Wednesday, March 7, 2007 6:24 PM EST
The Associated Press
By BRIAN MAHONEY AP Basketball Writer
NEW YORK (AP) — Kobe Bryant was suspended one game by the NBA on Wednesday for striking a player in the face, his second penalty for that action in a little more than a month.
And if he does it again, he could be looking at a more severe penalty.
"We considered suspending him for multiple games," NBA executive vice president Stu Jackson said on a conference call. "Certainly if this occurs again, most likely there would be multiple games."
The most recent incident came with 58 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter of the Lakers' 117-107 double-overtime loss to Minnesota on Tuesday night, when Bryant struck Timberwolves guard Marko Jaric after taking a shot.
The play was similar to one that drew Bryant a suspension late in January, when he hit San Antonio's Manu Ginobili in the face after taking a shot. Jackson determined that play to have been an unnatural basketball action and suspended Bryant from a game at New York.
There was no foul called on the first play, but Bryant was called for a foul Tuesday.
Jackson acknowledged being surprised by having this incident come up from Bryant again, but did not want to comment on Bryant's intent. However, he made clear that "that movement is not an acceptable movement."
"I'm not in the business of reading players' minds, I'm simply evaluating the play as a basketball play," 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."
Bryant, second in the NBA with 29.2 points per game, will miss the Lakers' game at Milwaukee on Wednesday night and forfeit about $161,000 in salary. Los Angeles is already playing without injured starters Lamar Odom and Luke Walton.
The Associated Press
By BRIAN MAHONEY AP Basketball Writer
NEW YORK (AP) — Kobe Bryant was suspended one game by the NBA on Wednesday for striking a player in the face, his second penalty for that action in a little more than a month.
And if he does it again, he could be looking at a more severe penalty.
"We considered suspending him for multiple games," NBA executive vice president Stu Jackson said on a conference call. "Certainly if this occurs again, most likely there would be multiple games."
The most recent incident came with 58 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter of the Lakers' 117-107 double-overtime loss to Minnesota on Tuesday night, when Bryant struck Timberwolves guard Marko Jaric after taking a shot.
The play was similar to one that drew Bryant a suspension late in January, when he hit San Antonio's Manu Ginobili in the face after taking a shot. Jackson determined that play to have been an unnatural basketball action and suspended Bryant from a game at New York.
There was no foul called on the first play, but Bryant was called for a foul Tuesday.
Jackson acknowledged being surprised by having this incident come up from Bryant again, but did not want to comment on Bryant's intent. However, he made clear that "that movement is not an acceptable movement."
"I'm not in the business of reading players' minds, I'm simply evaluating the play as a basketball play," 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."
Bryant, second in the NBA with 29.2 points per game, will miss the Lakers' game at Milwaukee on Wednesday night and forfeit about $161,000 in salary. Los Angeles is already playing without injured starters Lamar Odom and Luke Walton.
