How does Tony Allen's face kick on Chris Paul compare to that of
the master, Bruce Bowen?  Who kicked it best?  People don't get
kicked in the face very often in the NBA. It's a shame, I know.
Even with all the jumping, feet are rarely at face-level, and,
since there is no legal reason to kick the ball itself (YET),
there's no viable excuse to avoid penalty in such an instance.
You can find photo evidence of several face kicks in recent
history and there was, of course, the scary Kevin Love stomp on
Luis Scola, but until last night, one face kick clearly reigned
supreme. Bruce Bowen marked his NBA career with threes, dogged
wing defense, occasional dirty plays, and the crown jewel: a
2002 kick to Wally Szczerbiak's mug that got him a $7,500 fine.
It is the quintessential NBA face kick GIF:   No one had even
challenged that kick's egregious excellence until Monday night,
when Tony Allen did this to Chris Paul:   Allen has succeeded
Bowen as the NBA's preeminent wing defender, though his
dirtiness quotient nee