Should Kobe/Fisher be suspended? (Fisher suspended, Kobe not, page 4)

[kheeko]

Artest feels kobe should have been suspended:


"I thought above the shoulders was a game (suspension), but I guess you can throw elbows above the shoulders," Artest said. "I think Stu (Jackson, the NBA vice president) needs to re-look at that. When you look at that elbow, if that was me throwing that elbow at Kobe, first of all I would have hurt Kobe way more than he hurt me. I probably would have knocked him out with the same force he used on me. Second, it's dangerous.

"That shows me, if Kobe hits me with an elbow, I can just get hit. That just goes to show what type of person Stu Jackson is. I got suspended for a lighter elbow in San Antonio (in the 2006 first round). Maybe David Stern needs to talk to Stu Jackson. It's not fair. He just got a flagrant-1?"

[RAcker]

Artest feels kobe should have been suspended:


"I thought above the shoulders was a game (suspension), but I guess you can throw elbows above the shoulders," Artest said. "I think Stu (Jackson, the NBA vice president) needs to re-look at that. When you look at that elbow, if that was me throwing that elbow at Kobe, first of all I would have hurt Kobe way more than he hurt me. I probably would have knocked him out with the same force he used on me. Second, it's dangerous.

"That shows me, if Kobe hits me with an elbow, I can just get hit. That just goes to show what type of person Stu Jackson is. I got suspended for a lighter elbow in San Antonio (in the 2006 first round). Maybe David Stern needs to talk to Stu Jackson. It's not fair. He just got a flagrant-1?"

$$$$$  Ching    $$$$$ Ching    $$$$$ Ching

NBA Office is ringing up some more fines to go with  Van Gundy's.

[angryguy77]

So an elbo is only bad after the ball goes throught the hoop? Kobe didn't do anything near a basketball play. He should have been suspended. I find it funny taht d12 gets it but Kobe doesnt. Just becasue you are battling for position doesnt give you the right to cheap shot a guy. On the flip side I thig alston should have been finded. It was a soft smack opened fisted. Kobe could have caused serious injury, Alston just bruised some pride. This is why people think the nba is ajoke, and they have every right to think so.

So if we were playing one-on-one and I smacked you everytime you made a shot, that shouldn't have basketball repercussions?  Fines are laughable in the face of the money these guys make every year.  Suspensions are the only real way to get the point across.

No that's not what Im saying, he should have been fined but not suspended. Its a poor move on alstons part I agree and wishe dhouse would have decked him(gald he didnt, we need him). I dont see how the league can justify this. An elbo is an elbo is an elbo, I dont care when it happens. For those of you who think that Kobe shouldn't be suspened I have this to ask: If Kobe had nailed him in the groin, or grabed Rons finger and bent it way back while positioning himself, would that be cause for suspension? Giving him an out because the ball is in the air, doesnt give the right to start swinging elbos. Would it be ok for dwight to do that to scal are a davis? Of course not.

[angryguy77]

So an elbo is only bad after the ball goes throught the hoop? Kobe didn't do anything near a basketball play. He should have been suspended. I find it funny taht d12 gets it but Kobe doesnt. Just becasue you are battling for position doesnt give you the right to cheap shot a guy. On the flip side I thig alston should have been finded. It was a soft smack opened fisted. Kobe could have caused serious injury, Alston just bruised some pride. This is why people think the nba is ajoke, and they have every right to think so.

It has nothing to do with whether the ball goes in the hoop. The ball was in play or "live" when Kobe threw the elbow. Nobody knew whether the shot was going to go in and for that reason, they were pushing and shoving (and elbowing) for rebounding position. Guys have got to be allowed the freedom to play basketball.

Dwight's elbow was totally different. There was no loose ball or live ball or any battling for position. Dwight simply turned and swung the elbow at Dalembert's head. There was absolutely no basketball reason to make such a move. Kobe, again, had a reason to throw out an elbow - he was trying to block out. It doesn't mean that Kobe has a license to throw an elbow to the head while blocking out. But a solid forearm or elbow in the chest happens all the time - it's text book blocking out. The challenge with Kobe's elbow was that it wasn't clear where he hit Artest. If he had unnaturally raised the elbow high and clocked Artest in the face, he probably would have been suspended. But given that A) it was part of a legitimate basketball play and B) it wasn't an absolute clear elbow to the head, he rightly doesn't get suspended.

 

If guys elbo like that on every play there would be a lot of broken ribs in the league and 100% more fights, that a fact.

[paulball2007]

If it was intentional then that absolutely deserved a suspension.  A lot of these kinds of things are also based off of reputation.  Kobe has not been in many situations like these so he unfortunately gets the benefit of the doubt.  If it was reversed and was artest who is know for these types of antics then it would be a no brainer.  To me it looked very much intentional and Kobe should be sitting for game 3 but then again if he sits who's gonna watch the game.  The NBA's in debt and has to pay the bills right? 

[TerreHaute]

I haven't actually seen the play and I haven't read the previous posts, but it really can surprise anyone that Kobe wasn't suspended. I am sure it has been said, but if roles were reversed this would be a no-brainer suspension. We have benefitted from preferential treatment in the past, too.

[angryguy77]

I haven't actually seen the play and I haven't read the previous posts, but it really can surprise anyone that Kobe wasn't suspended. I am sure it has been said, but if roles were reversed this would be a no-brainer suspension. We have benefitted from preferential treatment in the past, too.

Its not a surprise to me because I didnt expect it to happen. But it still is a complete in your face exception the league made. This is an insult to every fan of the game. Stu saw the replay, I don't see how anyone can think that he was just"positioning" himself.