Believe me Kobe has had his moments. In regards to comment #1, take a look back at the 2008 Finals against Boston, or heck even against the Suns a few years back. As for Lebron, I didn't mind him leaving for Miami, because you can't blame the guy wanting to win. But it is how he chose to leave Cleveland by going on national t.v. At the end of the day, the league has gotten to a place where players have more power than the GMs. It started with Kobe crying about leaving L.A. to now Lebron having an hour long special about his "decision." Unfortunately, the league is filled with whining superstars thirsting for attention. This is why I have that much more admiration for players like Durant and Yao.
Thing was Shaq was slowly on the decline...the Lakers were losing game because of Shaq's inability to come thru in 2 minutes, hit shots, hit free throws, defend the pick and roll or rebound adequately...Shaq was coming in overweight and with toe/foot problems out of shapes...one by one the problems snowballed and their chemistry eventually fell apart. But tell me this though when was the last time any sidekick or no.2 player of a 'chip team posted dominant numbers like Kobe did for that 3 peat team?
stop lying. LA had been irrelevant, the 7 years immiedately after Magic Johnson's retirement, at the time, the Ewing-led NYK were perennial contenders, and the BIGGEST market. Kobe would have been a great fit for contenders like the NYK or Rox or Blazers or Spurs---not the pedestrian Lakers Jerry West engineered the trade because he though that highly of Kobe. as far as the reported ploys by Kobe pulled on Calipari, Kobe did it under instruction from Jerry West, who out-smarted other GMs to ge his man this wasn't the first time. 7 years earlier, Jerry West had out-smarted other GMs to get Divac. the night before the draft, Jerry West's people took Divac clubbing all night. Divac reported to the draft room without any sleep and unshaven. Jerry West had his people sent cartons of cigarette to Divac when he was waiting in the green room. The picture of a raggedly-dressed unshaven Divac chain-smoking scared-off many GMs, and West was able to get Divac in the first round.
I doubt you were even alive or old enoughthen to see what was going on. Nobody thought West was crazy because the talk at that time was Shaq was a free agent and was ready to get out of Orlando for LA to be a "celebrity" ball player. The whole setup was in place. If you were alive at that time or old enough to know what was going on, you would know that.
The second best player on that team was MO WILLIAMS. If you don't give a player like Lebron better teammates in 7 years, he was NEVER going to get them. End of story. Jordan had Pippen. Hakeem had Clyde. Robinson had Duncan. Shaq had Kobe. Duncan had Parker. Who knows what happened with the Pistons. And then Kobe had Gasol. MO.WILLIAMS.
when are you gonna stop lying. your convenient lie is that Kobe manipulated the process to go to Championship caliber teams in BIG MARKETs. you give Kobe, a 17 year old high schooler, way too much credit for having such power; Kobe was not even highly regarded---not a lottery pick your claim contradicts reality. At the time, LA was far from being a relevant contender, had not been relevant in 7 years. NYK was a perrenial contender, and in the BIGGEST MARKET. 76ers were also contenders, and Kobe's favorite team. if Kobe, a 17 year-old high school, had as much power as your convenient lie suggest, he would have picked tcontenders like the 76ers or the NYK---not the pedestrian Lakers. stop lying
Kobe's agent said their was no way he was playing for the hornets as a 17 year old high school kid who haden't done jack, and that is a fact.
at the instruction of Jerry West, who orchestrated the whole process for Kobe. Jerry West, who thought that highly of Kobe, traded away a starting C for this unproven 17 yr high schooler. Many, inluded most sports writers and sports talk show host in LA, questioned West's sanity for making that trade. Jerry West was the mastermind, who was smart and bold enough to manipulate the process, to the max. this only proves how much smarter (than the rest of the NBA GMs) Jerry West was. team Kobe was just following Jerry West instruction
when have the lakers ever been pedestrian? the franchise wins rings, thats what they do. do you think kobe was that ignorant to think im going to this bum franchise who just got the biggest free agent in the past 10 years on thier team and well bring this franchise out of the ruins they have been in. no he knew the lakers were by far and away along with celtics the most hi-storied franchises in the nba. they had shaq for a few seasons and won 61 games the season before they got kobe. people have already reported the article showing that kobe wouldnt work out for certain teams and would force a trade if they drafted him or not even show up to the team and go to europe. stop being blinded by kobes nutts.
if the bulls didnt get jordan help, and there was no pippen,grant,mchale,parish,worthy,kareem or scott, in today's nba whos to say magic would recruit jordan and bird... if we landed james and bosh,we wouldnt be harping on james..
the Lakers missed the playoff 5 times. and after the Magic Johnson retirement to the arrival of Kobe/Shaq in 1997, the Lakers were pedestrian. stop lying. Kobe and Shaq joined the Lakers in the 1997/1998 season. chronologically speaking, Lakers traded away Divac for Kobe before the team signed Shaq as a FA. that is absolutely true; team Kobe did so at the instruction of Jerry West
ok i misread that, anyways they were still the lakers, who had huge cap space and were already rumored to be shaqs preference, everyone knew he was leaving the magic. its not like kobe was joining them team with the first pick in a city that had never won anything. they missed the playoffs 5 seasons and fans in la are going crazy, you miss them in cleaveland 5 years and the fans are looking forward to improving the team and getting a decent draft pick.
good to see that u admit u were wrong. back-pedaling at its best. how did it get from "Kobe selecting a championship team roster" to this you still don't get it it is more Jerry West out-smarted every other GM to get Kobe, not the other way around thererin lies the difference between contenders and wannables
Its really obvious that you are a youngster and you are coming to conclusions off of what you read on the internet and not knowing what was happening at the time. There was no "masterminding" . There is no "masterminding" when a player has his mind set to go to a certain team no matter what. West just happened to be the GM at the time Kobe chose LA not the other way around Kobe and his agent said LA was number one from day one. Please, you really need to get back to playing video games.
don't impose your ignorance. ROFLMAO damn, ur ill-informed. If Kobe had the power, he would have pick his hometown team, the 76ers, a contender at the time
LOL-The Sixers were not a "contender at the time". What are you a moron?? Its the same year AI was drafted no 1. because the Sixers were the worst in the league! As I thought - youre just a child, go drink your milk
