When did he do that? And either way, who the hell cares? Once again, the original point stands: If Kobe is that upset about it, he can prove his point by playing good basketball and carrying his team to victory. That alone would say all it needs to say. The sh**-talking adds nothing to his point. Without it, he'd get respect both for his game and for his calm and collected demeanor, and maybe more parents like the OP would want to buy Kobe jerseys for their 5-year-old kids.
Artest is a hydrogen bomb, but he doesn't act like an ass on the court, unless he's dealing with someone like Kobe. There's a reason you never see Artest jawing with guys like Lebron, Wade, Carter... I mean seriously, what in the **** warrants talking crap to a guy like Battier? Let alone throwing elbows and knees to Battier and Artest, and grabbing Landry, AND talking crap after EVERY SINGLE good play you make?
From the NY Times... No Stats All Star article Who cares if they talk trash to eachother? Artest had no problem talking trash even in the regular season when Kobe was lighting him up. Its a game.
Why jaw with a player when you can pull down his shorts? LMAO http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FD796H08J7w Please lets stop pretending Ron Artest is Ghandi.
If they do it to each other, it's one thing. I don't like it when Artest does that, anyways. It's a waste of energy, and a distraction for both him and the whole team, and it just makes the team look bad. At least it's more warranted when both sides are jawing at each other, though. But it's a whole different thing to do it one-sidedly. It's just childish to constantly do it, completely unsolicited, to a guy like Battier who is just quietly doing his job and showing nothing but respect (too much respect, even). But that was clearly the Lakers game plan... Half the team talked unsolicited crap right in the ear of a Rocket at one point or another during the game. Who knows what kind of video Jackson showed them before the game to get them fired up...
I never said Artest was a model citizen, but he keeps his emotions in check much better than Kobe ever since the incident. I mean just compare how many techs these guys have gotten in the past few seasons. That alone tells you all you need to know... And c'mon, that play on Pierce was just hilarious.
I dont believe that battier has ever given himself praise or labeled himself as any kind of stopper. Nor morey for that matter. Its all media and newspaper columnists who makes and write **** up like that. So taunting battier like that, i believe is just not right. if it were artest yes go ahead, but not shane. even on PTI today, shane did nothing but praise homage to kobe. He's just a bluecollared type of guy who plays his heart out.
The point I'm trying to make is that it isn't unsolicited. That entire article is giant self love piece on Morey and Battier. Battier is just so good and smart that he renders Kobe irrelevant. Do you recall Kobe ever jawing with Battier like this before? I don't. Don't you think it has something to do with Phil Jackson giving him the article in between the first and second round?
Kobe's heard, and read what was said about Shane and his defense, and Kobe just tried to make a point by trying to humilate and taunt Shane. Shane is too damn smart for Kobe's antics. He let it slide and was humble about it. Kobe is damn good, which is unfortunate. Act like you hit a jumper before. That's a cool user name, Yao Mings foot. I think i'll go find a lakers board, and make a name called Lamar Odom's kid. That sounds cool. Yeah? I could always go with eye patch. Sounds pretty damn hilarious to me. How about hip replacement. Hip replacement sounds funny. It's a good thing Tex Winter was a head coach for the Rockets at one time, or else i'd like to make a name called Triangle Stroke.
And the point I'M trying to make is that Battier himself did not say anything. He showed nothing but respect for Kobe. What someone else said about Battier and Kobe should not affect how Kobe acts towards Battier. But it does because Kobe is an egotistical douchebag.
That's true, but is Ron Artest that smart and self aware? I guess we will find out the rest of the series. Based on Game 2 I would say no.
Lets see Kobe hit 60+% of his contested 20 footers the rest of this series. I honestly think you will see him have more games like game 1 against this defense than you will game 2. Lets not forget, even T-Mac had some great 20 foot jumper play-off games against Dallas and Utah, but that wasnt enough to guide the team to a series win. And it wasn't the norm, especially in the '07 Jazz series. I'm sorry, but what does that say about LA's offense if Kobe is taking all those difficult midrange 20 footers....and MAKING THEM......and the Lakers are sweating it out until Artest gets thrown out of the game?? They played right into the hands of the Rockets defense. Thats exactly what we want them to do. Because A Kobe wont be able to do that every game. And B even in a game he does do it it doesnt all of a sudden make them unbeatable. A bit more offensive officiency from the Rockets and its 2-0 heading to Houston, despite Kobe's 40 pts.
You can base your judgement on game 2. I'll base it on what happened the previous 89 games of the season.
If Phil Jackson told a reporter that when Andrew Bynum guarded Yao Ming he made him a non factor that Yao Ming would not have extra motivation to make Jackson eat his words?
Are you including the last regular season game between the two teams when Ron Artest tried to out Kobe Kobe on offense and inefficiently shot the team out of the game? Artest was going on one on and there was little to no ball movement in the 4th quarter. I'm pretty sure If I tried hard enough I could find plenty of threads complaining about Artest's play in that game.
difference is MJ only talkd trash if ppl were trash talkng him. he would never do that to battier. artest yes but not battier.
Of course he would. Jesus, why is this so hard to understand. If you're confident and motivated and pissed off by some words in the media, prove your point by playing good basketball. Yao talking **** to Bynum doesn't help him prove Phil Jackson anymore wrong than just lighting Bynum up would prove him wrong on its own. Him talking **** would just be an unnecessary and classless sideshow. Phil would shut up after Yao went off for 30 and 10 and the Rockets got the W. He's not going to be anymore likely to shut up because Yao was acting like a child towards Bynum all game. But that's another thing, though. A great player really shouldn't need any "extra motivation" to play his best ball. If Kobe has as much heart as everyone says, he should be able to get it done for the desire to win alone. He should be able to tune out all the media's "hating", and everything everyone says on or off the court.
