Kobe Suspended for Playing Defense

This, my friends, is what will get you suspended for one game in today's lawless NBA. Even if your name happens to be Kobe Bean Bryant. Understandably, Kobe was a little confused:

Bryant said he unintentionally elbowed Ginobili and felt "terrible" about the play. However, Bryant said he can't believe he was suspended.

"I haven't seen a precedence for this. There's unintentional elbows that take place in a game all the time," Bryant told reporters at Madison Square Garden.

Bryant hit Ginobili while trying to defend a shot with 2.7 seconds remaining.

"I'm blown away by it. It makes no sense," Bryant said.

A couple things worth noting here. One, it came in the waning seconds of the game, when the refs are supposed to "let 'em play." It's exactly when you should be able to get away with a little contact within the flow of the action. Second, it was against the Spurs, whose very own Bruce Bowen is the dirtiest "marquee defender" in the league. Not ever disciplining Bowen is one thing, but coming down on Kobe with Bruce on the court? The league's energy would have been better spent on some kind of lifetime achievement recognition for Bowen.

The most interesting thing, though, was Phil's reaction. Please notify me via email if you have any idea what this comment means:

"I have been a little disappointed with how Kobe has been treated as a premier player," Jackson said.

Uh, okay. Does this mean Jackson is for this? Against it? For star treatment? Against it? Calling Kobe a star? Cutting him down to size? For once, dude's living up to that whole Zen Master shtick.

Update: Here's another look at the "Slap Heard 'Round Argentina".