This, my friends, is what will get you suspended for one game in today's lawless NBA. Even if your name happens to be Kobe Bean Bryant. Understandably, Kobe was a little confused:
Bryant said he unintentionally elbowed Ginobili and felt "terrible" about the play. However, Bryant said he can't believe he was suspended.A couple things worth noting here. One, it came in the waning seconds of the game, when the refs are supposed to "let 'em play." It's exactly when you should be able to get away with a little contact within the flow of the action. Second, it was against the Spurs, whose very own Bruce Bowen is the dirtiest "marquee defender" in the league. Not ever disciplining Bowen is one thing, but coming down on Kobe with Bruce on the court? The league's energy would have been better spent on some kind of lifetime achievement recognition for Bowen.
"I haven't seen a precedence for this. There's unintentional elbows that take place in a game all the time," Bryant told reporters at Madison Square Garden.
Bryant hit Ginobili while trying to defend a shot with 2.7 seconds remaining.
"I'm blown away by it. It makes no sense," Bryant said.
The most interesting thing, though, was Phil's reaction. Please notify me via email if you have any idea what this comment means:
"I have been a little disappointed with how Kobe has been treated as a premier player," Jackson said.Uh, okay. Does this mean Jackson is for this? Against it? For star treatment? Against it? Calling Kobe a star? Cutting him down to size? For once, dude's living up to that whole Zen Master shtick.
Update: Here's another look at the "Slap Heard 'Round Argentina".
Comments (Page 5 of 5)
FIRST OFF EVERYONE KOBE SWINGS HIS ARMS EVERY TIME HE SHOOTS AND GETS FOULED. THE SWING HIT MANU ON ACCIDENT THERE WAS NOT A FIGHT OR AN INTENTIONAL FOUL.
ALSO FOR ALL YOU KOBE HATERS MANU CALLED THE NBA OFFICIAL OFFICE YESTERDAY AND SAID "KOBE SHOULD NOT BE SUSPENDED FOR WHAT HE DID TO ME." I KNOW IT HURTS WHEN KOBE DROPS 40 A GAME BUT GET OVER IT. O YEA PHIL MEAN'T BY THIS COMMENT THAT HE WAS TAKING KOBES SIDE AND SAYING THAT WHEN YOU HAVE BEEN THE LEAGUE FOR 10 YEARS YOU SHOULDN'T GET SUSPENDED FOR A LITTLE TAP ON THE NOSE.
Did I actually just read that a Lakers Fan accused the NBA officiating of "not being unbiased towards the Lakers"? Wow. That's rich. You are right, they are not unbiased as they let Shaq get away with ANYTHING he wanted for years and Kobe the same. I mean, come on...your 2001 Championship was a gift from the NBA. Remember when Doug Christie fouled Kobe's elbow with his face? The Lakers are one of the only teams in the NBA that CANNOT bitch about bias officiating.
Couldn't agree with the article more: please see this for further discussion
http://nbadoesnotcare.blogspot.com
In my opinion, Kobe was unfairly and harshly punished for elbowing Ginobli on the face. The Spurs are not known for playing the cleanest defense, and in addition to that, this type of foul happens quite frequently in basketball. The foul happened in the final 2.7 seconds of the game, as Bryant was attempting to make the basket and also draw the foul, but not by any means strike a player in the face. Furthermore even Ginobli concurred that the foul was inadvertent. Interestingly, the two partakers in the incident believe that it was accidental; while Stu Jackson found it unsportsmanlike enough to render a one game suspension, claiming it was an “unnatural motion.” Great basketball players often make such unnatural motions, and this in fact, contribute to the entertainment factor of basketball. It is another reason fans watch the game. The punishment was a tough blow on Bryant since Madison Square Garden is his favorite place to play. As the teams lead scorer, Bryant’s absence was definitely detrimental to the outcome of the game, resulting in a Laker loss by five points. Not only did the NBA commission perform a disservice to the Lakers, but also to the fans. There is no doubt that people love to watch Kobe play, even haters secretly enjoy his exceptional talent. Fans were expecting to witness the superstar in action, but were left disappointed due to the poor decision making capabilities of Jackson. This incident also leads one to question the consistency in officiating of the NBA. In a recent game versus the Miami Heat, LeBron James of the Cavaliers clotheslined Dwayne Wade, but was called only for a flagrant foul. Perhaps, if James was suspended for this, it would somewhat legitimize Bryant’s punishment. However, upon analyzing the situation - James would be playing on national television the next day, which translates into high viewer ratings, so obviously he could not be suspended. Clearly, officials have too much weight in determining NBA rules and regulations, because unfair calls can cost important games. With the advancement of technology, the NBA, like the NFL, should turn to some of this machinery to contest debatable and controversial calls which will prevent the transformation of basketball into a cheap sport.
If any one other than Kobe did this, he would be suspended and ridiculed, i.e. Manu did this to Kobe. For some strange reason, you people want to believe in Kobe...sign of the desperate times Laker fans face. In roster that include Jerry West, Magic, Kareem, Wilt, and a long list of players with grace and class, Kobe will be a footnote in history.
Selfish, self-absorbed, self-aggrandizing...without Shaq, no more than Tracy McGrady or Vince Carter. However, they are rapists.