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Originally Posted by lmfc saints
I have been in this position for over 5 years an active official for over 25 years and worked at just about every level of basketball you can conceive of - this would include International play, NCAA Division I (what I currently work), the NBA and other professional leagues. The reason I am giving you my five second resume is to lend some credence to what I can tell you about this video.
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I hate when one feels compelled to drop a resume before giving their take...
Quote:
Originally Posted by lmfc saints
The following was the "expert's" take on the play: "The action which resulted in the injury to the player was a basketball play. The kick is not intentional which would explain why the offensive player was so adamant in denying he did it on purpose.
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Ron Artest was pretty adamant about the "accidental" elbow to the dome of Hardin! Players/coaches jobs are to put doubt in the officials mind.
Quote:
Originally Posted by lmfc saints
If you are able to look at the footage again with fresh eyes I would contend that the offensive player didn't even realize he kicked the defender until afterwards (this is made clear by the body language of the offensive player and the fact he turns around coming back towards the defender to see what happened) I have viewed hundreds if not thousands of flagrant fouls - flagrant technicals and other unsportsmanlike acts - so I can tell you this with high certainty...When a player does what you contend in this case - a deliberate and intentional act they immediately walk away or stalk away from the the scene of the crime. They never come back to the player they just "fouled" unless it is to stand over them to further try and intimidate or taunt them, which I have witnessed very rarely. When a player throws a deliberate punch/elbow /kick to the head or some other blow with the express purpose of creating injury I have never seen one example in my own experience of the offender coming back to the point of the foul. As I mentioned they simply walk away.
If you watch the video and use the either a slow motion function or pause button to "chop up" the action into a structured time sequence you will see the following...as #15 makes his move into the lane he is trying to force an offensive play on three defenders. Number #4 makes a legal play on the ball and is in the process of tying the ball up [we do end up with a jump ball being called] When #4 is already on the ground you can clearly see that #15 is grabbed (fouled actually) by his elbow by number #24 on the opposing team. It is this contact he is wrenching away from (ripping the ball) which creates the momentum and subsequent kick."
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Since the invention of camera phones, players know that their acts could be caught on tape. Nowadays players do come back to the scene &/or offer to help up opposing player to communicate "it was an accident."
Not buying it, ask Big Time if he thought the officials followed the proper held ball procedures.