NEW YORK -- In NBA shorthand, it is known as the elbow rule: Strike an opposing player above the shoulders with an elbow foul, and it's an automatic ejection. It was the rule invoked to suspend Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard in Game 6 of the first round -- a rule that the NBA has to debate whether to apply Thursday on another busy day in the office of NBA executive vice president Stu Jackson. Several physical plays from Wednesday night's playoff games were under review, and one of the biggest questions was: Where exactly did Kobe Bryant's elbow make contact with Ron Artest? And the natural follow-up: Should Bryant be punished -- even suspended -- for his actions on the play that led to Artest's ejection in one of several dust-ups during Game 2 of the Lakers-Rockets series? Jackson also was reviewing whether Lakers guard Derek Fisher merited an additional penalty -- likely a one-game suspension -- for his flagrant-2 foul against Houston's Luis Scola. He also has to review Magic guard Rafer Alston's slap to the back of Eddie House's head in the second half of Boston's victory over Orlando in their Eastern Conference semifinal series. "The plays are under review," NBA spokesman Tim Frank said. Jackson attended the Rockets-Lakers game, then took a red-eye flight back to New York and headed to the league's Fifth Avenue office tower to review the plays in question. On the Bryant-Artest play, the two were battling for rebounding position when Bryant struck Artest with his elbow. Artest immediately began gesturing and arguing that he had been elbowed in the neck, but replays appeared to show Bryant's elbow striking Artest on his upper chest, just above the "R" on Artest's Rockets jersey. Rule 12, Part A, Section 5-Q of the official NBA rule book cites: "Elbow fouls which make contact above shoulder level, and punching fouls, although recorded as both personal and team fouls, are unsportsmanlike acts. The player will be ejected immediately." On the Fisher foul, the replays appeared to show clear premeditation -- which usually is enough for the league to tack on an accompanying one-game suspension. But replays also showed the actual foul against Scola happened when Fisher lowered his shoulder and knocked Scola over, with Fisher only swinging his elbow on the follow-through. In the Magic-Celtics game, Alston smacked House in the back of the head with an open hand after he said House elbowed him in the stomach after hitting a 3-point shot. And while Alston's smack clearly did not fall under the rule that calls for an automatic suspension for throwing a punch, Jackson still has to decide whether it was an egregious enough act in and of itself to warrant a suspension for Friday night's Game 3 in Orlando. Chris Sheridan covers the NBA for ESPN Insider. http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=4149018 I didn't even know Stu Jackson was there. Maybe a suspension is possible?
It's irrelevant where the elbow actually hit. It's the fact that he wound up and threw an intentional elbow.
T - wound up? Come on man... Also, for those that think everyone is on the Lakers' side. Please tell me when you ever see this ESPN headline: http://img140.imageshack.us/img140/3171/60730412.jpg lol
ESPN is taking a position that the best player in the series and one of the most popular in the league DIDN'T do something to merit a suspension when they are going to be broadcasting the next game? Someone get me a chair because I'm about to faint!
Struck him on the chest, no suspension. No Foul. No fine. Nothing. After all, it is Kobe. Move along.
which is viewed objectively. Also depending on what type of message NBA wants to send for the rest of playoff. I say Kobe will be on the shelf for game 3.
imo it should have been a double foul and nothing else, you can't be sure he was intentionally elbowing him, and it is difficult to see exactly where he hit him, but an elbow to the chest is still a foul, and so is an arm on the shoulder, double foul imo, it's funny how the first foul is actually caught when it is the rockets and the second is ignored when it is the lakers, yao never gets that benefit, nor do alot of other players who are victims of the refs only noticing the 2nd foul
LOL, no way Kobe hits him in his chest on the right side, are you kidding me ? By the way, if the NBA had any integrity they would just suspend Kobe based on what he did in the first game and not even look at it. Funny how Kobe should've been suspended for both game 2 & 3 based on the rules, guess the adulterer is above the law. Stern and the NBA are sucking Kobe's johnson really hard right now. Don't worry, God knows how to deal with adulterers and worshippers.
Early word according to the LA Times is that Fisher will be suspended and Kobe will be assessed a Flagrant 1 foul. http://www.latimes.com/sports/baske...akersweb8-2009may08,0,1243101.story?track=rss
The league will NOT suspend Kobe because it was on Ron and how Ron reacted. I think if Ron didn't or wasn't aggressive after the elbow but spoke out instead afterward with the media, the league jsut might consider his play. But if it was Kobe striking an elbow to sportsmanlike Battier, that chance of Kobe being suspend would be more plausible. But this is Ron we are talking about and he's going to get a BIAS treatment from the league.
The league has to consider also that they have just passed on suspending Kobe for what he did on battier on game 1, a player cannot get free passes every game.
That should be a suspension by Bryant. That elbow he threw is too dangerous and too powerful..it could have really hurt someone if it landed on the head. Wheather it's intensional or not...how the hell you know that except the man himself?? To me, it's intensional and he was conscious of doing that. I think it did land on Artest throat...or he wouldn't have cause such a stir.
If Kobe gets away with that elbow to Ron's neck (yes, neck, as is clearly seen in that YouTube video shot from the fan's seat), it will be obvious the fix is in. Kobe has always been a dirty player. Fish, though, I hated to see him tarnish his rep with that cheap shot on Scola. I haven't seen anything that low since Kermit turned Rudy's face into a Picasso. BTW, can Scola take a punch?
That BSPN guy is a f'n idiot if he thinks the replay shows Kobe's elbow hitting Artest just above the "R" on his jersey. That is totally false. I've watched it countless times from every angle, and there's simply no view anywhere of the front of Ron's jersey. However, if you watch the live action slo-mo replay, it's indisputable that Kobe's elbow is ABOVE Ron's shoulder and appears to hit Ron right under the chin. This guy is just making it up on the basis of a bad replay angle from TNT.
kill this all this suspend kobe talk......not gonna happen in this lifetime.... any person in there right mind thinkin the nba is gonna suspend derek fisher and kobe bryant is clearly off there rocker.........i am willing to bet on that......d fish is definately gone for sure........they wouldnt dare do him and kobe.........impossible........
What happens if Kobe gets a flagrant 1? We shoot a free throw at the beginning of the game and if Kobe gets another technical, he's kicked out of the game?
