The initial response from Artest was that Kobe elbowed him in the throat. Why would Artest just make that up? I'm sure he thought in his head..hey I can get Kobe ejected or possibly suspended if I say that he hit me above shoulder level Games like last night confirm what everyone outside of LA has known for a while -- Kobe is a B. He threw a cheap shot and then just stood there like a punk. And that you cant stop me stuff over and over is getting old. This is why people root for LBJ and despise Kobe.
Show's Kobe got him in the chest... League sources say Kobe gets a flagrant 1.. right call IMO. Let's just move on with this guys.. there's been enough debate on this, video proof is also there.
Question - because I don't remember what happened after the contact. After KB gets the ball - all the players start looking at the sidelines. Whistle blown? Foul? What stopped the play?
take the same sequence from the other angle, which is on the ESPN site in the jalen rose segment, and Kobe clearly takes a swing. it looks like the point of the elbow is below the neck, but he sweeps up, and looks to me like he does catch ron in the through w/ at least part of his arm. the elbow is clearly deliberate; the point of impact not quite clear; but keep in mind it's a big arm, and ron definitely got caught with part of it.
Something I'll ask you guys - If Artest got hit by THAT elbow in the throat, he'd be down. Doesn't make much sense that he'd be fine after taking a 'bow to the throat. I think Artest was pissed there was no call on it - and warned Kobe not to do anything like that again. Also, Artest's elbow was pushing forward his head. It was a bang bang play, Kobe was throwing him off while turning for the rebound. Pretty crazy stuff. Obviously not all of us are going to see it the same...
The precedent has been set. When you are boxing out, throw your elbows out into the chest of opposing players. Since it is "only" the chest, and not the neck, you are fine. If only Deke was still playing....
what do you think would have happened if ron threw an identical elbow? what do you think would have happened if ron knocked into someone like fisher did? it wouldn't be a question. i say they would be considering removing ron from the series if he did what fisher did, and i bet its a two game suspension minimally if ron threw an elbow like kobe. what really pissed me off was doug collins talking about what a tough play fisher had made. makes me sick. cheap shots not the same as a playing tough. fisher made a gutless move. AB needs to torch him next game. Torch him.
If you see it both ways then it hit both. Even if it hit the chest, as long as it hit some part of his neck, it's a flagrant.
Was the call on Ron an 'over the back?' I'm just dumbfounded by the call. It reminds me of Deke getting a foul on his career ending injury. It's like the refs anticipated a foul and just blew the whistle by instinct rather than reacting to the play. To make it worse there were the blown, legit, over the back fouls that went on all game with no whistles. The more I think about it, the more sour I feel about the NBA. The whole playoffs have been a model of incompetence.
I doubt it Kobe will get suspended cause well he is Kobe. But if Robert Horry can get suspended for what he did to Steve Nash last year then Derek Fisher should get suspended for what he did to Luis Scola. And Fisher's hit was much more worst. Game 3 without Derek Fisher, Kobe Bryant, and Ron Artest should at least favor the Rockets if it is going to happen.
completely agree. it's not like these still images are cartoons and have slash marks near the elbow to show motion. videos stopped in frames should be used. not still shots alone. just assanine.
Not much in the way of "proof", and I'm not arrogant enough to say "that's it. I win". But yeah, in the second one here Kobe's elbow is interposed on Ron's chin, so it hit at the very least on the clavicle, I think. Whether the clavicle is above the shoulders in the NBA's terms, who knows. I'll be fine either way. It was a dirty play, but it didn't hurt Ron to any real extent.
just now able to check in - - thought all day about Deke - Geez would I love to have those "sharpened" elbows now... Any chance he could just stand in the lane and whack Kob'ie with a crutch ?
i am personaly ok with a fisher suspension and kobe will walk away scott free, just like he has many times in the past. i still think we can take them and that's all that matters at this point. they are dirty tho and are now on my jazz/mavs list.
Great work. The still frame on the right most likely captures the exact same moment I've been going on and on about after watching the replay on my dvr. That is the same pointed elbow I saw on my TV when I hit pause on the dvr as Yao's shot clanged off the rim.
the league can look into it all they want.. in the end there is no way in hell the NBA will suspend Kobe...i wouldn't be surprised if Kobe got away with murder on the court...
