As I watched the game last night. I was amazed at the effort Shane Battier gave in trying to contain Kobe Bryant. Battier was burned over and over, but he at the very least kept up with Bryant enough to challenge most of his shots with a hand in his face. I thought that Battier gave the best single coverage on Bryant that anyone could have given him. The part that disturbs me most was all that nonsensical trash talking, the point-less chants of, "You can't stop me!" , other antics by Bryant throughout the game. DUHHHHH, as if we did not know already that Shane Battier or for that matter anybody on the planet Earth at the present time couldn't stop you! Yeah Kobe, we know that nobody can't stop you. Yeah, what do you expect Kobe when God has blessed you with phenomenal athletic ability. Were you MIA when God was passing out humility. Where is your professionalism? I don't recall Shane Battier ever implying that he could stop you, nor do his actions on the court suggest it either. I can remember Battier reiterating in several interviews that all you can do is make him work for his shots, but you can't stop him. Kudos to you Shane Battier, you did make him work, he just hit incredible shots! That disgusting display by Kobe last night caused me to wonder how I could equivalently display the same awful attitude Kobe demonstrated. I will be the first to tell you that I don't have even a fraction of the skills or athleticism that Kobe has been gifted with. However, I do have a five-year-old son that loves to play me in basketball from time to time. As I contemplate this thing, I can't fathom the idea of me taking my son to the playground and engaging him in a game of one on one, playing my hardest and taunting him. Could I even show pride and receive gratification that I just destroyed my son who knew just as well as I knew that I was the superior player. Yes Kobe, you destroyed Battier last night. Are you surprised that he can't stop you? Is the basketball world surprised? Who were you proving it to last night? Nobody incited you last night. I thought the Rockets went about their business professionally by playing hard until they were sent over the edge by the provocations of the Lakers. And even after that, the Rockets handled themselves pretty good. I respect your basketball abilities Kobe, but will forever root against you. You are a disgrace to basketball, sports and humanity. GO ROCKETS!!!!
Yeah, the Laker especially Kobe are a bunch of classless guys on the court, and the Rockets are all about class, which makes me proud to be a Rockets fan.
don't get angry over this, i know its hard to watch shane get taunted like that but karma is a b!tch and one cockiness would be his own downfall
Great post. This was the same thing I was thinking all last night. It's why I hate Kobe, but have respect for Lebron. Talking a little trash is one thing, but to try and humiliate a guy is uncalled for. He should have has a tech called on him for that and the elbow.
Battier addressed it best, "I don't have time for semantics at this point in my life" Battier said... in other words I am a grown man and don't see the need to flex my junk after every positive action.
AMEN I mean was all that taunting really neccessary? It's not like Battier called himself the "Kobe stopper" like Ruben Patterson did.. I think Kobe just cares too much about what the media says. They say Battier is one of the better defenders on Kobe, so he tries to demean him on the court in response to that The good thing is I know Battier (and Artest) will still be up for the challenge.
Rockets classy style > Lakers tough guy wanna be. That is the reason Kobe will never win another Championship and it all pays out in the end with his behavior on the court. Lebron MVP > Kobe. I respect Lebron more than Kobe.
Battier is always the better man when it comes to Kobe. Bar none. Kobe has always been the trashiest talker and whiner in the league. Way to be a role model Kobe.
I think Kobe looks like a complete dumb*** talking trash at someone who doesn't give a flying crap he is doing it and ignoring him in the process. I can't wait for game 7 when Kobe goes up for the game winning shot only to be blocked by Shane who then proceeds to yell at him, "He p***y, I stopped you!" Thus, sending the Rockets to the West Finals.
Trash talking is part of the game, and Battier a smart enough guy to not let it get to him. The trash talk by Kobe doesn't bother me at all, but throwing elbows is a different story.
It's just the mental game. He is trying to get in Battier's head like he did Artest. All the great players are trash talkers.
As much as I hated the trash talking to a guy with class like Shane, I believe Kobe does feel the pressure by Shane. If he could easily shut Battier out, he wouldn't even waste his breathe. Since Shane does affect some of his shots, you have to play the mind game too. Rockets won the physical game, and they could've stole Game 2. But the Lakers took over with the mental games.. if only Ron Artest didn't go back to Kobe, the end result would have probably been different. Artest played an amazing game.
I think you need to get that trash talkng in with your son now. Slam he against the garage, bust his tricycle up after a win. It will give him fortitude and he will be better and on if you don't now remember in about 10 more years he is going to whoop your ass and be waving that finger at you. "Yeah Pops Whose Your Daddy Now b****!"
agree i mean he wouldnt have started that unless he knows that Shane actually can contain him, like in game one, so all he did was trying to fire up his teammates, which in our eyes is somewhat disgusting. the thing i want to point out is how sasha vujacic and luke walton trying to be tough and trying to stand nose to nose with the rockets, those two are two useless players who cannot survive the NBA without the Lakers, trust me, if those two were traded to any other team, they will get their asses cut immediately when luke walton said something to scola, you knew he must've said something bad, cuz scola would never try to talk back to nobody, so yea, that's all.
Proverbs 16:18 (The Message) 18 First pride, then the crash— the bigger the ego, the harder the fall.
