Sports: Is Kobe the REASON for Lakers DOWNFALL?
- Thread starter playahaitian
- Start date
For $24 mill a year, I'll go out playing with Kwame Brown and Smush Parker...
Not giving a single fuck...
true but u know its gonna fuck with kobe
he played his entire career copying MJ
but he won't have the fairytale ending
Neither did MJ. That wizards shit is not forgotten.
I will never fault a player for getting paid. If owners want to win as they claim they do, remove the salary cap and spend to win. They won't do that, they want to win and pay the players pennies while doing it. Or as the media calls, sacrifice...fuck that, show me the money.
damn that went 2 pages hella fast...
what I find interesting is no one inside LA talks about Kobe's incident in the hotel room anymore.
I'm surprised that hasn't stuck to him (or the organization) at all.
what I find interesting is no one inside LA talks about Kobe's incident in the hotel room anymore.
I'm surprised that hasn't stuck to him (or the organization) at all.
Amen to that greatest gtfoh what about Kareem
That cac was a slut + winning.
I am convinced Kupchak has video of other GMs snorting coke or fucking livestock
so I expect some roll your eyes trade to have the lakers back in the mix sooner or later
so I expect some roll your eyes trade to have the lakers back in the mix sooner or later
Jimmy grew up in LA, so has every RIGHT to be a Lakers fan....
...but he looked at the Lakers, then the Clippers, and chose the Clippers.
The only way to explain that shit is, someone close to you works/ed for the Clippers, or the Clippers came to his school on some NBA Cares bullshit, bouncing lil' Jim on their knees and shit.
Outside of that, that nigga must be the type who naturally does the opposite of what everyone else does, or root for the underdog.
...but he looked at the Lakers, then the Clippers, and chose the Clippers.
The only way to explain that shit is, someone close to you works/ed for the Clippers, or the Clippers came to his school on some NBA Cares bullshit, bouncing lil' Jim on their knees and shit.
Outside of that, that nigga must be the type who naturally does the opposite of what everyone else does, or root for the underdog.
we'll see
ownership was our biggest problem for decades
now that we got that straight it's time to get active
the fag ass lakers only got the past to look back on...
But we USED to....We DID, WE WERE blah blah fuckin blah
Fuck the lakers nigga
As long as the clippers have fake ass tough guys they will never make it past the WCF. I'd put money on that.
If he took less, there's no guarantee that the team would be any different
The free agent market was weak.
What should they have done, overpay Greg Monroe or Bledsoe
After the shit with Jordan, nobody should complain. Jordan made $30 mil and the next year they called him bluff, and let him walk away because of Phil. If a team can do that to Jordan, fuck that, get your money.
Kobe knows what he signed up for
And that's a fat ass check and chances for additional stat padding
Monroe is good, but he's someone you sign for too much, then you're upset you gave him so much money.
He's not a difference maker.
He's a nice addition if you have two players better than him.
That's right Kobe burn that shit down before it's all said and done you hatin ass nigga
She was lying and he later started winning again. If you start winning championships again, people forget all kinds of shit.
Why didn't Howard give up most of his money for the Clips and how come Paul gave no discount?
If Kobe brings down the Lakers for the next five years, its going to be a much tougher pill to swallow than what MJ did for the Wiz.. After all, the Wiz was a nowhere team going nowhere at least MJ sort of put them in the spot light for a few years, with out them having to sacrifice their future..
Kobe on the other hand has brought the Lakers down further than they have been in almost 40 years...
But at the end of the day, you can blame Kobeism not Kobe himself.. Kobeism is the Lakers love affair with Kobe the legend rather than Kobe the ball player..
As a Mets fan I go through the same thing with the team love affair with David Wright placing him above the needs of the club.
Kobe on the other hand has brought the Lakers down further than they have been in almost 40 years...
But at the end of the day, you can blame Kobeism not Kobe himself.. Kobeism is the Lakers love affair with Kobe the legend rather than Kobe the ball player..
As a Mets fan I go through the same thing with the team love affair with David Wright placing him above the needs of the club.
Kobe on Mag article: 'I just roll with it'
ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant says he has learned the ebb and flow of the media cycle over the course of his 19-year career and that it has given him the perspective to decide when he wants to react to criticism and when he wants to let it go.
In his first time speaking to media after an ESPN The Magazine article suggested that he played a significant role in the Lakers' recent slide over the last few years, Bryant, known for speaking candidly, responded with a seemingly diplomatic answer.
Kobe Bryant is arguably the greatest player in the history of the Los Angeles Lakers' franchise. He is also destroying it from within, Henry Abbott writes for ESPN The Magazine. Story
As Kobe embarks on his 19th NBA season in Los Angeles, we document the good, the bad and the ugly throughout his momentous tenure. Gallery
"Then you have another great story that comes out maybe a month later, or something like that, and it's a fantastic story. And then there's a bad story that comes out one month after that. So you understand that it's a cycle, and things are never as good or as bad as they seem in the moment in time."
Bryant continued, explaining his rationale behind remaining upbeat despite the current state of the Lakers franchise.
"Stay focused on the bigger picture and things are never as bleak as they seem at the time," Bryant said. "I just kind of roll with it."
Bryant's teammate, guard Jeremy Lin, was also asked about the appeal of playing with Bryant, and had nothing but positive things to say.
"I've said it from the very beginning: What I've seen, my personal experience with him, which is the only thing I can speak on, it's been great," Lin said. "From Day 1, from the minute I was traded until now, it's just been constantly him trying to be a leader, being a good leader, a communicator, teaching me, teaching me, teaching me and doing it in a mentorship-type way.
"That's my experience. So I can't speak for anybody else, but it's been great for me."
Bryant finished Tuesday's game with 27 points on 10-of-20 shooting, including several late baskets that helped send the game into overtime.
ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant says he has learned the ebb and flow of the media cycle over the course of his 19-year career and that it has given him the perspective to decide when he wants to react to criticism and when he wants to let it go.
In his first time speaking to media after an ESPN The Magazine article suggested that he played a significant role in the Lakers' recent slide over the last few years, Bryant, known for speaking candidly, responded with a seemingly diplomatic answer.
Kobe Bryant is arguably the greatest player in the history of the Los Angeles Lakers' franchise. He is also destroying it from within, Henry Abbott writes for ESPN The Magazine. Story
As Kobe embarks on his 19th NBA season in Los Angeles, we document the good, the bad and the ugly throughout his momentous tenure. Gallery
"It's not the first one and it won't be the last one," Bryant said following the Lakers' 114-108 preseason overtime loss to the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday. "One thing I've come to understand over the years is that you'll have a bad story that comes out on a Monday and it seems like it's the end of the world and it seems like everybody's taking shots at you. But time goes by and then you look back on it and it was just a Monday.
"Then you have another great story that comes out maybe a month later, or something like that, and it's a fantastic story. And then there's a bad story that comes out one month after that. So you understand that it's a cycle, and things are never as good or as bad as they seem in the moment in time."
Bryant continued, explaining his rationale behind remaining upbeat despite the current state of the Lakers franchise.
"Stay focused on the bigger picture and things are never as bleak as they seem at the time," Bryant said. "I just kind of roll with it."
Bryant's teammate, guard Jeremy Lin, was also asked about the appeal of playing with Bryant, and had nothing but positive things to say.
"I've said it from the very beginning: What I've seen, my personal experience with him, which is the only thing I can speak on, it's been great," Lin said. "From Day 1, from the minute I was traded until now, it's just been constantly him trying to be a leader, being a good leader, a communicator, teaching me, teaching me, teaching me and doing it in a mentorship-type way.
"That's my experience. So I can't speak for anybody else, but it's been great for me."
Bryant finished Tuesday's game with 27 points on 10-of-20 shooting, including several late baskets that helped send the game into overtime.
Short answer no David Stern did when he vetoed the Chris Paul trade.
What stars went to Houston with Howard and Harden? I don't think players don't want to play with Kobe as it is playing in his shadow. Also the front office can't put together a good roster. You have a weak owner making suspect moves. Steve Nash should be placed in the D league right now. You do that he'll retire as he should and get his money off the cap. Players will out up with teammates they don't like but respect if they feel you can win right now. If the Lakers could've offered what the Knicks could I really think Melo would've chosen LA. He would at least have one other person who could score consistently.
Kobe Bryant is the conversation. He is the the discussion you have with yourself on draft day about what type of player you want to be. He's the MJ Hybrid because of his work ethic, selfishness, organizational favoritism and team building,CONTROVERSY, old school connections to the game i.e. the logo, and others, and his respect for the old way of doing things. There are a lot of players that learn a lot of shit from Kobe, and there are some who copy. Kobe knows how to learn and copy. He's burned the right bridges and played the selfish cards to his legacy, and the NBA is now a selfish game. It's a Wide Receivers position on the football field, ALL SEASON. You don't understand that until you talk to cats who in reality, will sacrifice a ring to get a bigger check early, leave later, and play the rest of there career one on one after getting a ring. The way they build teams now ...just a bunch of bad marriages. Ask Melo. He stayed for the children. Once they turn 18, he'll be the same shooter MJ was somewhere else. Knicks know this. Ain't now retirement plan ever gonna be good as Kobe's probably until Lebron is ready. Kobe got the Master P deal, Lebron has the Jay-Z longevity.
That whole article was irresponsible
I don't expect much out of ESPN these days
How many key free agents changed teams?
It seems like it was done for shock value and headlines
Nick Young had a chance to leave, stayed
Jordan Hill had a chance to leave, stayed
Xavier Henry had a chance to leave, stayed
So to reduce the Lakers not getting free agents based on Kobe? Naw Melo didn't leave because of the 30 mil and the Lakers not having a good team, it's because of Kobe? It makes you wonder if the writer has any intelligence.
So free agents don't want to play with KD
But at the end of the day Kobe doesn't give a fuck and wants to be Darth Vadar anyway.
Kobe isn't going to get along with everyone, especially if you don't have the same focus, desire and work ethic he does.
I don't expect much out of ESPN these days
How many key free agents changed teams?
It seems like it was done for shock value and headlines
Nick Young had a chance to leave, stayed
Jordan Hill had a chance to leave, stayed
Xavier Henry had a chance to leave, stayed
So to reduce the Lakers not getting free agents based on Kobe? Naw Melo didn't leave because of the 30 mil and the Lakers not having a good team, it's because of Kobe? It makes you wonder if the writer has any intelligence.
So free agents don't want to play with KD
But at the end of the day Kobe doesn't give a fuck and wants to be Darth Vadar anyway.
Kobe isn't going to get along with everyone, especially if you don't have the same focus, desire and work ethic he does.
/thread
‘Three-Ring Circus: Kobe, Shaq, Phil and the Crazy Years of the Laker Dynasty’ by Jeff Pearlman (2020)
A new Jeff Pearlman book is always something to savour. I really enjoyed his various biographies, especially his recent Gunslinger on Brett Farve. However, his in-depth deep dives into iconic sport…
allsportsbooks.reviews
‘Three-Ring Circus: Kobe, Shaq, Phil and the Crazy Years of the Laker Dynasty’ by Jeff Pearlman (2020)
allsportsbookreviews Basketball, Uncategorized September 7, 2020 3 Minutes
A new Jeff Pearlman book is always something to savour. I really enjoyed his various biographies, especially his recent Gunslinger on Brett Farve. However, his in-depth deep dives into iconic sports teams (both on and off the field of play) are among the very best sports books.
Pearlman previously chronicled the Magic Johnson / Pat Riley led LA Lakers in the excellent Showtime. It’s the definitive book on the Showtime Lakers era.
Three-Ring Circus sees Pearlman return to familiar territory of an LA Lakers championship winning team. The book tells the story of next 1996 to 2004 Lakers as Shaquille O’Neal, Kobe Bryant and coach Phil Jackson combined to create a 3 time champion team.
Shaq of that era emerges as a loveable figure both in the public imagination, to strangers and to anyone who showed him love and respect. The book is full of stories of Shaq’s remarkable kindness but it also paints a picture of a man who knew his own value and for whom being loved / respected was all important.
Jackson remained steadfastly himself during his time in LA, a character familiar to anyone who remembers his remarkable achievements with Jordan and the Chicago Bulls. He was an unorthodox coach, unloved by his fellow coaches and unafraid to hustle for jobs that weren’t vacant. He was also an incredibly successful man-manger and possibly the only coach who could have wrangled Shaq and Kobe into working together for the benefit of the team.
While all three men share central billing, inevitably, due to his fame, personality and talent, Kobe Bryant sits firmly at the centre of this story. Pearlman pulled no punches in presenting Bryant how his peers experienced him during this time. The Kobe Bryant portrayed in Three-Ring Circus is deeply unlikeable yet also admirable in his determination and work ethic. A man you wouldn’t want to spend time with but one who was destined to be successful.
It’s clear throughout the book that most of Pearlman’s interviewees spoke to him before Bryant’s tragic death. It’s a little jarring to read such an honest and unflattering portrait of someone so soon after they died. Pearlman goes into a fair bit of detail on the serious rape allegation that overshadowed Bryant’s early successes and mentions the oft-forgotten fact that Bryant all but accepted the young lady didn’t consent to their encounter when apologising after charges were dropped. It makes for difficult reading having consumed months of glowing memorials to Bryant’s legendary career since his death.
Shaq and Kobe 1 on 1
As Pearlman says in the introduction, however, the Kobe of then is not the Kobe of post 2005. Its easy to judge someone who experienced an unimaginable life lived in the public eye since he was a teenager. I’m not sure how well I (or anyone) would come across in a book detailing their life between 17 and 25.
The book doesn’t neglect the other important personalities and Pearlman’s tireless research ensured he got fascinating insights from lots of other players who helped to make the Lakers championship teams. As he says in the book, people seemed to really enjoy talking about this team and their experiences which is reflected in how enjoyable it is to read about them!
Despite the Lakers remarkable success with 4 final appearances and 3 championships in 5 years, and some remarkable runs of form, the team seemed to constantly be on the verge of falling apart. It is testament to both the players’ overwhelming talent and Jackson’s remarkable ability to manage superstars that they achieved such success. This was a dynasty that was never going to last however. Neither Shaq or Kobe could ever be happy in the others shadow, both needed centre stage and the adulation that came with being the dominant player on a championship team.
Three-Ring Circus is a fascinating slice of basketball history. A must for any sports book library.
Similar threads
