How is it that Kobe Bryant can elbow a guy in the jaw on a key play of an NBA Finals game, right in front of the whole world, and no foul is called?
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How is it that Kobe Bryant can elbow a guy in the jaw on a key play of an NBA Finals game, right in front of the whole world, and no foul is called?
Same reason Jordan, LeBron and Kobe are permitted to walk…er, crab dribble…from the top of the key all the way to the basket.
Any way you slice it, it's unfair and the main reason I hate the NBA.
jason, don't cry because the magic didn't return the love you gave them.
the elbow wasn't called a foul because it's not a foul. nelson ran into the elbow. kobe was already moving to pass before nelson got there. he didn't even have the elbow extended outward.
here's a great angle for that play:
http://www.e-imagesite.com/Files/kobe%20elbow6440963.gif
Come on Terje. I'm all fof free speech and opinions, but that's lame. The guy went to double, and Bryant elbowed him in the jaw. Unintentional, I'm sure, but intent has nothing to do with it. Nelson was moving to double … what's he supposed to do … double while standing still? LeBron was called for the exact same foul — I believe in Game 4. The Magic didn't lose this game because of this elbow. They gave it away in numerous ways. But this was a foul. If this were not a foul, guys would clear defenders away from them every time they have the ball by swinging their elbows.
the nba rules back me up.
"EXCEPTION: Rule 3–Section I–a.
d. If a dribbler has sufficient space to have his head and shoulders in advance of his defender, the responsibility for illegal contact is on the defender."
i'm sure kobe anticipated the double from nelson and made his move in that direction. which is perfectly legal. notice the positioning of nelson's feet. the right one is inside kobe's left arch and the left one is toe to toe with kobe's right foot. kobe's right arm is almost against his face, the elbow is not extended and it's a clear basketball move rather than an attack on nelson. notice kobe was looking past nelson in the direction of his pass.
what was nelson supposed to do? he did what he had to do. but he encroached on the dribbler's space by having his foot underneath kobe's body. he was too close to kobe. it's a clear no-call.
Are you responding to blog responses on your days off?
I did. I guess I need to re-evaluate my approach.
Is that the same elbow that Mo received AND WAS CALLED for a foul?? I don't think it was a foul as Kobe didn't intentionally elbow him. He hit him while trying to hide the ball from a steal. No foul…but I do agree on one thing…the officiating in the playoffs has been poor and inconsistent.
I'd like to ask the refs the question if they saw it and it was considered a no-call, or if they simply didn't see it. You'd think somebody in the media would ask somebody in power the question.
By the way, I went to the store this afternoon, I saw the PD there … I got a chuckle out of that leaked Mike Brown story. You can be certain that this story is, at long last, finally something that Ferry himself didn't leak. Those goofs in the front office are now in full Roger Clemens denial mode. Gee, how shocking that their Plain Dealer media pawns are denying it for them, too. Whatever.
Hey, Pat, it's June, didn't you say you were supposed to go with your daughters to Montana so you can shoot a herd of buffalo, or something? There's no buffalo to shoot in Westlake, dude. And no, a herd of Ilgauskas doesn't count.
Here is the difference between Lebron and Kobe. If Lebron gets the same no-call (and I frankly agree it should be a no-call – Nelson crowded Kobe which made it impossible for him to not elbow him), he kicks it out to Mo Williams who if is is a playoff game (and especially a championship playoff game) bricks the shot. Same if it is Wally, Delonte, or Boobie. But Kobe passes to a proven winner who knocks down the shot.
The other difference in this series is Jackson vs. Van Gundy. Jackson is dominating him as Van Gundy dominated Mike Brown (which is why Mike Brown should be fired – coaches are most important in the playoffs not the regular season). Going the length of the court rather than half court in bound – brilliant. Handling the matchups – brilliant. As annoying as Phil Jackson is, he is the best coach in the game. Period. And possible the best coach ever (at least his 10 titles in an era when it is harder to win a champsionship makes that argument).
"Going the length of the court rather than half court in bound – brilliant." Yeah, it would be brilliant except the whole strategy was predicated on the fact that Jackson said they did that because they thought they had a foul to give (which they didn't). Sounds more like luck than brilliant strategy.
always so lame, Terje……get a life beyond sports.
There is a life beyond sports?? Only chicks and gay guys would say something so naive.
maybe i should take up joyce's hobby.
obsessing over me.
There is some kind of tension between terje and Joyce that reminds me of the old Bruce Willis/Cybil Shepherd thing on "Moonlighting."
But if memory serves, Bruce Willis and Cybil Shepherd eventually consummated their tension. Am I reading wedding bells in the tea leaves for terje and Joyce? My online stalker Rick and I were secretly married in a private ceremony in Key West, is there any reason why terje and Joyce can't tie the knot in a little chapel in Vegas?
You and Rick should surprise those two by setting up some kind of double date thing.
No, I don't want to put undue pressure on those cute kids. This isn't "Seinfeld," this is real life.
Pretty funny if not for the "secretly married in a private ceremony in Key West".
As if you ever get out of the house! I certainly wouldn't want to be the cause of your internets withdrawal. That certainly would not be something to unleash on Key West, let alone the rest of the world.
You're so darned cute and cuddly when you're smart-alecky. By the way, we've never actually determined if you're the husband or the wife. Oh, well. I guess we've got the rest of our lives to decide.
Yeah, because the sainted LeBron never gets a stinking call now does he?