An infamous elbow
Posted September 10th, 2006 by Brian Windhorst
As you may have read over the weekend, Greek national team player Nikos Zisis is still pretty upset about the elbow he got from Anderson Varejao in the FIBA World Championship and wants to sue him. Considering he had to undergo surgery last week after spending a week in the hospital in Japan, it is understandable he is trying to get some measure of revenge because it isn’t likely the two will ever seen each other on a basketball floor again.
Based on some of my e-mail and some things I’ve read on message boards, I want to address a few things about this issue.
I’m not smart enough to be a lawyer so I can’t even begin to guess how Zisis would successfully sue Varejao considering the event happened in a country neither player lives in nor works in. However, ultra-bright University of Nebraska law student Zach Hemenway informs me this case set the precedent that an athlete could sue another athlete for something that happens outside the rules on the field of play. However even Zach doesn’t exactly see how Zisis can win without direct evidence of intent and everything seems to be circumstantial.
I had extended conversations in Japan with members of the Greek media. Now I must point out that these guys were hardly objective, for example they cheered from the press box, waived Greek flags during the game, and hugged and kissed players following the victory over the U.S. But they painted a picture of how Zisis and Varejao were battling back and forth. How after Zisis was angry after Varejao supposedly flopped — and let’s be honest, he’s known to do that — and how supposedly Varejao warned him not to come into the paint when he was standing there.
For his part, Varejao doesn’t not say he’s sorry. I cannot verify the exact translation because I do not speak Portugese, but a poster at RealCavsFans says he translated this story from Brazil where Varejao said the following:
“I’ve learned from the press what Nikos Zisis has been saying and I was surprised and sad with it. Zisis accused me of being disloyal and a bad character, he said I hit him on purpose and named me an “animal” and “murderer”. I hadnt answered anything so far because I did not want to make a big deal out of it and because my conscience is clean that it was just his bad luck in that play and because I understand that he’s upset at this time because of the injury.
But I think Zisis has crossed the line with this thing. Because of everything he’s been saying and because the way things are shaping. Now I have to watch Zisis sue me, claiming an “murderer act” by my part. It’s clear to me what he really wants with all this. Zisis shoud know that bball is a contact game. It was on one of this contacts that he got hurt. It was a normal game play, but he ended up getting hurt.
That is so true that the referees, and there were three of them, ruled as a normal foul and no one claimed anything at that moment. Because I saw the injury was bad I came to him to apologise but he turned his back on me. It’s an absurd that he keeps blaming me. Accusing me that it was intentional. I’ve always been a loyal, clean player. A player that respects the opponent and that plays eyeing the ball.
Last season, I had a bad injury playing for Brazil that kept me from playing for six months and I didnt have to seek for people to blame to justify my injury. I think Zisis should do the same and focus on his rehab. He should stop feeding tabloids and talking sillyness.”
I feel like I know Andy and his game. I know that sometimes it appears he plays absent minded, but actually I think he’s fairly sharp. If you remember last season he took a shot at Rasheed Wallace and got ejected in Detroit and did it without looking like he was trying to. I’ve watched the Zisis video numerous times and I think that play in Detroit is comparable. I don’t think Andy wanted to inflict such damage to Zisis’ face and certainly he didn’t mean to him him as hard as he did. But I there’s a good chance he came in high with his elbow to send a message.
So that makes his name mud in Greece, but after being called soft many times last season I predict Cavs fans won’t mind at all.
September 11th, 2006 at 11:20 am
I have to say that I enjoy reading your columns, but I think you exaggerated a little too much when you wrote that the Greek media waved Greek flags in the press box during their game vs. the U.S. I was there, and I was right behing you the whole time, and I can say without a doubt that the Greek media did cheer every basket the Greek team made, but I watched the whole game and not once did I see anyone wave a Greek flag in the press box, and even if someone did, it was for a split second. Their cheering in the press box was definitely unprofessional though. However, in their defense, the Chinese media was just as bad, if not worse, during the world championships.
September 11th, 2006 at 12:07 pm
“For his part, Varejao doesn’t not say he’s sorry. I cannot verify the exact translation because I do not speak Portugese.”
I cannot say that I do not speak Portuguese, but I still wouldn’t say you cannot not have a future in politics, Brian.
September 11th, 2006 at 12:24 pm
I get it why reporters should be impartial. I have a journalism degree and all that. But I have to be honest: I have never understood the big deal about reporters cheering at sports games. The simple truth is that if you’re not thrilled and excited to be there, there is no point in being interested in sports at all. No point at all. (Politics, on the other hand…) Is it taboo for theater critics to clap at great performances? Can restaurant critics tip big if they like the service? Clapping and cheering is just what you do at great performances. Never doing that feels dishonest to me. I wouldn’t wave an American flag myself, and I don’t cheer on press row at NBA games, but I can’t see getting all upset at those Greek reporters. Of course they love their team. Is that so terrible?
September 11th, 2006 at 1:16 pm
Ok flat out….watch the tape. Andy “INTENTIONALLY” hit the greek player. If it wasn’t intentional, his elbow would have moved backwards at least slightly upon contact. His elbow in the video clearly does not do this. If anything it slightly moves forward prepping for the contact and stiff follow through. If his elbow stays steady the whole time, this means he knew the contact was coming. I dont care where it “appears” he was looking or what he says he was doing. He was ticked off and used a cheap shot to prove a point in a manner he didnt think would be noticed. He let it happen the way it did, so that he could say it was an accident like your all saying.
If your just holding up your hands there is no way in hello you break someones jaw and have them require surgery even if you run full tilt into it. Andy threw the elbow because he was rightfully mad. He is now covering his intentions with this story.
If i was the greek player i would be ticked too. How about i look the other way during which time andy’s balls accidently make contact with my fist while he’s runnning by.
If anything he is only sorry about the damage he caused. Claiming this was just an accident during the course of the game is absurd. Whats more absurd is all the idiots in the media are actually buying this crap.
There is nothing accidental about this whole thing and i hope the greek player gets some cake outa it for his troubles.
September 11th, 2006 at 2:21 pm
I must say I am not a fan of Anderson and when watching the elbow it’s clearly intentional. Lets hope that he didn’t want to inflict that much damage to the Greek player but that sort of thing happens when you take cheap shots whether you mean to do it or not.
As for the shot he took on Rasheed Wallace, it clearly looked like he meant to do it, so much so that he got a flagrant 2. And so did the shot he took on the Greek player. Its going to follow him for the rest of his career if he doesn’t stop playing the thug.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wz0O6_WCjAY
September 11th, 2006 at 11:14 pm
If I remember correctly, wasn’t the shot at Wallace in response to Wallace’s hit against Z?
The Ohio papers proceded to run a bunch of columns lamenting how no one on the Cavs stood up to Detroit or for Z. I always thought that Varejao was just letting Sheed know the Cavs weren’t gonna be pushed around.
But ya, he may have not wanted to break the dude’s face, but that elbow was no accident.
September 12th, 2006 at 12:35 am
Did not know a lot about your player before the “Zisis incident”, so my first thoughts were that it may have been an unintentional hit.
Looking at the comments from other people and the previous Varejao incident with Wallace, I must say that this person seems to have some kind of temper problem.
I don’t think Zisis should sue him. What is the point ? Ethical satisfaction?
Can understand, as he did not get to play in Greece’s greatest moment in basketball history, (along with knocking USA out of the tournament.)
Let it be. Zisis will still be around for next World Championship and we hope Varejao will be also. Not for revenge, but for him to see and to learn how to play fair.
September 12th, 2006 at 10:11 am
Anderson retaliated against Sheed for intentionally crushing Ilgauskas’s skull. That was premeditated and Anderson got the punishment he deserved.
As for the Greek folks who are 100% sure Anderson elbowed your man on purpose, I think it was 100% unintentional. I’ve watched the film many times and I can’t find a lick of evidence that he did it on purpose. He was following the ball and reacted to a pass to the wing player. Anderson plays hard, and tends to irritate opposing players with his relentlessness, but I am hard pressed to think he would try to break an opponent’s face to prove a point.
September 12th, 2006 at 12:55 pm
Hey Brian..
Apparently it’s the “Kobe supporters” who have blinders? Sure about that Mr. beat writer? Last time I checked, it was KOBE who landed on the all-nba defensive team…again. You made it seem like the Kobe supporters wanted him solely based on the offense, which is completely inaccurate (an obvious mischaracterization).
Kobe is the defender that Jordan was and that LeBron never will be.
September 12th, 2006 at 5:46 pm
last time i checked it was LBJ who lead his team to game 7 against the defending champs in the 2nd rd of the playoffs while kobe was helping his team choke away a first- round series to the suns.
furthermore, LBJ can do anything kobe can do on the defensive end and kobe CANNOT do what LBJ does like guard dirk, for instance…it’s not really kobe’s fault as he’s too small to do so but hey, life’s unfair…oh, and the next time kobe holds tony parker to like 6 points while HE scores 44 while leading his team to a win, let me know. of course, LBJ has already done that, so…
September 13th, 2006 at 3:21 pm
Elizabeth of greece obviously does not play sports. If she(?) did then she would know that there is absolutely know way you can watch that tape…imagaine you were actually standing next to Andy and feel it was an accident. This is NOT an accident. If you still dont believe that….physics dont lie. I feel bad for the greek player because odds are he will get a judge who has never played sports either and won’t know how completely impossible it is for someone to run into any part of your body, an there to be no give in the other direction, unless there is intentional counter force. There was no need for Andy to put intentional counter force at that point of the game standing where he was standing, unless it was for a cheap shot. Lastly force had to be equal on both ends to break a bone. The greek player was running like a mad man which he was suppose to be doing. If the greek players jaw got smashed Andy would have had to put a comparible amount of counter force to break it. If his elbow/forearm was just moving normally in the greek players direction it would not have broken a bone. Andy’s arm would naturally have gone backwards. Hold your arm up and try it. It is IMPOSSIBLE. There is no way around it.
I really like Andy’s style of play and hustle. Im still a fan but the kid’s lying through his teeth. Anyone who cannot see or understand this is either blinded or or just not bright.
September 14th, 2006 at 8:38 am
Damn they come out of the woodwork around here.
Joey M, if we applied your “physics” lesson to Lebron’s broken cheek bone he suffered a while back we can come to the conclusion that Mutumbo purposely intended to harm Lebron, even though it looked like LBJ just ran into Dikembe’s elbow.
I mean you broke it down so well, no way anyone could break a bone just running into another player.
God, I can’t wait till the season starts.
September 14th, 2006 at 11:17 am
Not that I’m glad to see anyone hurt, but I am glad to see Varejao playing with some edge. With the ultra-finesse Drew Gooden and Zydrunas Ilgauskas starting, it’s good to have some toughness and sharp elbows coming off the bench. That’s what Varejao and Scot Pollard should provide.
Every good team (especially in the East) needs a few guys that can kick a little you-know-what. You need some of that, so teams like the Pistons learn that they can’t just bruise you into submission.
September 15th, 2006 at 11:50 am
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