Friday, March 23rd, 2012 at 10:15 am  |  124 responses

Video: Jason Smith Tackles Blake Griffin

Yeah, that’s gonna result in a suspension.

Jason Smith and the New Orleans Hornets’ crowd get zero points for seemingly celebrating the unnecessarily hard foul during Smith’s ejection.

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  • http://dillanleuyahoo.com Holy Baller

    @Orange4Ever, But he DIDN’T. He didn’t even attempt to veil his attack, he just slammed into Blake and sent him flying, then walked around like he owned the place and had just done something spectacular. Like someone’s already pointed out, if this was the street his @ss would be kicked because that’s just a punk move, especially when he knows that none of Blake’s teammates can do anything without getting major suspensions from the NBA. I agree that the foul shouldn’t carry any suspension, but his strutting around afterward is what is especially disconcerting. He deserves a two-game suspension.

  • bobby

    If any of y’all think this is a dirty play must be too young to remember the Bad Boy Pistons of the late 80s-early 90s. If he gets suspended I have lost all faith in the New NBA. This foul brought a smile to my face.

    And one more thing you showboat like Blake & the Clips you better expected to knocked on your ass a few times. The Clips announcers made it sound soooooooooooooo much worse than it really was. If it wasn’t Blake or a player one of the league’s favorite teams, Smith doesn’t get an ejection.

  • http://slamonline.com LakeShow

    You all are weirdos. This is a HARD foul. He tried to hurt him. He lowered his shoulder and ran into him as hard as he could. No play for the ball what so ever. I would kick someones a$$ and expect mine to be kicked if this went down where I was playing. Just last week this same thing happened to me, but instead of running the guy was just standing at the rim and ran into me as hard as he could. Wasn’t trying to take the offensive foul or slap at the ball just a shoulder forward. There is no place in professional basketball for this. With that said. Moves like these aren’t going to stop. Guys don’t like being embarrassed in front of millions of people. Blake might need to find some padding to wear.

  • IAMORANGE4EVER

    Paul H vehemently disagrees saying, “that was as flagrant as cheap shots come,” ……When did he start watching basketball?

  • http://www.reverbnation.com/tray24 T-Ray

    I think those they said he flopped meaned that he kind of milked it when he was laying there like he just got speared by the Big Show. No doubt it was a hard foul and was uncalled for by he was sort of a drama queen about it. I got knocked on my a$$ by a dude who was 200 pounds solid and I was 4 years younger and he out weighed me by 50+. Yea it hurt like a muthaf*cka lol but I didn’t lay there like he just killed me. Bottom line hard foul but an overreaction.

  • LA Huey

    bobby, I’ve seen enough footage of the Pistons and Celtics of the 80s playing “defense” to know that I don’t want to watch or play any basketball that accepts those kind of actions.

  • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZ5LpwO-An4&feature=related Copacabanban

    I guess the Saints arn’t the only team in New Orleans with a bounty system

  • http://www.fullc0urtpress.com KHOLIDAY

    Thats a dirty play, point blank, period. Dont know about a suspension, but a Flagrant Foul is definitely warranted. Soo much could’ve gone south with a foul like that. Look what happened to TJ Ford last week. Something like that tweek a nerve or something the wrong way and you never know.

  • http://slamonline.com LakeShow

    T-Ray’s got the truth.

  • IAMORANGE4EVER

    Holy Baller, I understand you and I do understand that what Jason Smith did was WRONG. Jason Smith has already been punished (ejected) and will surely be punished by the league office. HOWEVER, Jason Smith came off extremely remorseful in the post game interview, and to my knowledge he’s never had a history of incidents like this in the past. If you want to talk about hard fouls that are dangerous, how about the one Andrew Bynum (285 pound 7 footer) put on JJ Barea (6‘, 175lbs) in the 2nd round last year, than the one J-Smithereens (lol) put on Blake Griffin.

  • http://www.reverbnation.com/tray24 T-Ray

    Stephen A Smith was on his usual rant this morning about it saying Smith should be suspended for 10 games or the rest of the season. Not because of the foul but because he was pumping up the fans during his exit and his bs apology.

  • tomtom

    If there is ‘no place for things like this in Basketball’ why have i seen similar things from Larry, MJ, Kobe, Shaq, Rodman, Rambis, Malone, KG etc. If the most talented and respected have done it all before then how is there no place for it? If your opinion is that it was to aggressive then fine, but no more of this buzzword catchphrase stuff.

  • riggs

    a flop? are some of you people idiots? did you not see the lower of the shoulders and running into blake that smith did? matter of fact dont even answer the second question, you are idiots. Also Smith looks like Prezbolusky

  • http://dillanleuyahoo.com Holy Baller

    I will say that I don’t think the foul ITSELF warrants the suspension; I think his reaction afterward, pumping up the crowd BECAUSE of his flagrant foul, is what warrants the suspension. The NBA simply can’t have that, especially not after the “Malice at the Palace” years ago. The game changed that day, guys. It all started off with a simple hard foul, and escalated after that because the crowd got into it. Who says that couldn’t have happened yesterday? Blake may have milked it afterward, but that has nothing to do with the foul itself or the suspension. Smith needs to be gone for a few games to prove a point that the NBA will NOT tolerate that kind of action.

  • -Mas-

    You reap what you sow right? Dunk on peoples feelings day in and day out and eventually you’ll get your feeling hurt. Karma? Idk. This is my theory.

  • Paul H

    @Orange, If your going to say something about my post address It at me. Not many people can pull of condescension and idiocy simultaneously with the same flair you can. Did we just walk into a time warp? Are we watching ball 20 years ago? ‘Cause In todays NBA that Is flagrant, dangerous and a CHEAPSHOT. I agree Bynums one was worse but nothing In my statement Is untrue and has absolutely no bearing on how long I have been watching ball (which Is a long time). As many on this post have already said If that happened In a pick up game I would have responded with a headbutt. Smith walked out as If he was something. Only a stone coward pulls a move like that.

  • http://cnbc.com JTaylor21

    Whether or not this was a flop is irrelevant. That kind of action has no place on a basketball court, don’t give me that he flops BS. Everyone in the NBA flops.

  • http://thetroyblog.com Teddy-the-Bear

    @ riggs: Nah, Kevin Love is Mr. Prezbo.

  • http://slamonline.com LakeShow

    Paul, why you gotta shut down Orange like that.
    -Taylor, once I saw Shaq flop I knew nothing in basketball was sacred anymore.

  • Paul H

    Guys ALWAYS grating on me.

  • LA Huey

    tomtom, so fighting is acceptable in the sport of basketball just because some all-time greats did it?

  • http://cnbc.com JTaylor21

    Lake, exactly. Players have been flopping for some time now. Hell…I saw a couple of 80s cats flopping but everyone acts like those guys were gladiators, so they never highlight that part of the game.

  • LA Huey

    You know guys, in the 60s, if someone jumped more than a foot off the ground going to the bucket, they got laid out in midair. So basically, what Bynum did to Barea last spring was perfectly OK.

  • http://www.reverbnation.com/tray24 T-Ray

    JT
    You and I both know that a lot of people make the players from the 80s and even 90s to be hard a$$e$ compared to today’s players. They make it seem like it’s a badge of honor to have played when clotheslining a guy was very realistic.

  • http://slamonline.com Allenp

    Bynum was suspended for five games.
    Why bring him up? He was punished by the League for a serious punk move.
    It’s really weird to hear all these people say “Well that’s what he gets for dunking on people and showing off…”
    Why not beat him at actual basketball? So because you can’t win at the game y’all are playing you pull a punk move knowing that if any of the Clippers respond in a real manner they will face even harsher punishment?
    I wish Stern could allow players to fight without having to deal with all that “thug” talk that will inevitably follow. If cats knew that they could get punched for doing reckless stuff, the League would be different. You would have some folks who would still foul hard, but a lot of these fake enforcers would chill.

  • http://cnbc.com JTaylor21

    TRay, I concur. How does getting clotheslined once in a blue moon make someone a “hard a**” or tough guy? That sh*t makes zero sense to me but since most older fans despise today’s players (most because of the kind of money they are making), everyone that plays today is labeled soft and weak. The only teams that were out there consistently roughing opposing players up were the Knicks and Bad Boy Pistons, everyone else was to busy trying to outgun, outrun and outscore the other team.

  • http://www.reverbnation.com/tray24 T-Ray

    I agree 100%. Don’t get me wrong I like a good elbow and shove as much as the next guy but those fans that glorify those players’ actions from that time period need to revaluate themselves.

  • LA Huey

    I cited Bynum and Barea because it’s unanimous that it was a dirty, cowardly play. But that would have been allowed in the 60s. Just saying that just because it was allowed “back then”. It doesn’t mean that it’s right.

  • Justin G.

    OK, here’s my question. All of you that are saying if this happened in pickup ball there would be a fight, right? Why not here? How does Blake not get up instead of lying there and go after Smith. Obviously players are going to get in between and all that but instead of lying there like a fallen Euro soccer player, be a man and go after him. In baseball, if a guy gets hit in the back on purpose with a pitch there’s a bench clearing brawl. Hockey…pretty sure I don’t even need to explain. Funniest comment of the night came on Game Time with Bill Laimbeer watching the replay of this and he says “That’s a foul?” Hahaha

  • http://thetroyblog.com Teddy-the-Bear

    Today’s league is softer due to a lack of handchecking and that dumb circle under the basket–basically worse/hindered defense that favors an offense-driven league. Also a lack of Bill Laimbeer.

  • http://dillanleuyahoo.com Holy Baller

    @Justin G: This is obvious. You can’t get up and beat a dude down and be suspended for games before the playoffs, especially when the Clippers are already on a losing skid. You let your teammates stick up for you and go after the dude, but no one threw any punches because it’s just not worth missing major games. Idiotic question.

  • Kerby

    thats not no flagrent fould ….flop city flop flop city …biiiiaaccchh

  • LA Huey

    Justin G, the NBA has strict rules and punishments that curb the bench clearing brawls. Reason for those rules, NBA players are viewed as “thugs” when they get into fights but it’s just “boys being boys” when it happens in the NHL or MLB.

  • http://www.reverbnation.com/tray24 T-Ray

    LA huey
    You’re getting close to a big debate starter with that 2:10 comment. A good one none the less.

  • Justin G.

    And btw, which was worse? The hit or the announcers’ reaction to it? Also @tomtom, when did those players you just named ever hipcheck someone in the open court without at least looking like they were making a play for the ball? @Orange…you make me laugh. I can’t even begin to imagine what your reaction would be if this were Carmelo or Amare that got hit instead of Griffin. You’d be calling for a lifetime suspension. As for the “Have you ever seen anything like this in the last 15 years” line (which really made me laugh), I guess the first one off the top of my head is Robert Horry shoulder checking Steve Nash into the announce table. Of course, Nash didn’t stay down as long as Griffin did but nobody is going to say Griffin is as tough as Nash either.

  • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AbOy7wGVHP0 Allenp

    Not you Huey. Orange. I assumed you cited Bynum because Orange introduced him into the conversation to make excuses for how what happened to Blake didn’t compare to what happened to Barea.
    Bynum got suspended for five games for what he did. James Posey was suspended when he did it to Hinrich in the 2006 playoffs. Click my name for a video of that play.

  • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AbOy7wGVHP0 Allenp

    Because if you fight in the NBA, even if it’s justified, you get suspended and tossed from the game. That won’t happen in real life.

  • http://idunkonthem.blogspot.com albie1kenobi

    NBA’s punishment is the harshest when it comes to player fighting. few reasons: the proximity of fans to the court, the “thug image” issue, and NBA players have much bigger roles in their team compare to other major sports and thus much more valuable. (there are only 15 people on an NBA roster, compare to 25 for baseball, 22 for hockey, and a village for football)
    bench clearing brawls are exciting events for baseball, which is a sport that otherwise has relative few actions; hockey players are encouraged to fight it out and only “punished” with a few minutes in a box.
    NBA is setup in a way that if you act like a “real man”, you’ll have severe consequences that is absolutely detrimental to the team and yourself that can affect a season. so why would any sane person want to go after the offender? remember what happened to the Suns in the 2007 playoff? they lost a shot for a title.

  • http://www.nesn.com/2012/02/kobe-bryant-says-hes-better-than-michael-jordan-second-to-wilt-chamberlain-as-best-nba-player-ever-v.html shutup

    How do people think this is a flop? Don’t let your hate blind you. This was a rugby tackle, that ish isnt even legal in hockey, its called charging if you take more than three strides to a hit, he lowered his shoulder and didnt even try to play the ball. Jealousy is a b!tch. and everyone saying he deserved it because he’s dunking on people, smh….dudes need to man up and do some calf raises and dunk on him back or block him, there’s no place for this in basketball. I seen dudes beat for less,where I’ve played.

  • http://dillanleuyahoo.com Holy Baller

    The foul on Blake was about 10x worse than Posey’s too.

  • Paul H

    @AllenP And check out the second comment In on that video, “posey would be so perfect in the 90s era”. Classic example of the dreamy nostalgia that engulfs people when they think that type of sh*t Is something that should be missed In basketball. I miss proper trash-talking If anything. A hard foul and a dirty dangerous foul are totally different.

  • IAMORANGE4EVER

    @PaulH, I’ve not seen you comment on SLAM but ONLY for the last MONTH, so excuse me for asking, why are YOU commenting towards me like you have a some sort of long history with me? Did you used to COMMENT UNDER ANOTHER NAME here at SLAM before? Could it be “PaulH” is your new regular name here at SLAM nowadays, and not just another pseudonym? Hmmm…

  • LA Huey

    Justin G, just cited the Horry check on Nash. That ish got him suspended too. So basically, the precedent has been set long ago that the NBA won’t condone this kind of action.

  • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AbOy7wGVHP0 Allenp

    The strange thing about all this glorification of hard fouls is that when things escalate and somebody gets punched, or somebody waits by the team bus or things get “real” then tons of people start talking about how that’s uncalled for.
    Once you start making violent decisions, you really don’t have much control over how things are going to turn out. There is no rulebooks that says things won’t escalate to a deadly level. That’s why people don’t take certain violent actions in real life. You give a crazy foul and pretend like you’re a wrestling villain at some playgrounds and cats are going to their car for that hammer.
    Violence is always an option, and it doesn’t have a generally agreed upon ceiling. Anything can happen. People want to break the rules of basketball, but be certain that things won’t get too serious. Punk moves.

  • http://slamonline.com LakeShow

    CoSign Shutup, and Paul H. People actin like they are longing for an NBA where a season ending injury inflicted on someone is okay and shouldn’t be taken serious.
    -Paul, I’m a big Gary Payton fan so you know where I stand on the trash talking lol.

  • http://cnbc.com JTaylor21

    Teddy, there was nothing tough about Lambier, nothing. Dude was a dirty, cheap shot artist.
    LA Huey, it’s simple. The NBA is looked on as a african-american dominated sport while the NHL and MLB (falsely) are looked on as a white sport.

  • LA Huey

    Paul H, I do miss the days when Kemp on Lister taunts, Mutombo direct finger wag, etc was allowed.

  • http://slamonline.com nbk

    i’m with allenp, Jtaylor, lakeshow, shutup, and everyone else saying there is no place for this on a basketball court. Any basketball court. And whether or not the punishment would have been the same in previous years is completely irrelevant.

  • Rainman

    I dont really understand all the flop talk, theres no way he dives his shoulder into the floor like that just to flop, thats career threatning. I doubt he’d do that just for a foul call. No place for this in the NBA

  • http://slamonline.com LakeShow

    Whoa, we all coming together on this one lol.
    It’s been ruled unanimous in the court of Slamily. This shall not be tolerated!
    Stern, Punish this man!

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