there should be no reason to hit someone in the head is another reason. the ball is hardly ever held near the head, and all fouls should be in going for the ball, except for rebounding, loose ball fouls, or picks.
Anybody who thinks that Raja Bell shouldn't be suspended is ridiculous. I know we all hate the Lakers and everything but that was a deliberate act, a straight up clothesline. I would be pissed as hell if that happened to McGrady and no action was taken against the player that did it.
Again, I support Bell's suspension. In fact, anything not going after the ball, but rather putting players in danger, should be punished, harder. So was Walton's play on Thomas, more so, on Bowen's undercutting VC etc.
just think of it this way, if there is not a suspension or another severe punishment it gives other players the green light to do the same thing in essence they could send Turiaf out there to clothesline nash and push him to the floor and he will be ejected, no big deal for the lakers right the fact that the suns are crying about kobe getting more treatment and that bell has been getting elbowed is pathetic...they should watch the video and see these hits hes taking....its okay to stand up for your teamamte just dont go on the offensive without knowing the details
and there it is..... Bell suspended one game for takedown of Bryant PHOENIX -- The NBA suspended Phoenix guard Raja Bell for one game on Wednesday for throwing Kobe Bryant to the floor in the fourth quarter of Tuesday night's playoff game against the Los Angeles Lakers. That means the Suns will be without Bell, the principal defender against Bryant, for Game 6 Thursday night in Los Angeles. Phoenix beat the Lakers 114-97 in Game 5 but Los Angeles still leads the best-of-seven series 3-2 and can eliminate the Suns with a victory. In a brief news release, the NBA said Bell was suspended for "excessive and unnecessary contact." "I have no respect for him. I think he's a pompous, arrogant individual." Raja Bell, about Kobe Bryant The suspension had yet to be announced when the Suns practiced earlier Wednesday before leaving for Los Angeles. After the workout, Bell repeated that throwing Bryant down was wrong but explained what led to the foul and made clear his dislike for the Lakers' star. "I have no respect for him," Bell said. "I think he's a pompous, arrogant individual." Bell said he had been repeatedly hit in the face by Bryant during the game. "I got a bruised cheek here and I can barely open my jaw on this side," he said, indicating the left side of his face, "and that didn't come from nowhere, and I felt like I'd had enough of that." Bell said it went from a game to a personal insult. "When I get hit in the face multiple times, you've stepped across the line with me," he said. "It's not basketball anymore. It was basketball for four games, then when he hit me in the face, that was the last straw last night. It still doesn't excuse me, but that's just the way I felt about it." At the other end of the court just before Bell threw Bryant down, the Suns guard said he complained to referee Greg Willard about getting hit in the face, and Lakers coach Phil Jackson hollered out that Bell "deserved it," adding a profanity to emphasize the point. That's why Bell pointed to the Lakers' bench yelling "That's your foul!" after he threw Bryant down. Bell and Bryant received a double-technicals in the second quarter. A few minutes after Bell was tossed, Bryant was thrown out of the game for his second technical for complaining about James Jones' hard foul on Kwame Brown. The latest incident is part of a season-long series of expressions of mutual contempt between Bell and Bryant. After Tuesday night's game, Bryant said he hoped Bell wouldn't be suspended but added that players can't afford to lose their temper in games. "I'm not trying to go out there and elbow somebody, that's not the way I play," Bryant said. "If you get elbowed, you still have to keep your cool. I get elbowed all the time." Bell called Bryant's comments "hypocritical." Bell's teammate Steve Nash said the Lakers have gotten the best of the officiating in the series. "We're playing a very heated battle and people on the outside are constantly telling guys that we've got to be more physical," Nash said. "It's tough, and he's faced a lot this series. He's done a great job on Kobe, and Kobe gets away with whatever he wants. That's kind of frustrating." http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/playoffs2006/news/story?id=2431979
Lakers have a knack for ticking off fancy teams who don't know what playing hard in the playoffs means.
You have to suspend Bell, just to clarify to every other player that the NBA will not become the NFL. (Hell, you'd get 15 yards in the NFL for what he did.) IMHO, the penalty was mild, maybe because it was the first warning. Next player who pulls a Bell this postseason should be suspended till next year. And yes, Bryant's an *******. So what.
Kobe Bryant is an amazing player, he is this year's MVP, I think I detect a tone of jealousy or contempt. Also, I think it's fair to keep in mind we should not mix the player with the person.
If you want amazing players, Kobe Bryant in those video games are more amazing. You can separate the player with the person all you want. I prefer to cheer a real person who is a player, not a player who is in a fantasy world called the basketball court.
i completely agree....especially with the part about the suns taking the flopping mantle for the nba at the moment i agree and i'm glad he was suspended i was saying this to myself the whole time....raja is just pathetic this a great observation....nash has especially crying and whining i guess the suns thought that their run n gun style was gonna allow them to waltz right into the nba finals or something.....the only thing they need to start b****ing about is their inability to play defense
Good point, Wise One. Let's not mix the player with the person. You, for example, might nevertheless be one hell of a basketball player.
I didnt mean to offend you, I was just making a point. And I know I may never be a great basketball player, but neither will you.
this is going 7. smush parker is a worthless piece of crap. two pathetic offensive possessions in a row, even manages to fall down on the last one to give phoenix a 5 on 4. and kwame has not moved an inch as both nash and diaw have strolled past him for uncontested layups. the lakers lost their passion for defense at some point in game 5 and don't look like they're getting it back. and the suns have their shots back. if they're shooting like this, the lakers can't beat them no matter what.
are the lakers going to turn the ball over every single time down the court? i think i could play the suns 1 on 5 and not turn it over this many times by now. is tim thomas ever going to miss? are the suns going to get every single call? the team that set the record for fewest free throws in a season sure does get there easily.
I hate this stupid Jill chick from the cell phone(nokia?) commercials. That ugly chica is on every other commercial break on TNT. I would like to see how drunk the guy is who gets her number in a bar.
