Kobe reportedly escapes third suspension
NBA rules star's elbow was a flagrant foul, no further punishment
 Tom Mihalek / AP The Lakers' Kobe Bryant has been suspended twice for one game this season for unintentionally striking opposing players with elbows following shots. |
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Kobe Bryant won't be suspended a third time for an errant elbow.
The NBA, which was investigating the Los Angeles Lakers star for his actions in the first half of a game Friday night against the Philadelphia 76ers' Kyle Korver, retroactively assessed a flagrant foul on the play, ESPN reported Monday.
Bryant was playing his first game back after serving a one-game suspension for striking Minnesota Timberwolves guard Marko Jaric in the face after taking a shot. It was the second time Bryant has been suspended this season for so-called "unintentional" elbow to the face of an opponent.
Bryant nailed the San Antonio Spurs' Manu Ginobili earlier this season in the face.
"I didn't think it was that big a deal," Korver told the Associated Press on Saturday. I thought it was an offensive foul. After I saw it on replay, it looked a lot worse than I thought it was during the game. It all happens fast. It's no big deal. It's just part of the game."
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