I never understood all the hating on Kobe (excluding the alleged rape and admitted adultery!!). From what I remember, he had nothing to do with Phil Jackson leaving, and as far as Shaq is concerned, I think it was basically mutual in that neither player wanted to play with eachother anymore. And can you blame Kobe? Shaq dominates, but he is lazy as hell. Kobe plays like a man possessed at all times, and on top of that, busts his ass in the offseason. F*ck Shaq as a team leader, he doesn't work hard enough. And as far as Kobe being selfish with the ball...have you ever seen AI play?? I'm not criticizing either, they both shoot a lot cause they have to. AI isn't giving the rock up to Samuel Dalembert, just like Kobe doesn't wanna pass up a shot to Luke Walton.
Keith,
Whether fairly or not, a lot of Lakers fans blame Kobe for breaking up the dynasty they were building there. Sure, Jackson was itching to leave and Kobe and Shaq couldn't stand each other but if Kobe had been the one to leave and Shaq and Jackson stayed, my feeling is that most Lakers fans would have been far less critical than they are now. They see Kobe as a talented but ultimately self-centered player who's putting his own selfish needs to shine over the good of the team. Again, that may be a grossly overstated argument (my friend David Leonard would start wagging his, "it's racial" finger right about here I suspect) but I do think that's the perception out there.
I'm biased in any case: my favorite player of all time was Magic Johnson so pretty much EVERYONE seems more self-centered in comparison.
It's not about Kobe being selfish with the ball... I mean, it sort've is, but more the point, it's about Kobe being one of the most egocentric personalities to ever play any sport ever. His egocentrism isn't expressed in silly stuff like contract disputes (like TO) but is apparent in every single thing the man says and the way he carries himself.
Remember when he scared 62 in three quarters a couple weeks ago? He pulled himself from the game. Kobe's the only guy that can do that and rightly be called "selfish" for doing it. And then, at the end of this game, he says "What's important is that we got the win." Shut the hell up, dude. Don't try to play Mr. Modest all of a sudden. You did one of the most amazing things in basketball history and now you're going to pretend that you just wanted the win? Blah.
You even get the sense that the rape charge was based on his insane sense of self-entitlement ("Gimme the ass, baby... I'm Kobe Bryant, bitch!").
In sum, people's hatred of Kobe has very little to do with his game. Sure he plays a selfish brand of basketball, but so do a bunch of other players that people tend to support. Kobe's personality is what makes him so unlikable. For the most part, when folks criticize his game, it's a veiled criticism of his personality and nothing more.
He's a jack-ass, but this is more impressive than Wilt's 100 as far as I'm concerned.
i think getting to Kobe's level requires a little bit of narcissism. barkley once said that everyone who is in the nba is talented as hell, but it takes a certain type of personality to make someone a star. i'm not sure if you guys read "the Jordan Rules", but some of the stories in that book about Jordan's ego, make Kobe look like mr. modesty. i think 90% of the criticism against kobe stems from the fact that he comes from a privileged background. mike tyson can get away with anything because he still hangs on the "i cam from nothing" story, but kobe can't get away with saying he wants to "light up Philly", because somehow he is disrespecting his pseudo home town.
He's a jack-ass, but this is more impressive than Wilt's 100 as far as I'm concerned.
-e
Explain.
I think he means because when Wilt did it, there was no 3 seconds in the key rule. Making it easier for Wilt to just stay in the lane and get the ball and score. Wasn't that game why they brought the rule in the first place?
That said. Nobody in the game should be scoring over 60 points. Just tells me ur not playing as a team and in the end, it will hurt you. The Bulls realized this when they changed Jordan's position and started winning.
i think 90% of the criticism against kobe stems from the fact that he comes from a privileged background. mike tyson can get away with anything because he still hangs on the "i cam from nothing" storyts to "light up Philly", because somehow he is disrespecting his pseudo home town.
1) 90% of the fans I know/have heard from don't give a hoot about whether Kobe grew up poor or middle class. That's a non-issue here.
2) Tyson doesn't get away with anything anymore. I think most people look at him with a mix of either pity or disgust.
3) It doesn't make sense to compare a basketball player and a boxer. The former is, by definition, supposed to be a team player in ways that boxers are never expected to be.
i think 90% of the criticism against kobe stems from the fact that he comes from a privileged background. mike tyson can get away with anything because he still hangs on the "i cam from nothing" storyts to "light up Philly", because somehow he is disrespecting his pseudo home town.
1) 90% of the fans I know/have heard from don't give a hoot about whether Kobe grew up poor or middle class. That's a non-issue here.
Its definitely an issue. When kobe was trying to renew his contract with nike, lebron signed with them for $100 million...much more than kobe could get. Part of the issue was kobe's pending rape trial, but the other, well documented issue, has been that kobe doesn't have any "street cred" cause he grew up in the burbs.
2) Tyson doesn't get away with anything anymore. I think most people look at him with a mix of either pity or disgust.
Now that he has become a cartoon character. Ten years ago he was still a "likeable" convicted rapist.
3) It doesn't make sense to compare a basketball player and a boxer. The former is, by definition, supposed to be a team player in ways that boxers are never expected to be.
true, but if we can agree that players like AI give up the ball less than Kobe, then obviously the issue of "kobe's selfishness" has nothing to do with his on court play.
He's a jack-ass, but this is more impressive than Wilt's 100 as far as I'm concerned.
-e
Explain.
I think Kobe's accomplishment is more impressive because of (a) the position Kobe plays and (b) the style of game that is played today. Back in the early 60's when Wilt kilted it, a huge, hulking big man like him was pretty much the exception and not the norm. Dude was a goliath. For a perimeter player to score 81 points is a lot more impressive to me on a strictly "basektball skill" level than a big ass center hitting a bundle of hook shots and lay-ups and what not. This isn't to slight Will's accomplishment(s) at all. 100 points is insane. But, just on a basektball fan level, Kobe's 81 is more incredible to me than Wilt's 100.
As for why he's a jack ass, I think I explained that pretty thoroughly: he's a egomaniac who plays with this sense of entitlement that probably has something to do with his privileged background. I do think his privileged background plays into his personality quite a bit, but I don't think his privileged background alone is enough to account for all the Kobe-hate. Gist of it is that it's extremely easy to hate on people who seem to have had everything handed to them and then have this aura about them that suggests that they feel they DESERVE anything. Surely Kobe worked hard and so much blah blah blah, but his egocentric "I am the best and deserve everything" attitude is sickening... especially coming from an privileged kid who came into the league straight out of high-school.
Lebron at least, makes better commercials than Kobe (though I'm not sure what to make of the new Nike campaign for James).
It's awesome.
Not as good as the KG spot, but that spot is the best on TV.
And whoever thinks that Lebron will ever come close to scoring 81 points is very much mistaken. Lebron will probably have a couple quadruple doubles before he's done, but I highly doubt he'll ever score much more than 60.
But of course, 60 points and 10 assists is pretty comparable to scoring 80 (and probably more effective).
Damn! I'm bummed I didn't have a chance to see this game. Kobe must have been on fuggin FIRE!!! Dude is the truth, no doubt. Still...
And greater than Jordan?
Absolutely not. Kobe's 81-point game is a perfect illustration of what separates these two all-time greats. When Jordan scored 69 points against the Cavs it was out of necessity. Jordan carried his team to victory in a close (117-113) nail-biter. Kobe scored 81 b/c he had a hot hand and decided to keep shooting, not because his team needed him to. Jordan and Kobe's respective game-stats tell the same story. Not only did Jordan shoot better than Kobe (23-37 vs. 28-46), Jordan also had more assists (6), more steals (4) and WAY more rebounds (18!!!). 69 points and 18 rebounds. Just think about that.
Again, not trying to take anything away from one of the greatest performances of all time, just trying to set the record straight.
Damn! I'm bummed I didn't have a chance to see this game. Kobe must have been on fuggin FIRE!!! Dude is the truth, no doubt. Still...
And greater than Jordan?
Absolutely not. Kobe's 81-point game is a perfect illustration of what separates these two all-time greats. When Jordan scored 69 points against the Cavs it was out of necessity. Jordan carried his team to victory in a close (117-113) nail-biter. Kobe scored 81 b/c he had a hot hand and decided to keep shooting, not because his team needed him to[/b] (unless he started hitting 6-point shots in the closing seconds). Jordan and Kobe's respective game-stats tell the same story. Not only did Jordan shoot better than Kobe (23-37 vs. 28-46), Jordan also had more assists (6), more steals (4) and WAY more rebounds (18!!!). 69 points and 18 rebounds. Just think about that.
Again, not trying to take anything away from one of the greatest performances of all time, just trying to set the record straight.
Against the RAPTORS, no less. It doesn't get any less urgent than that.
re: Kobe's scoring as not relevant to the game outcome
The Lakers were looking pretty sloppy against the Raptors in the 1st half. I'm sure the Raps were playing with a chip on their shoulder - because they're always expected to lose. But they were up like 14 pts, scored 62 at the half. And for those who really don't get Kobe, the guy is an incredible competitor who will do anything he can to get the win (as any athlete should). His main contribution to the team is scoring, and he was ON FIRE in the 3rd, bringing the Lakes back into the game single handedly. Since the Raptors were still in the game through mid 4th quarter, Kobe's scoring was needed for the whole game. By the time the Raps were done for good, Kobe already passed 60 pts, and it became an individual showcase of how many he could score.
I'm not a Kobe nutrider, and I don't like how his incredible talent and confidence doesn't allow his teammates a chance to develop their offensive game. I was at the game last night, and I was hating on his ballhogging. But that is how he's being played by Phil Jackson and the triangle offense - not as a playmaker, but a pure scorer. I'd like to see Lamar/Mihm/Kwame posting up more, and Kobe as the ballhandler/playmaker. But like keithvanhorn said - it takes a certain narcissism to be a great scorer (especially a clutch shooter). And unfortunately, none of the other Lakers are stepping up, and have little room to step up with Kobe on the same team.
But by the time he reached 70 pts, I didn't give a fuck about teamplay anymore, Staples Center was HYPE! I just wanted to see him get past 80! True Lakers SHOWTIME.
ps - I'll take Kobe over AI anyday. Kobe shows up to practice... that shows A LITTLE bit of commitment to the team!
Kobe only had two assists. I know he had a hot hand but two??????
I'm biased though. I really don't like Kobe. He played himself out at the allstar weekend in Philly a few years ago. That was it for me.
and not hating on Kobe's game. It is impressive. But when Shaq was a few years younger does anyone doubt that if he really wanted too score 80+ he could have done it at some point?
I never understood all the hating on Kobe (excluding the alleged rape and admitted adultery!!). From what I remember, he had nothing to do with Phil Jackson leaving, and as far as Shaq is concerned, I think it was basically mutual in that neither player wanted to play with eachother anymore. And can you blame Kobe? Shaq dominates, but he is lazy as hell. Kobe plays like a man possessed at all times, and on top of that, busts his ass in the offseason. F*ck Shaq as a team leader, he doesn't work hard enough. And as far as Kobe being selfish with the ball...have you ever seen AI play?? I'm not criticizing either, they both shoot a lot cause they have to. AI isn't giving the rock up to Samuel Dalembert, just like Kobe doesn't wanna pass up a shot to Luke Walton.
Keith,
Whether fairly or not, a lot of Lakers fans blame Kobe for breaking up the dynasty they were building there. Sure, Jackson was itching to leave and Kobe and Shaq couldn't stand each other but if Kobe had been the one to leave and Shaq and Jackson stayed, my feeling is that most Lakers fans would have been far less critical than they are now. They see Kobe as a talented but ultimately self-centered player who's putting his own selfish needs to shine over the good of the team. Again, that may be a grossly overstated argument (my friend David Leonard would start wagging his, "it's racial" finger right about here I suspect) but I do think that's the perception out there.
I'm biased in any case: my favorite player of all time was Magic Johnson so pretty much EVERYONE seems more self-centered in comparison.
Hmmmm... I can remember Magic having an influence on the team as much as Kobe (and Shaq for that matter). These two (Jordan & Magic) have done it before and as a Laker fan I actually disagree with Kobe breaking up the team - Shaq holds a lot of responsibility also. But would fans be less critical - probably not, its just something I don't agree with as far as who is to blame...
Back to the thread - Kobe lit it up. Only caught highlights but damn..... Let's see how they try to tie in Shaq to this - "What do you think of Kobe's performance?" type-shit.....
ps - I'll take Kobe over AI anyday. Kobe shows up to practice... that shows A LITTLE bit of commitment to the team!
"It's easy to sum it up if you're just talking about practice. We're sitting here, and I'm supposed to be the franchise player, and we're talking about practice. I mean listen, we're sitting here talking about practice, not a game, not a game, not a game, but we're talking about practice."
Remember when he scared 62 in three quarters a couple weeks ago? He pulled himself from the game. Kobe's the only guy that can do that and rightly be called "selfish" for doing it. And then, at the end of this game, he says "What's important is that we got the win." Shut the hell up, dude. Don't try to play Mr. Modest all of a sudden. You did one of the most amazing things in basketball history and now you're going to pretend that you just wanted the win? Blah.
The capacity crowd of 18,997 began chanting, ???We want Kobe! We want Kobe!??? early in the final period, but with the Lakers holding an insurmountable lead there was no need for Jackson to put the 6-foot-6 star back into the game.
???It was a 30-point basketball game at that point and that???s not the spirit of the game,??? Jackson said. ???I did ask Kobe if he wanted to go back in and contend for the (franchise) record. He asked me what I thought, and I said, ???It???s a 30-point game.??? ???
Allen Iverson at least led his team to the finals. Let's see Kobe do it without Shaq. It's gonna take some new teamates/trades for him to pull this off.
Allen Iverson at least led his team to the finals. Let's see Kobe do it without Shaq. It's gonna take some new teamates/trades for him to pull this off.
Oh yeah, Kobe needs one of these too.....................
AI's "practice" thing is one of the most misunderstood press-conferences of all time. Bringing that up as a strike against him is ridiculous.
-e
didn't bring it up as a strike against AI...but just to illustrate what that dude was talking about. this is getting off topic, but i think AI was right, he works harder on the court than anyone in the game, and nba practices, once the season starts, are a joke. i caught dozens of celtics practices while kc jones was the coach and don't remember too many players even breaking a sweat. on one occasion, i saw dee brown drinking a can of pepsi on the court while they were scrimmaging.
Allen Iverson at least led his team to the finals. Let's see Kobe do it without Shaq. It's gonna take some new teamates/trades for him to pull this off.
Not gonna happen, its about the team, AI didn't do it alone. You need a coach too (lets not forget) as well as support. Remember, Shaq couldn't do it alone either - what the hell did he do in Orlando??? Duncan can't do it alone and Jordan didn't do it alone either (Scottie, hell even Steve Kerr came through in that one game) and again - the coach... Bulls weren't shit with Jordan and Doug Collins. There are contributing factors not just one player alone takes their team to the finals and wins... So stop with the Kobe can't take a team to the finals....
Allen Iverson at least led his team to the finals. Let's see Kobe do it without Shaq. It's gonna take some new teamates/trades for him to pull this off.
Not gonna happen, its about the team, AI didn't do it alone. You need a coach too (lets not forget) as well as support. Remember, Shaq couldn't do it alone either - what the hell did he do in Orlando??? Duncan can't do it alone and Jordan didn't do it alone either (Scottie, hell even Steve Kerr came through in that one game) and again - the coach... Bulls weren't shit with Jordan and Doug Collins. There are contributing factors not just one player alone takes their team to the finals and wins... So stop with the Kobe can't take a team to the finals....
Was there anyone on that Philly team that was an All Star when they went to the Finals? Refresh my memory. Of course no one does it alone. But If A.I. got to the Finals with role players and a great coach, well then Kobe should be able to pull this off since he's "obviously better".
Allen Iverson at least led his team to the finals. Let's see Kobe do it without Shaq. It's gonna take some new teamates/trades for him to pull this off.
Not gonna happen, its about the team, AI didn't do it alone. You need a coach too (lets not forget) as well as support. Remember, Shaq couldn't do it alone either - what the hell did he do in Orlando??? Duncan can't do it alone and Jordan didn't do it alone either (Scottie, hell even Steve Kerr came through in that one game) and again - the coach... Bulls weren't shit with Jordan and Doug Collins. There are contributing factors not just one player alone takes their team to the finals and wins... So stop with the Kobe can't take a team to the finals....
Was there anyone on that Philly team that was an All Star when they went to the Finals? Refresh my memory. Of course no one does it alone. But If A.I. got to the Finals with role players and a great coach, well then Kobe should be able to pull this off since he's "obviously better".
I'm not saying Kobe is "better" (never said that), all I'm saying is people say Kobe can't take the Lak's to the finals alone. Fine, but - I just don't agree with that because no one has...
Comments
Keith,
Whether fairly or not, a lot of Lakers fans blame Kobe for breaking up the dynasty they were building there. Sure, Jackson was itching to leave and Kobe and Shaq couldn't stand each other but if Kobe had been the one to leave and Shaq and Jackson stayed, my feeling is that most Lakers fans would have been far less critical than they are now. They see Kobe as a talented but ultimately self-centered player who's putting his own selfish needs to shine over the good of the team. Again, that may be a grossly overstated argument (my friend David Leonard would start wagging his, "it's racial" finger right about here I suspect) but I do think that's the perception out there.
I'm biased in any case: my favorite player of all time was Magic Johnson so pretty much EVERYONE seems more self-centered in comparison.
Remember when he scared 62 in three quarters a couple weeks ago? He pulled himself from the game. Kobe's the only guy that can do that and rightly be called "selfish" for doing it. And then, at the end of this game, he says "What's important is that we got the win." Shut the hell up, dude. Don't try to play Mr. Modest all of a sudden. You did one of the most amazing things in basketball history and now you're going to pretend that you just wanted the win? Blah.
You even get the sense that the rape charge was based on his insane sense of self-entitlement ("Gimme the ass, baby... I'm Kobe Bryant, bitch!").
In sum, people's hatred of Kobe has very little to do with his game. Sure he plays a selfish brand of basketball, but so do a bunch of other players that people tend to support. Kobe's personality is what makes him so unlikable. For the most part, when folks criticize his game, it's a veiled criticism of his personality and nothing more.
He's a jack-ass, but this is more impressive than Wilt's 100 as far as I'm concerned.
-e
Explain.
i think getting to Kobe's level requires a little bit of narcissism. barkley once said that everyone who is in the nba is talented as hell, but it takes a certain type of personality to make someone a star. i'm not sure if you guys read "the Jordan Rules", but some of the stories in that book about Jordan's ego, make Kobe look like mr. modesty. i think 90% of the criticism against kobe stems from the fact that he comes from a privileged background. mike tyson can get away with anything because he still hangs on the "i cam from nothing" story, but kobe can't get away with saying he wants to "light up Philly", because somehow he is disrespecting his pseudo home town.
I think he means because when Wilt did it, there was no 3 seconds in the key rule. Making it easier for Wilt to just stay in the lane and get the ball and score. Wasn't that game why they brought the rule in the first place?
That said. Nobody in the game should be scoring over 60 points. Just tells me ur not playing as a team and in the end, it will hurt you. The Bulls realized this when they changed Jordan's position and started winning.
i believe something may happen that i never thought would: wilts record is going to be broken.
dave
1) 90% of the fans I know/have heard from don't give a hoot about whether Kobe grew up poor or middle class. That's a non-issue here.
2) Tyson doesn't get away with anything anymore. I think most people look at him with a mix of either pity or disgust.
3) It doesn't make sense to compare a basketball player and a boxer. The former is, by definition, supposed to be a team player in ways that boxers are never expected to be.
But KOBE had to defer to SHAQ. LeBron can run wild.
true but i watched the lakers then (not anymore btw) and kobe was no where near as good as lebron.
Its definitely an issue. When kobe was trying to renew his contract with nike, lebron signed with them for $100 million...much more than kobe could get. Part of the issue was kobe's pending rape trial, but the other, well documented issue, has been that kobe doesn't have any "street cred" cause he grew up in the burbs.
Now that he has become a cartoon character. Ten years ago he was still a "likeable" convicted rapist.
true, but if we can agree that players like AI give up the ball less than Kobe, then obviously the issue of "kobe's selfishness" has nothing to do with his on court play.
I think Kobe's accomplishment is more impressive because of (a) the position Kobe plays and (b) the style of game that is played today. Back in the early 60's when Wilt kilted it, a huge, hulking big man like him was pretty much the exception and not the norm. Dude was a goliath. For a perimeter player to score 81 points is a lot more impressive to me on a strictly "basektball skill" level than a big ass center hitting a bundle of hook shots and lay-ups and what not. This isn't to slight Will's accomplishment(s) at all. 100 points is insane. But, just on a basektball fan level, Kobe's 81 is more incredible to me than Wilt's 100.
As for why he's a jack ass, I think I explained that pretty thoroughly: he's a egomaniac who plays with this sense of entitlement that probably has something to do with his privileged background. I do think his privileged background plays into his personality quite a bit, but I don't think his privileged background alone is enough to account for all the Kobe-hate. Gist of it is that it's extremely easy to hate on people who seem to have had everything handed to them and then have this aura about them that suggests that they feel they DESERVE anything. Surely Kobe worked hard and so much blah blah blah, but his egocentric "I am the best and deserve everything" attitude is sickening... especially coming from an privileged kid who came into the league straight out of high-school.
-e
It's awesome.
Not as good as the KG spot, but that spot is the best on TV.
And whoever thinks that Lebron will ever come close to scoring 81 points is very much mistaken. Lebron will probably have a couple quadruple doubles before he's done, but I highly doubt he'll ever score much more than 60.
But of course, 60 points and 10 assists is pretty comparable to scoring 80 (and probably more effective).
-e
I likey
Absolutely not. Kobe's 81-point game is a perfect illustration of what separates these two all-time greats. When Jordan scored 69 points against the Cavs it was out of necessity. Jordan carried his team to victory in a close (117-113) nail-biter. Kobe scored 81 b/c he had a hot hand and decided to keep shooting, not because his team needed him to. Jordan and Kobe's respective game-stats tell the same story. Not only did Jordan shoot better than Kobe (23-37 vs. 28-46), Jordan also had more assists (6), more steals (4) and WAY more rebounds (18!!!). 69 points and 18 rebounds. Just think about that.
Again, not trying to take anything away from one of the greatest performances of all time, just trying to set the record straight.
Against the RAPTORS, no less. It doesn't get any less urgent than that.
The Lakers were looking pretty sloppy against the Raptors in the 1st half. I'm sure the Raps were playing with a chip on their shoulder - because they're always expected to lose. But they were up like 14 pts, scored 62 at the half. And for those who really don't get Kobe, the guy is an incredible competitor who will do anything he can to get the win (as any athlete should). His main contribution to the team is scoring, and he was ON FIRE in the 3rd, bringing the Lakes back into the game single handedly. Since the Raptors were still in the game through mid 4th quarter, Kobe's scoring was needed for the whole game. By the time the Raps were done for good, Kobe already passed 60 pts, and it became an individual showcase of how many he could score.
I'm not a Kobe nutrider, and I don't like how his incredible talent and confidence doesn't allow his teammates a chance to develop their offensive game. I was at the game last night, and I was hating on his ballhogging. But that is how he's being played by Phil Jackson and the triangle offense - not as a playmaker, but a pure scorer. I'd like to see Lamar/Mihm/Kwame posting up more, and Kobe as the ballhandler/playmaker. But like keithvanhorn said - it takes a certain narcissism to be a great scorer (especially a clutch shooter). And unfortunately, none of the other Lakers are stepping up, and have little room to step up with Kobe on the same team.
But by the time he reached 70 pts, I didn't give a fuck about teamplay anymore, Staples Center was HYPE! I just wanted to see him get past 80! True Lakers SHOWTIME.
ps - I'll take Kobe over AI anyday. Kobe shows up to practice... that shows A LITTLE bit of commitment to the team!
I'm biased though. I really don't like Kobe. He played himself out at the allstar weekend in Philly a few years ago. That was it for me.
and not hating on Kobe's game. It is impressive. But when Shaq was a few years younger does anyone doubt that if he really wanted too score 80+ he could have done it at some point?
Hmmmm... I can remember Magic having an influence on the team as much as Kobe (and Shaq for that matter). These two (Jordan & Magic) have done it before and as a Laker fan I actually disagree with Kobe breaking up the team - Shaq holds a lot of responsibility also. But would fans be less critical - probably not, its just something I don't agree with as far as who is to blame...
Back to the thread - Kobe lit it up. Only caught highlights but damn..... Let's see how they try to tie in Shaq to this - "What do you think of Kobe's performance?" type-shit.....
"It's easy to sum it up if you're just talking about practice. We're sitting here, and I'm supposed to be the franchise player, and we're talking about practice. I mean listen, we're sitting here talking about practice, not a game, not a game, not a game, but we're talking about practice."
-e
Actually this is what happened...
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10553730/page/2/
The capacity crowd of 18,997 began chanting, ???We want Kobe! We want Kobe!??? early in the final period, but with the Lakers holding an insurmountable lead there was no need for Jackson to put the 6-foot-6 star back into the game.
???It was a 30-point basketball game at that point and that???s not the spirit of the game,??? Jackson said. ???I did ask Kobe if he wanted to go back in and contend for the (franchise) record. He asked me what I thought, and I said, ???It???s a 30-point game.??? ???
Allen Iverson at least led his team to the finals. Let's see Kobe do it without Shaq. It's gonna take some new teamates/trades for him to pull this off.
Oh yeah, Kobe needs one of these too.....................
didn't bring it up as a strike against AI...but just to illustrate what that dude was talking about. this is getting off topic, but i think AI was right, he works harder on the court than anyone in the game, and nba practices, once the season starts, are a joke. i caught dozens of celtics practices while kc jones was the coach and don't remember too many players even breaking a sweat. on one occasion, i saw dee brown drinking a can of pepsi on the court while they were scrimmaging.
Not gonna happen, its about the team, AI didn't do it alone. You need a coach too (lets not forget) as well as support. Remember, Shaq couldn't do it alone either - what the hell did he do in Orlando??? Duncan can't do it alone and Jordan didn't do it alone either (Scottie, hell even Steve Kerr came through in that one game) and again - the coach... Bulls weren't shit with Jordan and Doug Collins. There are contributing factors not just one player alone takes their team to the finals and wins... So stop with the Kobe can't take a team to the finals....
Was there anyone on that Philly team that was an All Star when they went to the Finals? Refresh my memory. Of course no one does it alone. But If A.I. got to the Finals with role players and a great coach, well then Kobe should be able to pull this off since he's "obviously better".
I'm not saying Kobe is "better" (never said that), all I'm saying is people say Kobe can't take the Lak's to the finals alone. Fine, but - I just don't agree with that because no one has...