Long before Metta World Peace, you had the Charles Oakley's, Charles Barkley's and Dennis Rodman's bullying players with their tough defense in the NBA. The 90's are long gone and World Peace seems to be carrying the torch as the NBA's bad boy.
His hardnose style of basketball mixed in with his infamous history might have cost him a flagarant foul in Monday's Game 5 matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder. While Thabo Sefalosha was driving in for a layup, Peace contested the shot, got his hand on the ball but made body contact with Sefalosha. Sefalosha fell hard and a foul was called against the Peace.
The foul was then changed to a flagarant I, for unnecessary contact against Sefalosha. It looked as if World Peace had made a solid play to prevent an easy basket. Replays show Peace making the block. His hands were completely on the ball.
Commentator Reggie Miller was appalled by the call saying the foul was changed because of his past. Another factor could have been the way Peace continuously chatted with Russell Westbrook and James Hardenafter after plays were dead. Not much time has passed since World Peace elbowed James and served a seven game suspension.
Maybe the referees wanted to send a message that they would not tolerate tough defense the remainder of the game. What if Kobe Bryant had made the same play? Would referees have called it a flagrant?
There was a push at the end of the play, which TNT's commentator Shaquille O'Neal found a bit aggressive but not over the top. Had it been Bryant they might have called it a foul and not a flagrant. However, because of Metta World Peace's aggressive and violent history, the refs had to take action.
World Peace received the flagrant. Disagreed with the call and got a technical. Kobe was pleading his teammates case and also got a technical. Then the Lakers went on to lose to the Thunder.
Metta World Peace is, if not the best defender in the NBA, is one of the top defenders. He can defend a team's best shooter and disrupt passing lanes, but fans and the league look like they are tired of waiting for Peace to show improvement in his behavior. As long as World Peace is in the NBA, his past actions will continue to plague his hardnose style of play.
