Kobe suspended 1 game

[JPB]

I was at the game.I saw Kobe walking away initially probably didn't know it was as serious as it was.Then he looked back and he saw a group of Spurs around Manu and walked back to see if he was alright.After Manu got up Kobe tapped him on the head and walked to the Lakers bench.

I don't want to be involved in controversy but if your arm hit someone's face that hard, you can expect, and you must feel, that the guy will hurt.

My first reaction, supposing I care, would be to come close to him, take informations, ask him if he's fine. Not walk away first, and then walk back when everybody seems concerned.

[Viva Las Espuelas]

I am gald he was suspended. Looking at the replay, he knows he gets stuffed, then he flails his arm back ridiculously hard, knowing that he is going to hit whoever blocked his ass. People complain about Manu flopping, & I agree that sometimes it goes overboard, but to me this is the same type of situation, he got blocked cleanly(trying to draw a phantom foul, like a flop(which I'm not saying is right), but the difference between flopping & this is, the players that flop put their bodies on the line, not try to take out the the other player), he tries to make a motion like he was hacked, the refs saw it was a clean block & there was no reason for him to swing his arm back like that. If he didn't mean to hit him the least he could have done was check to see how bad it was, but no he just walks down the court pissed off.

IMO Pop & Manu said the right thing, that it wasn't on purpose, but what is the league & other teams going to think if Pop & Manu came out & started crying about how Kobe should be suspended..they would look like whiners..now its on the league, not the Spurs.

i couldn't agree any more with you.

[MmP]

I just don't know how can you be "trying to draw a foul" by swinging your arm to the face of a player.

[Mixability]

i didn't see the postgame interviews with Pop/Manu saying it was an accident, link?

[Viva Las Espuelas]

I just don't know how can you be "trying to draw a foul" by swinging your arm to the face of a player.

especially when they're behind you and you have to swing your arms more than 90 degress to "draw a foul".

[Kori Ellis]

i didn't see the postgame interviews with Pop/Manu saying it was an accident, link?

I don't have a link of the actual interviews. Here's the Express-News ..

Neither Ginobili nor Popovich thought Bryant's elbow was intentional.

"It's probably just a natural movement for a shooter coming down," Popovich said. "I doubt Kobe would do that. That's not his style."

[Mixability]

San Antonio Express News

January 30, 2007
Johnny Ludden: Bryant suspended for hitting Ginobili in face
The NBA suspended Kobe Bryant for tonight's game in New York for hitting Manu Ginobili in the face at the end of Sunday's fourth quarter.

Ginobili had just blocked Bryant's shot when Bryant swung his right arm back and caught Ginobili flush in the face and nose. Ginobili missed most of the first three minutes of overtime while being examined on the bench.

After the game, Ginobili and Spurs coach Gregg Popovich both said they thought Bryant didn't intend to hit Ginobili. No foul was called on the play.

The league has strict rules about above-the-neck contact.

[mardigan]

They are about to run a piece about it on outside the lines, on espn

[Fabbs]

During the game, ABC-espn-KobeTV showed two close up replays, but the only one posted now is the accross the court grainly lense one.
So far.

Still shots any of you geeks who dvd'd? Kori is that a go?

[Laker4ever]

I don't want to be involved in controversy but if your arm hit someone's face that hard, you can expect, and you must feel, that the guy will hurt.

My first reaction, supposing I care, would be to come close to him, take informations, ask him if he's fine. Not walk away first, and then walk back when everybody seems concerned.

Seriously? Is this the NBA or WNBA? You are playing a heated game and adrenaline is flowing.I doubt Kobe even felt he smacked him that hard (since taking the last shot probably had his juices flowing) hence he walked away initially. If you want to work for Hallamark thats great but take informations? Point is he did ask if he was ok whether he intially walked away or not. I have read a little bit of the Spurs fans posts and I would agree that most of you are informed ,intelligent and level headed posters.You sir or mam are overreacting.

[mardigan]

Kobe seemed absolutely shocked in the video they just ran

[TheNextGen]

My buddy told me Kobe was just on AM570 here in LA. Kobe said he text Bowen this morning and Bowen was also shocked. Kobe and the Lakers are trying to appeal it. The spurs do not agree with this ruling and this kind of suspension can change the NBA drastically.

[ABDENOUR POWER]

Sorry, but this is a pretty lame suspension.

For an unintentional elbow during the course of a game, Kobe is getting the same punishment as KG - someone who started a fight, threw a ball at a player, and then tried to throw a punch.

Doesn't really make sense to me.

[cheguevara]

I've seen suspensions for less than that. Kobe needs to get his crybaby ass over it and move on.

[Laker4ever]

I just don't know how can you be "trying to draw a foul" by swinging your arm to the face of a player.

Once again check my post a couple of pages back.Look at the Lakers Utah game on youtube.Look at how kobe flailed his arms to the side to get a foul called and the refs called it as ridiculous as that seems.Manu jumped and Kobe flailed his arms.Instead of Kobe making contact with Manus arms or hand he instead made contact with his face since Manu was right up there with him.

[LakeShow]

My buddy told me Kobe was just on AM570 here in LA. Kobe said he text Bowen this morning and Bowen was also shocked. Kobe and the Lakers are trying to appeal it. The spurs do not agree with this ruling and this kind of suspension can change the NBA drastically.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2748084

Kobe suspended tonight vs. KnicksBy Chris Sheridan
ESPN.com


Kobe Bryant was so stunned and angered by his one-game suspension, he took the extraordinary step Tuesday of asking NBA commissioner David Stern to convene an immediate appeal hearing.


"I'm blown away by it. It makes no sense."
-- Kobe Bryant on his suspension
As of 3 p.m. ET, the NBA Players Association was still awaiting a response from the league office.

Bryant was staying at the Lakers' team hotel just a few blocks from NBA headquarters in Manhattan, and he was on call to dash down Fifth Avenue to Stern's office if the request was granted. But barring the unlikeliest turn of events, Bryant was officially banned from Madison Square Garden for the Los Angeles' Lakers only visit of the season to play the Knicks.

The suspension, for elbowing Manu Ginobili of the Spurs while Bryant was attempting a jump shot late in the Lakers' game against the Spurs on Sunday, caught Bryant completely off-guard.

"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 following the Lakers' shootaround. "I'm blown away by it. It makes no sense."

The NBA news release announcing the suspension said Bryant was being penalized for "striking" Ginobili, but there was no further explanation given in regards to whether league vice president Stu Jackson felt the contact was intentional.

Players association officials said it was highly unusual, if not unprecedented, for a player to be suspended for inadvertent contact.

"We're asking for an immediate hearing, and given Kobe's availability in New York, he's offered to meet with the commissioner or appropriate league officials to review the tape and explain what happened," union spokesman Dan Wasserman said. "Kobe can be at the league office on literally 10 to 15 minutes notice."

Chris Sheridan covers the NBA for ESPN Insider.

[Fabbs]

Seriously? Is this the NBA or WNBA? You are playing a heated game and adrenaline is flowing.I doubt Kobe even felt he smacked him that hard (since taking the last shot probably had his juices flowing) hence he walked away initially. If you want to work for Hallamark thats great but take informations? Point is he did ask if he was ok whether he intially walked away or not. I have read a little bit of the Spurs fans posts and I would agree that most of you are informed ,intelligent and level headed posters.You sir or mam are overreacting.

The Hallmark moment is Kobes walking over and you swallowing it all.

[AFBlue]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2748084

Kobe Bryant was so stunned and angered by his one-game suspension, he took the extraordinary step Tuesday of asking NBA commissioner David Stern to convene an immediate appeal hearing.

[Fabbs]

Sorry, but this is a pretty lame suspension.

For an unintentional elbow during the course of a game, Kobe is getting the same punishment as KG - someone who started a fight, threw a ball at a player, and then tried to throw a punch.

Doesn't really make sense to me.

Given the Malice at the Palace, makes more sense to increase KGs suspension rather then diss the one given premier player Kobme.

[Winnipeg_Spur]

Kind of a weak suspension, but I'd love to hear Kobe argue his point.

"I swear I wasn't trying to hit Ginobili, I was just trying to get the refs to call a foul when there was no contact."

[mardigan]

The Hallmark moment is Kobes walking over and you swallowing it all.

So your a mindreader or what?

[slayermin]

I think it was intentional. So I don't have a problem with the suspension. Fuk Kobe!

[ponky]

ridiculous, this is turning into such a namby-pamby league.

[Mixability]

I'll add to the fire:

I know Kobe pumpfaked Bowen out of the way, but maybe he was bracing himself before he twisted his ankle on what he thought was Bowen's foot.

[Pistons < Spurs]

I'll add to the fire:

I know Kobe pumpfaked Bowen out of the way, but maybe he was bracing himself before he twisted his ankle on what he thought was Bowen's foot.

LMAO!