Newz Forum: Artest Suspended for Game 2 of Playoffs

After an elbow that Ron Artest gave Manu Ginobili during the Kings first round playoff game, the NBA has suspended Artest for the second game of the Kings-Spurs match-up. Both teams were caught by surprise, as neither team ever made mention of it during or after the game. Some Kings players feel it is just the NBA using Artest's reputation against him.

Originally posted on ESPN.com

SAN ANTONIO -- Ron Artest's reputation might have caught up to him at a terrible time for the Sacramento Kings.

The NBA suspended Artest on Monday for Game 2 of the Kings' first-round playoff series against the San Antonio Spurs.

Stu Jackson, the league's top disciplinarian, said Artest's elbow to Manu Ginobili's head in the series opener was egregious enough to warrant another suspension for the man who missed 73 games and the playoffs last season after one of the most infamous brawls in sports history.

But after their difficult playoff task got exponentially harder, the Kings suggested Artest was punished simply for being Ron Artest, possibly the most notorious player of his generation.

Link: Artest Suspended One game

As a kings fan, of course I'm upset, as he will be the center of our team during the playoffs. I saw nothing worthy of a suspension with the elbow, as it has happened many times before. For those who saw Shaq's elbow to the laker's big rookie, you know what I mean. it's a part of basketball, and if the Spurs didn't even find it serious enough to even mention it, then why should he be suspended? And why was the suspension not filed until 48 hours after the game? I think it's just the NBA having something against Artest... maybe even against the Kings as a whole!!

This is a theme I have seen played out on a regular basis in my profession. Once you've got a rep as a bad guy, the system is all over your @ss forevermore, almost making it a self-fulfilling prophesy.

With that said, however, one would think Artest would be intelligent enough to know he can't go elbowing people. I've not seen the play. Did it appear deliberate or inadvertent? If it was deliberate, then Artest just has to ACCEPT the fact--even though it's unfair and morally corrupt--that he's going to be "judged" by harsher standards than others. It sucks, but that's how it is and he owes it to his teammates, and fans, to accept that fact.

BHN

The video can be seen on the News Story on ESPN, they first talk about a Pistons suspension, and then show Artest's. The Spurs coach let Artest know he didn't like the elbow, but beyond that, it was completely forgotten. Had the Spurs pushed for something, then I wouldn't mind the suspension, but nobody made a big deal out of it, and just let it go.

Well, in criminal law, it is VERY common for prosecutors to take cases to court which the victims don't want prosecuted. The fact the Spurs didn't want it pursued means nothing. The questions are: How flagrantly intentional was it? AND How bad was it?

It was intentional, but nothing bad. Ginobili didn't even turn to look at Artest, or any action to showcase a hard foul.

It really wasn't an elbow, more like a forearm shiver. I think he should have just been assessed a flagrant foul. BHN is right, once you're tagged as a"bad guy", you can't get away with anything--they come looking for you. I've seen much more brutal plays than that, but no action was taken because the guy didn't have a bad reputation. Two cases in point:

1984 NBA Finals, Game 4, Celtics vs. Lakers. Laker Kurt Rambis is driving to the hoop on a fast break when Celtic Kevin McHale comes out of nowhere and clotheslines him. Only the regular foul was called.

1987 Eastern Conferenced Finals, Pistons vs. Celtics. In the final minute of the first half, Celtic Robert Parish clubs Piston bad boy Bill Laimbeer from behind IN THE FACE, knocking Laimbeer to the floor and causing the benches to empty. Parish was not even assessed a foul.

What Ron Artest did is not deserving of a suspension, but I agree with BHN that he should realize he can't do that stuff with his rep.