chauncey made some (uncharacteristicly) bad decisions down the stretch, sheed lost his cool, lebron was clutch, and the cavs shot a really high percentage in the 4th.
given all of that, detroit still could/should have won the game imo. looks like it will be probably a 7 gm series now.
Kobe's on Stephen A. Smith's radio right now saying that straight-up, he wants to be traded.
Dude sounds seriously frustrated with his current situation, even suggesting that if he were on the Clippers, they still might be playing right now.
But, I would like to see Kobe play somewhere else at this point in his career.
cot damn. dude has split personality disorder. He was on KLAC Radio 570 yesterday saying he wants to be a Laker for his whole life- (although he did say that the front office is an absolute mess) http://a1135.g.akamai.net/f/1135/18227/1...ITLE=Interviews edit: i'm listening to this thing right now, and he keeps saying he wants to be a Laker for life, but dude is so audibly frustrated around the 18:00 mark. It's crazy in that one, sounds like dude is having a professional breakdown.
Kobe's on Stephen A. Smith's radio right now saying that straight-up, he wants to be traded.
Dude sounds seriously frustrated with his current situation, even suggesting that if he were on the Clippers, they still might be playing right now.
But, I would like to see Kobe play somewhere else at this point in his career.
SAS: Is there anything the Los Angeles Lakers can do to get you to remain with the organization?
KB: No, bro. Nothing.
When he ran off Shaq he made his bed[/b].....I hope he has to lie in it the rest of his career.
No more rings for this dude!!
From what I'm hearing, that is not the case:
Bryant fires back at Lakers[/b] Stephen A. Smith
Just weeks after saying something needed to be done to improve the Lakers' roster, days after reiterating that point, and hours after suggesting that West's return to the organization might be the solution, Bryant went on an all-out assault after reading that a "team source" intimated in yesterday's Los Angeles Times that he was the reason Shaquille O'Neal was traded.
The Lakers' owner, Jerry Buss, "called a meeting with me after he spoke with Jim Gray [of ESPN] to talk with him about Shaq's future in the middle of the 2004 season," Bryant said yesterday.
"He met with me at the Four Seasons Hotel here across from Fashion Island, which is now the Island Hotel," Bryant said. "I went up to his penthouse suite. [Buss] looks me dead in the face and says: 'Kobe, I am not going to re-sign Shaq. I am not about to pay him $30 million a year or $80 million over three years. No way in hell. I feel like he's getting older. His body is breaking down, and I don't want to pay that money to him when I can get value for him right now rather than wait. This is my decision. It's independent of you. My mind is made up. It doesn't matter to me what you do in free agency because I do not want to pay [Shaq], period.' "
"Dr. Buss said that," Bryant said. "And I haven't said anything for years because I've always felt like folks were just looking to create controversy. Now I know. I realize what extent [the Lakers] will go to, to cover themselves."
And what does O'Neal think?
"I believe Kobe 100 percent," said O'Neal, reached yesterday while in Los Angeles on business. "Absolutely. There's no doubt in my mind Kobe is telling the truth. I believe him a thousand percent. I would have respected Dr. Buss more as a man if he would have told me that himself, because I know he said it. But he didn't [tell me]. He never said a damn word to me."
That has no chance. Kobe to the Bulls, however much I would be displeased by it, has a chance of happening because they have so many desirable young pieces. The Knicks can only really offer cap relief, and I don't even think they have too much in the way of expiring contracts, but I could be wrong. The Nets could make a push via a sign and trade with Vince Carter, but I wouldn't be too happy about that if I was a Lakers fan.
This would simultaneously be exciting and worrisome for Kobe fans. He will be deemed "The Second Coming" as soon as he arrives in Chicago, and bashed on if we wins nothing in the first two years.
You would do the trade for Deng, Thomas, and the Knicks #1 though, right? That sounds better than Vince Carter and Marcus Williams. Vince would probably sell more tickets though.
You would do the trade for Deng, Thomas, and the Knicks #1 though, right? That sounds better than Vince Carter and Marcus Williams. Vince would probably sell more tickets though.
Can you elaborate. I know nothing about 3-way deals and all that. Also, if someone can point me to a resource where I could learn about shit like that (salary caps, free agency, etc), it would be MUCH appreciated.
You would do the trade for Deng, Thomas, and the Knicks #1 though, right? That sounds better than Vince Carter and Marcus Williams. Vince would probably sell more tickets though.
not even close to working, salary-wise.
kobe makes $88M over the next 4; deng and thomas are still on their rookie contracts. deng will get re-signed but then you're talking about all that messy base year compensation shit (if his new contract is more than a 20% raise from his current one, which is definitely will be). plus, they have that weird, cultish mentality going on in chicago and i don't think they're going to break all that up in one fell swoop.
bear in mind that kobe has a clause in his contract that stipulates that he can more or less dictate where he goes. he'll only waive the no-trade clause if it's a destination he likes, which i'm guessing narrows it down to chicago, new york, la clippers, phoenix, dallas ....
Re-sign Deng and throw in P.J. Brown for cap purposes maybe. It seems more doable than any other proposition I've heard so far. Is there anything the Knicks could offer that comes anywhere close to that value talent-wise?
Re-sign Deng and throw in P.J. Brown for cap purposes maybe. It seems more doable than any other proposition I've heard so far
pj brown's contract already expired.
Is there anything the Knicks could offer that comes anywhere close to that value talent-wise?
probably not. i'm dreaming of some elaborate three-way deal in which LA receives rashard lewis + david lee or channing frye + picks, seattle gets jamal crawford, and new york gets kobe (with whatever requisite filler would make it all work under the CBA), but i doubt that happens. LA just might be amenable to a deal involving stephon marbury if we take some nasty contracts off their hands (which for them pretty much boils down to radmanovic). if they go they cost-cutting route i'd imagine they would want to position themselves to sign one of the big free agents coming up in 2009 (lebron/melo/wade/bosh).
Re-sign Deng and throw in P.J. Brown for cap purposes maybe. It seems more doable than any other proposition I've heard so far
pj brown's contract already expired.
Is there anything the Knicks could offer that comes anywhere close to that value talent-wise?
probably not. i'm dreaming of some elaborate three-way deal in which LA receives rashard lewis + david lee or channing frye + picks, seattle gets jamal crawford, and new york gets kobe (with whatever requisite filler would make it all work under the CBA), but i doubt that happens. LA just might be amenable to a deal involving stephon marbury if we take some nasty contracts off their hands (which for them pretty much boils down to radmanovic). if they go they cost-cutting route i'd imagine they would want to position themselves to sign one of the big free agents coming up in 2009 (lebron/melo/wade/bosh).
It's interesting and highly confusing for the casual fan that player trades and acquisitions involve so much more than the players and their capabilities. I was reading the LA Times today, and it definitely seems more about the business and the politics of the business than what I had ever imagined.
It's really eye-opening for me because the front office has so much more to think about then the general public thinks. It's almost like a chess game where a perceived false step is really a setup for the next move, or it really is a false step. Interesting......
It's interesting and highly confusing for the casual fan that player trades and acquisitions involve so much more than the players and their capabilities. I was reading the LA Times today, and it definitely seems more about the business and the politics of the business than what I had ever imagined.
It's really eye-opening for me because the front office has so much more to think about then the general public thinks. It's almost like a chess game where a perceived false step is really a setup for the next move, or it really is a false step. Interesting......
i think most of these people simply cannot see the forest for the trees. i think a lot of of front office folks could do a lot better if they just took a step back and simplified.
Comments
given all of that, detroit still could/should have won the game imo. looks like it will be probably a 7 gm series now.
Dude sounds seriously frustrated with his current situation, even suggesting that if he were on the Clippers, they still might be playing right now.
But, I would like to see Kobe play somewhere else at this point in his career.
SAS: Is there anything the Los Angeles Lakers can do to get you to remain with the organization?
KB: No, bro. Nothing.
edit: i'm listening to this thing right now, and he keeps saying he wants to be a Laker for life, but dude is so audibly frustrated around the 18:00 mark. It's crazy in that one, sounds like dude is having a professional breakdown.
ship him to new york, restore the balance of the league. he gets to play against his buddy shaq 4 times a year now. everybodys happy.
When he ran off Shaq he made his bed.....I hope he has to lie in it the rest of his career.
No more rings for this dude!!
From what I'm hearing, that is not the case:
Bryant fires back at Lakers[/b]
Stephen A. Smith
Just weeks after saying something needed to be done to improve the Lakers' roster, days after reiterating that point, and hours after suggesting that West's return to the organization might be the solution, Bryant went on an all-out assault after reading that a "team source" intimated in yesterday's Los Angeles Times that he was the reason Shaquille O'Neal was traded.
The Lakers' owner, Jerry Buss, "called a meeting with me after he spoke with Jim Gray [of ESPN] to talk with him about Shaq's future in the middle of the 2004 season," Bryant said yesterday.
"He met with me at the Four Seasons Hotel here across from Fashion Island, which is now the Island Hotel," Bryant said. "I went up to his penthouse suite. [Buss] looks me dead in the face and says: 'Kobe, I am not going to re-sign Shaq. I am not about to pay him $30 million a year or $80 million over three years. No way in hell. I feel like he's getting older. His body is breaking down, and I don't want to pay that money to him when I can get value for him right now rather than wait. This is my decision. It's independent of you. My mind is made up. It doesn't matter to me what you do in free agency because I do not want to pay [Shaq], period.' "
"Dr. Buss said that," Bryant said. "And I haven't said anything for years because I've always felt like folks were just looking to create controversy. Now I know. I realize what extent [the Lakers] will go to, to cover themselves."
And what does O'Neal think?
"I believe Kobe 100 percent," said O'Neal, reached yesterday while in Los Angeles on business. "Absolutely. There's no doubt in my mind Kobe is telling the truth. I believe him a thousand percent. I would have respected Dr. Buss more as a man if he would have told me that himself, because I know he said it. But he didn't [tell me]. He never said a damn word to me."
(read more)
and, if true, are you a bigger dick for defaming kobe for all these years ?
are you a bigger dick for being busted for a DUI driving the wrong way on a street in carlsbad with your 24yr old girlfriend?
winning ball games for this dude is his life. He expects nothing short of winning 7 NBA championships.
And if anyone cares, he worked twice as hard as Shaq (ESPN Sports Century 1/5):
I'm suspecting, the usual suspects will show up pretty soon.
You guys still watching basketball?
get it done
I am saying!
This would be a great fit. The perfect answer to the Starbury/Francis[/b] issue.
No....my opinion of Kobe being an asshole has NOTHING to do with Shaq.
Kobe has done a good enough job defaming himself, he doesn't need my help.
That has no chance. Kobe to the Bulls, however much I would be displeased by it, has a chance of happening because they have so many desirable young pieces. The Knicks can only really offer cap relief, and I don't even think they have too much in the way of expiring contracts, but I could be wrong. The Nets could make a push via a sign and trade with Vince Carter, but I wouldn't be too happy about that if I was a Lakers fan.
This would simultaneously be exciting and worrisome for Kobe fans. He will be deemed "The Second Coming" as soon as he arrives in Chicago, and bashed on if we wins nothing in the first two years.
You must be joking.
Can you elaborate. I know nothing about 3-way deals and all that.
Also, if someone can point me to a resource where I could learn about shit like that (salary caps, free agency, etc), it would be MUCH appreciated.
edit: I guess I've found some stuff on my own.
not even close to working, salary-wise.
kobe makes $88M over the next 4; deng and thomas are still on their rookie contracts. deng will get re-signed but then you're talking about all that messy base year compensation shit (if his new contract is more than a 20% raise from his current one, which is definitely will be). plus, they have that weird, cultish mentality going on in chicago and i don't think they're going to break all that up in one fell swoop.
bear in mind that kobe has a clause in his contract that stipulates that he can more or less dictate where he goes. he'll only waive the no-trade clause if it's a destination he likes, which i'm guessing narrows it down to chicago, new york, la clippers, phoenix, dallas ....
pj brown's contract already expired.
probably not. i'm dreaming of some elaborate three-way deal in which LA receives rashard lewis + david lee or channing frye + picks, seattle gets jamal crawford, and new york gets kobe (with whatever requisite filler would make it all work under the CBA), but i doubt that happens. LA just might be amenable to a deal involving stephon marbury if we take some nasty contracts off their hands (which for them pretty much boils down to radmanovic). if they go they cost-cutting route i'd imagine they would want to position themselves to sign one of the big free agents coming up in 2009 (lebron/melo/wade/bosh).
It's interesting and highly confusing for the casual fan that player trades and acquisitions involve so much more than the players and their capabilities. I was reading the LA Times today, and it definitely seems more about the business and the politics of the business than what I had ever imagined.
It's really eye-opening for me because the front office has so much more to think about then the general public thinks. It's almost like a chess game where a perceived false step is really a setup for the next move, or it really is a false step. Interesting......
i think most of these people simply cannot see the forest for the trees. i think a lot of of front office folks could do a lot better if they just took a step back and simplified.
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/columns/story?columnist=stein_marc&page=KobeTradeRequest-070530
this summer is gonna be wild
YOU CANNOT STOP IT
51% Field goal shooting
46% Three point shooting
and perhaps most surprising.... 75% Free throw shooting
BRING ON THE EAST