I agree... Kobe looks like he's starting to get the team concept, but he needs to sit out and heal that knee, say the Rox/Fakers matchup...
I think sportsreporters exacerbate the situation. EPSN and friends do it because it means more money for them if they can create hype/a story. Kobe milks the press by acting like he does. They need stop the comparison. How great was Jordan? He was known by all in the NBA. He was known by all in other Sports. He was known by all beyond sports. Even you grandmother's knitting circle knew the name "Michael Jordan."
Greatest/most known sports figures that exceeded their sport... 1) Babe Ruth 2) Muhammad Ali 3) Michael Jordan Order my be up for debate...not like it matters.
When Francis limps he really limp and he doesn't make a big deal out of it. Man I used to like Kobe too but man after that game what a faker he was.
How can you say someone is faking an injury when you're not him? Have you guys even played basketball, or any kind of sports before? I've played basketball for years... since I was in jr. high... and I've fought through numerous ankle injuries. When you play with an injury, you find a way to not worry about it when you have to. Vince Carter is playing with chronic knee problems... but yet, he had some spectacular dunks in the All-Star game. He must be faking too... I'm not a big fan of Kobe, but I do hate it when people put him down for something that's not his fault. It's the media that compares him to Jordan... it's the media that says he's the next Jordan... it's the media the overhypes his injuries and his feats... btw. what's so wrong about trying to mimic a guy everyone worships as a basketball god?
It's not the media overhyping his injury. It's himself. He was saying on TV (I saw it with my own eyes) that "the knee was KILLING me... blah.. blah.. blah... ". He also said "I didn't have sufficient sleep before the game... staying up ALL night"..... that's what I called faking..... Vince Carter never said anything close to that.... usually people say "my knee bothers me a bit, but i can still play...." Charles Barkley once said "if you can play, you are not injured".
I guess you are saying we can't say any thing about any NBA players then.... why do we still have this disussion board then??
I have been injured before as well. When you get injured, i guess you either don't play or play less minutes, scores less points, definitely don't dunk much, especially against big guys..... but look at Kobe.... none of these were true
I was going to hate Kobe too, until I decided not to be a victim of reverse phsycology as the media constantly tried to jam Kobe down people's throat. See the truth, instead of respond to the media.
Kobe wants to be known as being "great" for the sake of being great. Bird, Magic, Jordan wanted to just play the game the way the game was supposed to be played...the rest (accolades) would take care of itself. The later three always acted like themselves. Never contrived.
i think Kobe is trying to act like michael jordan right now..so later on when he's 28 yr old..as to some of you say "his prime time" people gonna say he's "better" than michael jordan...i do not like the way he act on the court ...and he's an example of why guards don't pass..cuz people ONLY talk about how much points you score...but fail to look at other things..kobe only average 3 assist per game a 4 rebounds and jack up 40 attempts PER GAME.....nobody is talking about that..so yall shouldn't hate and talk about Stevie doesn't pass the ball much..he can't help it..POEPLE will ONLY and ONLY look at how much you score...
do you HONESTLY belive he got food poisoning last year in the playoffs? do you seriously think that, when jordan had the flu in the playoffs and kobe emulates him in whatever he does? thats bs. kobe DOES fake his injuries. i noticed he wasnt limping much on the offensive end tuesday. but as soon as he knew the cameras were on him because he made a shot, he puts on this grimace like 'oww, im so hurt, but im a hero like mike so ill play through it'. hes a good player, but some people need to open their eyes.
yeah i'm pretty sure this recent 8 game streak of 40 pt games is really hurting his legacy. and i really don't think the few people who watched the game and thought he was faking it are going to affect his overall legacy. and what is this no food poisoning thing. did ANYONE deny that at the time or claim he may have been faking. i'm thinking at least someone would've mentioned it back then if he was faking it. and aaaccchhhooo, are you saying he's avg 3 ast and 4 rebounds or just for this stretch. i don't know about this stretch but i think he's around 7 and 7 in each category on the season, and is the only person to do it in the nba. and what's wrong with wanting to be great for greatness's sake. he strives to be the best, plain and simple. he works like hell in the offseason, is determined to be the best ever, and has almost no flaw in his game. mid range game is excellent, starting to hit 3's more, drives as well as anyone, D's up well, rebounds well, gets assists, is very clutch, and is a singular talent when it comes to the one on however many break. one on one breaks are no thing, one on two he almost never fails, and even one on 3's he can beat them. i don't know how he's so good, but i haven't seen anyone that compares in the nba in this respect. especially when he spins in front of the body of a defender and then hits a little 5 foot floater, you can't stop it. man i'm starting to sound like kidrock8 with this kobe praising.
"Ugly character?" Kobe brings it upon himself. And ESPN helps. Most people can smell a "fraud" or "fake" a mile away. Face it. It does not matter how many points Kobe scores (remember English), no matter how many spectacular dunks he gets (remember Wilkins), he will never, never be as good as Jordan. Yes, even if he gets 7 rings. It wasn't what Jordan did (win 6 rings, MVP, Olympian, Defense, etc...), it's HOW he did it. He made the impossible, possible. He was a freak of nature. He was meant to play basketball. And he was better at his sport than anyone in the history of American sports that anyone else. That's why he's in the company of Ali and Ruth. So, when Kobe starts limping around knowing that EPSN and Sports Illustrated writers will take it and run, he reeks of "fraud." And when these media conglomerates like ESPN and FOX start to claim that Kobe is "better" than Jordan (for their own selfish reasons $$$), it insults the discriminating sports fans . Remember, "almost as good," is not the same (people have short memories; "What have you done for me lately?"). P.S. The same thing that pisses me off about Kobe's game is the same things that make me mad about Francis's game. That's why I like Garnett, Duncan and Yao's game so much. They are a pleasure to watch, and make the game seem easy. Watching Kobe and Francis make the game seem hard, awkward, and a struggle. Like dragging your fingernails across a chalkboard.
^Duncan's game more fun to watch than Franchise' or Kobe's? you gotta be over 40. j/k man. To each, their own.
