http://www.ohio.com/mld/ohio/sports/basketball/nba/cleveland_cavaliers/17278878.htm Late call lets Cavs star avoid ejection in Game 1 By Brian Windhorst Beacon Journal sportswriter AUBURN HILLS, MICH. - Forget about all the focus on LeBron James and his decision to pass at the end of Game 1. It turns out that the Cavaliers were fortunate that he was even playing in the fourth quarter. According to the rules, James should've been ejected late in the third quarter. The NBA made no official announcement, but a league official confirmed Thursday that after a video review, NBA Senior Vice President Stu Jackson charged James with a flagrant foul-penalty 2 on a play with 1:20 left in the third quarter Monday night. Had it been called at the time, James would have been ejected. There was no fine announced, but the usual for flagrant-2 is $5,000. Jackson could've suspended James for Game 2, but decided against it. As James was following through on a jump shot, he elbowed Detroit Pistons center Chris Webber in the head with his right arm. Webber crashed to the floor. There was no foul called by the three game officials. The maneuver was almost exactly the same as the two elbows Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant was suspended for during the season. As Bryant was falling after releasing jump shots on both occasions, he swiped at Manu Ginobili of the San Antonio Spurs and Marko Jaric of the Minnesota Timberwolves. He was suspended after each, with the NBA calling it ``an unnatural basketball act.'' Webber said he didn't feel James intended to hurt him on the play. ``I had jumped up there with him, and we made contact,'' Webber said before Game 2. ``I didn't think he did it on purpose.'' Though there was some chatter about the play on Internet sites and a clip was posted on YouTube, there was almost no media scrutiny of the play. Instead, all were reviewing James' decision to pass to Donyell Marshall with five seconds left. Had the clip been replayed as often as Bryant's elbows, especially the one against Jaric after his first suspension, the NBA might have felt pressure to issue the same penalty.
So the league decided LBJ committed the same flagrant II foul that Kobe did, and not to give the same penalty? Not to mention they didn't even announce this officially while Kobe's foul was made official when it was upgraded to flagrant one (in Bulls game that didn't lead to suspension) The league is busy campaigning LBJ/Wade to the the chosen God and Kobe to be the chosen evil. It's interesting how all medias are buying into this too. Remember how Kobe's elbow was on Sports Center and did we hear a thing about this on TV? There're only 3 minor media talking about this searching Google news.
I don't think it's fair to suspend Kobe(as much as I hate him) and not suspend LeBron for the same exact thing. It seems the league is too much in love with LB that they let him get away with things.
Difference is Kobe has a history of elbowing players. On his jumper his shot was blocked both times (by non black players by the way) LeBron while on his way to making a shot, so it was no frustration swing, and Kobe himself said he swung his arm trying to get contact. Couple that with hitting guys above the shoulders and that = suspension.
Where's this history about Kobe being dirty player? When you are blocked unexpectedly from the side, you stretch your arm to balance yourself in the air, that's a natural react. You won't do that when you are not blocked. LBJ's elbow is more intentional if anything. Your argument about frustration is all BS.
``an unnatural basketball act.'' They should extend that rule to flopping or something. It's disgusting. After watching Ginobili and Fisher try to outflop each other the end of Game 4, it's beginning to look like a play.