Traumatizing Photos Emerge Of Kobe Bryant, Injured On Arguably Dirty Play

In the last seconds of Wednesday night's Lakers loss to the Atlanta Hawks, Dahntay Jones, defending Kobe Bryant, sort of got all up in Kobe's grill, and Kobe got hurt.

It's unclear whether Jones was simply contesting the shot aggressively or stuck his leg under Kobe on purpose. (No foul was called.)

Unsurprisingly, Jones stuck by the play as legitimate defense.

Dahntay @ dahntay1 Follow

Tape doesn't lie. Ankle was turned on the floor after the leg kick out that knocked him off balance. I would never try to hurt the man

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Dahntay @ dahntay1 Follow

Leg kick that makes contact with a defensive player is an offense foul. Period. The nba changed that rule 2 yrs ago. Stop it!

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Dahntay @ dahntay1 Follow

I have the utmost respect for @kobebryant I would never try to intentionally hurt him. Just wanted to contest the fadeaway #thatsall

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While, even less surprisingly, Kobe came to a different conclusion.

Kobe Bryant @ kobebryant Follow

#dangerousplay that should have been called. Period.

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And he said this in a postgame interview.

"I just can't get over the fact that I have to wait a year to get revenge ... You can't walk underneath players, that's dangerous for the shooter. He Jalen Rose'd me."

It's a reference to the 2000 NBA Finals, when Jalen Rose, then a member of the Indiana Pacers, stuck his leg out underneath Kobe and got away with it.

Rose would later admit that he intentionally injured Kobe.

(Kobe being Kobe, he also added a later tweet about recuperating from the ankle sprain — which will keep him out indefinitely — in kind of a weird way.)

Kobe Bryant @ kobebryant Follow

Compression. Ice. Django. Zero Dark Thirty. This is Forty and 1 hour of sleep. #countonwill #countonhaters. On to the next.

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Kobe's wife Vanessa sent out this somewhat confusing shot of his swollen ankle after the game.

The story might have ended there — but the BuzzFeed Sports I-Team has uncovered further photos that prove Bryant's point beyond a doubt. These images truly have no place in the game of basketball — or anywhere in civilized society.

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Warning: graphic material ahead.

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Source: jpmoore

Words are almost inadequate, but a few come to mind. Harrowing. Abhorrent. Flamboyant Lil' Bo Peep.

(Background here.)

Visit the source: http://www.buzzfeed.com/ktlincoln/traumatizing-photos-emerge-of-kobe-bryant-injured-on-arguabl
Article author: ktlincoln