Should Kobe or Ron Artest Get Suspended?

NBA, Video / May 7, 2009 / 1:50 pm

Does Kobe deserve a suspension for that elbow? Does Ron Artest deserve a suspension for kind of going berserk? You be the judge…

Tags: kobe bryant, ron artest

Posted in NBA, Video |

56 Responses to “Should Kobe or Ron Artest Get Suspended?”

May 7th, 2009 at 1:53 pm

PJ310 says:

Who elbowed who??

YOU be the judge

hhttp://assets.sbnation.com/assets/111783/koberon9.png
May 7th, 2009 at 1:55 pm

PJ310 says:

http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/111783/koberon9.png
May 7th, 2009 at 1:56 pm

craig990 says:

neither should be suspended
May 7th, 2009 at 1:57 pm

Nuggets2WinitAll says:

I didn’t see anything significant, it looks like they were just in the heat of the battle. NO HARM NO FOUL

Leave all out on the court…!!
May 7th, 2009 at 2:00 pm

David Brandon says:

simple man…

rafe – yes, b/c he meant to do what he did. eddie (i really dont think) was tryin to hit/bump/whatever rafer after the 3. i think rafer was gettin his ass handed to him and got mad as hell. he’s lucky house didnt catch him w/ the doug christie uppercut for that…

kobe – he should, but won’t. not this time. everyone knows the first guy rarely gets caught (see: ginobili, manu). the rules shouldnt be subjective to certain players. but kobe can walk on water, so he’ll get a reprieve…

ron ron – he really shouldnt. he even went to the refs right after it happened! i dont think he shouldve even gotten ejected. MAYBE a tech. but he didnt do anything wrong. he wasnt wildin’ out or pushin ppl or clip anybody or anything. he’s been great in h-town and i think he should be able to defend himself w/o gettin tossed. that was a cold move last night by the refs for that one. although..kobe woulda scored 43 just to spite ron last night b/c ron did that interview w/ sages (see: roy, brandon).

fisher – hell yeah. scola got blew up. looked like the hit LT put on my man Montana back in the day. sigh…

von – nah…he just gets 3:17 of tick next game to show his ass who’s running things. they’ll probably cut his mohawk off too. just to f*ck w/ him…
May 7th, 2009 at 2:00 pm

Curtis G says:

Neither one will be suspended although Kobe should be.
May 7th, 2009 at 2:01 pm

SJ says:

Suspensions should go:

Kobe – full force elbow at Artest
Artest – confronting Kobe (although this is kind of weak and may be better as a fine than suspension)
Fisher – throwing all his weight into a pick

I think all officials have a chip on their shoulder when it comes to Artest and have the hammer falling before he even does anything worth a call. Not to say this is bad, because they are probably preventing him from ripping someone head off.

But then again, this is the damn playoffs. Let them play!
May 7th, 2009 at 2:02 pm

hucklebuck says:

Ron Artest had put his hand on Kobe’s head-no foul there. However, the way refs hand out Ts, it was above the shoulder area, so a T wouldn’t be farfetched.

BUT..they usually never catch the first one..SO..
KOBE SHOULD HAVE-elbowed him in the chest, ribs, NOT THE NECK, ABOVE THE SHOULDERS.

THAT move Kobe pulled was DIRTY, that should have a T, regardless of the foul on Artest.

With that said, Kobe should get fined at the minimum, suspended for the next game (like Howard’s elbow).

Artest should not get susupended. He didn’t throw any punches, elbows, or slaps.
May 7th, 2009 at 2:02 pm

Patrick says:

no, these aren’t that hard of fouls. go to the line and get on with the games.
May 7th, 2009 at 2:06 pm

David Brandon says:

patrick,

youre saying if youre hoopin and someone elbowed you in the face, youre ok w/ just getting your two free throws and thats it??
May 7th, 2009 at 2:08 pm

Curtis G says:

@ Patrick:
You obviously don’t play ball…
May 7th, 2009 at 2:09 pm

weng santos says:

“Don’t he know he’s hitting Ron Artest?” HAHAHA LMAO!

Kobe should definitely get suspended. And that’s as a favor to him. He’s gonna get away with it, so if I’m Stu Jackson I’m suspending him as a preventive measure.

Kobe could get silly, put his fake thug and manufactured hood-ness on, do some crazy like hit Artest again, and get his head cracked open by Ron-Ron on national TV. How’s that for marketing him?
May 7th, 2009 at 2:12 pm

Antouan says:

The result of Kobe’s elbow throwing doesnt matter. The fact that he threw it is enough for him to get suspended. If Dwight Howard gets suspended, then why not Kobe? Doesnt Stern have to be consistent?….I guarantee you that if Powell threw the elbow, he’d be suspended
May 7th, 2009 at 2:15 pm

karizmatic says:

Nah neither should be suspended…that’s playoff basketball. Kobe threw a little elbow (which he tends to do this isn’t the first time) and Ron let him know. No suspension…but you know the refs will be watching game 3 close.
May 7th, 2009 at 2:15 pm

PJ310 says:

Antouan in that case then Artest has to get suspended to, seeing that his elbows are above Kobe’s shoulders and all

http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/111795/koberon3.png

http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/111815/koberon7.png
May 7th, 2009 at 2:17 pm

E$ says:

I hope not, It will give Faker fans another excuse….Can we talk about Bynum?
May 7th, 2009 at 2:27 pm

E$ says:

Bottom line: Lakers play straight up & the Rockets win, Lakers play dirty & let Joey Crawford ref=Win
May 7th, 2009 at 2:28 pm

Antouan says:

PJ310 – Are you kidding me? That’s just physical basketball, not an intentional elbow being thrown. FYI – It doesnt matter where you throw the elbow, if you throw one on purpose you should be suspended. See Dwight Howard
May 7th, 2009 at 2:29 pm

MM says:

Anyone calling for a suspension is an idiot. First, Kobe’s elbow was not above the head…it was to the chest and ESPN confirmed that. Second, if “Ron-Ron” is such a little bitch that he can’t take some contact, he is the one who has the problem. Third, Artest’s “good” defense consists of holding and bumping (all fouls) for which he never gets called. He should stop bitching and realize he can’t guard Kobe. Simple. He gets lit up every time.

By the way, Artest shouldn’t have even been ejected let alone suspended. The refs should have just let him change his tampon and get back on the court.
May 7th, 2009 at 2:36 pm

Jess says:

Kobe did the same thing to Mansap in round 1. If they can suspend Dwight, they should suspend Kobe, and he should have been suspended against the Jazz.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FeG6qmOqDu0
May 7th, 2009 at 2:39 pm

Chaos says:

Kobe shoudl at least get fined but this is playoffs physicality but ron artest getting tossed was complete bullshit and they kno it. they said he did that slit ya throat gesture(which is illegal in the nfl too) which he was showing thrown elbow movement that hit him in the neck. the refs are wrong and they kno it.

Fisher should get everything because that was worst than a cheap shot. he sized scola up and everything then put the hit out like he was in the WWE
May 7th, 2009 at 2:45 pm

hucklebuck says:

this is why the NBA isn’t the same exciting game it once used to be.

the league officials can’t trust players enuff anymore.
if this game was during the 90s or very early 2000s, this would be considered a hardnosed well fought game.

but nooooo, a player sneezes and gets T’d up or tossed out. stupid, stupid.
May 7th, 2009 at 2:50 pm

PJ310 says:

Antouan, Im not saying Ron Artest should be suspended but if you wanna follow the rules and the rulebook, then thats a suspension because his elbow was above Kobe’s shoulders. Bottom line, the NBA needs to deal with each individual case in it’s own context, Dwight’s elbow was completely different from this incident, so my point is if your gonna suspend Kobe then by the rules you gotta suspend Artest too.
May 7th, 2009 at 2:54 pm

bobbys says:

i think the alleged rapist is the one who is wrong, but neither should be suspended.
May 7th, 2009 at 2:54 pm

Ernesto says:

No suspensions please, Stu. This ain’t netball. The players should be trusted to be physically aggressive as long as it doesn’t lead to out and out violence, and so far it hasn’t. Let the players play.
May 7th, 2009 at 2:57 pm

Dirtball Rotten says:

i am the biggest Kobe fan there is, but Kobe is 100% wrong and Artest is 100% right in this situation POINT BLANK

Ron did nothing to get kicked out, if Ron did Kobe like that he would be gone for the next game INSTANTLY
May 7th, 2009 at 2:58 pm

BERN BROGDEN says:

This had NO CALL written all over it…
May 7th, 2009 at 3:03 pm

fiyaman says:

neither should be suspended.. i didnt even see a foul just 2 dude battling under the boards.. Artest looks like a bitch for going crazy.. u suposed to be badass an u cant take a little roughness.. h
May 7th, 2009 at 3:03 pm

nic says:

bottom line…..

NBA officials have ruined the game. They have too much control over the destiny of the game, they can control the pace, stop momentum, assist with plays, take players out (ejections, mindf%cking them, etc)

When is there going to be an article on DIME about the impact that the officials have on games?

Questions for DIME TO ANSWER….

Why can’t there be a universal way to call the game?

By that I mean in the rule book it must be concrete what is a foul and what’s not. The argument here is how do you interperet the rule? Just like in life if you get in trouble your fate is almost determined on how the judge interperets the law. Say you get introuble with marijuana and you live in Kansas, you are pretty muched screwed (my assumption) but say you live in Oregon, you wouldn’t even go to jail, the cop would make you throw it away. Would we call that a no call?

What happens to refs when they clearly make a bad calls?

Are they held accountable for making terrible calls?

Can we eliminate the makeup call? It just slows the game more and makes it obvious the official mad a bad call.

Can we go back to the “no call?” If there is a foul in doubt, don’t react to the players and fans, just let them play.

Can they please make a rule that the referee CLOSEST to the play calls the foul? No more of the baseline ref calling a foul that’s at the top of the key.

There needs to be a serious Officiating summit with the GM’s of the teams, a captain from each team and they need to revamp and discuss the rules.
The officiating has become out of control and laughable making it sometimes unwatchable and very predictable. If David Stern isn’t carefull he is going to lose a lot of fans.
May 7th, 2009 at 3:04 pm

nic says:

bottom line…..

NBA officials have ruined the game. They have too much control over the destiny of the game, they can control the pace, stop momentum, assist with plays, take players out (ejections, mindf%cking them, etc)

When is there going to be an article on DIME about the impact that the officials have on games?

Questions for DIME TO ANSWER….

Why can’t there be a universal way to call the game?

By that I mean in the rule book it must be concrete what is a foul and what’s not. The argument here is how do you interperet the rule? Just like in life if you get in trouble your fate is almost determined on how the judge interperets the law. Say you get introuble with marijuana and you live in Kansas, you are pretty muched screwed (my assumption) but say you live in Oregon, you wouldn’t even go to jail, the cop would make you throw it away. Would we call that a no call?
May 7th, 2009 at 3:05 pm

nic says:

What happens to refs when they clearly make a bad calls?

Are they held accountable for making terrible calls?

Can we eliminate the makeup call? It just slows the game more and makes it obvious the official mad a bad call.

Can we go back to the “no call?” If there is a foul in doubt, don’t react to the players and fans, just let them play.

Can they please make a rule that the referee CLOSEST to the play calls the foul? No more of the baseline ref calling a foul that’s at the top of the key.

There needs to be a serious Officiating summit with the GM’s of the teams, a captain from each team and they need to revamp and discuss the rules.
The officiating has become out of control and laughable making it sometimes unwatchable and very predictable. If David Stern isn’t carefull he is going to lose a lot of fans.
May 7th, 2009 at 3:06 pm

Deacon says:

Ron-Ron: No suspension. He got a raw deal, just because he’s Ron Artest. That being said, you could see the crazy switch flip in his eyes when Crawford wouldn’t listen to him. I think the refs tossed him because they weren’t sure if he could be controlled anymore. Still a bad ejection.

Kobe: No Suspension. ESPN showed the replay that clearly shows he hit Ron in the chest, right on the R. That play was two players in a playoff game fighting for their playoff lives. Kobe does swing wildly, and should be called for fouls on some plays, but this wasn’t the neckshot Ron claimed it was.

Fish: No question it’s a suspension. It was blatant as hell and even though I think Rondo should have been suspended, this is completely different. This was clearly premeditated. I think Scola is a flopper, but Fish is a solid dude, and if he catches you off guard with a shoulder to the sternum, you’re dropping.

Rafer: Another no question suspension. House did a little bump on the walk by, but Rafer didn’t hit him for that. Just like House said, he was pissed about getting lit up.

Disclosure: I am a Laker fan and a HATE the Celtics. :p
May 7th, 2009 at 3:06 pm

rlf says:

here: http://www.silverscreenandroll.com/2009/5/7/867885/ron-artest-kobe-bryant-and-wayward

look at that dime, and the one that should be suspended is ron artest.

lets be clear, derek deserves a suspension, even though scola is a flopper. kobe doesn’t because kobe never touched ron on the throat

who would’ve thought ron has a sissy and a liar. wow. lost all respect
May 7th, 2009 at 3:08 pm

nic says:

apologize for the double post, i got impatient
May 7th, 2009 at 3:13 pm

dennis says:

man kobe is a douche bag
May 7th, 2009 at 3:17 pm

SagJism says:

I think the refs just reacted to soon and because it is ron ron they immediately tossed him. But Dennis rodman always got bad calls so Ron should expect that since he ran up in the standfs and he still does not get it. When the refs told him to backdown he still went to Kobe tanting him. not saying he was wrong as a man, I think we would all go in that situation but he neds to understand he delima. He has been known to fight, 1 strike, he was told to back off and didnt, 2 strikes, he is supposed to be a profession (which he does not seem to get for some reason) 3 strikes. Someone has to sit Ron down and let him know that street tactics on NBA superstars is not going to work for him, he used that clout up. if he had did that to LBJ, we mighthave been disbanded from the league so he is lucky since the NBA has the bromance goingon. I am a laker fan and Idont think he should have got the foul but they both (he and Kobe) should have recieved a double tech because ron elbowed Kobe above the head first. Thats what happens when you have teamthat loses in the finals like LA did and everyone says they need ot be tougher. Well they are starting to show thye can be tough with anyone. dfish, my man’s, gotta give hhim a sups, he totally premaeditated the blow but it wasnt an elbow, looked more like a forearm, I would suspend him because of the windup. but if you keep setting hard picks on dfish, out of any gaurd in the L, he will get you back and get in your ass, he aint to be messed with. he may be small but he has someof the Isaih fire in him.
See:
http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/111795/koberon3.png

http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/111815/koberon7.png
Too bad though, I thought this was a great game and can be a great series if the refs stop getting whistle happy and just let them play like men. If the elbows continue, dont worry, things have a way of working themselves out.
BTW: Just watch boston for a game and tell me if they dont commit fouls on every play, at least on defense, Kobe, Ron and Battier will a tleast try to D you up man to man.
May 7th, 2009 at 3:19 pm

SagJism says:

Toss Rafer, he was getting his ass busdted and just lost it, house didnt even hit him with the elbow, he was just clearing out and if any of you ever played, you know when you off balance you will get people out of you way until you can stand up properly, he wasnt level yet and rafer was all over him. LOL but he smacked him like his Biyatch ROTFL.
May 7th, 2009 at 3:27 pm

Jay says:

Kobe SHOULD get suspended considering Dwight Howard was suspended for a similar thing earlier in this same playoffs. But since the NBA has to protect their moneymakers, Kobe can probably pull somebody’s balls off and still not get suspended.

Artest shouldn’t have even been thrown out of the game, let alone be suspended for game 3. I agree with him that it should’ve just been a tech, since he didn’t do anything besides get in Kobe’s grill.
May 7th, 2009 at 3:29 pm

Twitter.com/LakersNation says:

Ron Artest is a Classic Interview . . . Kobe shouldn’t be suspended purely because the elbow didn’t have an intent to go to the throat, but just to really box him out . . . if Rondo doesn’t get suspended for throwing an elbow and Hinrich with intent, Kobe can’t get suspended.
May 7th, 2009 at 3:34 pm

Deacon says:

I don’t see how people can compare Kobe’s elbow to Dwight’s. Kobe’s happened during the play, and hit Ron in the CHEST (watch ESPN’s VERY clear video people, seriously). Dwight’s happened AFTER the play, and he actually DID hit Dalembert in the face.
May 7th, 2009 at 4:03 pm

JFURNNN says:

Alston is a G!!! He had enough of eddie house getting loud so he slapped him in the head…don’t act like you have never wanted to do that to someone consistently getting lucky and loud!
Ron artest is a ho and will always be a ho

kobe better not get suspended over that bull..dwight howard CRACKED dalembert in the head..which is way different then battling for the ball and hitting a fools neck..
and fisher can get suspended its not a big deal..got shannon brown and jfarmar ready to do some work! but fisher is also a G for setting scola straight
May 7th, 2009 at 4:25 pm

POPPI GEE says:

First off I gotta say I just love this. Last year this time, I am sitting at home listen to all the other teams talk about their squads beating each other and what not.

Feels good to finally have the Rockets back on the Mutha#%%^ scene! Good or bad usually if they ain’t discussin you or ya squad, it can mean your irrelevance often.

Anyway I’m handing out GEE’s suspensions.

Rafer doesn’t get suspended cause he represents so many people that have wanted to smack square dancin shi%! out of Eddie House anyway!

Instead what we are going to do is put the whole thing in slow motion and include it in the “Amazing” commercial series for Rafer and the magic.

– - – - – - – - – -

Fisher gets suspended 3 games for premeditation and most of all for then acting weird after he did it. That whole grab his head and look confused deal was just strange. If you gonna lay one like that then you continue in on saying something to the dude, or getting ready for the dudes running up or at least raise your hands to go into the whole “What I do routine”. Still to just stare and look goofy…3 games.

——————————

Kobe gets suspended for intent to. Boxin out, shmoxin out. Most everyone should know Kobe enough, to know he is a calculated type of dude. He don’t just go on a whim. Now he doesn’t appear to calculate all the way through and for that he gets the suspension. Case 1. I am going to lie to everyone and say I didn’t even sleep or do anything with the girl in Colorado and all will be fine = calculated.

Truth comes out, S hits the fan and he has to rebuild his whole image and just misses possible life imprisonment cause Colorado is one of the states that will give life for that type of stuff = didn’t calculate all the way through.

Same thing here. Calculate = I am going to pretend to be boxing out and give Ron one hard one to the chest/throat area and nothing will happen but he will know to leave me alone.

Didn’t calculate all the way through = Ron doesn’t immediately fire back and goes to the refs. Refs don’t do right, so Ron starts running at Kobe with only GOD knows intent. Kobe proceeds to be scurred for his life and is probably now thanking GOD for the change in Ron Ron and wishing he had calculated more. Suspended 1.

——————–

Ron doesn’t get suspended but gets to have a commercial and be the spokes person for an Anger Management group sponsored by the NBA cares thing in which he can continue to give childhood tells of poverty, weird friends and other classics.

—————–

Von Wafer has to sit out 1 game and like pimpin (DB what up) said …the team gets to cut his minutes and his mohawk!

I am done suspensions are final, let the playoffs roll on!
May 7th, 2009 at 4:35 pm

Big Island says:

Suspend Kobe just because I hate him.

I don’t think he should be, but it was all crap. I am this close to giving up on sports in general. Jim Rome is blasting Ron Artest. Fuck Rome. The refs suck.

E$ – Yeah, what happened to Bynum? LOL!!!
May 7th, 2009 at 4:42 pm

SagJism says:

This is for the idiot who said Kobe was adoche bag, why dont you take ther time to review someting before you open that hole in your face??

http://www.silverscreenandroll.com/2009/5/7/867885/ron-artest-kobe-bryant-and-wayward
May 7th, 2009 at 4:47 pm

doc says:

Hell no neither one of them should get suspended.It was a basketball play Kobe just got him in the throat instead of somewhere else.He was trying to pin Ron-Ron down while grabbing the board because Ron had position after muscleing Kobe under the rim.Ron got mad after the ref diregarded his pleas and went to tell Kobne himself since the ref wouldnt.Shoula been nothing more than a double t.
May 7th, 2009 at 4:50 pm

doc says:

seriously ron was pushin the shit outta kobe and when kobe did to that elbow he wasn’t even lookin at him. why the hell would he get a suspension. rondo still hasn’t why kobe?
May 7th, 2009 at 5:08 pm

Hurricane says:

kobe shouldnt get suspended. he was just battling for a rebound with artest, and in inadvertent elbow hit ron. ok. he threw a temper tantrum and then just let them play. its over. no suspensions. ron shouldnt have gotten ejected, just a Tech. and fisher should get an award for trucking scola so bad lol. hilarious, but definitely a suspension.
May 7th, 2009 at 5:12 pm

Birdy says:

I’m a Lakers fan but I’m also real so let’s play both sides here for a minute. DFish deserves to get suspended because he looked at Scola coming and laid him out. However, Scola is known for playing “Soccerball” and made the hit look much worse than it was.

Next, Kobe did something that has happened every game so far in the playoffs… he got physical on a rebound. I believe someone above said he hit him on the “R” of the jersey. Again, someone embelishing a foul. If anything it should have been a foul on Kobe. But everyone seems to be quick to forget Artest’s throat slash at Kobe. I’m sorry, but you can’t do sh*t like that and he is a repeat offender so something has to give.

Phil Jackson commented on it in an interview that the league needs to get far more consistent with their officiating. They are making it very difficult for the players to play. Anyone remember what Rondo did to KHinrich?
May 7th, 2009 at 5:45 pm

LAballer says:

thank you birdy..consistency on the calls is really what is screwing everything up in the first place..

btw..fish is out 1 game..

kobe/artest play game 3.

and i think that 1 game suspension is well worth it. its time for farmar to show what he can do with some minutes..
May 7th, 2009 at 6:12 pm

Chips Ahoy! says:

When Phil Jackson mentioned Deron Williams bumping Bynum during the series DWill should of got suspended because he did it on purpose. The only reason Fish will get suspended is because Scola is a floppy lil bitch that got his ass dropped and Bynum took the hit when Deron charged at him.
May 7th, 2009 at 6:24 pm

the cynic says:

Neither should be suspended. Kobe’s elbow was a cheap shot, and elbow to the throat is worse then an elbow to the face, but I don’t think Kobe knew he would hit Artest’s throat with the elbow. The funny thing about it was the refs called a foul on Artest
May 7th, 2009 at 9:43 pm

Willis says:

I don’t even care that Ron got kicked out of the game. Guilty by reputation mostly. When he got up in Kobe’s face after Kobe got away with another cheap shot he was a hero to everyone who’s ever watched their team play against the Lakers. Actually, I bet at least one player on the Lakers bench was secretly proud of Ron too. Kobe’s jawing all game about how no one can guard him, but he’s getting thoroughly outplayed by Ron Artest and the Lakers are possibly in danger of going 0-2 on their own court despite the refs keeping Yao out of the game. So Kobe has to prove he’s the man and throw his elbows around and smirk like nothing happened. I’m going to love watching the Lakers go down in game 3.
May 7th, 2009 at 10:40 pm

Hugo says:

If Dirk had acted the same way Kobe did when Ron aproached him, he would be called a pussy and people would say he is not tough, not a tru warrior and all this shit …
And this is plain ridiculous … Dampier had his comments reviewed by the league, only because he said he would put Parker on his back if he tried to go to the hole. Kobe throws an elbow like that, and nothing happens. And the league wants to talk about good officiating and all this … They should give the example and suspend him, that should be an automatic ejection, aw … He is god, sorry, kobe … He can’t be suspended …
May 7th, 2009 at 10:41 pm

Hugo says:

And I’m surprised the league didn’t suspend Artest for throwing his throat into Kobe’s holy elbow …
May 8th, 2009 at 3:35 am

jakowako says:

i hope the lakers lose game 3. then the cavs beat them in the finals
May 8th, 2009 at 9:32 am

doc says:

47 aint the real deal