When Kobe Bryant went down last night, Lakers fans held their breath. They were able to exhale just a bit when his X-rays came back negative, but now the waiting begins. With less than 18 games left in the season, fans have to be wondering if Kobe will be back in time to save the season while also dealing with a terrible case of Deja vu.
History - Not only does the Black Mamba have an unfortunate history with ankle injuries, he has one with the player who contributed to this one, Dahntay Jones. Jones tripped Kobe during Game 4 of the 2009 Western Conference finals when he was a member of the Denver Nuggets. He received a flagrant foul for it, so someone believed it was intentional. Kobe would go on to score 34 points in the game and the Lakers would win the series 4-2.
But wait, there's more.
In Game 2 of the 2000 NBA Finals, Jalen Rose of the Indiana Pacers intentionally got underneath Kobe during a shot, much like Jones. Kobe had to leave the game. The Lakers went on to win Game 2, but without Kobe, they lost Game 3. Bryant was limited in Game 4, but the Lakers went on to win the series 4-2. It wouldn't be until September 2012 that Rose, a current ESPN analyst, would admit to the dirty play, prompting Bryant to say last night "He Jalen Rose'd me," according to ESPN.
Impact - Kobe's battled broken fingers, hurt elbows and probably an alien invasion or two, but always proved to be the Cal Ripken of the turbulent Lakers. No one has logged more minutes, but Jones' dirty play could have far-reaching implications. The Lakers were clearly hitting their stride having won 8 of their last 10 leading up to the Atlanta game. They've clawed their way up to grab the 8th spot in the standings. Whether they can maintain it is in doubt.
Response - Kobe was measured in his response, especially since saying the wrong thing could get him fined by the league, but following the game, he made it clear that it was a dirty play. "As defensive players, you can contest shots, but you can't walk underneath players," Bryant said. "That's dangerous for the shooter." He made it clear that the refs and the Jones were both at fault later on twitter. "dangerous play that should have been called. Period."
Despite most viewers ruling the play as dirty, Dahntay Jones was quick to defend himself on twitter. "Tape doesn't lie. Ankle was turned on the floor after the leg kick out that knocked him off balance. I would never try to hurt the man." said Jones. He would later tweet "Leg kick that makes contact with a defensive palyer is an offense foul. Period. The nba changed that rule 2 yrs ago. Stop it!"
Don't expect it to stop anytime soon. Bryant is known for having a long memory, just ask Shaq. He can't wait to get revenge on Atlanta, especially a certain player named Dahntay.
"I can't get my mind past the fact that I got to wait a year to get revenge," Kobe said.
- Contribute to this Story:
- Send us a tip
- Send us a photo or video
- Suggest a correction
