No we would not. Only Classless guys who rape women would taunt players he was better than. If he needs to get into shane's head to get going, then he is truly overrated, not skill-wise but mental. I never ever want to see Kobe in a Rockets uniform, EVER... we do not need classless knuckleheads in our organizations anymore, it took several years to get rid of all that mess
You know what I can't believe? This morning ESPN had some LA reporter on, and he said 'I wouldn't be surprised if this series ends up 2-2'. I WOULDN'T BE SURPRISED? As if the Lakers have a lock and will mostly likely win BOTH games in Houston. Unbelievable.
For all his God-given athleticism , Kobe still could not carry his team past Steve Nash and the Phoenix Suns before Pau Gasol arrived. Even when Pau Gasol arrived, Kobe couldn't carry his team past the Celtics. But you have to give it to him, he is a very proud man. In crisis situations you see a guy's true colors. If the Lakers didn't win that game , they faced the embarrassing prospect of being swept by the Rockets and so they resorted to some of the ugliest unsportsmanlike conduct. Watching Kobe, you can't help but notice the moral perversity, that distorted sense of right and wrong , and the sense of entitlement he carries with him. That type of trash talking belongs to people who are TRASH!
I think a prime Jordan and a prime Rodman would be able to shut Kobe down. THey were the master of mind games. We've seen Kobe get frustrated vs. Detroit and Boston before...just imagine what those guys would do to Kobe. Jordan would talk trash, but he wouldn't be loud and abrasive about it. He would quietly say a few words, but mostly he would let his game speak. Now if he was provoked, he would talk mess and drop 50 + points on you, just to teach the other person a lesson. Now Dennis Rodman was an entirely different story. He focused only on defense, and he got under everybody's skin not named Hakeem Olajuwon (only guy I've seen who wasn't bothered by him.) I guess Kobe knows what it feels like to violate people (Colorado, 2004), but Rodman routinely harrassed people on the court and messed with people's minds. He was also one of the greatest athletes in the NBA. Not to mention 2-time defensive player of the year in a era that featured Jordan, Hakeem, Eaton, Robinson, Ewing, Michael Cooper, Dennis Johnson, Alvin Robertson, and Joe Dumars. Rodman used to give Jordan and Drexler hard time...just imagine how much the cry baby Kobe would be bothered by him. Kobe can be stopped...you just have to find guys who aren't scared to piss him off. Artest is one of those guys, but he's not the defender he once was. Shane is a solid defender, but he doesn't play the mind games that Jordan, ROdman, and Artest plays.
Shane may not be able to stop Kobe, but the Rockets WILL stop the Lakers. Kobe talking **** tells me that he is not fully focused on the game.
It's a pity that only Shane and Ron can go up against Kobe, but help defense can be useful when he drives.
No wonder, his wife is a b**** because she has to put up with his ego. He would be one of the greatest superstars IF he had humility. That's why I think Lebron is better than Kobe...Kobe is nothing but a wanna be MJ. Too bad...he's phenomenal but with no soul.
Its ok, he yelled the same thing ("You can't stop me!") at that girl in Colorado, it is a force of habit.
A prime Scottie Pippen is the only guy in NBA history that I believe could shut down Kobe for a few quarters at a time, I do not think even a prime Jordan could have. MJ was a great defender, but he played the passing lanes more so than anything else. Pippen was the greatest 1-on-1, on the ball wing defender this league has ever seen, in fact I do not think it was even close between him and Jordan in terms of defense. I watched guy consistently shut down great hall of fame types throughout his career. He was a freaking monster on defense, and he was tough as hell.
Pippen was a better help defender. He played the passing lanes just as good as Jordan, and he was good shot blocker for a wing player too. Against smaller guards, his length bothered him, but I don't think he would matchup well with Kobe. Pippen was a bit overrated in his 1-on-1 defense. He was great at trapping along with Jordan and Harper. That caused many turnovers. But in the half court, he was good, but I think Jordan and Rodman were better. If you told Jordan to focus on defense only, he could shut down anybody just based on his athleticism and pure will to stop that person. The 2 people Jordan couldn't guard was Magic and Bird, and that was because of their size advantage (6'9, 225 lbs each). Just watch Jordan's man-to-man defense in his prime...it was pretty damn good. Rodman was just a beast and a pest on defense. He stuck on to players like superglue. He got DPOY without the stats. He was just a natural defender. As he became a better rebounder, he bulked up, thats why he didn't guard wing players when he got older. As a piston though, he was a phenomenal wing defender.
