http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-kobe3-2008may03,0,6268282.story
Al Horford got robbed for ROY.... Paul for the MVP
Al Horford got robbed for ROY.... Paul for the MVP
LA Times announces Kobe will be awarded MVP
- Thread starter Spectrum
- Start date
yeah maybe they got some pointers from Bush 
True
As much as I see through the Kobe hype, I would rather he get it than Nash/Dirk/White Hopes
I cannot agree with that. Now, Nash should have been MVP in 2005-2006. Nowitzki
Speaking of NoHEARTski, I find it funny that last year during the MVP race, the media hyped him to be MVP because "he was the best player on the best team". If that is the case, how come Garnett wasn't the front runner? What about anyone from the Pistons? 2nd best record in the NBA?
Chris Paul should be MVP.
Kind of off topic but, I think whoever wins between NO/SA will represent the West in the Finals. That is a series I am really looking forward to.
I think those squads are the most balanced and I think that their front court play is far superior to any that the lakers or jazz have.
On another note - Anyone else think that the Western Conference's "dominance" was highly EXPOSED in the playoffs? Just look at the West compared to the East. One series in the West was actually a series (HOU/UTH) compared to the East where 3 were worth watching.
I may be an idiot but to me, the sign of the tougher conference is where teams are so evenly matched that it's difficult to pick a team that is clear cut stronger than the other. In the West, it was obvious that 3 of the 4 teams had cupcake opponents that they easily ran through. So much for the "all series should go 6 to 7" or the "legendary 1st round match ups that the West will have this year"
Just goes to show that the ONLY purpose of sports writers are to hype (not inform) but I have to give them credit as they've done a good job doing it. (Hence the faux MVP for this season)
well the award used to go to the best player in the league with the formula that is used now Chauncey Billups should have won one of the nash mvp awards he was the point guard on the team with the best record in the league if only he were white he would have met all the criteria.but now its like the oscars(the color purple for example) now the reality is Kobe's true mvp award that he should have won was left in a hotel room in colorado and to that end i'm surprised he is winning it now
tobe will be awarded MVP
you're not seeing the big picture.
nba has chosen a non-american for mvp 4 times in a row.
congratulations to jerry buss for buying the votes his cash cow required.
chauncey billups, chris paul and lebron james were all at least equally or more deserving than tobe.
you're not seeing the big picture.
nba has chosen a non-american for mvp 4 times in a row.
congratulations to jerry buss for buying the votes his cash cow required.
chauncey billups, chris paul and lebron james were all at least equally or more deserving than tobe.
Lebron is MVP. Take him off Cleveland and they are a lottery team
Take Kobe off the 2004-2006/07 Lakers and they are a pac-10 team. And your point is?
I cannot agree with that. Now, Nash should have been MVP in 2005-2006. Nowitzki
Speaking of NoHEARTski, I find it funny that last year during the MVP race, the media hyped him to be MVP because "he was the best player on the best team". If that is the case, how come Garnett wasn't the front runner? What about anyone from the Pistons? 2nd best record in the NBA?
Chris Paul should be MVP.
Kind of off topic but, I think whoever wins between NO/SA will represent the West in the Finals. That is a series I am really looking forward to.
I think those squads are the most balanced and I think that their front court play is far superior to any that the lakers or jazz have.
On another note - Anyone else think that the Western Conference's "dominance" was highly EXPOSED in the playoffs? Just look at the West compared to the East. One series in the West was actually a series (HOU/UTH) compared to the East where 3 were worth watching.
I may be an idiot but to me, the sign of the tougher conference is where teams are so evenly matched that it's difficult to pick a team that is clear cut stronger than the other. In the West, it was obvious that 3 of the 4 teams had cupcake opponents that they easily ran through. So much for the "all series should go 6 to 7" or the "legendary 1st round match ups that the West will have this year"
Just goes to show that the ONLY purpose of sports writers are to hype (not inform) but I have to give them credit as they've done a good job doing it. (Hence the faux MVP for this season)
The award is political
If Paul didn't get, it's not based on merit.
2005-2006? I would have given it to SHAQ(My Miami bias of course.)
Nash did some good work in those days, I will agree with that.
If I am running the league,the player with the best selling jersey in a large market would have to get it at some point.
Now real BBall fans that actually have their own minds know LA's success was due to Gasol.
To your point about Sports reports/hypers, spot on.
They are given the points to argue about as well as which points to agree with.
How could ESPN/ABC be objective when they are reporting on the product they sell? They can't! It's not good business.
Most interesting on PTI. Phil Jackson was asked if Kobe is the MVP. He responded by saying that he told Kobe he could not score 50/60 points and expect to win. He never said "Yes, I think Kobe is MVP" directly.
Another interesting note was that they had been working on Gasol since last year.
Just from the response I see on BGOL, Kobe is wildly popular. Most of the 20 year olds today never saw a prime Jordan. Kobe is the now.It's the 17-27 year old people that will spend the most on a jersey's, shoes,posters, and what ever other garbage the NBA is selling.
Let their hero be the "greatest".
Re: tobe will be awarded MVP
I think you are right Cran.
With Euro and international expansion plans, it is logical to spread the award around as they are doing.
It's like I said in my response to X-Factor, it's all marketing.
Hell, Yao Ming will probably get it next year!
you're not seeing the big picture.
nba has chosen a non-american for mvp 4 times in a row.
congratulations to jerry buss for buying the votes his cash cow required.
chauncey billups, chris paul and lebron james were all at least equally or more deserving than tobe.
I think you are right Cran.
With Euro and international expansion plans, it is logical to spread the award around as they are doing.
It's like I said in my response to X-Factor, it's all marketing.
Hell, Yao Ming will probably get it next year!
Not dealing with those seasons. Only this one. And my point is that Lebron is the Most Valuable Player because without him, his team wouldn't be where they are. Not even close to the playoffs and there's no exaggeration in that statement at all.
You can't say that the Lakers wouldn't be in the playoffs this year w/o Bryant. With the cast they have, they certainly would have still been a playoff contender.
Also, you may not even be able to say that L.A. wouldn't have been better off WITHOUT Bryant in those past seasons you're referring to. It's certainly up for debate, since they didn't do shit WITH Bryant on those teams anyway.
But in no way, shape or form can you make the argument that the Cavs are better off THIS SEASON without Lebron James in that lineup. Especially for an extended period time.
Oh, and I ain't no Lebron fan, just calling it as I see it
I will say this: I look for the Lakers to go against the Hornet so that the league can hype up, "who is really the MVP" before they Lakers go on to play the Celtics. (I will honestly be surprised if the Celtics lose today.)
You got a 50 win team from the west that didn't even make the playoffs and you trying to say without Kobe the Lakers would've won more than 50 games GTFOH. When i watch the Hornets play i see two all-stars on there, one of the top low post defenders this year in Chandler and a pure shooter in Stejakovic, when i watch the Lakers i see one all star player, a sometimes good sometimes bad in Odom and a good big man in Gasol, so you tell me who is more valuable to their Western Conference winning team. Paul is a really good player but he has David west on his team that is just as good if not better
Re: tobe will be awarded MVP
Oh hell yeah,.. if they can only figure out how to make him finish a season without injuries. If he does, he'll definately get it next year.
Oh hell yeah,.. if they can only figure out how to make him finish a season without injuries. If he does, he'll definately get it next year.
Re: tobe will be awarded MVP
That's more like it
I'm sorry, folks...but Chris Paul is the real MVP this year. That makes it four years in a row that the award went to the wrong person (Shaq, James, Billups, Paul)
Now don't get me wrong, Kobe is one of the best players in the league by far...However, he was not more important to his team THIS YEAR than CP3 was to his.
I will repeat what I said last week: Raise your hand if you thought that the Hornets would either win their division (with the Spurs and Dallas and Houston in it), be a couple of games out of 1st in their conference, and/or have a 2 game lead on the defending champs in the playoffs...Go ahead. Try to lift your hand...
Kobe had a good season, but compared to last year's averages, it wasn't that much better. Paul improved his points, assists, and steals average from the year before...
Not many of the voters took into account the effect of the Pau Gasol trade; after he was acquired the Lakers won 15 of the next 18 games, then went 12-6 after that...this is coming from a team that was 42-40 the year before with basically the same core players on the team...
The New Orleans Hornets missed the playoffs the year before and turned around to have the season that they had this year with only one transaction of note (Bonzi Wells from Houston)...People talk about David West but he's been doing what he does for the third year. Who thought that Bynum would average a double-double for the brief time that he was on the floor?
It makes no sense when a PG who had averaged less points, rebounds, steals, and assists AND had more turnovers gets TWO MVPs, but a guy who had a much better season than those years doesn't get it this year. Fuck that.
Chris Paul is the 2007-2008 MVP point blank.
you're not seeing the big picture.
nba has chosen a non-american for mvp 4 times in a row.
congratulations to jerry buss for buying the votes his cash cow required.
kevin garnett, chris paul and lebron james were all at least equally or more deserving than tobe.
That's more like it
I'm sorry, folks...but Chris Paul is the real MVP this year. That makes it four years in a row that the award went to the wrong person (Shaq, James, Billups, Paul)
Now don't get me wrong, Kobe is one of the best players in the league by far...However, he was not more important to his team THIS YEAR than CP3 was to his.
I will repeat what I said last week: Raise your hand if you thought that the Hornets would either win their division (with the Spurs and Dallas and Houston in it), be a couple of games out of 1st in their conference, and/or have a 2 game lead on the defending champs in the playoffs...Go ahead. Try to lift your hand...
Kobe had a good season, but compared to last year's averages, it wasn't that much better. Paul improved his points, assists, and steals average from the year before...
Not many of the voters took into account the effect of the Pau Gasol trade; after he was acquired the Lakers won 15 of the next 18 games, then went 12-6 after that...this is coming from a team that was 42-40 the year before with basically the same core players on the team...
The New Orleans Hornets missed the playoffs the year before and turned around to have the season that they had this year with only one transaction of note (Bonzi Wells from Houston)...People talk about David West but he's been doing what he does for the third year. Who thought that Bynum would average a double-double for the brief time that he was on the floor?
It makes no sense when a PG who had averaged less points, rebounds, steals, and assists AND had more turnovers gets TWO MVPs, but a guy who had a much better season than those years doesn't get it this year. Fuck that.
Chris Paul is the 2007-2008 MVP point blank.
Re: tobe will be awarded MVP
end of thread
That's more like it
I'm sorry, folks...but Chris Paul is the real MVP this year. That makes it four years in a row that the award went to the wrong person (Shaq, James, Billups, Paul)
Now don't get me wrong, Kobe is one of the best players in the league by far...However, he was not more important to his team THIS YEAR than CP3 was to his.
I will repeat what I said last week: Raise your hand if you thought that the Hornets would either win their division (with the Spurs and Dallas and Houston in it), be a couple of games out of 1st in their conference, and/or have a 2 game lead on the defending champs in the playoffs...Go ahead. Try to lift your hand...
Kobe had a good season, but compared to last year's averages, it wasn't that much better. Paul improved his points, assists, and steals average from the year before...
Not many of the voters took into account the effect of the Pau Gasol trade; after he was acquired the Lakers won 15 of the next 18 games, then went 12-6 after that...this is coming from a team that was 42-40 the year before with basically the same core players on the team...
The New Orleans Hornets missed the playoffs the year before and turned around to have the season that they had this year with only one transaction of note (Bonzi Wells from Houston)...People talk about David West but he's been doing what he does for the third year. Who thought that Bynum would average a double-double for the brief time that he was on the floor?
It makes no sense when a PG who had averaged less points, rebounds, steals, and assists AND had more turnovers gets TWO MVPs, but a guy who had a much better season than those years doesn't get it this year. Fuck that.
Chris Paul is the 2007-2008 MVP point blank.
end of thread
Kobe sucks he didn't deserve this award. He just played since the all star break with a finger that requires surgery that any other player would of sat out for. Didn't miss a game. Led a team that had numerous injuries and not a stable starting 5 almost all year. Played in a West conference that standings changed after every day. Outplayed Paul in the regular season when it mattered. Yeah KG should of got it since his 9 games he missed his team went 7-2 and Pierce and Allen are just flunkies. Billups deserves it more too
. I mean nobody deserves it when 5 of the players on your team miss considerable time who contribute and you still win the WEST. Yeah Kobe don't deserve it at all. But, as I always say let the games speak for themselves LA still storming through the playoffs lets just see how it finishes out.
. I mean nobody deserves it when 5 of the players on your team miss considerable time who contribute and you still win the WEST. Yeah Kobe don't deserve it at all. But, as I always say let the games speak for themselves LA still storming through the playoffs lets just see how it finishes out.jerry buss rigged MVP
the only non-cheerleading bit in the whole rant.
fact is, the voters showed just how incredibly stupid they are. lebron james got a SINGLE 1st place vote.
real knowledgeable.
that's not speculation on your part, is it?
WOW. so the MVP bar is being set THAT low these days? play all 82 and you're eligible?
and "led" that team to a 35-20 record. so? pau gasol lead his squad to a 22-5 record. and people say I'M not objective.
so did chris paul. and?
really? what game did they go heads up for 48 minutes? i'd like to watch that game.
i agree that kevin garnett should not really have been in the running. but it just goes to show once more how "knowledgeable" those voters are: kevin garnett had the 3rd most 1st place votes, AHEAD of lebron james.
i wouldn't say chauncey billups deserved MVP MORESO than tobe. i would argue that he EQUALLY deserved it. after all, in terms of TEAM contributions, both chauncey billups AND chris paul lead their respective teams in AS MANY POSITIVE statistical categories as tobe.
i stand corrected. 2 times in this post where you spoke truth.
this is transparent posturing, and you know it. like you wouldn't be 1 of the 1st to start offering up some lame excuses like you have the past THREE seasons.
the only non-cheerleading bit in the whole rant.
fact is, the voters showed just how incredibly stupid they are. lebron james got a SINGLE 1st place vote.
real knowledgeable.
that's not speculation on your part, is it?
WOW. so the MVP bar is being set THAT low these days? play all 82 and you're eligible?
and "led" that team to a 35-20 record. so? pau gasol lead his squad to a 22-5 record. and people say I'M not objective.
so did chris paul. and?
really? what game did they go heads up for 48 minutes? i'd like to watch that game.
i agree that kevin garnett should not really have been in the running. but it just goes to show once more how "knowledgeable" those voters are: kevin garnett had the 3rd most 1st place votes, AHEAD of lebron james.
i wouldn't say chauncey billups deserved MVP MORESO than tobe. i would argue that he EQUALLY deserved it. after all, in terms of TEAM contributions, both chauncey billups AND chris paul lead their respective teams in AS MANY POSITIVE statistical categories as tobe.
i stand corrected. 2 times in this post where you spoke truth.
this is transparent posturing, and you know it. like you wouldn't be 1 of the 1st to start offering up some lame excuses like you have the past THREE seasons.
during last night's boredcast (NOT a typo) of jazz v. fakers G2, doug collins confessed that he is an idiot.
doug collins stated that instead of properly weighing what chris paul and tobe did over the course of the ENTIRE season, he cast his vote based upon the final game between the two.
doug collins stated that instead of properly weighing what chris paul and tobe did over the course of the ENTIRE season, he cast his vote based upon the final game between the two.
yep, and Kobe and the Lakers beat the bugs and gained the top spot and home court. Just the type of thing an MVP delivers in the crunch.
jerry buss rigged MVP
if doug collins had said he arrived at his conclusion after carefully weighing the season's accomplishments of his top candidates, i would have ZERO problem with it.
but the dumb ass admitted that he let the final game decide for him. that's random and arbitrary. might as well let a 13 year old kid from montebello decide.
if doug collins had said he arrived at his conclusion after carefully weighing the season's accomplishments of his top candidates, i would have ZERO problem with it.
but the dumb ass admitted that he let the final game decide for him. that's random and arbitrary. might as well let a 13 year old kid from montebello decide.
Cran is right yet again
Bill Plaschke:
Bryant's overtime performance a sore spot for Lakers
Beset by back spasms, he tries to carry team to victory after having a big hand in forcing extra period. But did his teammates defer too much or did he try to go it alone?
May 12, 2008
SALT LAKE CITY -- First, the back spasms.
Then, the blame spasms.Only the Lakers, it seems, are incapable of walking away from one of the most inspirational playoff games in several seasons without somebody dissing somebody.
And only on the Lakers, it seems, could a newly crowned MVP once again find himself smack in the middle of the smack.
Playing through three hours worth of back pain that literally dropped him to his knees on a Sunday afternoon here, Kobe Bryant was splendidly, brilliantly tough in the Lakers' 123-115 overtime playoff loss to the Utah Jazz.
But he was also, like, weird.
Bryant valiantly carried the Lakers through regulation's final five minutes, using his head and his heart and the best Mother's Day passing that didn't involve a brunch plate.
But once he pulled his team into the overtime, he seemingly abandoned them there. He insisted on shooting even as his wracked body was betraying those shots. He forgot about passing even though that is what the Lakers had done best.
The Lakers survived regulation thanks to him, but lost in overtime seemingly because of him, and are now stuck in a frustrating two-games-apiece tie against a team that is fortunate to have lasted this long.
And afterward, the confusion became even more confusing.
Coach Phil Jackson blamed the overtime problems on Bryant's teammates for not working hard enough to get the ball.
"I was angry at his teammates for dropping the ball in his lap," Jackson said. "I felt guys just bailed out on him."
Later, Jackson said that "bailed out" was perhaps too strong of a phrase, but the message had been sent.
And most of Bryant's teammates received it with wonder.
They took exactly three of the team's 10 shots in overtime, and it was their fault?
The team had zero assists in the overtime, after Bryant had six assists in the fourth quarter alone, and that was on them?
"I wasn't hesitant," said Pau Gasol, who muscled back from his weak Game 3 to regain the paint. "I just tried to help out. The ball got stuck too much. We took too many jumpers."
Lamar Odom, who also showed up strong, shook his head and smiled.
"P.J. is the coach, he's watching from the sidelines, he sees things different than we do," he said. "And sometimes P.J. just says things to get us going."
Sasha Vujacic, who played big minutes and made some big shots, shrugged.
"I don't know what to say to that," he said. "I know sometimes Kobe just likes to take the game in his hands. It's normal."
In response to Jackson's assertion, Bryant explained, "He wants them to come to me, but come to me later in the offense, not right away and just stand around. That's something we talked about."
The only thing certain in the overtime, as Vujacic said, was Kobe Bryant being Kobe Bryant.
The problem is, the back spasms had turned him into something less than Kobe Bryant.
It was as if Bryant understood his limitations in the fourth quarter when the Lakers were still far behind. But once it appeared they could really win this game, he forgot about those limitations and tried to win it for them.
In the end, it was the Lakers' offense that needed ice bags.
"In the fourth quarter, everything was smooth," said Odom. "But in overtime, we just didn't get the shots we wanted."
Let's start with that fourth quarter.
In the final five minutes of regulation, after icing on the bench and collapsing on the court, Bryant directed a 12-point comeback that will rank among his finest Lakers moments.
He could barely walk, but, man, could he see. He had five brilliant assists during that time, finding Derek Fisher for three consecutive three-pointers, discovering Gasol for a dunk, hitting Odom for a game-tying trey.
"It was perfect out there," said Luke Walton.
Then came the overtime, and Bryant did a perfect 360, and I'm not talking about a dunk.
He stopped passing. He stopped looking. Even though his shot was obviously being altered by his soreness, he started shooting.
He missed a jumper. His layup attempt was blocked by Andrei Kirilenko.
After getting tangled up in a fight for a loose ball, he dropped to his knees in front of the Jazz bench; nobody pushed him, he just dropped in obvious pain.
At the time, there was 2:53 left in the overtime and the Jazz still led by only two points.
Bryant stood up and immediately began shooting again.
Kirilenko blocked another Bryant shot. Then Bryant missed a three-point attempt.
By then, the Jazz led by four points, and a Bryant layup pulled the Lakers back to within two.
Yet after the Jazz extended that lead to five, Bryant missed yet another layup, the lead was extended to seven, and that was that.
Fittingly, the last Lakers shot of the game was a Bryant airball.
"In the fourth quarter, we did a good job of spacing and finding the right spots," said Fisher. "In the overtime, we didn't keep that focus."
Afterward, all the focus was on the stat sheet, which showed Bryant making just one of seven shots in overtime, and only two of his final 13 shots overall.
It might have been a different story with more involvement from his teammates, who combined to make 12 of 17 shots in the fourth quarter.
Even during this spring of great teamwork, are the other Lakers still too deferential of Bryant during crunch time?
Or is Bryant still too headstrong, a guy who believes he can carry the team even on a badly aching back?
Whatever, Bryant was so sore late in the game, at one point it took two teammates to lift him off the floor.
But in the end, as the Lakers crumbled around him, he stood alone.
Maybe his teammates truly just weren't smart and strong enough to give him help.
Or maybe he didn't let them.
Bill Plaschke:
Bryant's overtime performance a sore spot for Lakers
Beset by back spasms, he tries to carry team to victory after having a big hand in forcing extra period. But did his teammates defer too much or did he try to go it alone?
May 12, 2008
SALT LAKE CITY -- First, the back spasms.
Then, the blame spasms.Only the Lakers, it seems, are incapable of walking away from one of the most inspirational playoff games in several seasons without somebody dissing somebody.
And only on the Lakers, it seems, could a newly crowned MVP once again find himself smack in the middle of the smack.
Playing through three hours worth of back pain that literally dropped him to his knees on a Sunday afternoon here, Kobe Bryant was splendidly, brilliantly tough in the Lakers' 123-115 overtime playoff loss to the Utah Jazz.
But he was also, like, weird.
Bryant valiantly carried the Lakers through regulation's final five minutes, using his head and his heart and the best Mother's Day passing that didn't involve a brunch plate.
But once he pulled his team into the overtime, he seemingly abandoned them there. He insisted on shooting even as his wracked body was betraying those shots. He forgot about passing even though that is what the Lakers had done best.
The Lakers survived regulation thanks to him, but lost in overtime seemingly because of him, and are now stuck in a frustrating two-games-apiece tie against a team that is fortunate to have lasted this long.
And afterward, the confusion became even more confusing.
Coach Phil Jackson blamed the overtime problems on Bryant's teammates for not working hard enough to get the ball.
"I was angry at his teammates for dropping the ball in his lap," Jackson said. "I felt guys just bailed out on him."
Later, Jackson said that "bailed out" was perhaps too strong of a phrase, but the message had been sent.
And most of Bryant's teammates received it with wonder.
They took exactly three of the team's 10 shots in overtime, and it was their fault?
The team had zero assists in the overtime, after Bryant had six assists in the fourth quarter alone, and that was on them?
"I wasn't hesitant," said Pau Gasol, who muscled back from his weak Game 3 to regain the paint. "I just tried to help out. The ball got stuck too much. We took too many jumpers."
Lamar Odom, who also showed up strong, shook his head and smiled.
"P.J. is the coach, he's watching from the sidelines, he sees things different than we do," he said. "And sometimes P.J. just says things to get us going."
Sasha Vujacic, who played big minutes and made some big shots, shrugged.
"I don't know what to say to that," he said. "I know sometimes Kobe just likes to take the game in his hands. It's normal."
In response to Jackson's assertion, Bryant explained, "He wants them to come to me, but come to me later in the offense, not right away and just stand around. That's something we talked about."
The only thing certain in the overtime, as Vujacic said, was Kobe Bryant being Kobe Bryant.
The problem is, the back spasms had turned him into something less than Kobe Bryant.
It was as if Bryant understood his limitations in the fourth quarter when the Lakers were still far behind. But once it appeared they could really win this game, he forgot about those limitations and tried to win it for them.
In the end, it was the Lakers' offense that needed ice bags.
"In the fourth quarter, everything was smooth," said Odom. "But in overtime, we just didn't get the shots we wanted."
Let's start with that fourth quarter.
In the final five minutes of regulation, after icing on the bench and collapsing on the court, Bryant directed a 12-point comeback that will rank among his finest Lakers moments.
He could barely walk, but, man, could he see. He had five brilliant assists during that time, finding Derek Fisher for three consecutive three-pointers, discovering Gasol for a dunk, hitting Odom for a game-tying trey.
"It was perfect out there," said Luke Walton.
Then came the overtime, and Bryant did a perfect 360, and I'm not talking about a dunk.
He stopped passing. He stopped looking. Even though his shot was obviously being altered by his soreness, he started shooting.
He missed a jumper. His layup attempt was blocked by Andrei Kirilenko.
After getting tangled up in a fight for a loose ball, he dropped to his knees in front of the Jazz bench; nobody pushed him, he just dropped in obvious pain.
At the time, there was 2:53 left in the overtime and the Jazz still led by only two points.
Bryant stood up and immediately began shooting again.
Kirilenko blocked another Bryant shot. Then Bryant missed a three-point attempt.
By then, the Jazz led by four points, and a Bryant layup pulled the Lakers back to within two.
Yet after the Jazz extended that lead to five, Bryant missed yet another layup, the lead was extended to seven, and that was that.
Fittingly, the last Lakers shot of the game was a Bryant airball.
"In the fourth quarter, we did a good job of spacing and finding the right spots," said Fisher. "In the overtime, we didn't keep that focus."
Afterward, all the focus was on the stat sheet, which showed Bryant making just one of seven shots in overtime, and only two of his final 13 shots overall.
It might have been a different story with more involvement from his teammates, who combined to make 12 of 17 shots in the fourth quarter.
Even during this spring of great teamwork, are the other Lakers still too deferential of Bryant during crunch time?
Or is Bryant still too headstrong, a guy who believes he can carry the team even on a badly aching back?
Whatever, Bryant was so sore late in the game, at one point it took two teammates to lift him off the floor.
But in the end, as the Lakers crumbled around him, he stood alone.
Maybe his teammates truly just weren't smart and strong enough to give him help.
Or maybe he didn't let them.
Last edited:
Damn Kobe. sounds like you cost us the game. 33 shots, meanwhile Odom and Pao combine to take 34. Something is obviously wrong there. Why wasnt he pulled from the game? Why did his teammates keep giving him the ball? Why didn't he drive and kick more. We should be up 3 to 1 right now. They better win this next game. I hope Kobe takes the blame for this game.
It is what it is.
Kobe seems like he reverts to form under pressure.
No matter who is around him he still jacks it up.
I remember he did this in Utah in 97 as well
WOuld they have won anyway? Who knows. For Phil and Kobe to blame teammates is a little off, especially when they bailed you out!
Re: Cran is right yet again
^^^
Typical Kobe... pushing the ball around was working all 4th quarter..so what do you do... change the offensive flow and hijack the offense...it's just so damn counter-intuitive that it's hard to understand how could he make such decisions
^^^
Typical Kobe... pushing the ball around was working all 4th quarter..so what do you do... change the offensive flow and hijack the offense...it's just so damn counter-intuitive that it's hard to understand how could he make such decisions
That wasnt his fault. He had no choice at that time. Eddie Jones and Nick were getting abused by stockton and jeff. They were shook.
Didn't he do this against Detroit in the NBA Finals series too?
He knew he was hurt and yet he tried to do it himself again...Didn't Fisher and Odom both have ten points in the fourth quarter? How does a team come back to tie a game up, only to lose it the way they did?
I'm a Pistons fan and the way Kobe threw that series even pissed me off
