To suspend, or not to suspend.
That is the question.
Dear Stu Jackson,
On Wednesday you suspended Kobe Bryant (1 game) for hitting Manu Ginobili in the face with a vicious (albeit accidental; grow up, he didn’t mean to hit dude) elbow. No sane person agreed with your decision.
Last night, your League’s biggest star, LeBron James, clotheslined Dwyane Wade and was called for a flagrant foul. Remember, Kobe wasn’t even called for a foul on the Manu incident. I’m sure you remember, but just in case you forgot, here was your explanation of the suspension:
“Some of the determining factors were the fact that there was contact made with Ginobili above the shoulders and the fact that this particular action by Kobe was an unnatural basketball motion. Following a shot, he drove a stiff arm in a backward motion and struck Ginobili in the head,” Jackson said. “We did not view this as an inadvertent action.”
Fair enough.
LeBron hit Wade above the shoulders (on national TV no less), and I’m pretty sure he used an “unnatural basketball motion” to do so. I also wouldn’t quantify his strike to Wade’s throat as “inadvertent”. So, what’s the call, Stu? Are you going to punish the Golden Boy, too?
We patiently await your decision.
Best,
Fans of the NBA.
43 Responses to “To suspend, or not to suspend.”
Feb.2 at 2:20 pm
Ryan Jones says:
Hater.
Feb.2 at 2:22 pm
mutoni says:
like a mutha…
Feb.2 at 2:24 pm
Sam Rubenstein says:
Kobe said “There is no precedent” for what happened with his suspension. LeBron can not say that. It would be another unfair suspension, but they have to be consistent.
Feb.2 at 2:27 pm
mutoni says:
welcome to the new nba. love it. live it!
Feb.2 at 2:28 pm
Chris says:
Kobe OBVIOUSLY shouldn’t have been suspended, but I don’t see how you can suspend kobe and not lebron using stu jackson’s twisted logic, but it’s basketball dammit, it’s a contact sport, people are going to get punched, elbowed, clotheslined, and kneed in the groin (I feel you amare)
Feb.2 at 2:30 pm
Nugg Doctor says:
Suspend his ass! Everyone must feel the wrath of the new crackdowns!
Feb.2 at 2:30 pm
albie1kenobi says:
even san antonio complained about that suspension. i think everyone’s upset about that. let the players play. goddamnit.
Feb.2 at 2:31 pm
mutoni says:
you know a suspension is effed the eff up when bruce bowen (!) complains about it.
Feb.2 at 2:32 pm
Russ Bengtson says:
They should suspend Wade for recklessly putting his neck in the path of LeBron’s arm.
Feb.2 at 2:56 pm
Dblizzy! says:
Mutoni, I think you gotta admit that Kobe did mean to hit him. Not maliciously or in the face, but he wanted the damn basketball and was fending him off, at least in my opinion. I still don’t think it warranted a suspesion. I don’t think Lebrons did either, but because of what they did to Kobe…
Feb.2 at 2:58 pm
Kevin Wilson says:
Kobe’s a good comparison, but Raja Bell’s the better one. He got suspended for an act equal to LeBron’s. I love LeBron, but if you’re going to excessively punish it’s got to be consistent.
Feb.2 at 3:00 pm
Dblizzy! says:
And don’t yall find it funny how as soon as most dudes get hit in the face during a game, they bitch up and hit the ground in pain to get the foul, but if they were to get hit the same way in the street, they would pop up and wanna fight.
Feb.2 at 3:10 pm
dez says:
they wouldn’t pop up and wanna fight. they’d throw a punch and backpedal 90 feet
Feb.2 at 3:15 pm
Dblizzy! says:
dez you might be right about that one! But I wanna see one guy react naturally and not like a b*tch. Ginobilli looked like he got shot after Kobe hit him.
Feb.2 at 3:20 pm
Chris says:
It’s different in a fight, the rage masks the pain. A perfect example is Amare last night, he takes a knee to the nuts, immediately pops up and is ready to throw down with ginobili, but once he gets held back and his head clears the pain kicks in and he’s got to lay down for a few minutes.
Feb.2 at 3:46 pm
Mr.100 says:
His ass should be suspended
Feb.2 at 4:04 pm
dez says:
People I want to see react after a clothesline…
WHOOOOOOOOOO,
Queensbridge’s Finest,
Deisel (never going to happen. it would take 3 people to pull that off),
Doug Christie (Jackie would whip off the heels and start taking names),
Zach Randolph,
James Dolan (i’ll clothesline him myself)
Feb.2 at 4:05 pm
Michael says:
They have to be consistant, Lebron must be suspended. If not they might as well come out and admit they hate Kobe for f**king up in colorado
Feb.2 at 4:12 pm
Jeff says:
that’s the L for you…
Feb.2 at 4:14 pm
Eric says:
Lebron should be suspended but I don’t think the NBA will do it since he’s their golden child. Kobe Bryant gets no love from the NBA. He gets hammered in the lane all the time and doesn’t get the call most of the time. If someone like Lebron or Wade gets coughed on in the lane they’ll call the foul.
Feb.2 at 4:34 pm
Darksaber says:
SUSPEND him. Immediately. Though i must say i loved seeing him lose it like that. Wade always seems to get the better of him and although some stupid magazine tried to force the rat pack 07 angle on us, y’all know wassup. Bronnie has it all, except the chip. And inside, he must hate Wade for that, so once in a while he must vent. Now SUSPEND him. Not for consistency, or for Mambiatch’s sake, because it’s justifiable
Feb.2 at 4:36 pm
Darksaber says:
wait a minute, that girlie flopper Manu(ela) kneed Amare in the GROIN? And he lives on? Whatttt??!
Feb.2 at 5:13 pm
Chief says:
No he is gonna get nothing but a little tap on the ass like a fine, remember what they did to Garnett? they gave him that weak-ass one game while Melo was on his 15 game suspension. The Tommahawk has been sharpened, I’m just waxing my bowstrings and fletching my arrows. Ever seen last of the Mohicans?
THAT WAS ME!
Feb.2 at 5:33 pm
Darksaber says:
Big Chief, go for it. U have my full support, go skin Stu and his doomsquad
Feb.2 at 5:52 pm
Dave says:
League office is out of control–they indeed set a precedent and I knew they’d created a bad situation for themselves when they suspended Kobe. I just didn’t know it would come back to haunt them this fast. Just like when implementing a new ball unilaterally they have little regard for the sentiments of the players. The same goes with snubbing Carmelo. I suspect that if Anthony gets on the All-Star team the players (from both conferences) are going ensure that he is MVP to let their feelings be declared.
Feb.2 at 5:54 pm
Sonny Katz says:
If Stu Jackson does not suspend Lebron and Manu for the “unnatural acts” last night, then all NBA credibility is gone and I will no longer support the NBA…I feel that strongly about it. The NBA is now on the spot for the ridiculous suspension they gave to Mr. Bryant. Again if Lebron and Manu are not suspended for clothesline and scrotum kicks then I will take my money to baseball and college basketball.
Feb.2 at 6:34 pm
Albert says:
The league put itself in a tough situation with the unwarranted Bryant suspension. It can go on a suspension spree to be consistent with precedence, or it can look like a Bryant-hater to the basketball public. The best thing to do is to admit error in the Laker appeal and pretend it never happened.
Feb.2 at 7:08 pm
Dave says:
I agree with Albert that the only way out of this for the league office is to admit error but when was the last time you saw a fascist apologize?
Feb.2 at 7:12 pm
Dave says:
In fact, can anyone think of 2 players (other than the Lebrons and Wade) to expose the League Office’s anti-Kobe sentiment? It was as though Kobe drew it up! Not even a week had passed.
Feb.2 at 8:23 pm
austin says:
Suspend LBJ hes to over rated
Feb.2 at 8:32 pm
jay n says:
They are cleaning up all the flopping and crying in the soccer around the world,why can’t the refs start calling techs for losers who dive after a love tap.I hate Raja Bell and Manu and their continually sprawled asses.I know it would be hard but i think the league needs to cut this s@#t out.
Feb.2 at 9:20 pm
Brittani says:
he doesn’t deserves to be suspended he was sorry after he did, didn’t ya’ll watch the game
Feb.2 at 9:51 pm
Jeff says:
oh so lemme guess kobe wasnt sorry and he meant to do it that’s why he deserved the suspension right? . Boy Great logic!
Feb.3 at 3:17 pm
michaela says:
Dude come on, it’s LeBron he should no dout br suspended. But remeber we are talking bout LeBron not melo. Only he gets suspended for hitting some one hard beside Koby. What’s up with Lebron being a starter and not even having near as good numbers as Melo and Melo don’t even make it. How much CRAP is dat?
Feb.3 at 5:12 pm
Valon says:
The NBA views Kobe as Judas Iscariot.
The NBA views LeBron as its Jesus of Nazareth.
Feb.3 at 8:40 pm
Dave says:
Jeff, indeed–is Britanni not paying attention or is this the only game she knows about?
Feb.3 at 11:46 pm
steven says:
come on if they suspend kobe they got to suspend LBJ.all kobe did was poke Manu in the head and BAM, 1 game suspension.LBJ hammered D-Wade in the face.
Feb.4 at 12:15 am
Deuson says:
ya whatever suspend him. I would look at it as a beneficial occurrence so he can rest that toe and stop having these sub-par games.
Anyway the East are going to be obliterated; have you seen the starting line-ups for the all-stars. just compare for each spot and come to the logical conclusion…
its not even going to be close this year.
Feb.4 at 3:31 am
XIAN says:
lebron should be suspended!!! the nba is spoiling that damn kid… F you STU!!!
Feb.4 at 6:09 pm
Tee says:
The NBA has been unfair about alot of stuff in the last 2 or 3 years. I had a feeling that they were not going to suspend Lebron James. Hes the face of the league right now, along with Wade. The crap that King David and Queen Stu has been pulling is doing nothing but proving that the real fun in the game will not return for the players and the fans until they are both voted out of the lead office of the NBA.
Feb.5 at 10:46 pm
hollywud says:
bron shud be suspened 5 games
Mar.9 at 4:32 pm
NBA Fan says:
What happened to the GAME??? Is this all about MONEY??? NBA’s reputation??? STUpids Lack of brains and neglect of the FANS THAT PAY HIS STUpid Salary!!! FIRE HIM!!! FIREHIS ASS!!! YOU’RE FIRED STU!!!! Get another job and leave the Game to the people that LOVE the game and aren’t into it for their MONEY or HITLER TACTICS!!!
Mar.14 at 2:58 pm
mrseven says:
This must be the last season of Stu jackson as an NBA disciplinarian? Hes making the NBA players and the NBA league a Kindergarten Basketball Association! Fire him as soon as possible!