Jan.30 at 2:28 pm

JAMS says:
It was a flailing (sp) elbow after his attempt to draw a foul. He shouldn’t have been suspended, or Reggie Miller should have been suspended everyother game for sticking his leg out to make contact to get a foul call. REDONKULOUS

Jan.30 at 2:29 pm

Homie says:
I watched this real time. Yes, Manu is a flopper, but this was no flop. Kob struck him in the face, pure and simple. And what’s worse was the announcing crew said next to nothing about it! Chickens…

Jan.30 at 2:32 pm

Danny W. UK says:
That’s totally f**ked, I saw the game, there was nothing in it. When he stuck his tongue out at Horry after a no call on a 3 pointer was more offensive. I’m losing faith in the powers that be. Imagine Bill Laimbeer trying to play these days…….

Jan.30 at 2:34 pm

Max Airington says:
It happend right in front of the Spurs bench and none of them even reacted to it.

Jan.30 at 2:37 pm

Max Airington says:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-a7TGrVIu3o

Jan.30 at 2:37 pm

DBLIZZY! says:
That was a damn flop. I saw the game real time too and i didn’t even remember the incident. I saw Manu block the shot and on the follow thru of Kobe trying to get the ball, he got hit in the face. That doesn’t warrant a suspension. It’s not like he walked up to him and slapped him. Guys get hit with follow thru’s all the time. A lot of players do “intentional” follow thru’s but suspension is crazy. Manu is a damn flopper and Pop probably called the league on his behalf.

Jan.30 at 2:39 pm

h-wag says:
Kobe hit him straight in the face, so this time it was no flop, but that was more of an accidental hit, so no way thats a suspension.

Jan.30 at 2:39 pm

Sam Rubenstein says:
I was watching as it happened and when I saw it was Manu on the floor I just assumed he was flopping and I walked away for the TV for a bit.

Jan.30 at 2:44 pm

Joe says:
They probably thought “Manu being Manu” ala “Sheed being Sheed”.

Jan.30 at 2:52 pm

DBLIZZY! says:
After watching the video again (thanks Mr. Arrington) Kobe probably did mean to fend him off to get the ball back but he still shouldn’t be suspended. What made them even review that again, if nothing was called during the game? They’re turning the NBA into a CYO league.

Jan.30 at 2:59 pm

Ron says:
Everyone knows Manu was the Valedictorian at The Vladi Divac School of Defense. Why would the league even consider Kobe guilty of wrong doing? The NBA is supposed to push for big market teams to advance far in the playoffs for increased veiwership; why are they constantly help a small market team like the Spurs? I don’t get it.

Jan.30 at 2:59 pm

Ryan Jones says:
That sh*t was intentional and you all know it. Dude is pathological. He should be locked up.

Jan.30 at 3:00 pm

Sammy says:
I think Kobe hit him yeah….but it wasnt anything large enough to for him to be suspended.

Jan.30 at 3:00 pm

Ryan Jones says:
Not Manu. I mean the other one.

Jan.30 at 3:01 pm

Lang Whitaker says:
Kobe’s no OJ Mayo.

Jan.30 at 3:22 pm

Yogi says:
David Stern in my mind continues to lose credibility in how he is running the NBA. This is the last and most obvious incident of the League intentionaly looking out for certain players and teams while letting other suffer. The amount of of influence outside forces have had on the way players, play the game is despicable. This is not the same NBA I grew up on, when guys like Jordan, Barkley and Ewing Ruled the Day. Shame on you David Stern and your sad state of the leauge.

Jan.30 at 3:32 pm

jbn74sb says:
Kobe was just trying to draw a foul, a la Reggie Miller. If anything, Manu should be suspended for his repeated flopping.

Jan.30 at 3:36 pm

Ryan says:
Thats ridiculous! I was watching the game when it happen, and you can clearly see in the replay that Manu is coming down into Bryant as they both come down from their jump and Bryant pretty much swings his arms back to brace himself cause he almost falls as he comes down with the contact from Monu, and in the process he accidently swipes Manu in the face. There giving out suspentions for this type of stuff now? Its a sad day for the NBA.

Jan.30 at 3:38 pm

Homie says:
I’m guessing by all these responses, I’m the only Manu fan here. What, nobody else has him on their fantasy squad?

Jan.30 at 3:42 pm

jbn74sb says:
Manu is one of those players that you despise, but would love if he were on your team. However, his flopping (on defense and on offense) is just atrocious for the game. Plus, he has that premature aging disease like the one Ralph Machio made the movie about.

Jan.30 at 3:50 pm

William says:
That’s a hit and everyone who’s not a Laker fan should know it.

Jan.30 at 3:52 pm

Sam Rubenstein says:
Maybe David Stern is trying to get people to view Kobe as a good guy instead of a marketable villain. By going this far it kind of paints Kobe in a sympathetic light. If Stern is the guy being villified for being power crazed, and he’s using that power against Kobe, then how can Kobe be a villain?

Jan.30 at 3:53 pm

Yogi says:
David Stern did it again. Anyone that disturbes his kingdom, will be punished. Kobe is just the latest of a long list of insubordinates on Stern’s list. Pretty soon, Dirk will be suspended on the Mavs b/c Mark Cuban yelled at Steve Nash. Is this the NBA or is it elementary school gym class?

Jan.30 at 3:53 pm

Darksaber says:
Oh come now NBA, even i, who christened him “Mambiatch” find this highly suspect. Manu went for the rejection, got it and Kob’s slightly love tapped him in the noggin. what the heck is the suspension about? Stupid, plain stupid.

Jan.30 at 3:56 pm

Kevin Wilson says:
Yeah, that was definitely intentional … it goes beyond Reggie Miller flailing. However, I think that’s just a fine-worthy offense.

Jan.30 at 3:58 pm

dez says:
Manu always flops like a bitch and that won’t change any time soon. I can’t believe Kobe’s not going to play tonight, I was looking forward to him lighting us up all season. I hate the spurs.

Jan.30 at 3:59 pm

Darksaber says:
Nice try Sam, but i’m not buying. Kob’s is not really a villain anymore, he’s trying HARD to be seen as a teamplayer (uh huh, wait for the playoffs) and he’s kept his off court escapades to the bare minimum, too bad really, but after 81!! lots of people just had to accept his incredible talent on the court. So handing a phantom suspension is not changing my view of Mambiatch. Great all around player, of course. Poser and snitch? that too.

Jan.30 at 4:00 pm

jbn74sb says:
Have you seen the size of Ginosebli’s beak? I just scratched my head and accidentally hit him in the nose.

Jan.30 at 4:02 pm

jbn74sb says:
Darksaber - Snitch, I’ll give you. But what exactly does he pose as? If anything, Shaq is the poser, pretending to be a hard working, team oriented player, whereas in reality he is a lazy underachiever who has a history of problems with teammates and coaches.

Jan.30 at 4:03 pm

Max Airington says:
Kobe must have have supreme focus to have his shot blocked, elbow in retaliation, and then get up another game winning shot attempt before the buzzer. Put it in the highlight reel.

Jan.30 at 4:12 pm

Kene says:
..i actually saw this during the game and didn’t think much of it (prolly cause of Manu’s rep as a flopper), but that youtube clip is pretty damning. That wasn’t no follow through, and he wasn’t bracing himself against nothing. He lashed out, plain and simple. Dunno if i’da suspended him for a game though. A fine woulda done the trick.

Jan.30 at 4:20 pm

Remy says:
maybe after the game kobe threw a mouth piece at the official that was within 14 feet of hitting him.. is that still a suspension?

Jan.30 at 4:20 pm

HST says:
OK, this obviously should not be a suspension, and Kobe wasn’t trying to hit Manu. But it should have been a foul call during the game. I saw it and here’s what happened: Manu stuffed Kobe and Kobe started flailing his arms to pretend he got fouled. (Guy ain’t gonna win no Oscars, that’s for sure). So you have a player who is intentionally swinging his arms around on the basketball floor. There’s a good chance you’re going to make contact with someone, and, lo and behold, he made contact with Manu’s face. Again, it wasn’t intentional, but when you recklessly flail your arms around and hit someone as a result, you should get a foul. Doesn’t matter if there 12 minutes left or 1.2 seconds. You have to pay the consequences for recklessly swinging your arms. The suspension is bunk, though. So was the announcers’ failure to say what happened.

Jan.30 at 4:26 pm

dez says:
stern doesn’t have enough juice to hold the suspension till after the NY game? this whole thing is weak.

Jan.30 at 4:29 pm

h-wag says:
My question:
How does that suspension fit in with KG´s one game suspension for that not connected punch and Melos 15 games for the connected punch ?
Consistency anyone ?

Jan.30 at 4:32 pm

Darksaber says:
jb, i concur, amusing his sound bites may be, but the little warrior has just done enough (of nothing) to piss me off for good. I mean, the half season sabbaticals have got to stop. Either that or just leave big man, announce your retirement and maybe we can get a farewell tour à la Abdul Jabbar for ya. Quit faking injuries.

Jan.30 at 4:34 pm

zwan says:
One game suspension. Wow!!!!!!!!
Isn’t that what Raja Bell received for choke slamming KOBE last season!!!!!!!!!! I saw the game Sunday and there was contact on the play, Manu did not flop, but nothing looked intentional. For the love of Petey what the hell is going on!!!!

Jan.30 at 4:37 pm

next says:
Sam did you even see the freakin replay or the aftermath of the hit? yeah, manu can be known for flopping, but you guys even ran a dome pic a couple years ago w/ him completely hammered by etan thomas w/ something like “this, a flop?” did you see manu’s face? black eye, bloody nose, blood inside his mouth, and spent the beginning of ot getting cleaned up w/ ice on his eye. c’mon man, that’s just bein lazy to brush it off as a flop.

Jan.30 at 4:38 pm

next says:
btw, i’m not sayin kobe shoulda been suspended, cuz i don’t think it was intentional. manu got whacked thanks to KOBE’s FLOPPING. but still, the suspension is ridiculous.

Jan.30 at 5:00 pm

jdubbs says:
This happened to me in a pickup game where I blocked the guys shot and the guys other arm came down and hit me in the face. I was thinking it was uninentional but the way he bought it down it seemed like there was no way he could have done it UNINTENTIONALLY. So now I know. It was definitely intentional, and that dude is a punk. I’m coming after you D.R.! You know who you are!

Jan.30 at 5:00 pm

KILLAGORILLA says:
Ya’ll are stupid!! Don’t forget Kobe learned from the best- Stock, Malone, Money..all those cats were masters of hurting you and making it seem like you were in the wrong. Kobe put extra power on that hit, it was a continuation of his natural motion, yeah, but he put “mustard” on it because Manu blocked his shot and stole his glorious game winning shot from him. He is a venal, egotistical asshole who was relying on his star power and manu’s flopper rep. I’m glad he got busted!

Jan.30 at 5:05 pm

Chris says:
Think of these guys as children. Unless the rules are clearly spelled out for them, they’ll do whatever they feel like. If something like this was allowed to slide you’d see more and more of it, so a one game suspension is definitely appropriate.

Jan.30 at 5:07 pm

michael says:
Complete bull**t

Jan.30 at 5:11 pm

Sam Rubenstein says:
I have a “boy who cried wolf” policy with Ginobili. I saw him on the floor and shrugged it off and didn’t find out about it until the next day. This would be the time when the wolf actually attacks. But I still think the suspension is excessive.

Jan.30 at 5:16 pm

Maribel says:
Yes, Kobe flailed his arm out (while he was coming back down from a shot, still vulnerable). Yes, he hit Ginobili in the face. No, it was not intentional. A suspension for that is absolutely ludicrous. Look it up - even Pop and Manu say it was unintentional.

Jan.30 at 5:29 pm

Paniscus says:
Excessive punishment. If this warrants a suspension then there should be parity in the future. If there’s parity in the future then you should count on dozens of players being suspended every day.

Jan.30 at 5:38 pm

Shiz says:
Every time Ginobili gets hammered, an angel gets its wings…

Jan.30 at 5:50 pm

Kevin says:
Regardless of whether it was intentional or not, there is NO WAY that it should be a suspendable offense. If that warrants a suspension, then the league better announce these tweo retroactive suspensions next: - Shaq and Mutumbo will be suspended retroactively for the next 2 seasons for their ‘accidental’ elbows to pretty much anyon that has ever played in the post. - Karl Malone, will now have all but 2 of his seasons stricken from the record for every time he struck an opposing player in the face.

Jan.30 at 6:25 pm

jeff says:
contact -yes but it was because Kobe was trying to pretend he got fouled. Ironic isn’t it. Intentional probably not -direct unquestionable contact -yes.

Jan.30 at 6:44 pm

Wedgie Evans says:
If I can grab Chris Kaman’s balls in a playoff game and not get suspended, Kobe can slap Ginobili by accident and not get suspended. Stu Jackson is retarded.

Jan.30 at 7:07 pm

Dblizzy! says:
Good try Ryan, but Kobe definitely did that shit on purpose, but all that dirty shit is part of the game, suck it up. So I guess Bowen intentionally stepping under jumpshooters is not the same?

Jan.30 at 7:08 pm

Dblizzy! says:
He should have been fined at the least.
The Knicks and Kobe haters are probably the only ones on Manu’s side right now.

Jan.30 at 7:21 pm

Lo says:
Kobe Bryant is a slick dude but he failed to disquise this one. I saw the game and was amazed that they didn’t at least call a foul on the guy. Preferential treatment? Naaaah. Manu is either too white, too Argentine, too pesky of a defender or all of the above and takes a lot of punishment out there.

Jan.30 at 8:58 pm

Elyse says:
If by on Manu’s side, you mean Kobe’s…. Manu was called by the League office, and he told them that it was unintentional, Kobe had even checked on him and apologized….and that he doesn’t think anything wrong happened…. Kinda interesting considering the two guys who were closest, being kobe and manu both deny anything wrong occuring.

Jan.30 at 11:53 pm

kb says:
OH WOW! Kobe gets suspended for hitting ginobli now that shocked me. First of all there is one guy almost every game that did what kobe did in almost NBA history and I don’t anyone getting suspended. And there going to say that they don’t have it in for Kobe. Yah. Kobe gets so diddrespected by officials and all of the head NBA people. When Dwayne Wade pushed kobe in that one game I don’t see him getting suspended. Kobe was trying to commit a foul after he got blocked to try to win the game and not have to go to overtime. Ginobli even called the NBA people and told them that Kobe didn’t try to do it on perpose and Kobe even went to him after and apologised and all. so if the victim says it wasn’t what y’all think it was then it wasn’t and theres no reason for suspension. Plus Popovig and Bruce Bowen said it was an accident. Why in the world would kobe go and take the last shot of the game and hit mano ginobli on perpose and get called for a foul and end the game there thats by far the stupidest thing ever sense you still can go to overtime. When kobe got hit by Raja Bell and got grabbed by the lneck thrown to the floor in the playoffs he only got suspended for 1 game and your going to compare that to a little slap thing on the face, yah thats very smart. I don’t know why, but they just got it for Kobe. If you watch dwayne wade or lebron james games you can see the calls they get, it’s not even close to the bull shit calls kobe get. imean if that was either one of them they would have probably called that a foul on Ginobli. Expecially Dwayne if you breath on him it’s a foul. For that reason the Nba has gottin boring they won’t let people play they call fouls every 5 second it’s like theres no such thing as defence any more if you touch a guy it’s a foul I mean what fun is that. Oh yah and when Chris Kaman grabbs someones balls intentionally he doen’t even get suspended.

Jan.31 at 12:53 am

JUSCHILLEN says:
It’s not about if kobe hit manu or not…or if if your a kobe hater or a kobe fan..Dam its about him being suspended for knicks GAME! thats why its a sell out…and remember the intentional close line he got from Raja Bell? That was only a one Game suspension is it equivalent to what he did? Him Your CALL!

Jan.31 at 1:36 am

HOMER SIMPSON says:
Kobe is the BEST BASKETBALL PLAYER IN THE WORLD…Sorry Labron…please treat him with that respect…can you image his frustration level…Give him the calls and his frustration level will decrease…Kobe is treated like a ROOKIE…Any Officials wish to respon…I think not…get over Colorado

Jan.31 at 2:42 am

Russ Bengtson says:
Here’s what I don’t get. Kobe wasn’t called for a flagrant foul on the play. He wasn’t called for an offensive foul on the play. He was allowed to play in the overtime of the game in question. Ginobili and Popovich both said it wasn’t intentional and hoped he didn’t get punished. So he gets SUSPENDED? And who gets punished? Every basketball fan in the Tri-State area, including a LOT who paid dearly to see Kobe the one time he played in the World’s Most Famous. Stu Jackson is terrible.

Jan.31 at 4:06 am

hermich says:
Stu Jackson is undermining the players, officials and league by second guessing player’s motives and actions. Now, the NBA must review all game films and hand out penalties for unnatural basketball moves. Great players do unnatural basketball moves everytime they take the court. That’s why fans watch. I love NBA basketball too much to stop watching, but, when Stern and Jackson are gone- it will be in the best inerest of the game.

Jan.31 at 5:23 am

Ventress says:
meh, lazy journalism.

Jan.31 at 5:42 am

bja says:
That’s a weird play. It sure looks like Kobe swings his arm at Ginobli, but the guy is even more supremely talented than I thought if he can attempt a shot, intentionally smack his defender in the face on the way down for blocking his shot then launch another shot in virtually the same motion.
He shouldn’t be suspended.

Feb.1 at 4:26 pm

havoc33 says:
You guys at Slam should write an article on how mr Sternbot and Stu Jackson is ruining the league. But I guess come next issue ya’ll would be looking for a new job. Haven’t they done enough damage already? The SDC is a mere shadow of it’s former self (why don’t we just have two dunkers this year, with one dunk each?!?). With todays rules, MJ would have had 8 rings instead of 6, since the entire starting lineup of the Bad Boys would have either fouled out or gotten suspended. And I’m not even going to start about the dresscode and that whole ordeal with the synthetic ball.

Jan.5 at 1:30 pm

JONATHAN HELMICK says:
KOBE SUSPENDED FOR AN ELBOW THATS ALL THEY CAN DO Y DOESNT THE COMMISH JUST BAN HIM FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR THAT IS HOW KOBE SHOOTS AND WILL ALWAYS SHOOT I HAVE DVDS TO PROVE IT SO IF HE HITS SOME OTHER PLAYER WITH AN ELBOW HE SHOULD SAY “I’M SORRY” SET OUT A QTR AND PLAY HIS GAME.

Jan.5 at 1:30 pm

JONATHAN HELMICK says:
KOBE SUSPENDED FOR AN ELBOW THATS ALL THEY CAN DO Y DOESNT THE COMMISH JUST BAN HIM FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR THAT IS HOW KOBE SHOOTS AND WILL ALWAYS SHOOT I HAVE DVDS TO PROVE IT SO IF HE HITS SOME OTHER PLAYER WITH AN ELBOW HE SHOULD SAY “I’M SORRY” SET OUT A QTR AND PLAY HIS GAME.

Jan.24 at 10:52 pm

Stan Reynolds says:
Manu hit Kobe in the grill last night with the same exact play. Where is the suspension? This only proves that Stu is a liar with an agenda, and the NBA has it out for Kobe after the Colorado fiasco.