"He's been making such great strides..."
~ Every pundit in response to Metta World Peace's flagrant foul that gave James Harden a concussion
The man currently known as Metta World Peace sets a standard for low standards. Prior to changing his name from Ron Artest, World Peace (a misnomer of historic precedence) set the record for longest suspension in NBA history when he missed 86 games for charging into the stands in Detroit to beat down a nerdy white guy. Prior to the vicious swing--a swing so nasty that it is illegal to use in mixed martial arts--that connected with James Harden cerebral cortex, he was starting to be considered a pillar of society.
How?
Almost one year ago to the date of this ugly scene, Ron Artest was presented with the "J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award." This award, presented by the NBA to an individual member of the game time personnel who shows "outstanding service and dedication to the community," has been presented in the two season prior to Samuel Dalembert for organization Haitian relief in the wake of an earthquake and Dikembe Mutombo for a plethora of charitable institutions he created in Africa. Artest won the award simply for, you know, not beating up fans anymore.