BEIJING, Jan. 31 (Xinhuanet) -- Kobey Bryant is famous for putting down a long-range 3-pointer when the Lakers most need one, but his long-shot bid for a hearing on his one-game suspension for hitting San Antonio's Manu Ginobili in the face on Sunday was slam-dunked Tuesday by NBA official Stu Jackson.

Los Angeles was already in New York -- site of the NBA headquarters -- for  a game against the Knicks when the suspension was announced. He requested "an immediate hearing" with the league office to appeal. But Jackson said no because it was not standard procedure.

"This is not the process that we use at the NBA. Certainly, in theory, given the fact that the Lakers were in New York, we could have heard an appeal. But again, we never have, as it's not part of our process," said Stu Jackson, the league's chief disciplinarian for on-court actions. "He does have the right to an appeal at a later date. If he were to win that appeal, he would get his money back."

Bryant's absence left the Lakers without their leading scorer when they opened an eight-game road trip with a 99-94 lackluster loss to the Knicks.

"If you follow this team, we had to play in the beginning of the year without Kobe," teammate Lamar Odom said. "Of course he's a great player, but for  us to win, to win regularly, we need everybody."

Players association spokesman Dan Wasserman said a letter was sent on Bryant's behalf to the league office requesting the hearing, and that Bryant volunteered to review the videotape and talk to commissioner David Stern or the "appropriate league official."

"I'm blown away by it. I really am," Bryant said of the suspension. "It just makes no sense."

The play occurred with 2.7 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter of the Lakers’96-94 overtime loss to the Spurs on Sunday.

"It's just unintentional," Bryant added. "I felt horrible about it. It's just basketball, it happens."

Jackson disagreed, and offered the NBA's explanation on a conference call.

"Some of the determining factors were the fact that there was contact made with Ginobili above the shoulders and the fact that this particular action by Kobe was an unnatural basketball motion. Following a shot, he drove a stiff arm in a backward motion and struck Ginobili in the head," Jackson said. "We did not view this as an inadvertent action."

No foul was called on the play.

"This blow was so swift in real time that it's understandable why, in fact, an official would have missed the contact," Jackson said. "In our view, this was not an attempt to draw a foul."

Bryant scored 40 points in his only visit last season to Madison Square Garden. Sasha Vujacic started in his place to the disappointment of a sellout crowd that booed when it was announced during pregame introductions that Bryant was not with the team because of the suspension.

Last season, Bryant was suspended for two games without pay for elbowing Mike Miller of the Memphis Grizzlies in the throat -- but Stu Jackson said that incident was not a factor in Tuesday's penalty.

(Agencies)

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