Beware: The NBA Jades

People will tell me that the NBA is a business, I should expect things like this. Still, there's a part of me that clings on to the hope that the NBA can be what it was supposed to be, a showcase of the best basketball players in the world playing basketball. I wasn't really sure which word I should've emphasized, "playing" or "basketball" so I just decided to italicize both. This isn't really a recent development either, well, arguably it could be recent given that I haven't been on the NBA (blogging) scene for very long. Don't get me wrong, business is business, NBA is here to make money, it's not some charity or non-profit, it's in it for the money, David Stern is in it for the money. So it really shouldn't be surprising that the two leaders in jersey sales this year, Kobe Bryant (no. 1) and LeBron James (no. 2) get star treatment. At least, in my head, it shouldn't be surprising, no, the question isn't whether or not this is a shocker, but whether or not it's wrong.

Some people might come out and ask me whether or not they even get star treatment, honestly, I think it's rather hard to look at anything other than the box score and think otherwise. I know, I'm pulling out my conspiracy theorist hat, and it's jading me towards quality basketball, I suppose it was inevitable. As I said, this wasn't really a recent development, but honestly, I think it's gotten so blatant in this season's playoff series that it's sort of the proverbial "last straw". What is it? Well quite simply watch below:





This happened last night, and my gut instinct is that the NBA will rule the contact "incidental" and Kobe might get a slap on the wrist and a fine, but nothing more, not the suspension he's deserving of. Now someone's going to come up to me and say, "Well, Ron Artest was playing physical, he was like right on top of Kobe, so it was just an accident." Bull. Sure, Artest is a physical defender, but don't tell me that elbow was not purposefully thrown, you can't tell me that Kobe didn't know Artest was there, he [Artest] was sitting right on top of him [Bryant]. Some guy has his elbows on my shoulders, I'm pretty sure that if I threw an elbow backwards I'd deck him in the chest, gut, or throat, maybe the chin.



If that got a suspension, I don't know why Kobe's shouldn't, unless of course, players named Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, or anyone that plays for the Celtics can't get suspended (maybe it's one of those unwritten NBA rules). I'm not going to go into whether or not Artest should or should not have been ejected, but think about it, wouldn't you get mad if a ref doesn't call a foul on someone who just threw an elbow, at your throat? If Artest were really trying to draw a foul, do you think he'd use his throat? Seriously. Think about it. As I said, this is somewhat the tip of the iceberg:



Ok, so this play is pretty questionable, but still. It looked like Hinrich stumbled into Rondo, and Rondo naturally wants to get Hinrich off him, so... he subsequently throws him into the scorers' table? Uh... how did this not warrant a suspension? Oh right, because he plays on the same team as Kevin Garnett, and he's a Celtic, and all that good stuff, and David Stern's favorite Eastern Conference team is from Boston.

If you noticed, I threw LeBron up there too. I don't think LeBron has done anything like this, but still, given the physicality of LeBron's style of play, how he goes for those highlight reel blocks, and how he just barges through everything, you'd think he'd average at least two fouls a game, but he doesn't. Sure LeBron is a great player and all, but how in the world does a player THAT physical average 1.72 fouls PER GAME. I find it hard to believe. I'd believe it if he were a jump shooter, but heck, we've all seen the LeBron highlights, he's anything but a jumpshooter and plays no defense whatsoever, even then, that's hard to believe.

I'm not going to start on my conspiracy theory on how David Stern (and thereby the NBA) hates the Spurs. Don't get me started. Still, look for yourself, I'll give kudos to Stu Jackson if he does decide to suspend Kobe (as he should) but for some reason I doubt he will. This is dumb.

I feel like going to gnaw on something in frustration now.