If Ron Artest was such a danger, wouldn't he have hurt somebody in his long career before this? The guy isn't Raffi Torres (cheap shot artist in the NHL).

That shot goes around the eye and he might end Harden's career.

A guy that knocks his wife around a little bit should get off because he hasn't broke the bitches jaw yet?

Spend your energy defending someone who deserves it like LeBron.

Are you a public defender? You seem to have no problem defending criminals.

You'd think that a player that's supposedly a danger to everyone on the court would have actually hurt somebody in his career before Sunday. The guy was a real loose cannon at one point (and still apparently can lose control), but there is no real evidence that he's some kind of cheap shot artist or out there to hurt anybody.

I don't understand what is so hard to get. He got 7 games based on his past history of violence. They do it the same way the other leagues do. If you are a repeat offender each time the punishment gets bigger.

KC Connection then last lost touch with reality. I can't believe only 7 games for the deliberate elbow assault. I mean end his season so he gets the hint that he is a dumb fuck. I enjoy watching the Thunder, but the nba is turning into a joke for clowns like Artest. At least Goodell has the balls and has the morality to give a just punishment to nfl players and teams.

It's a fair point, but most of his "past history of violence" came a long time ago and at a far different stage of his career.

How is it a different stage if he's doing the same kind of ****?

First of all, it's not the same kind of shit at all. He's never injured a player before like this and I would be surprised if he ever did again.

Second of all, I take it you haven't watched Ron Artest play throughout his career. He's a very different kind of player and person from what he once was (with the Bulls and Pacers, particularly).

He is never going to outrun his history and even Stern said today that played a part in the decision. This will be the second year in a row he has been suspended for hitting someone in the head. He is just lucky it was 7 games.

March 9, 2003: With the Pacers, one game for exceeding the maximum allowable flagrant foul points in a season.
March 13, 2003: With the Pacers, one game for again exceeding the maximum allowable flagrant foul points in a season.
March 20, 2003: With the Pacers, two games for again exceeding the maximum allowable flagrant foul points in a season.
March 19, 2004: With the Pacers, one game for hitting the Portland Trail Blazers' Derek Anderson in the head with a forearm.
April 19, 2004: With the Pacers, one game for leaving the immediate vicinity of his team's bench during an altercation.
Nov. 21, 2004: With the Pacers, 73 games (and 13 games during the team's playoff run) for his role in an in-game incident between Indiana and the Detroit Pistons.
April 24, 2006: With the Kings, one game for making contact with the head of San Antonio Spur Manu Ginobili with his forearm.
July 14, 2007: With the Kings, seven games for pleading "nolo contendre" to infliction of injury on a spouse.
May 5, 2011: With the Lakers, one game for swinging his arm and striking the face of the Dallas Mavericks' J.J. Barea.

"I think he deserved more … maybe 10 games," TNT's Shaquille O'Neal said. "I don't like to talk about 'ifs,' but if (James) Harden would've turned to the left a little bit, we could've had a Rudy Tomjanovich situation on our hands.

"Don't get me wrong, I'm a connoisseur of throwing elbows; I used to throw elbows all the time. But for him to say he didn't do that on purpose? There is an old saying that goes around the locker room, 'The tape doesn't lie.' I've seen every angle, and it didn't look accidental to me."

7 games (1 Reg Season, 6 Playoffs) is a slap on the wrist?

Clowns like Artest huh?

Who are these other clowns?

Wow? So he's had 3 violent incidents in his career (I'm not counting the one against Ginobili because even Gregg Pop thought it was a BS suspension)? WHOA WHAT A MAD MAN!

You take out the brawl suspension and Kobe and Artest have about the same number of games suspended. Shit Kobe was suspended twice in 07 for elbowing players and was in line for another after he elbowed Korver.

Not sure Shaq is one to talk, he's thrown punches multiple times at other players before on the court. Heck, TNT was glorifying those moments last Thursday night amid laughter. Oddly, I don't recall him ever being called a thug, though.