Basketball - Kobe Bryant Suspended For Hitting Manu G

Kobe Bryant attempt to get a hearing was denied and he ended up getting a one game suspension. This suspension was meted out to Bryant for hitting San Antonio’s Manu Ginobili on the face in game against the Spurs. Besides this, the Lakers managed to lose that game too.

Bryant was already in New York getting ready for the game against the Knicks when the suspension was announced. On hearing the news, Bryant immediately requested for a hearing to appeal against the suspension. However, NBA turned down his request on the grounds that it would have been against the standard procedure.

Stu Jackson, NBA chief disciplinarian for on-court activities, said that the NBA could have given Bryant an immediate hearing considering that he and the Lakers were in New York. However, the NBA did not follow that procedure and Bryant would have an opportunity to appeal later and if found not guilty, he would get his money back for the one game suspension.

Last season, Bryant was handed a two game suspension for elbowing Mike Miller of Memphis Grizzlies in the throat. Stu Jackson claimed that incident was not taken into account when Bryant was given this one game suspension.

Bryant claims that he accidentally hit Manu Ginobili during the course of the game and had no intentions whatsoever to deliberately hit him. However, Stu Jackson begs to differ. He said that the video showed that the action was not a normal basketball movement and the NBA believes that it was intentional.

The fans at the Madison Square Garden were disappointed that they would not be able to watch Bryant in action and booed loudly when the announcement was made during the pregame introduction that Bryant was not part of the team because of the suspension. Without Bryant, the Lakers ended up losing the game 99-94 to the Knicks.