[ClutchFans] As Howard sacrifices minutes for wins, Bryant cripples Lakers’ future

LOL
I never said that

 

It's not a defense, it's what guides free markets. It's worked for Kobe, DHO and anyone good at their profession.

 

http://www.latimes.com/sports/lakersnow/la-sp-ln-kobe-extension-impact-current-roster-20131125,0,7979062.story?page=2#axzz2lrUilIsp


Pretty good article describing how bad their future is really looking...

 

I dont get this whole loyality part that the Lakers need to show because Kobe has made the franchise so much more money

I mean i step back and look at it this way - the lakers have been far more loyal to kobe than he has been to them.

- they traded away one of the better centers in the league at the time (vlade) to draft him -- this was even before they had signed Shaq - this was a pretty big risk on their part. And again Kobe being Kobe basically threatened any other team that he would not report to them if it wasn't the Lakers. Kobe and his agent knew the value of the Lakers -- you become a good player on the lakers, you will look like a star -- you become a star on the lakers - you're a legend. (see guys like farmar, ariza, clark, fisher etc. who all got large deals for leaving the lakers and then "not playing as well elsewhere") As much money Kobe has made the Lakers ---- the Lakers have much just as much for Kobe in terms of endorsements and visibility as a player on a global level. There is no way Kobe's brand would be as popular as it is now if he wasn't a Laker - even if he was the caliber of player.

-They stuck by kobe throughout the colorado ordeal - sending private jets for him to get to court proceedings and back and letting miss practices, shootarounds and making sure he got to the court on time. They as a franchise stood by him when most others would have stayed out of it or looked to trade him because it would have damaged their franchise's name. No other franchise in the NBA, save the celtics possibly, would have more to lose in their franchise's name than the Lakers.

-Regardless of what the actual true story was they stuck with Kobe over Shaq - I dont believe Kobe is 100% to blame for that situation - but he is certainly one of the driving factors if not the biggest factor in the departure of one of the most dominant players of our generation leaving the team - the guy who won 3 of the last 5 finals MVP awards (at the time). Shaq was the man who was primarily responsible for those championships - of course he couldn't do it without Kobe -- but the Lakers would be no where near the finals if it wasnt for Shaq - he was the one who made all the players around the Lakers better.

-At this time Kobe nearly signed a deal with the Clippers - he was threatening to leave the franchise after all they had stuck with him through the previous crazy season (colorado, shooting lakers out of the finals), -- he had a deal struck and gave sterling his word (my company sponsors the clippers we had some private q&a with sterling and some clippers brass as a perk and this was said to us in one of the sessions) -- he was really going to leave the lakers if he didnt get his way (meaning - get rid of shaq) -- it shouldn't be mere coincidence that kobe re-upped the day after shaq was traded.

--the lakers tried to field a competitive team around kobe but were not able to - even though they had a fairly talented squad but even after a losing season kobe was publicly making comments about the franchise. publicly telling people that the lakers should trade bynum's ass for kidd and so forth. I cant think of another franchise player openly telling reporters that a particular player should be shipped out - even the most hot headed of players keep that in house. kobe just threw mitch well under the bus there as well as the buss family since it was their decision to draft bynum.

-he wanted "his" coach back in phil jackson and got multiple coaches removed (side note - i always found it funny that the media and lakers fan blasted Howard saying he wanted Phil and wouldnt play for Brown, D'antoni when Kobe did the exact same thing himself) -- to me this is minor since Jackson is a HOF coach, but Kobe wasnt even willing to work so much with the other coaches

-lakers make a deal for the best center in the league but he doesnt embrace him and alienates him. constantly takes jabs at the player throughout the season and rather than helping his team try to re-sign the guy which would increase his and the Lakers chances of winning a championship again in the near future -- pushes him further away and in a way insults him (i'll teach you how to win) in the meetings.

-always claimed to want to win first and foremost - accepts a deal right away fully knowing that it would not help the team win anything in what probably will be his final years in the league. other greats in the past and present took less to remain competitive or were willing to take a lessor role in the team so that the younger star can lead (kareem-magic, robinson-duncan, duncan-parker, shaq-wade etc)


to me the lakers have been far more loyal to kobe than kobe has been to them -- if anything kobe has shown to be a selfish player -- and you know there is nothing wrong in that AT ALL -- my only problem has been that somehow this guy is immune to being called that by the media.

 

Good one. That is the way I felt about him all along. Talented as a player but scumbag as human being. I could never root for him. I rather support a bench player that play his heart out but never win a championship.

Basketball is a game after all. It's entertainment.

 

Who exactly in your top 5 would you put over Kobe last year?

 

I wonder what magics positive analysis of this situation will be.

 

I'm sure Kobe makes tonnes more through endorsements and other business deals.

This is all about his ego and need to have the status as "Highest paid player," even if it comes at the great expense of his team's championship hopes.

He probably can't take it that nobody really considers himself even the best player at his position anymore, let alone the best player in the league.

He's also basically calling the likes of LeBron and Duncan suckers for making financial sacrifices for the team.

 

Love love love this article.

So true, and right to the heart of the matter.

Nice job Clutch !

DD

 

I wonder. If Howard is willing to do this throughout the season, would Asik be satisfied enough to stay on?

 

Kobe has helped bring the city multiple rings and parades, which is all you can ask for.

I remember Kupchak saying during the Mike Brown signing the Lakers only have a 2 year window to win a title. That window is now closed so I really think he's targeting FA 2016.

 

You could say the same thing about Howard taking $22,000,000 vs Lebron taking $16,000,000 with the heat in his PRIME.

We are going to be dealing with the same situation pretty soon here, I don't agree with what Kobe did but at the end if the day

Guy with 5 rings taking max > guy with 0 rings taking max

 

yes kobe helped bring them - but so has Gasol, fisher, horry, etc.. but they do not get the same sort of (esp Gasol) treatment from the team.

I mean of course Kobe has meant more to the franchise than all those guys - but my point was that I believe the Lakers have more than repaid that back to Kobe and then some even before this extension - than he has to the franchise.

the fact that Kobe knowing that signing such an extension would weaken his chances to win another ring and the lakers chances of winnnig - kind of goes against his entire created image of being the ultimate competitor and his "will to win"

 

Looks like Asik can learn something from Howard. I always thought Kobe was a "me first" guy with huge talent but a bad teammate and bad leader. The Lakers are better off without Kobe and starting all over again. On the other hand, the Rockets are way better off with Howard than without. I just feel like he needs to find a good groove with the team.

 

Lebron was eligible to receive a maximum of just over $16M first year salary when he signed in Miami. To allow them to be able to fit all three free agents under the cap he ended up accepting $14.5M for a first year salary.

I'd guess that if the difference in us signing a third max player or not was Howard giving up less than $2M in his starting salary then we'd have a 3rd max player right now.

Of course there is that additional $30M in guaranteed money that Howard left on the table when he chose to sign with Houston. What does that say about his commitment to winning and the Rockets?

 

You lied when you said you are an economist. You have nothing to say about economics. "The invisible hand" doesn't "guide" free markets, because, as I'll say for the third time, the hand has no mind. What was "the hand" thinking when it made Britney Spears wealthy? Say something in defense of your profession. You think the invisible hand works for nurses, teachers, policemen? "The hand" deems Carrot Top more valuable than a fireman, Khloe Kardashian more valuable than a civil engineer, an air traffic controller, an economist? Explain the wisdom of the hand.

 

24 million for Kobe....

Oh my gah. Nail in the coffin for the Lakers.

 

Howard making a ridiculous amount of money per minute this season.

 

Legend:
a nonhistorical or unverifiable story handed down by tradition from earlier times and popularly accepted as historical.

Sorry, couldn't resist that. Not a fan of the term. You are actually right that Kobe deserves every penny the Lakers give him. Why? because they are willing to give it to him. They know what they think he is worth now and what he has been worth to them in the past. Doesn't mean anyone has to agree with it. I don't agree with it. It is what it is though. Besides, if he simply took the first offer then how is it him being selfish? I'd love to believe that Kobe hamstrung his own team but I can't put this on him.