Harden was standing so close to him that their bodies were touching from neck to legs, so Ron, (refuse to call the guy "World Peace" anymore), knew exactly what he was doing. For anyone to suggest that it was somehow inadvertent or that Artest didn't know he was there, is just ludicrous.
Watch the video ... he knew who was there, how close he was, where his head was, and decided that if he looked away he could use the excuse later that it was an accident, and an emotional response. Anyone who knows his history knows that he's an immature punk, and always has been.
This honestly didn't surprise me, though it did disgust me. What I was truly surprised at was Coach Brown shaking his hand when they were reviewing the play, and the fans cheering him as he left the court. They saw the replay clearly on the jumbotron, and decided to take the low road right along with RA.
"Metta World Peace" ... such irony is truly rare. Bruce Bowen clips anyone?