What did ya'll think about Lebron's elbow to the face of Manu Ginobilli?

Question

Unnatural act eh??


Drive to the lane get stopped, put a elbow in the defender's face to get by.

HE did almost the exact same thing with a defender draped all over him in detroit.

This has happenned twice...doesn't warrant some attention from the league? Suspend him! Use the same judgement for Kobe's "blows" in his suspension

No matter what the circumstance or how big the stage is, the rules are rules Mr. Stern! It was an obvious club to the face!

Thoughts? comments?

Answer 1

I wish the Suns fans would chime in here.

Nothing will happen to him because right now he is the league's golden boy.

He should be treated like Kobe if he elbows someone in the face. However, all the Manu haters will say he flopped.

If King James is suspended then all the conspiracy theorists will say it was rigged for the Spurs, which I don't get because David Stern has never liked their "pretty boy" image.

You would think that he would like the fact that fans are calling them "dirty"

Answer 2

It's very interesting, because James has now elbowed two players in the playoffs this year.

Had it been Kobe Bryant, Stu Jackson would've been all over this. If the NBA really wanted to "stick to precedent" like they say they do, after the Chris Webber elbow, James should have been suspended one game. It doesn't matter whether it's in the regular season or not, rules are rules. Ask Diaw and Stoudamire.

For the elbow to Manu, I don't believe James should be suspended. This elbow is more similar to Kobe's elbow on Korver, which, if my memory serves me correctly, was given a flagrant two.

Answer 3

That's a valid observation and you definitely have a point there. But hey, this is the championship. Emotions run high and tempers naturally flare. Whether it was pure emotion or an intentional act, I'd rather take it as PART OF THE GAME. Incidents like these are commonplace in the playoffs, much so in the championships. It's worse during the Chicago-Detroit rivalry during the late 80's to early 90's. It's just a matter of maintaining your composure, not losing your cool. Apparently, it doesn't bother the Spurs. They'll have the last laugh anyway.

Answer 4

I think that if it were Kobe he'd have been suspended, he actually was twice this year and once for doing it to Manu, but this is Lebron and this is the finals and I think they're scared that if they suspend Lebron that the ratings will plummet even more. I think they're also afraid that the Cavs could win and further expose Lebron for what he is. Let's not forget that the Cavs are something like 13 and 1 without Lebron in the lineup since he was drafted.

Answer 5

I'm going to have to disagree with you on this Prashant. I watched that play a few times due to it being highlighted repeatedly on ESPN. From one's first impression, you would think that LeBron did elbow Ginobili but after viewing it a few more times, I noticed that Gino sort of tilted his head down into LeBron's elbow. Then using his own talents of flopping, he was able to springboard himself from LeBron's elbow and making it look like he got hit to the head. You have to think of it this way. King James had already blew past Gino so there was no need for that type of push off. We're not talking about Kobe here. He does not need to resolve to Bruce Bowen antics to get his way around people. Sports analysts and commentators know very well how Ginobili is capable of flopping, which was also why a foul was not called on the play. Plus, you have to think that if that elbow really landed in Gino's face, you'd see like a bruise or a black eye judging from the powerful impact that Gino made it look out to be.

Answer 6

Man, you're right. I don't think it was necessarily intended to hurt Ginobili, like Kobe's, but I still think he's deserving of a suspension, like Kobe was. Kobe gets suspended twice for flaring his elbow in a NATURAL basketball act in the heat of the battle in order to get to the foul line, while Lebron flares his elbow at Ginobili from only anger and frustration. If Kobe did it out of "anger and frustration," no one would care, and they'd still criticize him. It's just that LeBron has reached that blood-thirsty, competitive nature yet like Kobe, so the refs just take it easy on him. LeBron has proven anything yet, so they'll let it slide. Still isn't fair though.

Answer 7

I am not equip to judge if the wayward elbow was intentrional
or not. Basketball is a very physical game wherein many players have develop so many techniques legal or illegal to
stop an opposing player, especially the best player of another
team. Jordan, Kobe, and now Le Bron is the bane of any team that they play against. Night after night, Le bron is
capable of making so many points and to stop him, players
of the opposing team pull his jersey, trip him, push him,
foul him hard and so many other antics just to ruin his game.
And alas, the defenders of the spurs succeeded to do it
in game 1.And in game 2 they employed the same tactics,
but maybe out of frustration he retaliated, trying to convey
to the spurs that what they do to him he can give back and
more. Let us try not to judge him prematurely. Give him
the benefit of the doubt. For me he is not a dirty player.

Answer 8

Intentional or not, David Stern would not dare suspend LeBron cause if he did that, ratings will definitely reach the bottom. Plus the Spurs might beat the Cavs by 50 without LeBron. Now who would want to watch a game like that????

I bet even Spurs fan wouldn't want such a game.

Answer 9

I am a big spurs fan but I also believe the elbow was unintentional. Lebron is just fustrated because he has not able to get the shots he wants like he did in Detroit. Detroits Defense is not as good as it was a year ago. San Antonio on the other hand is still the best defensive team in the NBA and thats why Lebron is fustrated..Spurs in 4..:)

Answer 10

no he didnt purposely flail at him like kobe bryantina Kobe isnt even a top 8 nba player any ways, lebron gets considerations, kobe doesnt Ill give you the top 10 currently in the game today if they all retired now and you looked at their legacies. 1>Tim Duncan (3 finals mvps 2 league mvps) 2>Shaq O'Neal (3 finals mvps, took 3 teams to the finals) 3>Steve Nash (2 league mvps) 4>Lebron James (nobody was as good as he is at 22) 5>Allen Iverson (1 league mvp, 4 scoring titles) 6>Kevin Garnett (20+ 10+ avgs 1 league mvp) 7>Dwyane Wade (28ppg 8ast per before the injury, 1 finals mvp, still real young) 8>Dirk Nowitzki (led team to the finals in 2005-06, 1 league mvp) 9>Kobe Bryant (2 scoring titles) 10>t-mac (2 scoring titles) Kobe and T-Mac are the best non MVP's, who arent named lebron. Elton Brand is now a consistent 20 and 10 guy and deserves considerations.