Yup!! We checked it during halftime, I had to make sure myself. In real time it appears Ron flopped but when you slow down the play, Kobe brings his left arm up and catches Ron right under the chin. It's a hard to see from the angle we got but it was a elbow to the chin. The tech is the right call.
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^ LOL! Gracias, BaiHua. Ron's face when he looks like he's saying "Oh, so this right here [showing his blood] is NOT a foul, emmeffer?" and the seriousness of his face are priceless. I really wished ALL OF YOU emmeffers saying "it was nothing" would say it in front of Artest so he can show you the BLOOD on his tongue from the hit like he did Kobe.
Ironic that David Stern announced in a press conference at toyota center before game 6 that he's pushing for the NBA to use more replay to make teh right calls (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/playoffs/2009/news/story?id=4167920) . the nba was good about immediately acknowledging they missed the nuggets/mavs debaucle, but where the hell is stern now?! stuffing his face with a $7 dreyers ice cream at the toyota center?!
Kobe didnt deserve a tech, just a personal. Ron sold it, trying to get the personal on Kobe. His reaction was no different than Kobe throwing his arms around on a drive to try and get the call. Biting your tongue like that hurts like hell!
I wonder if that is part of the reason why Ron ran off. I've wanted to do that in restaraunts before when I bit my tongue, and that is without the elbow in the jaw.
Its just good hard basketball. I agree it should have been a personal on Kobe. I think Ron ran away because the last time he confronted Kobe, Artest got ejected, citing "Past Profiling" as he called it. I think it shows Ron is growing up in Houston. The tech is a just reward for not getting in Kobe's face again.
for the guys who say that it should just be a pf, do you see kobes forearm/elbow hitting artest's chin / or above the shoulders at least.. isn't that a flagrant foul at least?
LOL! No the reason Ron ran off was because Kobe's been throwing elbows all series(And getting away with it)!! Ron wanted to snap his neck!!! Running away was the best thing Ron could have done.
I was actually wondering why Ron was sticking his tongue out, I thought he was just clowning around. He really looked half-insane when he did it lol.
At first, I though Ron flopped. But seeing the slow motion replay, it is clear Kobe quickly and in a subtle manner makes contact with Ron's chin right above the neck. Cheap, dirty play. You guys are right it shouldn't have been a technical, it should have been a flagrant 1.
Incidental contact happens but when you are out on the perimeter, without the ball you have to be thinking "get my elbow in his face" to pop a dude who is slightly taller than you in the mouth with an elbow. Even if it was somehow accidental that's what Kobe gets for making a reputation of elbowing people. Welcome to Ron's Worl, Colby Brian.
Kobe should be suspended...he elbowed him. It clear as daylight. Stern and NBA will not suspend it just because game 7 is in LA and its Kobe. Conspiracy i think.
Ron was crowding him to deny him the ball, I've seen countless plays were an offensive player pushes off to get separation but it's usually a push off to the chest (Hell I've done that during a game) But goin high with an elbow isn't incidental contact.
it was a cheap shot. Ron did sell it, but Kobe did go for for a cheap shot and there was some contact. Kobe's good at hiding his shots but got caught on this one. I think a T is the right call. 1) because it was a cheap shot 2) it sends the message that the refs won't tolerate it and they dont want the game getting out of hand like earlier in the series.
it was more of a forearm shiver than an elbow kobe's a dirty player end of story i think for those of you who are saying it shouldn't have warranted a tech have never been hit in the mouth ron sold it? getting hit by a forearm shiver effin hurts especially when the dude is jumping into it
Ditto. You tech him up because you don't want to send a message that this activity is okay. Otherwise you'd have players clocking each other in the face with elbows.
