This is why I i don't feel much towards this article. Sure, Kobe is a bad ass and jerk...this is why he's not a doctor or healer or priest. He's a basketball player. sure, his antics don't fit with real life living, and he probably does not have the happiest life outside the court (whichever "court " that may be). But he's a warrior, and a true competitor. Honestly speaking, he (and everyone else) do not possess nearly the same athleticism as MJ. So what? He's got just as much heart for the game. I probably would not like him if I meet him, just as i would probably not like any movie celebrities- all of them are arrogant no matter how they deny it. But I appreciate his game and his talent, along with his willingness to win no matter what. Not to be philosophical here but sports originated from wars, and wars have its heroes, and war heroes are admired no matter how they killed and abused people, because is the outcome of the war that matters. with Kob and basketball, its the same; people like him for his talents, and people hate him, with all but basketball aside, because he wins. So let his game, and ONLY his game speak for him. Go Rockets!
As I pointed out, and as the article didn't, Kobe faces down dozens of good defenders every year without rubbing anything in their faces. During his 81 point game and his 62 through 3 quarters vs Dallas, he never said a word to anyone. Not one word. You can't name one time this year he's popped off to Battier besides game 2. Or any other year, for that matter. Bruce Bowen, who basically sexually assaults him every time we play the Spurs (i know, joke), never hears anything from Kobe, and Kobe is the only star swing in the league who gives him nothing but props and respect. Game 2 was an aberration, and thats why it bothered me so much. I'd never seen that out of Kobe before, its like he just snapped. It hadn't happened before, and it hasn't happened again. And i'll bet my lunch it never will. Sure. I can agree he appears that way at times. The difference is that this is all you see, and thats all he is to you. A smug grin after a made basket. On the other hand, to me he's a smug grin after a made basket coupled in with a man who's dedication and work gets him up at 3am every single morning while every other player is asleep, to work out until his daughters get up at 6, keeping himself in some of the best shape of any player in the NBA to be as ready to go to war for the Lakers as possible. Coupled with a guy who's matured from his younger days to be there to pick up every one of his teammates after a bad game or during a slump, to tell guys they are the best at what they do even when they are stinking up the joint and laker fans are calling for them to be waived on the spot. And believe me, we do that a lot. Coupled with a guy who's had every injury in the book and still plays through all of it, who's dedicated so much time to honing his skill that he can be effective on one shoulder or one leg, and would drain one-handed bank jumpers for the Lakers if someone chopped his right arm off. Who when he got a knee injury two years ago, refused to go to sleep until it was healed enough to play, doing round-the-clock rehab for days until he regained mobility again. Coupled with a guy who's busted his ass for my team for over a decade, never taking a summer off, improving some part of his game every year. Who when he came into the league and began playing with men 10 years older than he was, he would sit in the hotel and watch game film all night instead of going out to clubs with everyone else, when he could have easily got in. Yeah, yeah, I know, "you're in love with Kobe, just have his kids blah blah", whatever. I've followed this guy since he came into the league, and gone from hating him for taking Eddie Jones's starting spot, to being annoyed with him for never passing and airballing threes, to admiring him for all the GOOD things he does for the team that nobody ever cares about. When somebody tells me I should get pissed or something when he smirks after hitting a jumper, I think that after the thousands of hours of work he puts in to improve and maintain himself to the point where he can hit some of those ungodly shots, to the point where it stopped surprising me years ago, that he's earned the right to smirk a little. So I give him a pass. I don't love Kobe, I just admire the hell out of him. Just because he whines about calls on the court (which everyone does) or has a cocky demeanor about him doesn't mean he's a bad person. When someone meets him off the court and has a complaint, then I start listening. Out of the numerous laker boards I post at, quite a few of us have met him in person and had nothing but positive things to say about his personality. All of this means more to me than a smug grin after a fadeaway jumper.
Thats exactly what we were wondering about Scola and co. Do you know how often Luke Walton gets in someone's face? I don't have to tell you. Funny thing perspective is, eh?
Your initial take on Scola was way off...he has no such reputation of being a trash talker. And actually I think Odom started the whole thing and everyone felt like they were supporting him. That's why when Fisher popped Scola I said that was partially Odom's fault.
I didn't say he did. I said that, like you guys wondering what Odom and Co. did to set Scola off, we were wondering what Scola and Co. did to set Odom off. Lamar generally doesnt start talking to someone unless they talk first or he feels they are playing dirty. Luis may or may not have been doing that, but apparently Lamar and the other guys felt he was. Thats why the triple technical happened. It wouldnt just come out of nowhere. Maybe. Quite a few of us felt Fisher did it because he thought Scola had been setting dirty screens. Either way i'm pretty sure everyone was at fault in some way, for both teams.
If you watch the play that started that confrontation then you would see that Scola clocks Odom in the face and then tried to tug on his jersey to pull him to the ground. Scola was frustrated with having to guard someone who was more mobile and could beat him off the dribble. He doesnt have to have a reputation of being a trash talker. That doesnt mean he cant get frustrated and try and get a couple cheap shots in.
but we're not talking about off the court im pretty sure some guys that seem respectful on the court are douche bags in real life and vice-versa but that doesn't dispute the fact that kobe is a dirty player but even then there must have been problems with kobe as a person for shaq to demand to leave the lakers and go to miami but back to the point... <object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/8qwHkxBPX4Y&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/8qwHkxBPX4Y&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object> as you can clearly see, that was a great shot but the "you can't stop me afterwards was unnecessary the trash-talking on shane was not the first time stuff like this has happened there is a difference in competitive trash-talking i.e. "aww what you got? you got nothing" or other normal taunts like what gary payton used to do TO THE PERSON but kobe makes it known to talk trash to the whole arena and takes it too far. it could have been acceptable if kobe said "you can't guard me" directly to shane but no he had to de-grade him by letting the WHOLE arena know and thats just poor taste kobe is a great player but imo takes it too far sometimes and is why he is quickly turning into the heel of the league
I've always kinda felt that Kobe had an insecure personality. Every time I see a commercial or interview with Kobe in it, I can't help but wonder if that's a fake smile he's putting on for the cameras. Something about him just doesn't seem genuine. I'm not putting him down as a basketball player. I honestly think he's the best player in the league now. It's just that his personality makes him unlikeable at times. I wonder what life is gonna be like for Kobe when he's done with playing basketball. It just seems like he tries way way too hard the be the ultimate NBA star. ...and most of it is trying to be like MJ. I came across this video just now, and I didn't realize that this "you can't guard me" thing was originally Jordan's. <object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/2VMR3fO1UNs&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/2VMR3fO1UNs&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object> But then when Kobe tries his version, he just looks classless. He taunts probably the nicest player in the league, Shane Battier. And although he was nearly unstoppable in that particular game, the Rockets have done a fair job overall of at least containing Kobe.
We're talking about whether or not Kobe Bryant is likeable. I like him for a lot of reasons. Plenty of which being what he does on the court, plenty of which being what he does off. You don't. Thats fine. But there are a lot of things he does on the court that aren't prickish. Things that are awe-inspiring, inspirational, and generous. Him keeping guys spirits up when they're having a bad game is not off the court. Him playing in excruciating pain with injuries to numerous body parts and still being spectacular is not off the court. Him hitting a left handed off-balance 3 pointer at the end of the shot clock because of a 2am practice session dedicated to it is not off the court. You're mistaken. He does a number of admirable and likeable things on the court, and I choose to recognize all of those in addition to his bad tendencies. Of course there were problems with Shaq. Shaq has had problems with everyone he's played with - thats no coincidence. He had problems with Penny in Orlando, he had problems with Eddie Jones in LA and Miami, and got him traded from both teams. But I digress. I think you're being far more sensitive about this than most people, but I guess thats where we disagree. Kobe was wrong for his actions during game 2 - yelling at the Utah crowd they can't stop him is pretty tame when it comes to great players trash talking. "but kobe makes it known to talk trash to the whole arena and takes it too far." To me this is overdramatic and the culmination of a lot of different feelings. Lord knows how you must feel about Larry Bird's legendary mouthing off.
Well, here's the fundamental difference and why this is still going on. I can see Kobe making a shot, walking along the sideline calmly mouthing that whoever can't stop him like Jordan did, and you guys would still go ballistic. There isn't much difference between Jordan saying "he can't stop me" and shaking his head after a layup, which you described indirectly as 'classy', and the guy a few posts above complaining about Kobe being an insufferable jerk for hitting a shot and simply smirking. I mean, you can't say those aren't two different standards. The only difference is that its Kobe doing it, and not MJ.
you still keep bringing up all that he does OFF the court but differ from what he does on the court. you could be the nicest guy off the court but it still doesn't take away from the dirty play on the court but im talking about LA. don't act like it was ALL shaq's fault you can't be serious... now your confusing confidence between trash talking. thinking your the best is not trash-talking but just giving yourself motivation.
if you watched that game he did that 1 time...not the entire game even the refs let it slide but kobe REPEATEDLY kept doing it which resulted in a technical
Of course. I'm just saying if Kobe did that, "1 time", some of the guys here would still go ballistic. He told the Utah crowd they couldn't stop him, one time, and you acted like he shot their dogs out of a cannon. I already said he was wrong for game 2. But nothing like that has ever happened before in his history. All i'm saying is game 2's actions do not = Kobe.
Let's stop comparing the competitiveness and/or the trash talking of guys like MJ or Bird until someone can show me where Mike or Larry literally swung their head back and forth while scowling and screaming to the TV announcers "he can't guard me" after every basket they made in a game. There is a huge difference between trash talk within the game and making a fool of yourself in front of the fans while shouting down TV broadcasters so that you can let them know that the guy guarding you (who is one of the classiest, nicest guys to ever play the game) is unable to stop your jumper on that particular night.
All of that was on court. If you think he's dirty, thats fine. I'm through arguing that. I didn't say that. There was plenty of blame to go around. Both of them were egotistical pricks. Thats what i'm thinking about you. Google Larry Bird and Trash Talking. Then tell me Kobe yelling to the Utah crowd they can't stop him is a groundbreaking offense. I wonder if anyone else here was as offended by that as you are.
I don't think the trash talking is any big deal. Hell, if I was working somebody over I would let them know about it too But the elbows, kicks, etc, that's just being a dirty b****.
I dont know how many times I have to say it, but i'm not defending game 2 at all. If I bring up MJ or Bird its in reference to something else one of you guys brought up.
