peace Assaults Harden (ugly vid)

[Russ Smith]

Yep, thats what he is saying now. The NBA should reinstate their suspension if he wants to make it so clear he would do it again. The guy is disturbed. He should not be allowed to play. The league should say "here is a pension, we will pay for your therapy, but you are a threat to the players around you".

It just cracks me up to hear announcers say "world peace" talking about the guy after that play. I'd just call him Artest and if the Lakers complain tough, I'm sorry I forgot he changed his name.

Complete moron, to actually say Harden flopped on that play is ridiculous.

 

[carrrnuttt]

Complete moron, to actually say Harden flopped on that play is ridiculous.

I'm okay with it as long is it keeps motivating the Thunder to play like they did last night.

Go ahead Ron-Ron. Keep talking that talk.

 

[Brian in Mesa]

I agree with Charles Barkley - the interviewers need to stop asking World Peace about Harden. He did the crime, did the time, move on. It gets old.

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S2.

 

[D-Dogg]

I haven't seen that quote. Sounds crazy.

 

[Rivercard]

I agree with Charles Barkley - the interviewers need to stop asking World Peace about Harden. He did the crime, did the time, move on. It gets old.

Watching a Laker make a complete ass of himself never gets old!

 

[Cheesebeef]

I agree with Charles Barkley - the interviewers need to stop asking World Peace about Harden. He did the crime, did the time, move on. It gets old.

uh... they wouldn't be doing their job if they completely ignored one of the biggest subplots of the series, especially after a game in which artest was wrestling with everyone on the Thunder and threw Harden to the ground with his elbow up near his head again.

sorry, just because you want to move on from an ugly incident, doesn't mean the story is over and Ron could have let the story be over but he just threw gas on the fire. that's on him, not the press.

 

[Brian in Mesa]

artest was wrestling with everyone on the Thunder and threw Harden to the ground with his elbow up near his head again.

Really? That's how you saw that play? Uh, okay.

 

[Brian in Mesa]

sorry, just because you want to move on from an ugly incident, doesn't mean the story is over and Ron could have let the story be over but he just threw gas on the fire. that's on him, not the press.

It's still on the press, IMHO. I don't care for the in-your-face interviewing and idiotic questions they ask players anyway...never have. Reporters in locker rooms, etc. Ridiculous in my opinion. We don't need a player's thoughts and instant reaction to every huge play, big win, or heartbreaking loss. Let them shower and come out to a public press conference for pete's sake. If I were a player I'd definitely hate the media's aggressive involvement in the game.

 

[D-Dogg]

I still haven't seen this quote anywhere...

 

[MigratingOsprey]

Reported by Craig Sager as a quote from his conversation

“I was out-smarted by Harden, who anticipated my emotion, ran up behind me, and flopped.”

 

[Brian in Mesa]

So this entire "He flopped." allegedly comes from an off-the-record conversation Sager had with World Peace before the game? Couldn't get it on tape, or ask him to repeat it?

 

[MigratingOsprey]

It fits perfectly with this on record statement

"Even though he came and ran up behind me and he's done that before to Tyson Chandler and other players and he flopped even in the series (against Dallas) in the first round, but I don't want support for that," World Peace said.

or these quotes from Conan

World Peace said Harden "runs into people's elbows. When somebody dunks, he puts his chin right there. He did it to Tyson Chandler."

"When it happened, you know, I didn't realize he was that hurt until the day after, because guys in the NBA flop. ... So I called some third parties, and they said he was OK," World Peace told O'Brien.

 

[Brian in Mesa]

I'd say World Peace is 100% right regarding the play with Chandler. That is a huge flop. Maybe he does have a history of flopping on plays like these. Look at how "hurt" Harden appears to be when he wasn't even freaking touched. So lame.



Maybe there is some truth to what the crazy man is saying. Maybe Harden ran up on him intending to flop...not expecting to really get hit. I wonder if there are more instances of him doing this on tape.

 

[MigratingOsprey]

there isn't

MWP is nuts and he drilled him on purpose

quit being a lakers fan and go back into human mode and it becomes pretty obvious

not to say that I wouldn't be too upset if MWC were to embrace the hate and flip a gasket and charge clay bennett ......... but that's a side issue

on this play there was no sneaking up, no flopping, nothing

dude was getting ready for an inbounds play

MWP is going into "villian" mode for the playoffs

 

[Brian in Mesa]

there isn't

MWP is nuts and he drilled him on purpose

quit being a lakers fan and go back into human mode and it becomes pretty obvious

not to say that I wouldn't be too upset if MWC were to embrace the hate and flip a gasket and charge clay bennett ......... but that's a side issue

on this play there was no sneaking up, no flopping, nothing

dude was getting ready for an inbounds play

MWP is going into "villian" mode for the playoffs

That's just it - he wasn't.

Trying to be objective - I just watched it a few more times up until Harden initiates contact with Peace. The play was over. Why go up and initiate contact with Peace? Shouldn't Harden have gone around him/to an open spot if his purpose was to receive the inbounds pass? His teammate was already out of bounds and looking to inbound the ball. Harden bodied up Peace like he was on defense rather than on offense as he should have... Just puzzling. Peace should have been getting back on defense or even putting a body on Harden, yet it was Harden who ran up and into him. Why?

 

[Brian in Mesa]

Regarding the "Tyson Chandler flop" by Harden:

NBA rescinds Chandler technical after Harden flop

http://www.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/22748484/29500608

On Saturday night, Oklahoma City Thunder guard James Harden took a serious dive during Game 3 of the Western Conference finals, pretending to be elbowed in the face by Dallas Mavericks center Tyson Chandler. On Sunday, ESPNDallas.com reported that the NBA league office stepped in to rescind the technical foul whistled on Chandler during the altercation, ruling that the play was "incidental and not unsportsmanlike."

With Dallas leading 64-44 in the third quarter and the Thunder desperate to get back in the game, Harden drove hard to the hoop and made a running layup. As he turned to run back on defense, he initiated contact with Chandler, who had collected the ball and was moving towards the baseline to inbound it. Chandler raised his arms while moving forward and, as he did so, Harden simulated taking an elbow to the face, collapsing to the court and writhing in pain in embarrassing fashion.

 

[Phrazbit]

That's just it - he wasn't.

Trying to be objective - I just watched it a few more times up until Harden initiates contact with Peace. The play was over. Why go up and initiate contact with Peace? Shouldn't Harden have gone around him/to an open spot if his purpose was to receive the inbounds pass? His teammate was already out of bounds and looking to inbound the ball. Harden bodied up Peace like he was on defense rather than on offense as he should have... Just puzzling. Peace should have been getting back on defense or even putting a body on Harden, yet it was Harden who ran up and into him. Why?

... because thats where guys go to catch an inbounds... guys coming to receive the pass bump into people who were just under the basket all the time. And to say he "bodied him up" is a joke. They bumped, Artest knew damn well someone in blue was there, and absolutely crushed him with an elbow.

To say he flopped or faked is insane. The replay makes it perfectly clear how violent the contact was. And OKC while attempting to secure the top seed lost Harden for the remainder of that game and the next 2. You dont "flop" and then stay down for the next 5 days (unless you're a soccer player).

 

[MigratingOsprey]

That's just it - he wasn't.

Trying to be objective - I just watched it a few more times up until Harden initiates contact with Peace. The play was over. Why go up and initiate contact with Peace? Shouldn't Harden have gone around him/to an open spot if his purpose was to receive the inbounds pass? His teammate was already out of bounds and looking to inbound the ball. Harden bodied up Peace like he was on defense rather than on offense as he should have... Just puzzling. Peace should have been getting back on defense or even putting a body on Harden, yet it was Harden who ran up and into him. Why?

Wow............

 

[MigratingOsprey]

... because thats where guys go to catch an inbounds... guys coming to receive the pass bump into people who we just under the basket all the time. And to say he "bodied him up" is a joke. They bumped, Artest knew damn well someone in blue was there, and absolutely crushed him with an elbow.

To say he flopped or faked is insane. The replay makes it perfectly clear how violent the contact was. And OKC while attempting to secure the top seed lost Harden for the remainder of that game and the next 2. You dont "flop" and then stay down for the next 5 days (unless you're a soccer player).

Yep

It's called basketball ...... if you have ever actually watched it or maybe even played it you would understand what harden was doing there

However, it does show how much could be possibly gained by going down this rabbit hole any further

Some POVs are just so far out there you have to let them go ......this is one of them

 

[Brian in Mesa]

I never said he flopped and in no way am I defending what MWP did, but I do seriously feel that Harden initiated contact looking for something to happen. MWP is crazy. That is not debatable.

 

[Phrazbit]

I never said he flopped and in no way am I defending what MWP did, but I do seriously feel that Harden initiated contact looking for something to happen. MWP is crazy. That is not debatable.

Harden did something that happens roughly 40 times a game. To say he did it with intent to stir up drama is far fetched.

 

[Brian in Mesa]

Yep

It's called basketball ...... if you have ever actually watched it or maybe even played it you would understand what harden was doing there

However, it does show how much could be possibly gained by going down this rabbit hole any further

Some POVs are just so far out there you have to let them go ......this is one of them

I've played plenty of basketball. Several years at the Boys Club in grade school - even a championship team. Intramurals in high school and college. Park ball at numerous parks. City leagues (full court with refs) in Scottsdale and Mesa.

I never ran into a defender while going to get an inbounds pass, unless it was the defender putting a body on me - never the other way around.

I'll start watching more closely. Guess I've never noticed it in the NBA. Odd. My bad...

 

[Brian in Mesa]

Harden did something that happens roughly 40 times a game. To say he did it with intent to stir up drama is far fetched.

Not far fetched if he has done that kind of thing before. That was my point. The Chandler incident is well known, but has he done that kind of thing before then or since?

 

[Brian in Mesa]

Hadn't gotten into this thread or really watched the video that much. Reading through the first posts I see I'm not alone in wondering why Harden was running into MWP - from Suns' fans too, not just Donald. Glad it wasn't just me. Sorry for being late to the party. Still baffling to me.

The retaliation was inexcusable and MWP is clearly crazy. Just look at his eyes when being interviewed and his self-proclaimed shrink and meds, etc.

Also, as a Lakers' fan, let me be on record that I was against letting Ariza go and signing Artest back in the day. I thought Ariza was a key to the future and should have been signed long-term.

 

[Phrazbit]

Not far fetched if he has done that kind of thing before. That was my point. The Chandler incident is well known, but has he done that kind of thing before then or since?

On the Chandler play it was Harden who had scored and Chandler came right through the lane for the inbounds. Yeah, Harden flopped on that play but it was an obvious and opportunistic flop and if anything it was Chandler who was "in the way", they were both just being stubborn and not moving for the other.

With Artest, Harden was clearly slipping right around him and CLEARLY took a very violent and intentional elbow to the head. And once again, you dont miss the rest of the game, and then 2 more crucial games because you flopped.