SI Article: "LeBron's Decision Could Redefine Greatness"

Kobe had one assist and four rebounds to go with his two second half shots in that game. It wasn't just that he wasn't shooting. He wasn't trying to create shots for his teammates either. Not aggressively. He was very passive. He quit.

Lebron goes for 27/19/10 and locks down Paul Pierce and he's called a quitter. Kobe quits and he has people writing articles years after the fact trying to re-write history. It's so true that winning cures all.

 

I don't need to read the a article.

Like I said you can say the formula to the Cavs beating Boston is getting his teammates involved.


The same excuse you're using for Kobe you can say the same damn thing for LeBron.

 

Things that Lebron did that showed he quit in game 5 at home
- Trotted back on defense
- Showed disinterest on offense and just kept passing the ball around on perimeter nonchalantly
- The last one to enter the picture on offense in the halfcourt
- Passes the ball away when a single one on one coverage is present to him
- Wasn't demanding the ball when the Cavs needed him to step it up the most

Things that Kobe did in game 7 that showed he didn't quit
- Attacked the lane (hence the 2 charges he drew)
- Got his fingerprints on the ball and drew the double and triple teams like the article indicated and found the open man who didn't convert (Again he wasn't just halfazzing it out there like Lebron did) Kobe did end up being the only one in game 7 for the Lakers shooting 50% from the field

Those are facts my friend and thats set in stone. You can't twist it.

 

except Lebron didn't get involved or wasn't trying like Kobe did...he was merely ball watching

 

Like I said Kobe set people up but they didnt' convert. He ended up being the only one shooting 50% from the field

Game 6 Lebron played a great game im not denying that but the pivotal game 5 at home he quit. Game 6 in Boston he played well but again when his team needed him he was nowhere to be found. Not to mention the 9 turnovers and careless passing showed how lackadaisical he was.

 

So LeBron had 29 points and 10 assist yet he wasn't trying to get himself or his teammates involved. So how in the world did he end up with those stats then? Did they just magically appear in the box score?


LeBron has 10 assist and yet you say he wasn't trying to get anyone involved.

Kobe has 1 assist and yet all he was trying to do is get people involved.

Really doesn't add up.

 

Also I find it funny that people take up for Kobe by saying "He was looking to get his teammates involved" and the formula to beating a better team is to get your teammates involved.

Well no **** sherlock of course the key to beating a team with more talent is to get help from your teammate. You can get your teammates involved and still take more than 2 shots.

 

Stopped reading because poster clearly is a laker troll who signed here due to the fact that it's a personal goal in his life to defend Kobe Bryant in every LeBron thread on the internet.

First of all, why does everyone forget to mention Lamar Odom? And what cast was Kobe playing before him and Shaq divorced? Kobe basically asked to get rid of Shaq, and he got it.

Second, LeBron has done fantastic with trash in his line-up. At age 23, he went to the NBA finals with Z and Hughes as his 2nd and third best players. He also made the ECF a couple of times. Kobe wasn't even able to get to the 2nd round without Odom, Bynum, and Gasol.

I personally think LeBron at his peak is a number of times better than Kobe Bryant at his due to his overall dominance rather than just scoring, but that's irrelevant. We are discussing career success, and Kobe has more but there's a reason for that: aside from a few years, Kobe has been on a top-3 stacked team in the league every year.

What bothers me is that people are crucifying LeBron for joining a talented team (which still doesn't guarantee success) but saying it's OK for Kobe to insult/destroy his team/organization in public to forcing trades. If LeBron came out and told the world to buy Heat jerseys because he's leaving, he'd be portrayed as one of the worse persons in the world.

Kobe's performance this playoffs isn't even on the level of LeBron James, and he won the finals/finals MVP. Ask yourselves how that is possible. 40% against the Thunder? Gasol with putbacks and game winners and leading the league in offensive rebounds? And then Kobe struggles against the Celtics even moreso than LeBron and still manages to wins the finals MVP.

LeBron's departure was expected. It's just his method of leaving that people complain about, and rightfully so. Other than that, it's simply "hating" to say he's a robin. LeBron will put up 27/8/8 or close to that (probably better) and people will say he didn't do enough to be considered the team's best or that it's Wade's team because they don't want to give him credit. 27/8/8 on 50% will probably be what he averages, and that is arguably better than any season that Kobe's had except maybe his 2006 season.

LeBron is the best player in the league right now and people are just expecting way too much.

 

You might correct and not all that different from the dominant Shaq-Kobe Lakers team. Shaq dominates the flow of the game and for 45 minutes, and by chance if the game is close Kobe can make sure they don't lose it the last 3 minutes. Shaq still rightfully got all league MVPs and playoff MVPs that team got & went down as a top 5 center ever. Kobe is recognized as a great player and vital, but nonetheless 2nd fiddle, on that team--and part of the reason he worked so hard for the last 2 rings.

To be fair Wade was by far the better player in the playoffs, Shaq even admitted he was the #2 guy, and in fact against Dallas, Miami got back into it only when Shaq was out and Zo was in. Wade had the singular best and most dominant playoff run by an NBA championship winning small since Jordan--really none of Kobe or Billips or Pierces performances were comparable.

 

Not the smartest way to run a franchise wouldn't you say? It's on the front office to make the best decisions for the team despite what the players may think. Look at the Lakers when Kobe Bryant was clamoring for them to ship Bynum out for Jason Kidd - they ignored him and let Bynum blossom and signed Fisher instead. That huge frontline and Fisher have played huge parts in their two title runs. It's the responsibility of the front office to make good management decisions for the team, not Lebron.

 

I agree. But if the Lakers did listen to Kobe, Kobe could not complain that the front office didn't do a good job. It's pretty lame to complain about someone giving you what you ask for.

 

Well technically if they listened to Kobe and got Kidd they still could have won a Championship. Bynum was hurt the year they lost to Boston and even when playing he hasn't been anywhere near full strength when they won the title.

Getting Pau Gasol was the big reason Kobe was able to win back to back titles.

 

The majority didn't say he couldn't leave Cavs. He could have joined Bulls or Knicks to play with another all star. That's how Jordan and Kobe got it done.

But Wade is a top 3 player, an alpha dog and FMVP. Bosh is an all star. And both of them are still in their prime. Even if LeBron won it all, got a Final MVP, how did he prove he's the best player in the league? Hell, Paul Pierce did that with 2 aging stars, didn't mean he's the best player.

 

Nobody said LeBron quit in game 6, but he did in game 5. Why not show his stats in game 5? I don't get if you are truly ignorant, or pretending?

 

He got 23 in first half and they were behind 15 points. They only lost by 30 anyway.

 

I am not saying Kobe didn't quit. He quit after they got blown out in second half, in a hostile environment that they had no chance however he tried. That's like how TMac quit in 05 game 7 against Mavs.

Kobe had 15 points came back in 4th quarter against Blazers in 00 game 7 and if they had a chance, he'd try.

LeBron quit the game from the beginning at home. I wouldn't say that's the same.

 

You add Bosh to that equation, they'd improve from 47 to 55 easily. Yes, that's an easy path.

 

Lebron is a perennial mvp, but while he's more like the 07/8 Patriots, Kobe is the Giants.

Consistently as good over a whole year? nope, not even really close., better when it matters? certainly seems that way.

 

Better when it matters? How great was he during the Celtics series? Listen, the Suns and Jazz aren't really known for defensive prowess, especially the Suns. Can you imagine LeBron in a series against that team? Where was Kobe "being better when it matters" against the Thunder and Celtics? That stacked Lakers team came to the rescue. Artest/Odom/Bynum aren't nobodies. People tend to only mention Gasol.

If Gasol > Bosh, what does does the trio of Artest/Bynum/Odom = to Wade? Until the Heat sign some valuable bodies to that roster, the Lakers are still the most stacked team and not dependent on a trio.

If LeBron shot that 40% against the Thunder, the Cavs would have been eliminated and LeBron would have been destroyed by the media. Laker bandwagoners would have a field day. But, no, Artest played Durant well and Gasol is still in his prime with his offensive rebounding/put-backs.

LeBron took an "easier" way to the championship, but it was the right decision to make. Perhaps he should have picked a different team in a different manner, but that's all that you can hold against him. Nothing else.
Maybe he also shouldn't have "quit" on game 5, but honestly, I don't blame him. His "co-workers" were not exactly making his job easy for him. I'd grow tire, too.

The bottom line is that LeBron needs help and he deserves it. Despite him quitting in game 5, he played the Celtics (overall) better than Kobe and lost the series. That's probably a sign to move on. Anti-LeBrons and pro-Kobe's would love for him to stay with CLE (once again, putting up 30/8/8-ish on 50% FG) and lose while Kobe plays at a lesser level but still manages to win championships.

 

That's the guy I was responding to, and he most definitely did say that Lebron quit in game 6 (that's the "did it again in Boston" part).

I don't get if you are just posting in all these Kobe threads to be annoying or if you really think some day he'll show up at your door and say "goodbug, I love you. Thanks for standing up for me on the internet."