Deal No. 1: Phoenix trades Shawn Marion, Leandro Barbosa, Marcus Banks and the rights to Atlanta's 2008 first-rounder to the Lakers for Kobe and Radmanovic.
Now we're talking! Some of my favorite things about this trade include ???
(A) The Lakers ending up with a nucleus of Marion, Odom, Barbosa and Bynum, along with Farmar, Walton, Turiaf and the No. 19 pick, as well as the inevitable Kwame Brown trade to a moronic team that convinces itself that Kwame's career could be salvaged. That's a pretty good foundation.
(B) Phoenix trotting out a starting lineup of Nash, Kobe, Raja Bell, Amare Stoudemire and Boris Diaw. Good golly. Sweet Jesus.
(C) Radmanovic realizing his manifest destiny of playing in Phoenix. It was meant to be from the moment Mike D'Antoni and Nash teamed up three years ago.
(D) Kobe and Raja as teammates. High comedy. The most improbable pairing since Rodman and Pippen 12 years ago.
(E) The most selfish player in the league (Kobe) playing with the most unselfish player in the league (Nash). What a fascinating sociological experiment. If Nash can turn Kobe into a team player, I'm voting him for our 2008 president even though he's Canadian.
Two potential problems: First, it's unlikely that the Lakers would be dumb enough to trade Kobe within their own division, although with Kupchak involved, anything's possible. And second, assuming that Nash has a say in front-office decisions at this point, would he really want to green-light a scenario that has him managing two enormous egos in Stoudemire and Kobe?
Well, lemme throw this at you: What if the Suns then swapped Stoudemire to Minnesota for KG, as I proposed in a May 14 column? That would give them the following crunch-time lineup: Nash, Kobe, Bell, Diaw and KG. Ladies and gentlemen, your 2008 World Champions! Just send them the trophy right now.
So that's my vote: Black Mamba, you're going to Phoenix to play with KG and Nash. And if it happens, I can guarantee that the 2008 playoffs will be more entertaining than the 2007 playoffs.
STEVEN A. SMITH JUST GRILLED[/b] JON BARRY for saying stupid shit like "I think Kobe was selfish in how he handled this situation. If he had a problem with management, he should have went to them...." blah blah.
JON BARRY IS A LOSER. I hated him when he was commentating with Bill Walton for being a know-it-all and I hate him even more now for poppping off with ignorant ass shit. Does anyone like dude?
STEVEN A. SMITH JUST GRILLED[/b] JON BARRY for saying stupid shit like "I think Kobe was selfish in how he handled this situation. If he had a problem with management, he should have went to them...." blah blah.
Steven A. was actually the first reporter to break this story and he did it on national TV during the first round of the playoffs.[/b] He had a little piece at half time about stars wanting out from their teams. He said Garnett and J. O'Neil wanted big changes on their teams but wouldn't say anything in public about it, which probably meant they would be stuck on crummy teams. Then he said Kobe and one other player (can't remember who) would not only demand that their teams improve, but if they didn't they would demand to be traded. Now what he repored is happening before us.
STEVEN A. SMITH JUST GRILLED[/b] JON BARRY for saying stupid shit like "I think Kobe was selfish in how he handled this situation. If he had a problem with management, he should have went to them...." blah blah.
Steven A. was actually the first reporter to break this story and he did it on national TV during the first round of the playoffs.[/b] He had a little piece at half time about stars wanting out from their teams. He said Garnett and J. O'Neil wanted big changes on their teams but wouldn't say anything in public about it, which probably meant they would be stuck on crummy teams. Then he said Kobe and one other player (can't remember who) would not only demand that their teams improve, but if they didn't they would demand to be traded. Now what he repored is happening before us.
Kobe gets Shaq to leave and is now frustrated at management for making the wrong deals. That's some st8 BITCH made bullshit. Dude thought he could get done himself and now realizes his window is closing. There is NOTHING the Lakers can do at this point to magically become an instant contender.
Kobe gets Shaq to leave and is now frustrated at management for making the wrong deals. That's some st8 BITCH made bullshit. Dude though he could get done himself and now realizes his window is closing.
you are off by a mile.
sportswriters are commending kobe because he is putting a lot on the line right now...all for the sake of winning. you gotta remember that kobe is in the biggest market in the country. he can't become a bigger star than he already is. this media blitz is about him being a competitor and wanting to win games.
btw, there are plenty of stars who have done the same thing. AI, Barkley, Karl Malone, etc. they weren't winning and asked to be traded. nobody accused them of being bitches.
Kobe gets Shaq to leave and is now frustrated at management for making the wrong deals. That's some st8 BITCH made bullshit. Dude though he could get done himself and now realizes his window is closing.
you are off by a mile.
sportswriters are commending kobe because he is putting a lot on the line right now...all for the sake of winning. you gotta remember that kobe is in the biggest market in the country. he can't become a bigger star than he already is. this media blitz is about him being a competitor and wanting to win games.
Really? Yesterday's night's analysis of this was full of sportswriters saying that Kobe is a punk for wanting out when things don't go his way. I haven't heard anybody commend him for putting it all on the line for the sake of winning.
Kobe gets Shaq to leave and is now frustrated at management for making the wrong deals. That's some st8 BITCH made bullshit. Dude though he could get done himself and now realizes his window is closing.
you are off by a mile.
sportswriters are commending kobe because he is putting a lot on the line right now...all for the sake of winning. you gotta remember that kobe is in the biggest market in the country. he can't become a bigger star than he already is. this media blitz is about him being a competitor and wanting to win games.
btw, there are plenty of stars who have done the same thing. AI, Barkley, Karl Malone, etc. they weren't winning and asked to be traded. nobody accused them of being bitches.
AI, Malone and Barkley didnt ask for their championship teams to be dismantled or to get more shots than his co-superstar. Ur off by light years. Dude had a team around him and is now pointing fingers.
Sidenote - Nike just realeased his new kicks. Bad timing for this drama.
Kobe gets Shaq to leave and is now frustrated at management for making the wrong deals. That's some st8 BITCH made bullshit. Dude though he could get done himself and now realizes his window is closing.
you are off by a mile.
sportswriters are commending kobe because he is putting a lot on the line right now...all for the sake of winning. you gotta remember that kobe is in the biggest market in the country. he can't become a bigger star than he already is. this media blitz is about him being a competitor and wanting to win games.
btw, there are plenty of stars who have done the same thing. AI, Barkley, Karl Malone, etc. they weren't winning and asked to be traded. nobody accused them of being bitches.
AI, Malone and Barkley didnt ask for their championship teams to be dismantled or to get more shots than his co-superstar. Ur off by light years. Dude had a team around him and is now pointing fingers.
Sidenote - Nike just realeased his new kicks. Bad timing for this drama.
Soooo... would you a veto a deal that brought Kobe to the Pacers?
Deal No. 1: Phoenix trades Shawn Marion, Leandro Barbosa, Marcus Banks and the rights to Atlanta's 2008 first-rounder to the Lakers for Kobe and Radmanovic.
Now we're talking! Some of my favorite things about this trade include ???
(A) The Lakers ending up with a nucleus of Marion, Odom, Barbosa and Bynum, along with Farmar, Walton, Turiaf and the No. 19 pick, as well as the inevitable Kwame Brown trade to a moronic team that convinces itself that Kwame's career could be salvaged. That's a pretty good foundation.
(B) Phoenix trotting out a starting lineup of Nash, Kobe, Raja Bell, Amare Stoudemire and Boris Diaw. Good golly. Sweet Jesus.
(C) Radmanovic realizing his manifest destiny of playing in Phoenix. It was meant to be from the moment Mike D'Antoni and Nash teamed up three years ago.
(D) Kobe and Raja as teammates. High comedy. The most improbable pairing since Rodman and Pippen 12 years ago.
(E) The most selfish player in the league (Kobe) playing with the most unselfish player in the league (Nash). What a fascinating sociological experiment. If Nash can turn Kobe into a team player, I'm voting him for our 2008 president even though he's Canadian.
Two potential problems: First, it's unlikely that the Lakers would be dumb enough to trade Kobe within their own division, although with Kupchak involved, anything's possible. And second, assuming that Nash has a say in front-office decisions at this point, would he really want to green-light a scenario that has him managing two enormous egos in Stoudemire and Kobe?
Well, lemme throw this at you: What if the Suns then swapped Stoudemire to Minnesota for KG, as I proposed in a May 14 column? That would give them the following crunch-time lineup: Nash, Kobe, Bell, Diaw and KG. Ladies and gentlemen, your 2008 World Champions! Just send them the trophy right now.
So that's my vote: Black Mamba, you're going to Phoenix to play with KG and Nash. And if it happens, I can guarantee that the 2008 playoffs will be more entertaining than the 2007 playoffs.
Kobe gets Shaq to leave and is now frustrated at management for making the wrong deals. That's some st8 BITCH made bullshit. Dude though he could get done himself and now realizes his window is closing.
you are off by a mile.
sportswriters are commending kobe because he is putting a lot on the line right now...all for the sake of winning. you gotta remember that kobe is in the biggest market in the country. he can't become a bigger star than he already is. this media blitz is about him being a competitor and wanting to win games.
Really? Yesterday's night's analysis of this was full of sportswriters saying that Kobe is a punk for wanting out when things don't go his way. I haven't heard anybody commend him for putting it all on the line for the sake of winning.
Basically, yall need to quit getting "impressions" from analyst's that merely have "impressions" on the matter. You need to listen to one person and one person only, who is Steven A. Smith. He seems to have a great relationship with Kobe.
He wants out cuz Buss and Kupchak promised a couple years ago, that "they would build a contender NOW. I told him at that time my fear was the Lakers waiting to save cap room to sgn a top free agent in 3 or 4 years." The facts are clear, management did not follow through on their promise. Kobe's time is ticking. I have probably never seen a professional athlete so intense and focused on the game as him. Losing is not an option; neither is mediocrity.
For the record, Buss didn't want to pay Shaq $30mil/year cuz he was on the decline. "I, not once- not once- went to them and said 'Trade Shaq or else'". All of this is in yesterday's LA Times. Seriously, watch ESPN Sports Century on youtube. It puts all of the "Kobe is a punk, and Shaq is funny and the man" shit into perspective.
For the record, Buss didn't want to pay Shaq $30mil/year cuz he was on the decline. "I, not once- not once- went to them and said 'Trade Shaq or else'". All of this is in yesterday's LA Times. Seriously, watch ESPN Sports Century on youtube. It puts all of the "Kobe is a punk, and Shaq is funny and the man" shit into perspective.
Bullshit. Yeah Buss was frontin on the money but you cant tell me that was the reason Shaq was still asshurt two years later until Bill Russell told him to let go of that shit. Shit went down in locker room and in management boardrooms to make Shaq throw barbs at L.A. & Kobe. And Shaq is no angel either but to omit Kobe involvement is crazy.
Can't believe you guys are falling for the sheer-bombast-in-place-of-actual-well-thought-out takes that is Steven A Smith. That guy kinda sucks. He's a walking caricature. I bet he spends more time texting his "homies in the NBA" than he does, ya know, actually watching basketball.
Can't believe you guys are falling for the sheer-bombast-in-place-of-actual-well-thought-out takes that is Steven A Smith. That guy kinda sucks. He's a walking caricature. I bet he spends more time texting his "homies in the NBA" than he does, ya know, actually watching basketball.
Be prepared to have some heavy science dropped on your head.
Can't believe you guys are falling for the sheer-bombast-in-place-of-actual-well-thought-out takes that is Steven A Smith. That guy kinda sucks. He's a walking caricature. I bet he spends more time texting his "homies in the NBA" than he does, ya know, actually watching basketball.
Be prepared to have some heavy science dropped on your head.
I hope you're wearing a helmet.
Hey man, I wouldn't poke a stick at a bee's nest w/out one of them bee-keeper-mask deals.
I genuinely dislike his whole schtick though. And let's be serious, it's all schtick. He's the Arsenio Hall of sports commentary.
I will say this about SAS, it's hilarious when he gets these cats to put themselves on Front Street like he does. I could listen and laugh at the recent T-Mac soundbite ad infinitum. He did Kobe bad yesterday too. Or rather, Kobe did himself REAL BAD.
Comments
From Bill Simmons's Blog today on ESPN:
OH
HELLS
YAH!!!!!!!!!
STEVEN A. SMITH JUST GRILLED[/b] JON BARRY for saying stupid shit like "I think Kobe was selfish in how he handled this situation. If he had a problem with management, he should have went to them...." blah blah.
JON BARRY IS A LOSER. I hated him when he was commentating with Bill Walton for being a know-it-all and I hate him even more now for poppping off with ignorant ass shit. Does anyone like dude?
Nicely written article.
I personally would like to see him on San Antonio. Although the CHI or NY jerseys would be hot to def.
Steven A. was actually the first reporter to break this story and he did it on national TV during the first round of the playoffs.[/b] He had a little piece at half time about stars wanting out from their teams. He said Garnett and J. O'Neil wanted big changes on their teams but wouldn't say anything in public about it, which probably meant they would be stuck on crummy teams. Then he said Kobe and one other player (can't remember who) would not only demand that their teams improve, but if they didn't they would demand to be traded. Now what he repored is happening before us.
Exactly. Steven A is the truth.
They are in straight-up winning mode: so focused right now. The East really doesn't want to see them.
That's some st8 BITCH made bullshit. Dude thought he could get done himself and now realizes his window is closing. There is NOTHING the Lakers can do at this point to magically become an instant contender.
Smells foul.
you are off by a mile.
sportswriters are commending kobe because he is putting a lot on the line right now...all for the sake of winning. you gotta remember that kobe is in the biggest market in the country. he can't become a bigger star than he already is. this media blitz is about him being a competitor and wanting to win games.
btw, there are plenty of stars who have done the same thing. AI, Barkley, Karl Malone, etc. they weren't winning and asked to be traded. nobody accused them of being bitches.
I liked your last avatar better
Really? Yesterday's night's analysis of this was full of sportswriters saying that Kobe is a punk for wanting out when things don't go his way. I haven't heard anybody commend him for putting it all on the line for the sake of winning.
AI, Malone and Barkley didnt ask for their championship teams to be dismantled or to get more shots than his co-superstar. Ur off by light years. Dude had a team around him and is now pointing fingers.
Sidenote - Nike just realeased his new kicks. Bad timing for this drama.
Soooo... would you a veto a deal that brought Kobe to the Pacers?
either did kobe, get your facts straight.
but jordan did!
yea, he is not the gm. everyone wants to play/live in la. the front office has obviously been f*cking up.
next!
Some dedicated/pathetic fan has cast a movie about the Lakers front office dram. it's actually pretty funny:
Kill Buss - the movie cast
So Shaq broke that team up? Where have u been in the last 5 years dude.
Youre sayin management didnt speak/consult Kobe when they traded Shaq?
Wade owns Kobe's fourth ring.
that type of lineup will have fools shoook.
Billy Donovan --> Orlando Magic
Pat O'Brien --> Indiana Pacers
Basically, yall need to quit getting "impressions" from analyst's that merely have "impressions" on the matter. You need to listen to one person and one person only, who is Steven A. Smith. He seems to have a great relationship with Kobe.
He wants out cuz Buss and Kupchak promised a couple years ago, that "they would build a contender NOW. I told him at that time my fear was the Lakers waiting to save cap room to sgn a top free agent in 3 or 4 years." The facts are clear, management did not follow through on their promise. Kobe's time is ticking. I have probably never seen a professional athlete so intense and focused on the game as him. Losing is not an option; neither is mediocrity.
For the record, Buss didn't want to pay Shaq $30mil/year cuz he was on the decline. "I, not once- not once- went to them and said 'Trade Shaq or else'". All of this is in yesterday's LA Times. Seriously, watch ESPN Sports Century on youtube. It puts all of the "Kobe is a punk, and Shaq is funny and the man" shit into perspective.
SCIENCE!
This pretty much goes for anything sports-related.
In this matter, he is the authority. It was refreshing when he put Jon Barry back in his place for poppping off some ignorant shit yesterday.
Oh, I am not playing--Steven A. is my dude.
Cool.
Bullshit. Yeah Buss was frontin on the money but you cant tell me that was the reason Shaq was still asshurt two years later until Bill Russell told him to let go of that shit. Shit went down in locker room and in management boardrooms to make Shaq throw barbs at L.A. & Kobe. And Shaq is no angel either but to omit Kobe involvement is crazy.
Be prepared to have some heavy science dropped on your head.
I hope you're wearing a helmet.
Hey man, I wouldn't poke a stick at a bee's nest w/out one of them bee-keeper-mask deals.
I genuinely dislike his whole schtick though. And let's be serious, it's all schtick. He's the Arsenio Hall of sports commentary.