Jordan had it easy? He was in the shadow of Bird and Magic. He was arguably in the golden age of the NBA. Then he had to overcome the stigma of the top scorer in the NBA can't win titles plus the Piston Badboys who relished in roughing him up. Kobe invited all the Jordan comparison by unconsciously mimicking his every move and mannerisms. The dude is obsessed with MJ. He tries to downplay it in interviews but it's pretty evident.
I can't agree with that, considering how MJ basically reinvented himself as a player. He added something new to his game every year, and was the only wing at that time trying to be the best on both sides of the ball.
There's been about a dozen times when I click over to rep you but I can't. Almost all of your post are great reads. You are right on the money here too. And, this is something I've said in other bball conversations. Kobe Bryant is one of if not the most skilled players ever. Most of the greats had some significant talents/advantages over their peers but Kobe isn't really any more physically gifted than Mcgrady, VC, Stackhouse, Pierce, and hoards of other wing players. He's just good at everything. It's not like other great players where you can point to a couple things that they could have improved on to make them completely unstoppable. Much respect. With that said, nothing would make me more sick than to see Kobe putting the dreamshake on Shane.
Completely disagree. Kobe is undoubtedly more skilled, but that's simply the product of enjoying the benefit of evolutionary 'environmental' advancement - he has the "Allen Iverson" package in his repertoire that wasn't in existence in the 80's. Consider that Jordan basically pioneered every modern guard move - from the change of direction moves to the turn-around jumpers, basically every isolation move was his creation or advancement. People don't really realize that guards used to basically dribble in a straight line before Michael (and Magic.) The offensive arsenal that Jordan introduced was the single greatest breakthrough in basketball history I would personally argue. So no, I don't think Jordan had it easy. Kobe can only be Plato to Jordan's Socrates. He's great but he's standing on the shoulders of a giant.
Why didn't any of the Rockets besides Yao reach out to Hakeem? Bryant wanting to get with Hakeem is a sign of a smart player wanting to add weapons to his game.
Fail. And btw, Kobe does not have a "bball genius IQ". He would still be getting tossed out of the playoffs in the first round if Memphis didn't give them Pau...
I bet Dream and Rudy T don't think that way. We fans obsess about loyalty to team but given things like free agency players rarely do. My guess is Dream looks at this more as being in a guild of elite players where you compete with each other because its your job but otherwise they have professional respect for each other that overrides team loyalty. In otherwords being an NBA player is more important than being a Rocket, Laker or Grizzly.
Quote: Olajuwon said Bryant reached out to him for help with his moves in the post. "He gave me the biggest compliment," Olajuwon said. "(He said) You are the best (at the) mid-post and post move. "He wanted me to show my moves to him." Olajuwon said his style of play in the paint is really suited for a guy like Bryant. "In my mind most of my moves for a guy (with) that agility can use it better than the big guy," Olajuwon said. "Because my moves are not really for the big guy. "It's for the guards and small forwards. So he would benefit most on the post because of his agility. "It was so much fun because how he picks it up. I worked with him for two hours, step by step." Olajuwon expects Bryant to be even better than he was last season when he led the Lakers to the NBA Championship. "Adding those moves to his game, watch out for him this year," Olajuwon said. "I understand his dedication. His desire to win and stay on top. "That's what I respect most about him." By the way, Olajuwon said he would never have held one-on-one sessions like this if he was still playing. "You don't want to give them your secrets," Olajuwon said. http://www.myfoxhouston.com/dpp/sports/090926_olajuwon_works_with_grizzlies_thabeet I remember Yao training with The Dream briefly perhaps due to Olajuwon being overseas most of the time. Rather than hearing about our Rockets guards, forwards, and centers training, improving, and learning from our Hometown Hero who is now in Houston, we instead hear that our competitors have a jump start by being wise enough to train with One of the Greatest if not the Greatest Center of All Time???
Kobe will always be in MJ's shadow, and it has much more to do with how fake the image he crafts for himself is rather than any statistical shortcomings he might ultimately have to MJ. Watch him give the exact same kinda "screw you, you said I couldn't do it but I persevered in spite of all ya'll" HOF speech that MJ gave. Except where MJ's speech had at least a slight touch of novelty and candidness, we'll all know that Kobe's speech will be tainted with the facetiousness of crass imitation.
I shudder to think how much better Tim Duncan could have been had he worked out with Dream from day 1. Dont get me wrong, Duncan is already an all-time great, but with his work ethic and basketball IQ, combined with Dream's footwork, he may have been the second coming of Dream.
This is why Kobe is the MVP and why some people here like to 'pretend'. When Dream was young, he had help from MVP Moses Malone. There's a pattern to these to these elite.. er.. no, I'm not using that word, I mean CHAMPIONS and MVPs, they strive to be the best.
I don't think so. I think the guy who would help Scola the most is Barkley, since they are similar undersized PFs.
Cause Yao is a pure Rocket, chosen in the Rudy era and respects Rockets history and displays Rockets pride.
What? Shame on you tinman, a 99er should know better. Scola's 1 on 1 offensive game has much more in common with Dream than CB4. He doesn't back guys down or take them out on the perimeter. He uses a series of spins, fakes, and jukes in the post to get to the basket. And as far as being undersized, Dream was significantly smaller than just about everyone notable that he went up against at center. Luis could learn far more from him than Chuck, imo.
A bit out of topic, but one of the greatest basketball player of all time brings out some immensely entertaining post by some of the best poseters in this forum. Hakeem is more than great by that standard.
