Kobe Bryant Suspended One Game

Funny thing was in the game tonight Brian Cook hit a guy in his face after taking a jumpshot. Is that a suspension as well?

Hey, after tonights Lakers/Knicks game Brian Cook did the same thing on a follow through when he was blocked by Jeffries late in the 4th. So he should be suspended next. Razz

I think its just Stern not wanting to see his Knicks get Kobe'd.

Brian Cook also flailed his arms around after shooting a jumper in the game against the Knicks tonight! Maybe he should be suspended also!

lol, I absolutely love Kobe and am probably his biggest fan in the whole of Australia, but that was a fairly blatent hit. Don't know if it warrented suspension, but he did do it on purpose.

you obviously watched the wrong video. this is just a classic example of Stu Jackson's stupidity. the guy is a joke.

what an unbelievably stupid suspension. it was so obviously unintentional.

Like I said, I'm not sure if it warrented suspension, but I didn't watch the video wrong (how can you watch something wrong???) How is it "so obviously" unintentional? I was looking at it and wondering when it was gonna happen because it was just a normal jump shot to start with, then his arm "just happened" to move straight into Manu's face...
Like I said, I am a big Kobe fan, but he hasn't done anything like that before and he doesn't ever shoot shots like that, lol. The only thing I can think of to defend Kobe would be to say that he was trying to get Manu's arm out of the way and accidently hit his face instead.

I said you watched the wrong video. i didn't say you watched wrong. do you understand the difference now? (surely I don't need to get into detail about this)

but yes, it IS completely obvious that it wasn't intentional. Kobe did not think, while in mid air, with the game clock winding down, after just having his shot blocked, while trying to secure the ball for another shot attempt:

"I'm going to hit Manu in the face with my elbow"

To think so is ridiculous. His arm flailing was merely a reaction in an attempt to sustain balance, or to protect himself from falling unnaturally, and Manu just happened to be in the way. how can ANYONE not see this? an unnatural basketball motion is what this is being called, and that's why Kobe was suspended....

....that's one of the dumbest things I've ever heard. I disagree that he was trying to draw a foul as well, though its not out of the realm of possibility.

as Kobe said, "that's just basketaball" things like that happen all the time. accidents like that happen all the time, on all levels of basketaball. anyone who's ever stepped on to a court knows this.

It is not obvious that it was unintentional. Just by viewing it alone, one would think it was intentional because most players just don't do that, making it not obvious. Apparently, Kobe does this a lot or something so I see how it was unintentional but it is surely not obvious.

Funny thing was in the game tonight Brian Cook hit a guy in his face after taking a jumpshot. Is that a suspension as well?

Hey, after tonights Lakers/Knicks game Brian Cook did the same thing on a follow through when he was blocked by Jeffries late in the 4th. So he should be suspended next. Razz

I think its just Stern not wanting to see his Knicks get Kobe'd.

Brian Cook also flailed his arms around after shooting a jumper in the game against the Knicks tonight! Maybe he should be suspended also!

I seriously think he should. He knocked out Jerome's contact lenses.

Just by viewing it alone, one would think it was intentional because most players just don't do that, making it not obvious.

It might look that way, but if you watched the whole game you would see how small the incident was. Manu fell down, Kobe checked on him, walked off, commentators just said Manu was hurt, refs did nothing, regulation was over. It probably wasn't even as hard as it looked, Manu would flop while he is on the bench to get a call. To give a suspension over a play that probably wouldn't even be called a foul is plain ridiculous.

though in the video Kobe is interviewed and admits to flailing his arms and legs around after a jump shot to "accentuate the foul," which I found hilarious.

Thankyou! I didn't see you post that BK but thats exactly what I am talking about when I say he has done this sort of thing many times before. If Kobe himself says he does it to draw fouls, then he must.

lol, I absolutely love Kobe and am probably his biggest fan in the whole of Australia, but that was a fairly blatent hit. Don't know if it warrented suspension, but he did do it on purpose.

you obviously watched the wrong video. this is just a classic example of Stu Jackson's stupidity. the guy is a joke.

what an unbelievably stupid suspension. it was so obviously unintentional.

Like I said, I'm not sure if it warrented suspension, but I didn't watch the video wrong (how can you watch something wrong???) How is it "so obviously" unintentional? I was looking at it and wondering when it was gonna happen because it was just a normal jump shot to start with, then his arm "just happened" to move straight into Manu's face...
Like I said, I am a big Kobe fan, but he hasn't done anything like that before and he doesn't ever shoot shots like that, lol. The only thing I can think of to defend Kobe would be to say that he was trying to get Manu's arm out of the way and accidently hit his face instead.

I said you watched the wrong video. i didn't say you watched wrong. do you understand the difference now? (surely I don't need to get into detail about this)

but yes, it IS completely obvious that it wasn't intentional. Kobe did not think, while in mid air, with the game clock winding down, after just having his shot blocked, while trying to secure the ball for another shot attempt:

"I'm going to hit Manu in the face with my elbow"

To think so is ridiculous. His arm flailing was merely a reaction in an attempt to sustain balance, or to protect himself from falling unnaturally, and Manu just happened to be in the way. how can ANYONE not see this? an unnatural basketball motion is what this is being called, and that's why Kobe was suspended....

....that's one of the dumbest things I've ever heard. I disagree that he was trying to draw a foul as well, though its not out of the realm of possibility.

as Kobe said, "that's just basketaball" things like that happen all the time. accidents like that happen all the time, on all levels of basketaball. anyone who's ever stepped on to a court knows this.

haha, you tool. I misread something and you try and belittle me for it. Top guy!

How is it completle obvious to anyone that it isn't intentional?!? You don't know that it isn't intentional and I will admit that I can't say it is because obviously I don't know for sure. But I do know that you can hit someone on purpose without premeditating it and saying to yourself "I am going to hit this guy now". I have done it many times in basketball and regretted it straight afterward. I'm not saying for sure Kobe got frustrated at his shot being blocked, on what could have been the game winner, and he just lashed out in frustration, but it is certainly a possiblity.

I can't count how many times I have seen Kobe trying to draw a foul by flailing his arms around like that. Surely as a Kobe fan you must watch him alot and see him do this. When he goes up for a shot and there is some slight contact, he will try draw a foul by falling or flailing his arms/legs around. When he goes to take a jump shot and is about to be blocked, he does the same maneuver to try get the ball out to a teammate. It was definitely an accident that came from him trying to draw a foul.

Well I am a big Kobe fan, but the fact that I live in Australia is a restricts me from seeing him play that much. The difference with this shot, I think, though was that he had already had his shot blocked, it wasn't about to be blocked, it was already blocked.

It probably wasn't even as hard as it looked, Manu would flop while he is on the bench to get a call.

I agree with this 100%.

The difference with this shot, I think, though was that he had already had his shot blocked, it wasn't about to be blocked, it was already blocked.

Thats something I forgot to mention. When Kobe gets his jumpshot blocked he also tries to use that flailing motion to give the impression there was contact. On a potential game winning shot, he had no choice but to pass it off as a foul, so he could have his 2 free throws with little or no time and his chance to win the game for his team.

Only problem this time though, was that in the process of attempting to draw a foul he accidently swept his arm backwards into Manu. If you look at that slow motion video of the incident that Gundy posted, you can see the only reason he flung his arms around like that was to attempt to draw a foul. If it was on purpose and his reason for swiniging his arm was to hurt Ginobili, I doubt you would of seen the other movements he made to make it look like a foul - the "buckling" of his mid section, his right leg kicking out and his left arm making the same motion backwards.

Yeah, I definitely agree that there was a lot of reason to attempt to draw a foul. I just don't understand why he did it that way, lol. I just think he could've done it in a better way, if you know what I mean.

I just think he could've done it in a better way, if you know what I mean.

I definitely understand what your trying to say, but thats Kobe's way of attempting to draw a foul. Next time you watch a Lakers game, pay close attention to whenever Kobe gets in trouble when shooting a jumpshot and you will probably see him attempt the same sort of thing. The reason Manu was hit was probably because he came in from the side, and it wasn't like Kobe could draw a foul by flinging his arms out forward.

I just watched the video and as BigKaboom said, Kobe himself says that he does it to try to draw a foul. Phil Jackson also says the same thing, Kobe does is to draw contact and get to the line if he is heavily contested, along with other players in the NBA.

lol..manu got hit pretty hard though..wasnt his nose bleeding too?..iono but..when you bring your arms down after shooting or somethin..doesnt come down that hard

I just think he could've done it in a better way, if you know what I mean.

I definitely understand what your trying to say, but thats Kobe's way of attempting to draw a foul. Next time you watch a Lakers game, pay close attention to whenever Kobe gets in trouble when shooting a jumpshot and you will probably see him attempt the same sort of thing. The reason Manu was hit was probably because he came in from the side, and it wasn't like Kobe could draw a foul by flinging his arms out forward.

I just watched the video and as BigKaboom said, Kobe himself says that he does it to try to draw a foul. Phil Jackson also says the same thing, Kobe does is to draw contact and get to the line if he is heavily contested, along with other players in the NBA.

I agree a hundred percent. I, a Kobe fan, had watched him do that reaction a million times, the suspension for Kobe was completely absurd.

kobe will get back at the NBA through celts tomorrow. i can feel it.

Celtics, watch out

I just think he could've done it in a better way, if you know what I mean.

I definitely understand what your trying to say, but thats Kobe's way of attempting to draw a foul. Next time you watch a Lakers game, pay close attention to whenever Kobe gets in trouble when shooting a jumpshot and you will probably see him attempt the same sort of thing. The reason Manu was hit was probably because he came in from the side, and it wasn't like Kobe could draw a foul by flinging his arms out forward.

I just watched the video and as BigKaboom said, Kobe himself says that he does it to try to draw a foul. Phil Jackson also says the same thing, Kobe does is to draw contact and get to the line if he is heavily contested, along with other players in the NBA.

Yeah, I'm not disputing the fact that he doesn't usually flail his arms about trying to draw fouls. I've seen that a thousand times over from him. I dunno, this one seemed different to me....maybe because of the fact that Ginobilli was by his side, I'm not sure. It just wasn't the same to me.

Like I said, I'm not sure if it warrented suspension, but I didn't watch the video wrong (how can you watch something wrong???) How is it "so obviously" unintentional? I was looking at it and wondering when it was gonna happen because it was just a normal jump shot to start with, then his arm "just happened" to move straight into Manu's face...
Like I said, I am a big Kobe fan, but he hasn't done anything like that before and he doesn't ever shoot shots like that, lol. The only thing I can think of to defend Kobe would be to say that he was trying to get Manu's arm out of the way and accidently hit his face instead.

Yeah, I'm not disputing the fact that he doesn't usually flail his arms about trying to draw fouls. I've seen that a thousand times over from him. I dunno, this one seemed different to me....maybe because of the fact that Ginobilli was by his side, I'm not sure. It just wasn't the same to me.

Well, you have to be pretty dumb to try to draw a foul hitting the other player. I've seen a lot of players flailing their arms after a shot, but the thing is that they do it with their arms up, not to the side and to the head of an opposing player.

I'm not saying whether the one-game suspension was warranted but if that wasn't intentional then nothing is...

I won't comment on whether it was intentional or not, but the NBA is getting too soft... all these small contact calls. Players drive to the hoop to fish for fouls instead of the basket. Plus Ginobili is a flopping biatch anyways, he would have gotten smacked on the floor if it had been Earl Boykins.

well to me it looks like he was trying to draw the foul. no doubt about it. ive watched too many laker games to not see that. however, usually the offensive player is not supposed to hit the defensive player so that makes this all so special. i think the ruling comes partially after rumors of the NBA cracking down on flops, albeit defensive flops.

He admited he was trying to draw a foul like he always tries to do in those situations. He ended up hitting someone hard so you pay the consequence.

Like I said, I'm not sure if it warrented suspension, but I didn't watch the video wrong (how can you watch something wrong???) How is it "so obviously" unintentional? I was looking at it and wondering when it was gonna happen because it was just a normal jump shot to start with, then his arm "just happened" to move straight into Manu's face...
Like I said, I am a big Kobe fan, but he hasn't done anything like that before and he doesn't ever shoot shots like that, lol. The only thing I can think of to defend Kobe would be to say that he was trying to get Manu's arm out of the way and accidently hit his face instead.

Yeah, I'm not disputing the fact that he doesn't usually flail his arms about trying to draw fouls. I've seen that a thousand times over from him. I dunno, this one seemed different to me....maybe because of the fact that Ginobilli was by his side, I'm not sure. It just wasn't the same to me.

lol, I thought you might bring that up. My point was, though, that I think this one looks different to any other that I have seen.

Intentional or not, it's a standard call/suspension and has been for some time. It even snapped Karl Malone's consecutive game streak back in 1998 when he caught David Robinson with an unintentional elbow. That doesn't mean it's the way things should be but it's not as though the ruling was made simply because it was Kobe Bryant because it's a ruling that's been made countless times before, for stars and scrubs alike.

I still think its a bit harsh. They dont consistently make that call and considering the end game situation it just looked like he was clearing out to hopefully grab the ball and throw it up quickly. I've seen many incidental elbows (even on Kobe) and rarely has a suspension been handed out. Its just kinda baffling that an incidental elbow in a scrappy play at the end of the game deserves the same one game suspension as when a punch is thrown. I still get the feeling if it was a Joe Nobody they wouldnt have handed out the suspension. What I get is that they probably think Kobe and his ego was trying to pull a quick one by them on a rival player for blocking his shot. If they gave a suspension on that play then everytime a big gets a rebound and sticks/swings their elbows out to clear then that should have some repercussion as well since I would place that on a higher level of intention to hit a player. Whether right or wrong I also believe Manu sold it for a bit extra as well.

Whether right or wrong I also believe Manu sold it for a bit extra as well.

Yeah, he painted his eye black. That flopping bastard.

Whether right or wrong I also believe Manu sold it for a bit extra as well.

Yeah, he painted his eye black. That flopping bastard.

Not to that extent.