So, Phil Jackson says that the NBA is on a “witch hunt” with its recent punisments of Kobe Bryant, huh?
Because that makes a lot of sense. The league wants one of its best players to miss games and possess a dirty repuation, is that your angle, coach?
The only person who should be upset in any of this in former WWE star, Macha Man Randy Savage. After all, the elbow drop was his finishing move.
We’re not even referring to the cheating, sexually assaulting Kobe Bryant. He probably never left.
But the second suspension of the Lakers star guard in a few weeks for the same flailing elbow at least proves that the self-centered, ego-tastic player is back. But there’s a good chance he never went anywhere, either.
All season, Kobe has been touted as a new team player, someone who actually cares more about winning than individual statistics. We never bought it in the first place - but let’s review his two recent, illegal instances and see why the selfish label should never have been removed.
Each took place in the closing minute of a tight game: San Antonio’s Manu Ginobili blocked Bryant’s game-winning attempt before the Spurs knocked off Los Angeles in overtime last month; and then Marko Jaric defended Kobe’s shot to give the Lakers a lead over Minnesota earlier this week.
Both times, Shaq’s former running buddy followed through with an elbow to the face of his opponent.
Did Kobe mean to injure either player? Probably not. But was he so aghast that someone dared to challenge him, so amazed that the referee didn’t call a foul in either case, that he lashed out in a desperate maneuver to force a whistle … or at least let his defender know that he was Kobe Bryant, dammit, and who the heck were you to mess up his buzzer-beating heroics? We think so.
“I’m not in the business of reading players’ minds, I’m simply evaluating the play as a basketball play,” NBA Executive Vice President Stu Jackson said. “And when you take a shot and follow through, followed by driving an arm back in an aggressive manner that strikes a defender in his face, that’s what we evaluated to be a non-acceptable play.”
We’ll read Kobe’s mind for you, Stu. He’s immature and yearns for the spotlight. With the game on the line, Bryant will either try to win it by himself - or respond in anger at those that dare get in his way.
And don’t even get us started on that lame, transparent marketing ploy of changing his number to 24. You’re pathetic, Kobe.
