Kobe: I would allow trade to Knicks BY KEN BERGER | ken.berger@newsday.com December 23, 2007 Kobe Bryant strolled down the hallway of what they now call Wachovia Center in Philadelphia on Friday night and smiled when he came across an old friend. By that, we mean an old friend. Bryant's whole body seemed to relax as he embraced Sonny Hill, founder of the famous Philadelphia youth basketball league that bears his name and has produced such NBA All-Stars as Bryant, Rasheed Wallace and Rip Hamilton, not to mention Kobe's father, Joe "Jellybean" Bryant. Hill is one of the few people who truly have a window into Bryant's complicated mind. He has known Kobe as long as he has been alive -- or longer. On Sunday, Bryant will walk into Madison Square Garden for his first appearance there in nearly two years, needing 20 points to become the youngest player in NBA history to score 20,000. After an offseason of 20,000 trade demands and just as many doses of animosity, the Lakers' superstar finally has settled down. But it seems only temporary. After staying quiet about his desire to be traded since the beginning of the season, Bryant opened up Saturday after practice at an Upper East Side health club. Yes, the Knicks were on the list of four teams he asked to be traded to late last spring, Bryant acknowledged for the first time Saturday to a small group of reporters. And, he said, no teams have been taken off the list. "They were, yeah," Bryant said when asked if the Knicks were among the teams for which he'd agree to waive his no-trade clause. After the Knicks and Bulls, Bryant said it was the Mavericks and Suns, marking the first time he has publicly disclosed the list. The Knicks, who declined to comment Saturday on their role in the Bryant saga, have been aware since the summer that they were among his chosen teams. The situation never advanced beyond exploratory talks, though. Read the rest of the article here: http://www.newsday.com/sports/baske...e1223,0,769463.story?coll=ny-linews-headlines
if I was a knicks fan I would be pissed. But I mean what else can they trade besides david lee and draft picks? And honestly those are the ONLY TWO things they need to keep. everything else I would give up. everything.
Man, New York would go ballistic if Kobe went to NY. It'll be KOBE-MANIA.. But yeah, I think the more important question is: who would the Laker's take in a trade for Kobe? Knicks probably don't have the chips the Lakers want.
some stuff he says might not be taken seriously. But the teams he would like to play for is his real idea, which he has already repeated couple times. Every time when he mentions his wishful team, Rockets is not in the list. So forget Kobe deal.
It would be a dream comes true to have Kobe in NYC... almost as good as the dream that Isiah would fire himself.
why would anyone think that kobe might want to come to houston? what does rox have to make him think he can win with us? Tmac plays the same position with him. and Kobe doesn't really think of Yao highly judging by his remarks about yao's play over the years.
I think Kobe has high regards about Yao from what I can remember. I don't know where you got that impression. There was one game last season against us, he specifically instructed Bynum to study Yao from the bench.
You'd think if a player truly WANTS to win there'd be NO WAY possible they'd have the Knicks as a destination, the horrible mess that they are. Weird thing is, if you put Kobe on the current Knicks team without them losing anyone, and they fire Isiah and replace him with the team trainer, they might be at least a #4 seed in the East. They're closer than the Sixers or Bobcats thats for sure. I wouldnt want Kobe on the Rockets. My heart shudders at the thought of rooting for that terd.
Man, after Stephon Marbury and Isiah, New York would love to follow Kobe's antics any day and time. In a heartbeat. I'td actually be worth going to games to see the current best player on the planet play. For all the negatives people have about him, he's the best there is, and I'd take him on any team if I were GM.
He was pissed off at the ownership, management, and losing ... so he wanted to be traded to the Knicks?
Send Tmac, Battier, Alston and Novak to the Lakers....and ask for Kobe and Derek Fisher. Then see if Kobe would be willing to come here. I bet he would agree to that deal! Rockets then should ask for Phil over RA so that we could start: Derek Fisher Kobe Bonzi Scola Yao.. cause we all know that RA would find a way to keep this starting lineup from the floor.
this doesn't surprise me......Kobe probably knows getting to Houston would be impossible, because of the lakers not wanting tmac....the other destinations are more realistic........
I guess you don't see beyond what's immediately infront of you.. Knicks, or any New York team for that matter, is the only team that has the infrastructure in place to turn into a contender overnight. The flexibility to dip into the luxury tax (and way beyond) is invaluable when making management decisions. They can take bigger gambles and have bigger pay offs. This is New York. Players will always want to play in NY. Don't underestimate the intrigue of playing on the big stage. You also got to remember while the Knicks are playing poorly right now, they are a storied franchise. Kobe playing for the Knicks will result in a ridiculous amount of jersey sales and other miscellaneous revenue. Ticket prices will probably go as well. Regardless, there will be enough people in New York who will pay top dollar to see a good show.
I haven't forgotten the Colorado incident, so the feeling is mutual. He doesn't want to be a Rocket, and I don't want him to be a Rocket. A win win for both of us.
