Kobe Bryant has quickly become a Twitter master since joining the microblogging network in early January. Wednesday and Thursday, however, he used it in a new way: to vent about an ankle injury caused by an opponent's defensive play that many considered to be a dirty -- or, at best, unsafe -- basketball tactic.
The play came in the closing seconds of Wednesday night's game NBA between Kobe's Lakers and the Atlanta Hawks. Bryant, guarded by Dahntay Jones, went up for a fadeaway jumpshot. Jones moved under Bryant while he was in the air. Bryant came down, landed on one of Jones' feet and severely sprained his left ankle. He'll be out indefinitely. Here's the play for your own review:
Debate raged on Twitter almost immediately following the game. Was Jones' play dirty? Did he try to hurt Bryant? If not outright dirty, was it purposefully unsafe? Or was just a total accident? Complicating matters was the fact that Jones intentionally tripped Bryant in 2009, drawing a one-game suspension for doing so.
Fittingly for a 2013 sports controversy, Bryant and Jones didn't just argue their cases through the press or privately -- they used social media to make public appeals. Kobe's wife Vanessa even got in the action.
Kobe posted this tweet shortly after the game:
#dangerousplay that should have been called. Period.— Kobe Bryant (@kobebryant) March 14, 2013
A short while later, Vanessa posted to Instagram this somewhat bizarre, caption-less shot appearing to show her husband's injured ankle:
Jones, meanwhile used a string of tweets Wednesday night to plead his own innocence and reference his 2009 trip of Bryant:
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— Dahntay (@dahntay1) March 14, 2013
Leg kick that makes contact with a defensive player is an offense foul. Period. The nba changed that rule 2 yrs ago. Stop it!— Dahntay (@dahntay1) March 14, 2013
I have the utmost respect for @kobebryant I would never try to intentionally hurt him. Just wanted to contest the fadeaway #thatsall— Dahntay (@dahntay1) March 14, 2013
Now what happened in 09' I am not proud of but it was a heated playoff series with a championship on the line— Dahntay (@dahntay1) March 14, 2013
Bryant posted subsequent messages as well and even linked to a video from the 2009 incident, but by Thursday afternoon appeared ready to move on from the controversy:
I've cried foul play enough Big boy pants time for me. #tweetvent what else is this thing for? Political correctness? Ha. #saywatufeel— Kobe Bryant (@kobebryant) March 14, 2013
Was this indeed a dirty play, or is Bryant overreacting? Give us your take in the comments.
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