Video: Ryan Hollins kicks Jeremy Lin while he’s down
By Rob Mahoney
Clippers big man Ryan Hollins has a long track record of cheap shots (including shoves, punches, trips, elbows and an incomprehensible amount of trash talking), but this latest entry is a new low even for a player with such an extensive body of work.
After losing the ball thanks to the prying hands of Houston’s Jeremy Lin on Wednesday, Hollins found himself trailing behind Lin as the Rockets’ point guard looked to push the break. Fellow Clipper Lamar Odom first bodied up Lin to commit an ordinary foul, but when that nudge sent Lin into Hollins’ path, the hot-headed big man just couldn’t help himself. As Lin struggled to keep his footing, Hollins visibly kicked Lin — only to hold his hands up and claim innocence.
After some discussion, the play was called as a flagrant foul 1, and this play would definitely seem to be deserving of that judgment based on it being wholly “unnecessary” contact. Either way, this surely won’t be the last that we see of Hollins — who was named one of the dirtiest players in the league last season in a Sports Illustrated player poll – in the context of flagrant/technical/hard fouls. He just has a way of grossly exaggerating his physical response to otherwise normal basketball situations, and clearly has little regard for the written and unwritten rules of the game.
H/T: ClutchFans.
Clippers are doing well this year NOT because they are good at real basketball but because they are playing THUG BALL.
Can not believe that the Rockets players and coaches did nothing to protest the malicious, totally over the top fouls on @JLin7? This is not the first time. Lin seems to always get hard fouls that are never called. Is this a conspiracy of NBA?
@TShuere
Mr. Stern, is this a conspiracy of NBA? What's happening to this League and ur refs?
Hollins better get suspended. Lamar Kardashian is a loser for pushing and tripping Lin to the floor (it's not Lin's fault you're old and slow) and Hollins is a low iq wuss.
Kick him , step on his hand...you know ,you just a Rogue , not a player,Boo
Odom's trip on Lin was an ordinary foul ??? .... You mean you can trip someone running at speed and be judge as an ordinary foul ??? .... Why don't all NBA players do it then ??
That was ugly!
I like JLin's game, but seriously he has to find a way to stop taking all these falls. Forget the kick, it was dirty but it didn't really have any chance of hurting JLin. But the falls he takes driving to the hoop make me strongly believe that he will not make to 30 as an NBA player. The talent is there, but he is going to break stuff if he keeps hitting the floor.
@JonCBK or how about the refs actually call a foul when they see one?! the only time lin gets foul calls is when he's completely bleeding or holding a certain part of his body (face/head/knee) in pain.
RYAN HOLLINS: WAS INJURING JEREMY PART OF THE GAME PLAN? DO YOU KNOW IT WAS A CRIMINAL ACT? I HAVE LOST MY RESPECT FOR CLIPPERS BECAUSE OF YOU!!
RYAN HOLLINS NEEDS TO BE KICKED OUT OF NBA IMMEDIATELY!!!!
HE BROUGHT SHAME TO HIS FAMILY,CLIPPERS, AND NBA.
SUCH A DIRTY PLAYER!!!
Hollins needs to lose a game for that.