At one time they had NVE, Eddie House, Kobe, 4 all stars and they got swept in playoff every year. Kobe was young and you removed Kobe from that squad, they'd make playoff and maybe won a round, but how's that surprising? Shaq's backup is Samaki walker and Kobe's backup is Eddit House, of course Lakers sucked much more without Shaq. Moving forward, in 2001, 02. You remove Kobe, they'd make playoff, and that's about it. The way Shaq healed company injury in company time in 2003. They wouldn't make playoff without Kobe, for sure. Kobe had 30/7/6 and they're No.5 seed.
you forgot phil jackson. and i stated that in my post. phil jackson was the one that brought everything together. if phil jackson never came, i don't know if shaq and kobe would win more than a ring, if that. shaq didn't mature until phil came. and only phil can handle kobe's cockiness **but again, i think your love for kobe is ridiculous if you are going to diss what shaq did with the lakers (including his achievements in the playoffs). just take a step back and try to be more objective
I didn't diss Shaq, but obviously he underachieved for his talent level. To begin with, he's not a hard worker. And he's a chemistry killer. He's had problem with every star in his team and left in ugly way every time. Penny, Jones, Kobe, Wade, Nash. Call Kobe selfish/arrogant all you want but I never heard he had big issues with any other teammates. Contrary to what media trying to portrait when they broke up.
Dude, It is well known Kobe was the biggest jerk in the locker room. He wouldn't even talk to his teammates at practice, nor did he even want to be around therm off the court. It wasn't until after the rape that he started to act normal. Even then he basically ran Shaq off. You do realize Phil Jackson dissed Kobe in his book right?? And Kobe was a big reason Phil retired the first time right???
did you read phil jackson's book? i have to admit kobe did become a better teammate after phil jackson left b/c he was by himself and he learned how hard it is to win by himself. (well if you take out the dissing bynum to the public) kobe's a better teammate now. but he was terrible before. they won b/c phil can manage kobe's cockiness and selfishness with shaq's flambuoyancy.
You used Phil's book as reference? Phil said Kobe's uncoachable in his book, he lied and ate his crow later, he just wanted to use Kobe as the scapegoat for 04 loss. Kobe's a good friend with Fish since rookie years. Shaq was jealous of the spotlight Kobe got. And try to isolate Kobe by saying "this is the whole team here" when Kobe had an injury in 03-04 year. The fact remained Kobe's had problem with Shaq, and Shaq had problem with every star guard. And somehow it's Kobe's problem?
Scapegoat for '04 loss. Lying?, C'mon man.. What are you, on Kobe's payroll or you just have a deep crush?? (Im not talking mancrush either)
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2004/basketball/nba/10/12/jackson/index.html for excerpts phil's problems with kobe extended beyond shaq. obviously kobe had some close teammates. fisher and him came into the L the same year so they had something in common. but that is it. karl malone didn't get along with kobe. and you remember that garbage both went through. and so on. kobe was a terrible teammate until phil jackson came back the 2nd time. THAT IS A FACT. he even alluded it in most of his interviews (saying how he has matured, and learn to be a better leader....) no one is denying shaq is a big baby. he still is. but kobe was just as big of a baby, but more selfish. you remember the 04 finals v. the pistons when he basically went iso and ignored shaq. again, your love for kobe is getting ridiculous here. i'm going to stop responding to you about kobe. first you dissed shaq. now you're saying phil lied and kobe is actually a great coachable player and teammate back then?
All 3 titles of the early 2000s Shaq was the playoff MVP and there never was a major doubt. Even the finals loss vs the Pistons, Shaq destroyed one of the best post defenders of the era, and Kobe struggled vs a lesser one. Shaq was the engine of that team, though I will say if you just plugged in just another all-star swingman instead of Kobe I doubt they win 3 strait, probably just 1 or 2. But you take Shaq out and sub another all star center, and they win zero. But the Lakers eventually concluded they couldn't co-exist and went with the lesser, but much younger, one. Luckily for Kobe, Memphis gave them Gasol, and Bynum turned into a gem, because he needed a major front line presence to get out of the 1st round.
Because the management wouldn't trade Bynum for Kidd, and Bynum couldn't beat Kwame or Mihm for starting role. It's no worse than how Wade was pissed last season, or CP3 was pissed right now. It's not anything personal, he just wanted to win. And they'd still win 2, if not 3 should that trade have gone through. It's not like Bynum really did anything in playoff.
I did. The notion is that the book blames Kobe for everything that went wrong in 2004, but that simply isn't true. He states time and time again that Shaq is just as immature and insecure as Kobe was. It's hard not to see it now that Shaq's game is gone and he still tries to act like he the Diesel. If you're going to crucify Kobe for being a bad teammate (which he was) while using Jackson's book as evidence, then you have to include Shaq as well. Lastly, IMO, Shaq was more important to that team because there was and still is no other player like him in the league. Kobe was a legit superstar, but Shaq was a rarer breed since uberstar big-men are nearly impossible to find.
One more correction: Kobe was Eddie Jones' backup, not the other way around. Eddie Jones started every game he played for the Lakers during Kobe's tenure. Kobe was the overhyped youngster that was voted to start in the all-star game even though he wasn't a starter on his own team.
Like Shaq called out in the media at one point by Wade? And Kobe was talking to a random fan, it's recorded and became a big deal.
So what's the difference between Lebron leaving the Cavs to ceate a power team and Kobe wanting to trade his teammates for a power team? I simply don't get it why its ok for a player to b**** to the gm to create a good team but leaving your team yourself to create a good team is somehow bad and reprehensible. Kobe at the time was so pissed he probably would have left the lakers to go to the spurs if: 1. The spurs had capspace for him 2. Kobe had been a free agent. The irony is Kobe was under contract and therefore shouldn't be b****ing at all, as he's getting paid and under the employ of the Lakers. LBJ on the other hand, was now a free agent and has every legal right to decide where he wants to play. Go figure.
There's a big difference between wanting help and riding coattail. Kobe needed some help, but he didn't want another superstar. And he wouldn't be joining Spurs if he's FA. He should be satisfied being Shaq's sidekick had he had LeQueen mentality. LeBron can choose to join Knicks, Bulls. Both have all star players to help him. And no one would be calling him "riding coattail", he chose the easy way out.
