Because I'm not the one that called the four quarter of game 7 the most biased officiating since the LA-SAC game in 2002. Learn to read, Kobe lover.
Isn't that what Lebron did already? Isn't that why he signed the shorter than max contract extension last time he was a free agent?
Everyone else had a bad shooting night too. They survived Kobe's because the other team scored 79 points. You can survive a lot when your opponent is scoring below 80 points.
The other team's bad shooting night had a lot to do with the interior defense of the Lakers bigs. They also survived Kobe's poor shooting because of their dominance on the boards (something Kobe did contribute to).
Bryant had a chance to leave LA as a free agent once Shaq had already left, but he didn't. There's really no way to know if he really wanted to be traded or if he was just trying to force managment to make a move. Besides that, James didn't just "join a better team". That's a severe understatement. Joined an all-star team is more accurate.
An all-star team that only had three other players under contract. There was no telling at the time how the rest of the roster would shape out.
Kobe wanted to be traded. The Lakers nixed a couple of packages because they felt they wern't getting value. But there is no doubt that Kobe was looking to get moved.
Kobe definitely wanted to be traded. One team he was willing to go to was Chicago, but he refused to go if they included Deng in the trade for him. LA wouldn't make the trade without Deng included.
Wait - you're saying that with only LBJ, Wade, and Bosh, we don't know that they would be immediate favorites for the title? Please let me know so I know whether or not to ignore your posts from now on.
Of course this is all rumor. Even if it's not, it doesn't really help the case of this being anything at all like what LBJ did, b/c Bryant was willing to go to a team where the best player was Luol Deng.
There was a lot of talk initially about whether or not Miami would be able to compete for a title right away because no one knew what quality of role players they would have. They would have been a contender still, but not necessarily favorites. I still don't think they're the favorites. In my book, the defending champ is the favorite until someone knocks them out. If that sounds so stupid that you want to ignore my posts from now on, feel free.
Yes, LeBron's supporting cast is better. But my point is both players wanted to put themselves in better situations, and they did. Kobe criticizing him for doing it is hypocritical. Remember he was originally drafted by Charlotte and didn't want to sign there! If LeBron would have stayed in Cleveland, people would have praised him for being honorable. But at the end of his career, thosee same people would say Kobe was "better" because he got more rings.
It's not about royalty, Kobe will never join a team with an established alpha dog. Let alone a Wade/Bosh combo. LeBron wouldn't be criticized for taking the easy way out had he joined Bulls, but Heat are totally different.
as long as he plays like the best player in the league, who the hell cares. wade in his best statistical season couldn't even beat lebron's 2nd best statistical season (lebron's best statistical season was last year). so this argument is repetitive. unless wade suddenly supplants him as the better player, it's a different story. the season is only a few months away. we will all witness the result. oh yea, the alpha-dog role. we will also see who's the leader on that team vocally on and off the court. we all know on that USA basketball team it was lebron AND kobe, not wade (and wade won a championship already right?)
On that USA team it's all Kobe. LeBron didn't even get 1/10 of attention Kobe received in China. LeBron, Wade etc. learned a lot from Kobe on work ethic, defense by watching him closely. And no matter how you want to paint him as the best player, he's not. Kobe's the one. And LeBron's not better than Wade. 44% of ESPN columnists voted Wade to be the man on the team, LeBron, only 12%. You are entitled to your opinion but you are only the LeBron homer. Well, we all learned how TMac turned out to be.
