Los Angeles Lakers forward Metta World Peace gives an elbow to Oklahoma City Thunder guard James Harden, behind him, earning him a double flagrant foul and ejection from the game. (AP Photo/Reed Saxon)

World Peace’s elbow promotes some NBA stereotypes

(theGRIO) Ron Artest had us all believe.

He completely and convincingly remade his entire image. He made us believe he’d grown up from the immature punk who was the focal point in one of the ugliest moments in NBA history, to a gregarious, quirky player that everyone liked.

He was a vital piece to the Los Angeles Lakers’ 2010 Championship run. He won the J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award in 2011, given out annually to a player, coach or trainer who shows outstanding service and citizenship to the community. Last year he even changed his name to Metta World Peace. He made us believe he changed.

He made us forget about the short temper that made him run into the stands during the infamous “Malice in the Palace” in 2004. He made us forget the immaturity that led to 13 suspensions for a total of 111 games over his 13-year career.

And then, last Sunday, he made us remember again.

When Artest (sorry, but I refuse to call him World Peace after Sunday’s actions), cocked his elbow and launched it into the temple of unsuspecting Oklahoma City Thunder forward James Harden, he erased all of the good will he had been earning the last eight years. His entire persona went from goofy and harmless, to tired and insincere with one boneheaded move.

By now, you’ve heard all of the names Artest is being called for this foolish act. Immature. Punk. Bully. Idiot.

Thug.

It’s that loaded last word that is the most harmful. The NBA has always been forced to deal with an issue no one wants to talk about — getting a mostly white audience to accept and embrace a game played by mostly black players. Complicating the issue further is that most of these black players are enormous, tattooed, and a mere inches from paying customers.

So when Artest drove the lane hard, threw down an aggressive dunk, screamed and pounded his chest, then elbowed Harden, the whole scene was probably a little too surreal for some fans to take.

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