STAT calls Spurs "dirty"

[DeAnna]

Stoudemire calls Spurs 'dirty'

Doug Haller
The Arizona Republic
May. 10, 2007 02:02 PM

Amaré Stoudemire called the San Antonio Spurs a dirty team Thursday and directed most of his words toward defensive specialist Bruce Bowen and sixth man Manu Ginobili.

Hours after the Suns center learned he had made First Team All-NBA, Stoudemire unleashed frustration at what he said were attempts by Bowen and Ginobili to hurt him during the Suns' Game 2 win in the Western Conference semifinals.

Bowen's play irritated him most. In the fourth quarter, Stoudemire felt a kick to his left Achilles tendon as he leaped inside. He came down awkwardly and said his foot was sore the rest of the night. He got treatment before practice.

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Stoudemire said he wasn't sure Bowen had kicked him on purpose until he saw the replay.

"It was a wide-open play," he said. "I saw the replay and Bruce Bowen came up behind me, measured his feet and kicked me purposely in the back of my Achilles. That was a dirty play.

"I hope the NBA looks into in and takes a look at Bruce Bowen. In Game 1, I told Bruce to calm down because he might get somebody hurt out there. He had a 'don't care' type of attitude. And it showed in Game 2, when he kicked me purposely in my Achilles. I almost came down wrong and he almost caused an injury. He's known for doing that. I just hope the NBA and the commissioner takes a look because it's definitely a dirty play and that's not something we need."

Stoudemire said the Suns are sending game film into the league office for review. Game 3 of the best-of-seven series is Saturday in San Antonio.

"I'm not worried about it," Suns coach Mike D'Antoni said. "I don't think it's a big deal. . . . The league will look at it. Whatever they decide, fine."

Stoudemire has no doubt Bowen meant to kick him.

"For a player to be behind me, there's no way you can try and go for a block and kick me directly in the Achilles," he said. "There's no way. I've dunked on guys. I've been dunked on, so I know how it is to play hard out there. That wasn't a case of someone playing hard, it was just a case of trying to injure someone, plain and simple."

Stoudemire said he didn't react immediately because he didn't want to hurt his team with a technical foul or suspension.

"We're trying to win a ball game," he said. The series is tied 1-1.

Stoudemire said he had told Bowen to "Calm down" in Game 1, because he felt Bowen was playing recklessly.

"He was just kind of out of control," Stoudemire said. "I mean, Bruce Bowen's normally under control, but he ran directly into me. I said, 'Man, you're going to get somebody hurt out here. He was like, 'Shut up." I was like, 'Man, I'm just giving you some cautions. You're going to get somebody hurt.' But he wasn't hearing it. . . . Bruce Bowen, who's a two-time champion, should have more class than that."

Stoudemire was upset with Ginobili for grabbing his knee while falling. He said Ginobili had kneed him in the crotch earlier this season.

"The Spurs are a dirty team," Stoudemire said.

 

[az1965]

Another variation of the the story...



Stoudemire calls Bowen, Ginobili `dirty' players
By BOB BAUM, AP Sports Writer
May 10, 2007

PHOENIX (AP) -- Amare Stoudemire added fire to the already intense Phoenix-San Antonio playoff series, calling the Spurs a "dirty team" and accusing Bruce Bowen of intentionally trying to hurt him.
"He kicked me purposely in the back of my Achilles'. I almost came down wrong and he almost caused an injury," Stoudemire said after Thursday's practice. "He's known for doing that. I just hope the NBA and the commissioner take a look at that because it's definitely a dirty play."
http://us.ard.yahoo.com/SIG=12j9ie7...ver/1/711-47347-1039-8/4?mpt=1178840240262726The Suns' center, selected to the all-NBA first team Thursday, didn't stop there.
"I think the Spurs are a dirty team," he said. "I mean, (Manu) Ginobili during the regular season kneed me in the crotch on purpose. I just hope the league takes a look at it and cleans the game up a little bit."
The Spurs, who host the Suns in Game 3 of the Western Conference semifinals on Saturday, had finished practice in San Antonio and the players were gone when Stoudemire made his accusations. Tom James, director of media services, said the Spurs had no comment.
The play that led to Stoudemire's charges came in the third quarter of Phoenix's 101-81 victory in Game 2 on Tuesday night, when he was going up for an open dunk. The victory evened the best-of-seven series 1-1.
Stoudemire said he didn't know at the time if the kick was on purpose, but decided after viewing replays that it was.
"When I saw the replay and reviewed it three or four times, there was no doubt about it," he said. "It was a purpose kick to the Achilles' and he definitely tried to injure me."
Stoudemire's feelings were heightened by the fact that he missed all but three games last season while recovering from two knee surgeries.
"I was actually very, very, very upset," he said. "Me personally from last year, having to sit out the whole season because of injuries. And for a guy like Bruce Bowen, who is a two-time champion, he should have more class than that, should understand what it takes to be a professional."
A video on YouTube appears to show Bowen, an NBA all-defensive team selection, kicking Stoudemire's leg from behind.
Stoudemire said he didn't react at the time because he didn't want a suspension or a technical foul that would hurt his team.
"I know it's the playoffs. I understand a hard foul," Stoudemire said. "But that wasn't a hard foul at all. That was just a purpose kick trying to injure someone."
No foul was called on the play.
Stoudemire said the Achilles' was initially sore but was fine during practice. Both teams took the day off on Wednesday.
During the regular season, the New York Knicks' Steve Francis was injured when he stepped on Bowen's foot.
When the teams met again in San Antonio, Knicks coach Isiah Thomas drew a technical foul when he shouted something at Bowen when New York's Jamal Crawford nearly landed on the Spurs' player's foot.
"I thought Jamal went up to take the shot and as he was coming down, Bruce's foot was under him," Thomas said after that game. "And if he were to come down on his foot, he could have broken his ankle or sprained his ankle and he would have been out, just like Francis."
In March of 2006, Bowen was fined $10,000 by the NBA for kicking Seattle's Ray Allen in the back.
Suns coach Mike D'Antoni downplayed the incident involving Stoudemire.
"The league's going to look at it and they're going to examine past tendencies and stuff," he said. "I have no idea what Bruce Bowen does. I don't really care. I don't want to get into it because it's so minimal that it's no big deal. It really isn't."
Raja Bell, also an all-defensive team selection, said he doesn't like to use the words "dirty player." "`I haven't seen the play," he said. "Dirty is not a word I like to use about anybody. They play hard, their physical. It's a physical time of year, but I didn't get kicked. Amare has the right to feel the way he wants to feel." Associated Press writer Elizabeth White in San Antonio contributed to this report.

 

[BigRedRage]

Sweet, send out pat burke.

 

[kps0001]

this is news to me.

 

[msdundee]

Similar write-ups on Foxsports, CBS Sportsline, CNN-SI. Our All NBA first-teamer is getting his message out but it's not exactly big news. Bowen's earned his rep as a dirty player, the league's just never done much about it except for fining him for the kick on Allen and sending a warning about his "foot defense." He's been responsible for some deliberate moves resulting in injuries, and it's time they wake up.

 

[azirish]

Pop plays a lot of head games, so now he gets to be on the receiving end. It would be remarkable if the refs didn't watch Bowen a bit more closely, which is that last thing in the world the Spurs want.

Only someone like Amare (First Team All NBA) can call out Bowen. His struggle with injuries makes him especially sensitive to efforts to hurt him.

 

[az1965]

They should remove him from the 1st defensive team if the league confirms that he did attempt to hurt intentionally.

 

[BigRedRage]

thats the main thing, we are talking a guy who has had 2 surgeries that you usually dont even come back from, why would you want to injure him? Your talking ruining someones life to win a basketball game.

 

[PHX 32]

Thatta Boy Stat!!!!! Bring the hammer down!!!!!

 

[DeAnna]

this is news to me.

It is to me!

 

[az1965]

It is to me!

I think he meant Bowen being dirty is no news...

 

[azdad1978]

I'll be pissed off too if a Spurt player is trying to injure me on purpose.

 

[virtual_9mm]

Send an email to the League Office!

http://www.nba.com/webAction?action.../email_us/email_form_041027.jsp&surveyId=1152

If they get enough complaints, they'll have to take this more seriously.

 

[Griffin]

I don't think the league will take any action against Bowen. If they were to do that, they would have done so already. They review every game automatically, so if they didn't think it was intentional originally, I doubt they will now. I wish they did though. Bowen should not be allowed to get away with stuff like that.

 

[msdundee]

I don't think the league will take any action against Bowen. If they were to do that, they would have done so already. They review every game automatically, so if they didn't think it was intentional originally, I doubt they will now. I wish they did though. Bowen should not be allowed to get away with stuff like that.

Bowen's little tactic wasn't quite so obviously deliberate until you look at it in slow motion -- probably why he gets away with so much. Maybe he practices in front of a mirror so he can get those cover-up moves down pat. If the league is asked to look specifically at one play, I'd guess they'd slow it down, and then it looks pretty bad. It's hard to believe he has so much history without getting anything other than a warning, especially since they're supposedly trying to "clean up" the game.

 

[kps0001]

I think he meant Bowen being dirty is no news...

yup.

 

[gdiddy]

Let the truth come out.

This is what pushed Phoenix to the brink last against L.A.: the game got way too physical, which is something Phoenix cannot handle.

The league needs to clean up the game once and for all. Enough of the stupid technical fouls for arguing a call. Stern and company needs to start coming down hard on players that try to intentionally injure other players. That's not fair to the other team, and neither is it fair to the fans.

 

[kps0001]

Let the truth come out.

This is what pushed Phoenix to the brink last against L.A.: the game got way too physical, which is something Phoenix cannot handle.

.

Didn't we win that series?

 

[dreamcastrocks]

Didn't we win that series?

After the officiating was better...yes.

 

[jbeecham]

Didn't we win that series?

Yup, it just took Walton's foot being out of bounds on the jumpball call becoming national news in order to get the officiating in order.

 

[Steel Sun]

IMO this is MUCH worse than what the league fined Kobe for(elbow throwing)
this type of injury can END a career!!!
A broken ankle or other knee problems can occur from this type of play.
They need to fine and suspend this scumbag

 

[Steel Sun]

Send an email to the League Office!

http://www.nba.com/webAction?action.../email_us/email_form_041027.jsp&surveyId=1152

If they get enough complaints, they'll have to take this more seriously.

DONE!

 

[MaoTosiFanClub]

Bowen's been doing this for years, I recall Vince Carter and Kobe nearly coming to blows with him a few times.

And sorry, but sending complaints to the league office about this is a complete waste of time.

 

[Steel Sun]

Bowen's been doing this for years, I recall Vince Carter and Kobe nearly coming to blows with him a few times.

And sorry, but sending complaints to the league office about this is a complete waste of time.

Yeah, just like voting is only 1 vote???

 

[kps0001]

And sorry, but sending complaints to the league office about this is a complete waste of time.

you forgot pathetic and desperate.