NEW YORK (AP) — David Stern says the elbow that Metta World Peace used to give James Harden a concussion was “recklessly thrown” and the Los Angeles Lakers forward’ history absolutely weighed into the suspension.
Stern suspended World Peace for seven games on Tuesday, a penalty that could force him out of the entire first round of the playoffs, for the elbow he delivered to Harden’s head in a game against Oklahoma City last Sunday.
Stern says during a conference call Wednesday that the ban would have been different for another player. World Peace has gotten into trouble numerous times in the NBA, including an 86-game suspension in 2004 — the longest ban for an on-court incident in NBA history — for jumping into the stands at the Palace of Auburn Hills in the Detroit suburbs to fight fans.
