[ClutchFans] As Howard sacrifices minutes for wins, Bryant cripples Lakers’ future

I understand the Lakers' salary cap situation but it is by no means selfish for Kobe to accept any contract offer. The fact that the extension was signed mid-season shows that he wasn't holding out or trying to force the Lakers into a contract they weren't ready to give him.

Now, Kobe is a selfish basketball player but, to be clear, the Lakers aren't in this poor cap situation because of Kobe. It is because of Mitch Kupchak and Jim Buss' incompetence.

Stars want to LEAD teams to championships. It wouldn't be much of an accomplishment to Kobe if he won a ring as a role player behind Lebron and Dwight Howard or whatever other 2 max free agents the Lakers would have hypothetically gone after. KG takes less money because his stats are greatly diminished (even though he's still a good defender). Duncan (and the Spurs, as a whole) are a special case, they ALL consistently take less then they're worth. This is far from the norm.

 

And that's their GM job to handle that just like morey did here not Kobe's.

a guy with 5 rings taking max > a guy with 0 rings taking max

 

Hey my apologies: what is Clutchfans for if not to criticize the Rockets? Of all the boards about NBA basketball, you've chosen the one perfect place to criticize Dwight Howard and defend Kobe Bryant.

 

So you're a Kobe guy and I'm a Dwight guy. OK.

 

The 2014 Lakers will be the same as the 2007 Astros.

"Yeeeeaaaah Los Angeles! Come watch your hometown team play! Come see a living legend pad his stats in the twilight of his career!!! Woooooo!!!"

 

Our defensive fg% is second in the league. Dwight is a big part of that.

 

Ask yourself, if you can make 20 million, are you seriously going to reject the offer and cut it in half, voluntarily? Seriously.

It's the Lakers team, hate them as much as you want to. But please, stop this, I-am-a-random-fan-on-internet-but-I-demand-future-HOF-to-make-sacrifice, not even for my team!

TD is a great player and great person. What he did was recommendable, but you can't just user that as a standard to demand everyone do the same, while you won't even accept a 10K cut in your own pay.

Organizations and GMs screw players all the time, and every now and then, they handed out bad contracts to random players, which is way more harmful to the team and fans, than a Kobe Bryant getting paid. He deserved it, as much as I dislike his personality. He's a great player, and contributed huge in those 5 rings. He's been the face of that Lakers team for the past few years, ever since Shaq left.

I would never had a problem had Rockets paid the Dream in those last 2 years, instead of letting him screw up the poor Raptors. Except for Rudy T (well, he's with the Lakers now) and CD (he's retired), what past great players of Rockets are still working with/for the organization? Look at Celtics, Pistons, Lakers, do you see a difference? Those great players in the past are great "assets", not liabilities, because they help build the identity, and because they are part of that identity. The money we saved on Dream, didn't build us a contender with that self-claimed "forward thinking" vision.

Get off that moral high horse and stop demanding others be saints. Lakers organization is a far more successful business. They might be "overpaying" Kobe on his last legs, but they have been the beneficiary of free agents playing for less throughout all the years. We don't lecture them how to do business.

That being said, I still hate Lakers, because they always get the calls in their way.

 

I am happy he grabbed the loot and assured the Lakers will not be champions again in his era.

Go Rockets !

 

Nawh I'm the unbiased guy lol

 

Nice try. Tell that to the farmers who get their land taken away for the good of society.

 

If the thread was about Kobe taking max vs a Duncan not taking max years back I would have approached it different, saying how I respect Duncan etc and how Kobe really doesn't want to win another ring

But the thread is about Howard 0 rings & Kobe 5 rings

 

It actually has worked very well for me but I guess you have no idea what that actually means.

 

huh?

you just said:

clearly there is some bias going on considering the "guy with 5 rings" is 35 years old and coming off a very serious injury.

but, you will give him the max. ohhhhhhkay

 

no its about dwight that wants to be like duncan vs selfish kobe

 

I hate Kobe as much as anyone, but doubting him is something I have long given up.

Never doubt Lakers management's ability to pull a star. It has happened again and again and again. It is almost as foolish to doubt Kobe as it is to doubt this Laker franchise.

 

Nice article and a good read!~ Thanks Op. Really looking forward how this young team progresses!~

 

Defend Kobe? LOL I am one of the biggest Kobe haters you will find here. see my post here.
http://bbs.clutchfans.net/showpost.php?p=8460990&postcount=133

I thought being an officer, one of requirements to be able to read. Please tell me it ain't so.

Our defensive efficiency (15th) is not much better than last seaosn (18th). This has being discussed on other threads.
http://bbs.clutchfans.net/showthread.php?t=247439

 

hahaha im doubting THIS lakers franchise with no hesitation at all.

 

Why would you guess that? Please display my ignorance, O economist. Particularly if you're claiming that "the invisible hand" has a mind, I think we'll all be in for a good show.

 

Tell you what ain't so?

OK, so I now understand that you are not defending Kobe. And you have tried to support your criticism of Dwight. If you do not like Dwight, which players do you like on the Rockets?