The NBA: A Dilemma for David Stern
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Robert Horry gave NBA Commissioner David Stern a huge problem. With eighteen seconds left in game four of the Spurs-Suns playoff game, Robert Horry gave Steve Nash a little bit of hip and a little bit of the left forearm. Steve Nash was sent sprawling into the courtside tables. He was knocked flat on his back. And the Phoenix Suns bench reacted.
Amare Stoudemire and Boris Diaw left the bench area when Nash was flattened. That is an undeniable fact, with video to show that, clearly, they did leave the bench. According to the rules set forth by the NBA, that is a one game suspension for Stoudemire and a one game suspension for Diaw. If Commissioner David Stern follows the letter of the ‘NBA law’, suspending the two Suns players would be handing a huge advantage in game five to the San Antonio Spurs. It also diminishes a prime playoff product for the NBA and alters the playoff series completely.
If Commissioner Stern does not suspend Stoudemire and Diaw for one game, then the NBA is ignoring its own security regulations - rules put in place to stop a situation from escalating into something far uglier. It is a tough choice.
Rumor has it that the NBA will review the video and suspend Kobe Bryant for one game. - That’s a bit of NBA humour (about Kobe) but what should Commissioner Stern do?
Catherine Forsythe ***
*** Thanks to jwbirdsong, a regular in the online security community, for his continued encouragement to write about basketball matters. - CF
update: “PHOENIX (AP) — Phoenix center Amare Stoudemire and teammate Boris Diaw have been suspended for one game for leaving the bench after Robert Horry’s hard foul of Steve Nash in Game 4 of the Suns’ Western Conference semifinal against San Antonio, a person with knowledge of the penalty said Tuesday.”
link: NBA hands down suspensions
[tags]nba, basketball, playoffs, suns, spurs, robert horry, david stern, steve nash, amare stoudemire, boris diaw, suspensions, regulations, kobe bryant[/tags]
4 Comments
The NBA: A Dilemma for David Stern | onlinesecurityblog.com
May 16th, 2007
at 2:16am
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john fry
May 16th, 2007
at 2:35pm
I think David Stern loves the Spurs bowen knees nash nothing kicks amarie nothing happing then dunkin does the same thing and bowen . nothing it was a altercation that is why dunkin went out there . so suppind dunkin or is david stern sleeping with the spurs.
Bill Evans
May 20th, 2007
at 7:05pm
Just wanted to send a message to Commissioner Stern that I expect the ratings to be the lowest ever for NBA conference finals and then the dubious awarding of a championship. Part of this is because the MVP award is already decided…anyone with knowledge of basketball knows that Robert Horry will be the MVP of this playoff season for finding a way to snatch victory from defeat by leaving the Suns short-handed and all played out after game 5’s six-player marathon.
I certainly won’t be watching another minute. The commissioner showed that suits and referees decide another season more than having teams play the games. The unfairness of no suspension of Bowen for the knee to the groin, no equal suspension of Duncan (does anyone have the courage to suspend Tim Duncan for ANYTHING?) and Bowen for leaving the bench in what they thought would be an altercation (there was no altercation started yet when Amare and Diaw left the bench, and when it started they turned back)….the commissioner was unable to make the call on real grievances, and then played letter of the law on a situation that actually required some discernment. It ruined the best series and the only one worth watching. Enjoy the finals, commissioner, you and the cities involved. But a lot of fans will be tuning into TV reruns instead of NBA. Because really, who cares who wins? Basketball took a backseat to thuggery, as it has for too many seasons.
Here’s an ad for next year—The NBA—the new NHL. Who needs a stick to mug a superstar?
No thanks.
Bill Evans
Jeff Milkey
May 21st, 2007
at 4:01pm
Stern,
You frickin idiot…Common sense tells you the reason these “Rules” exist. Your job quite simply is to interpret the “Rules” just like anyone in a position of power…you really screwed the pouch on this in front of the entire basketball nation. The rule exists to keep fights from escalating. You don’t suspend players for standing up to see if their team mates are ok…what the hell are you thinking?
Your job is not to sway the results of games of this magnitude.
It is clear that you and your team of refs are allowed to make decisions without any responsibility or accountability…thats a problem, a big problem and I am calling you out on it. Me and a few thousand others.
It is also clear that you are not following the “Letter of the Law” on numerous other infractions. Time for you to step down and someone with more than half a brain take over…
Milkey Out….no more NBA for me.