The Thug

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NEW YORK -- Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant has been suspended for two games without pay for by the NBA for elbowing Memphis' Mike Miller in the throat, Stu Jackson, the league's senior vice president of basketball operations, announced.


Bryant

Bryant was given a flagrant foul I penalty for the incident, which occurred with 8:24 remaining in the fourth quarter of the Lakers' 100-99 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday night at the Staples Center. The league decided to upgrade the call to a flagrant foul II, which is assessed for "unnecessary and excessive contact."

Bryant will serve his suspension Sunday, when the Lakers host the Utah Jazz, and Tuesday at Utah.

Bryant sustained an inch-long cut near his left eye early in the third quarter Wednesday night after taking an elbow from a driving Miller.

The Los Angeles Times quoted Bryant as shouting, "I'll be back" as he left the court for treatment. In the fourth quarter, when Miller drove down the lane, Bryant drilled Miller with an elbow.

"Any player that was going to come down the lane at that particular time, I was going to let them know that they just can't walk through here," Bryant told reporters after the game. "I think we as a team have to do a better job of establishing that, and me as the leader of the ballclub, I have to take initiative to do that.

"Hopefully everybody else will see that, especially this being our home court. People come here and think it's Hollywood and all this other stuff, and they'll come down and look pretty and shoot jump shots and dunk the ball and stand over the ball and all this other cute stuff. We've got to stop that."

Bryant will lose $144,971.59 in salary for each game he sits out.

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I'm glad he has to sit out a few games, but I don't know if I wouldn't have done the same thing.

he also about got into a fight with Lamar Odom. He is sucha class act. i have absolutly no respect for him

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. -- Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant was suspended for two games without pay Friday for elbowing Mike Miller of the Memphis Grizzlies in the throat.


Bryant

ESPN The Magazine's Ric Bucher reported Friday that according to Bryant's agent, Bryant will appeal the suspension.

Bryant was called for a flagrant foul for elbowing Miller with 8:24 remaining in the fourth quarter in Wednesday night's 100-99 overtime loss to the Grizzlies. He is scheduled to serve his suspension Sunday, when the Lakers host Utah, and Tuesday, when Los Angeles plays at the Jazz.

"Very surprised. Shocked, actually. Very, very surprised," Bryant said after practice Friday. "Angry and frustrated. I've been hit with a couple of flagrant fouls already this year. I've been hit with a clothesline and no suspensions come of that. And I get two games for this?"

After Wednesday's game, Bryant was unapologetic. He was cut over his left eye early in the third quarter when Miller elbowed him while driving to the basket. Bryant left the game briefly, and took three stitches to close the wound.

"Any player that was going to come down the lane at that point in time, I was going to let him know that he just can't walk through there," Bryant said after the game. "I think we as a team have to do a better job of establishing that. And me, as a leader of the ballclub, I've got to take the initiative to do that -- and hopefully, everybody will see that.

"This being our home court, people come here and think it's Hollywood and all sorts of stuff, so they think they'll come down [the lane] and look pretty and shoot jump shots and dunk the ball and finger-roll the ball and do all sorts of cute stuff. And we've got to stop that."

Bryant said his postgame comments were "no different than what everybody else says."

"Somebody comes down the lane, you've got to hit him," he said Friday. "You can't let them come down the lane and just finger roll and get easy baskets. Nothing to hurt anybody like that. That's just basic NBA basketball."

" Somebody comes down the lane, you've got to hit him. "?
"? Kobe Bryant

Bryant also said he didn't think the elbow from Miller was intentional.

"You look at the replay, my face was nowhere near him," Bryant said. "My face was nowhere near his arm.

"I wish I could go back in time and take that foul back knowing what I know now, getting two games for it. But no way in my mind did I think it was going to be a suspension for something like that. No way."

Lakers coach Phil Jackson said he thought Bryant's postgame comments were a factor in the suspension.

"I think that contributed to it somewhat," Jackson said. "So we live with that decision."

Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak took issue with the suspension.

"We understand that the league has a job to do in enforcing disciplinary action, but we disagree with and are disappointed with their ruling," Kupchak said in a statement.

Can't stand the guy either, but I need his stats on my fantasy teams. [img]/LDPforum/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif[/img]

Love the Lakers but wish they had kept Shaq and gotten rid of Kobe.

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This being our home court, people come here and think it's Hollywood and all sorts of stuff, so they think they'll come down [the lane] and look pretty and shoot jump shots and dunk the ball and finger-roll the ball and do all sorts of cute stuff. And we've got to stop that."



[/ QUOTE ] The game of basketball ain't what it should be. If you had some refs that would take control of the games, some folks would have to learn to play. It goes all the way back to having to figure a way to stop Jabbar, and just deciding to pound him to death. Wilt the Stilt, too. The game needs a little space.

Where has the jump shot gone in basketball? The high school kids can't hit it, the college kids can't hit it, and the pro's can't seem to hit it. Basketball is about shooting 30 3 pointers and dunking the ball.

well i hope when Kobe comes back after his suspension and someone cleans his clock real good and i would love for it to be Shaq or one of my boys from Detroit.

"one of my boys from Detroit." Your boys? Funny....didn't hear too many Pistons fans on here till they won the championship.

Kurt Rambis would be a good choice for an enforcer.