Metta Sandiford-Artest says he didn’t mean to elbow James Harden: ‘It was very unfortunate’

Former Los Angeles Lakers forward Metta Sandiford-Artest recently said that he didn’t mean to elbow James Harden back in 2012.

Sandiford-Artest issued a brutal blow to Harden’s head after making a dunk against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

While he says it wasn’t “meant for James,” Sandiford-Artest was a little reckless with the shot he delivered to the then-Thunder shooting guard.

Metta World Peace on elbowing James Harden in '12 Playoffs: "It wasn’t meant for James," he tells @BallySports.

"I didn’t even know who was behind me. I just felt someone push me; I didn’t know who it was.

"It was very unfortunate." pic.twitter.com/L9Y2Y2fHrv

— 👑 Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson 📍 (@ScoopB) September 27, 2021

Sandiford-Artest has since retired, and Harden has moved on to new heights in his career.

Harden won an MVP award with the Houston Rockets and is now a member of the Brooklyn Nets’ Big 3.

The Thunder actually beat the Lakers in five games in the 2012 NBA Playoffs on their way to an NBA Finals appearance.

However, Harden and company lost at the hands of LeBron James and the Miami Heat in the 2012 NBA Finals.

Now, James is a Laker and looking to make it to the NBA Finals, where he could be matched up with Harden’s Nets.

If the Lakers face Harden again in the playoffs, it’s likely that Sandiford-Artest’s elbow will get mentioned a few times.

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