http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-adande9dec09,0,7948130.column?coll=la-headlines-sports J.A. Adande: At This Point, He's Not an Attractive Teammate This isn't about Karl Malone, who would not be the missing piece that gets the Lakers to the NBA Finals. It's about 2007, and the Lakers' ability to attract a free agent who can vault them back into championship consideration once they get under the salary cap. And so far Kobe Bryant is proving much more adept at sending Hall of Famers away than attracting them to Los Angeles. Malone added his name to the list that includes Shaquille O'Neal and Phil Jackson when he said Bryant's public and private comments angered him to the point that he no longer wants to play for the Lakers if and when he ends his knee-surgery sabbatical. There are other factors at work here, mostly financial. But the common thread is negative public comments about Bryant. In varying order, players seek dollars, stats and favored status. And for the next seven years the bulk of all of those around here will belong to Bryant. The two biggest free-agent names on the horizon for 2007 are Yao Ming and Amare Stoudemire. The way things are going in Phoenix, do you think Stoudemire wants to leave Steve Nash? Playing with a point guard like that is like luxuriating in the palace with the helping hands feeding you grapes and fanning you with palm fronds. If the Rockets keep losing, L.A.'s large Chinese population and Yao's affinity for Coach Rudy Tomjanovich could make the Lakers appealing. But there are growing doubts about whether Yao has the mental or physical makeup to be a franchise player. And if he can't form a winning combination in Houston with Tracy McGrady, the knock-off version of Bryant, would he fare that much better with the real thing? Look around the NBA and you won't find many players who dream of playing alongside Bryant. Oh, they respect his game. Have to. There are mandatory props for anyone who can light you for 40 on one end of the court, lock you down at the other end and dunk on you or anyone else who gets in his way. They just don't like him. How many players around the league did you see piping up in his defense after Bryant was accused of sexual assault? (The charge was dropped this summer before the case went to trial.) Now they see the developing pattern. The coach who got along with everyone from Michael Jordan to Dennis Rodman couldn't break through with Bryant. The center whom they all respect couldn't get along with Bryant. Now Malone, the player who had Bryant's back last season, accused Bryant of stabbing him in his own. "The bottom line is, Kobe doesn't want me to play for him, and it's his team," Malone said Tuesday. Like the other Hall of Famers no longer in Lakerland, Malone doesn't get away cleanly. There's already the wide suspicion that he's using Bryant as an excuse to get out of his earlier Lakers-or-nowhere stance because he'd rather play for a championship contender such as San Antonio. I don't doubt it. But what's wrong with wanting to play for a championship team? Isn't that what this is supposed to be about? You should be in the NBA because you love the game, feel fortunate to be paid to play it, and want to get a championship ring. Malone put winning above money when he took an almost $17-million pay cut to come here. If he goes to the Spurs, he'll put winning above playing time, because there aren't many power forward minutes available in a rotation that already has Tim Duncan, Robert Horry and Malik Rose. The Lakers' reaction to Malone's statements was their first sign in months that they care about championships too, that they aren't all about sound business and satisfying one particular ego. They said that Bryant did not speak for the team. Wednesday, Bryant met with reporters, apologized for offending Malone and said, "I would love to have him here." Tomjanovich added that "the red carpet is out for him if he wants to come back." Give the Lakers credit for recognizing the importance of perception and trying to do something about it. The smarter, more successful organizations understand this is part of the game. So they fly in families for games on Mother's Day. They put PlayStations and fluffy towels in the locker rooms. Or, in the Lakers' case, they pay for players' flights to Colorado for pre-trial hearings. The Lakers have catered to Bryant and now it's time for him to pay them back by catering to others and, for once, putting someone else's ego above his. He might not have needed to do it for a 41-year-old forward with a scar on his knee. But if Bryant does indeed hold the future of this franchise in his hands, it would have been a good place to start.
YEah....keep dreaming LA.....the Rockets WILL NOT continue to be a losing team....you can bank on that. and the ROckets WILL do everything possible to ensure Yao feels the love, financially and otherwise, and wants to stay here....you can also bank on that. get over it LA....Yao doesnt desire the spotlight of LaLa land, he gets all the endorsements he wants now....and having a huge Chinese population does not guarantee you that he comes to you either.... and then you add the actions of Kobaby to all that, and you better go ahead and start wooing Amare...cause you got a much better chance of getting him.
well until TMac wins some championships he's gonna hear that. too bad for LA they wont get Yao but they might get Amare.. Something I noticed about Amare since he got into the league he always seems to be seeking attention. He seemed miffed about Yao being in the All Star game and his endorsement success. Amare has been putting up better numbers so I guess I can understand where its coming from just interesting. I think Amare going to LA (even for less money) to get more endoresements make's sense? He just seems the type. J
It's funny to me that Kobe and the Lakers kicked Shaq out of town because Kobe wanted to do it HIS way and not have to have a sidekick in Shaq. And now they eventually want to add a Yao or Stoudamire as a sidekick? They wouldnt have had to worry about that if they would have kept Shaq in the first place!
Deuce thats different.. Kobe wanted to be the man on that team.. with Shaq he would always be the sidekick. Kind of like Pippen to Jordan. Now that Kobe is the man whoever he brings in would be his sidekick. They already have Odom, Butler and bringing in someone like Amare / Yao would be huge. Amare would be a better fit to their high tempo offense. J
Why do they act as if their "large Chinese population" matters that much to Yao? It's not as if he's going to walk down the streets of LA and hang out with them. After seeing on tv what he went through during the China games I bet he prefers to get away from people all together. Besides, Houston has a huge Chinese population as well. It's another typical article from some uninformed hack.
with the attention the rockets get through out the globe because of a huge international player like Yao makes me only believe that the rockets definitely make some good $$ outta it. imo there is nothing the rockets will hold back when it is time to resign yao. Les will do everything possible to keep Yao a rocket for life.
What the hell is that supposed to mean, man T-Mac is younger and may even be better than Bryant. Once this team starts running on all cylinders T Mac will be close to his 30 per night. He has also shown the ability to be a cluctch player just like Bryant. It is still really early in the season and I figure by the time The All Star Break comes everyteam should be where it should be. Id say were gonne be in the top 6 by the break, and top 4 by the end of the season
No so far away from the fact. I have to say. Before this game, Chinese fans had been talking about the best fit team Yao should go in 2007 in all forums. Lakers ranked No.1 with 45% support. No one will like to be bashed again and again by the tough coach, hostile local reporters and sticky fans. Look the empty seats of Toyota center before game over. Look the quiet audience behind basket when TD FT............. By the way, I am still a rocket fan currently.
and you are under the impression that LA is going to be better????? OMG....that just goes to show you dont know jack if anything, the LA nd NY fans are worse than ours are....bandwagonners galore...VERY hostile media....the only advantage they have is Rudy. let me tell you something... the opions of a bunch fo fans on some internet site doesnt mean JACK when it comes to where players go or if they go.. fact of life, not up for discussion...get over it
in 2007, the lakers are slated to have a payroll of 51 million. thats assuming that they sign no one until then. all they would have to offer would be their MLE.
I'm a Laker fan (well, more of a Jerry West fan who know hates the Lakers because Kobe is the biggest ass this side of Michael Jackson), and I can assure you Yao is not coming to the Lakers. Kobe wants to play an uptempo running game. Yao would not fit into that system. More importantly, Yao will receive more media attention in LA than Kobe even if Kobe average 100 points per game and raped another three girls after the games. You think Kobe can live with that?
Exactly! Just like the Hill Country(HEB) brand soda I just took a swig of, rather than the name brand Coke, Pepsi, DP that I passed up on. Oh well, if we can't have Kobe(the Real thing), I guess we'll just have to settle for TMac.
Not only that, but T-Mac is actually a team player. He has all the same talents of Kobe, but without the crappy attitude. I'd take a guy like that over Kobe any day.
