Here is a great article about Kobe http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=keown/090512&sportCat=nba Just a small sample, much more in the link.
Kobe is a punk. It's great to see that the national media is focusing on this, not because the Rockets are whining about it, but because of Kobe's own actions. I spoke to Kobe once during the summer of 2000. We were on an America West flight to Las Vegas from LA, and I told him that while I appreciated Shaq's dominance, nobody made the game as exciting as he did. His reaction was one of genuine appreciation, like here was a guy who understood. Then the Shaq & Kobe marriage broke up in an ugly fashion and the rape in Colorado and his disclosures of Shaq's prior indiscretions in his testimony to police. It's as though after all of his struggles to be the golden child, he finally embraced the fact that he is Bizzaro. Good thing we've got Lebron and D Wade to be Spider Man and Batman.
Shane could go even further and give him a bunch of insencere compliments. I do that all the time when someone starts talking trash when I'm playing pick-up ball. Shuts them up real quick.
The article is exactly right...I think this is an affirmation of the fact that the whole country sees what we as rocket fans are seeing.
This is a great read. I've been trying to put into words why I hate Kobe without sounding like some Rockets fanboy. I have a friend who loves Kobe and his excuse is that every great player has a bit of arrogance to him. But I think Kobe goes too far. I love when he got that technical in game 2 at the end of the game for saying in Battier's face "you can't guard me". The look on Shane's face was great. He just didn't care and he gave a tiny smirk when Kobe got that technical. It has got to be true that Shane not being phased by his antics is eating away at Kobe. He so badly wants to get into Shane's head the way he can to Ron, but Shane won't give him the satisfaction.
That is EXACTLY how I feel about Kobe. I absolutely love watching LeBron play. The things he is able to do are astounding and he does it all with a big goofy grin because he genuinley loves what he's doing and respects everybody on the court while he's doing it (for instance refusing to say he was embarrased about a loss to the Wizards because he didn't want to even remotely insult them) Kobe similarly has other-worldly talent which, if it weren't for his attitude, would be a pleasure to watch. I WANT to like Kobe for his game. I just can't. He's too much of a douche. Years from now I won't be nostalgic about Kobe the way my dad is for Magic and Bird. I'll simply remember LeBron and his big goofy grin and freakish athleticism.
Great article, but MAN those Kobe fans are bashing this writer! Poor guy- didn't he know better than writing an anti-Kobe article?
ESPN cannot run a single story, regardless of the sport, regardless of the players without somehow sneaking in a Lebron reference.
Shane is not just an excellent basketball player but also classy. He knows that reacting to Kobe is exactly what he wants.
Aside from the difference in championships, this is why Kobe will NEVER be regarded as high as MJ. No opponent respects him as a person and I am sure his teammates or ex teammates share that same feeling. Great article.
Kobe is a straight up punk for talkings smack to Battier, one of the nicest and respectful guys in the league. I think all the media made Kobe turn into a punk after they kept telling him the Rockets have 2 of the best perimeter defenders in the league. You gotta love the way Shane Battier brushes him off his shoulders
Let's be honest, no one really knows what Kobe is like off the court. He's had an affair. But professional athletes do different things to motivate themselves on the court and maybe this is how Kobe keeps the fire burning after being a child prodigy for so long. I don't see him blasting Battier off the court. Kobe achieved fame so early he never really had to develop communication skills - and this tends to alienate people and make them think the worse. I for one enjoy watching excellence. He may not have LeBron's mass appeal but I wouldn't hold that against him considering I don't know him. A lot of you are intimidated by your inability to understand Kobe and you degrade him because he isn't someone you see yourself "hanging out" with.
Shane is the consummate professional. It's very rare to find someone of his talent without the aggression that you find in most athletes.
