http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/1...lakers-rajon-rondo-boston-celtics-simply-that This is basically an ESPN non-news story that they're treating like news anyway. In case you don't care about crappy non-stories and haven't heard, Rondo and Kobe had breakfast together yesterday (Thursday) and someone decided to report it. The "story" is that Kobe promises he wasn't trying to recruit Rondo to the Lakers. I don't care if Kobe did or didn't try to recruit Rondo to the Lakers - they would be equally irrelevant. But then I started thinking about it. I think it's more likely Kobe's going to take his talents to Manhattan anyway. So what if what he was really doing was pulling a Bosh/Wade/Lebron thing and talking about meeting Melo/Phil in New York? That actually sounds plausible to me. I could even see Kobe taking a huge paycut (especially after this huge payout he's getting now) for the chance to play with a relevant team again before he retires. Anyway, speculation on speculation, but it's kind of fun to think about.
The assumption is Kobe actually cares about winning again. He's got the rings. He's ahead of Jordan on the scoring list. He's old. I think at this point he's perfectly content to ride out another couple of seasons on a very bad team making a ridiculous amount of money.
They were overheard arguing about which one of them was the least likeable teammate in sports history. Frowns the entire time. Kobe sent back the quiche twice.
NY is a relevant market but not a relevant team. I was watching Knicks/Cavs on TNT overtime last night, and it was funny to see the majority of people from other states voted they were more interested in the knicks, but NY voted they are more interested in the Cavs.
Breakfast at the Paramount was a wicked good call by Rondo. I find myself daydreaming about their caramel banana french toast once a week. http://www.paramountboston.com/southboston/menu
I'd have to disagree. I despise Kobe. I think he is a pompous A-hole. I don't like MJ much either. I respect their games of course, but their attitude and arrogance disturbs me. That being said, I sincerely believe Kobe wants to win. The LA contract was deserved IMO. Despite all the drama, Kobe has carried LA most years and financially has certainly been a godsend to the Buss family. The money wasn't for the future, it was for the past. Now Kobe isn't going to play for pennies, but I can see him taking a pretty significant paycut, relative to what he usually enjoys, to play for a relevant team. I don't see him going anywhere in the West. I think NY is actually a great place for him to go to finish out his career. I also think NY would LOVE this, even if Kobe was 44. Can you imagine the jersey sales? Any owner would take him in a heartbeat, IMO. Howwwever, I hope he retires. I HATE watching the stars of my childhood and adolescence stick around as a complete shell of themselves.
Man, you think he doesn't? I mean, Kobe is a grade "A" douche, but I don't think you can just turn that particular gene off. I really think he's a fatally flawed individual that way. Jordan is/was the same way. I mean, Pat Beverley is the same way. Some guys are just wired differently.
I think you sorely underestimate the importance of Kobe having full control of the team. He is LA. If he switches jerseys to chase a ring, he's become the Karl Malone / Gary Payton glory-hounders that ultimately led to a loss to the Pistons. Of course Kobe wants to win, but basketball games aren't the only thing he wants to win. He wants to be better than everyone else. If he can still score 25 a game at his age and his team loses 55 games, I don't think he it bothers him as much as it used to. You can tell he's satisfied that at least he's proved he could come back and still be somewhat effective. Kobe could have easily demanded a trade after the Detroit botching and the subsequent jettisoning of Shaq, when he was left with Chris Mihms and Smush Parkers. The team stunk but he cemented himself as a great with the 81 point outburst and the consecutive 40 point outings. He stuck to his guns then and eventually Santa delivered him a Pau Gasol and an Andrew Bynum and he was back on top again. He's got the rings, he's got the resume. I just don't see him accepting a lesser role on a better team to chase another ring. I really don't. He'll campaign for guys to come join him, but I can't see him leaving.
Except for the fact that Rondo dominates the ball. Kobe prefers to dominate the ball as well. There is only one ball, so which ball dominator is going to get to do their preferred style of play? If it's Kobe, then Rondo is possibly the worst team mate Kobe could have, since he can't hit open shots, is shooting 30% from the free throw line this year, and doesn't offer much of anything on the offensive side if you aren't using him as your primary shot creator. That's completely ignoring Rondo's reputation for being just as much of an A Hole as Kobe to his team mates.
Kobe desperately wants to win but he will not switch teams to do so. His ego is so massive that he truly believes he can lead a team to a championship at this stage of his career if he just had a couple decent players around him.
I definitely think Kobe wants to win, but he also wants to be the one primarily responsible for that winning. I don't think he is willing to be the supporting star for some other player. I think he would rather be in his current situation putting up lots of points as the "franchise player" for the Lakers, than being a sixth man off the bench and winning some where else for a real contender.
Yeah I can definitely see that. I guess in my mind the version I imagined is the he would see this as an opportunity to reunite with Phil, and that he WOULD be (in his mind) the best player on that Knicks team, with Melo as his Batman and Rondo running the point. I could see him and Rondo as kind of kindred spirits, and Melo as more of a necessary evil.
Kobe absolutely deserves every penny of his contract. Lakers are a mess and they're still at 99% capacity attendance for the season so far.