Darrinlane the thing is that they cannot get equal value for Kobe no matter what. Like you said he is the best non big player in the NBA. He is forcing their hand however so they are going to have to settle for something. I am just saying who out there can offer more than what we can that will? Pheonix and Dallas are 2 elite to consider tearing their roster apart. I cant think of anyone that can put together a better package than what we can, can you? Now let me get this straight. I do not want this to happen nor do I think it will happen. I just dont see a better package out there.
You are an idiot. I am a huge Yao fan but at least recognize he has some weaknesses. I also realize Tmac is a great teammate for Yao. If you got your dream and Kobe is brought in, I guarantee you that Yao's game takes a step backwards and I can totally see you, once this trade is made, crying.
For a Yao #1 fan, you sure are sensitive about realistic remarks made about T-Mac. T-Mac is not a great teammate. where do you get that from? I think even Yao, who is normally very politically correct, was fed up with T-Mac. Near the end of the season, Yao criticized T-Mac publically. This demonstrates that it's not all peaches and cream between the two. Look, T-Mac if he was a great teammate would not go out and say, 'it's on me". That is a huge disrespect for Yao Ming. And when Yao did come back from injury, T-Mac did not play great. Translation: He can only play well when he is "da man". When he's relegated to #2, he pouts, and his performance sufferes. Don't believe me? Well you are some naive pumpkin. Look at the games. And see what happens when Yao is dominanting. And what happeened when Yao left due to injury. T-Mac suddenly turns it on? Give me a break. I have many doubts about Kobe's moral character, but I do not question his competitive desire to win at all cost. I think yao Ming won't care about his stats. He wants to win. Kobe and Yao can bring a championship. And Yao would love that.
I think Phoenix could put together a package. How would that help them dump salary however? They are going to screw up their roster I understand tho. Must be nice to have to dump dominant players every year for lottery picks. Thank God atl got to keep their pick this year. I hate Phoe almost as much as I hate the Jazz.
Yeah right. Is that why Kobe and Shaq won 3 times? Uh because this is a Rockets forum? Duh. Did you hear the comments JVG made? What about the game vs the Utah Jazz after they clinched HCA? There have been several times in which T-Mac was scratched from the lineup due to health concerns. JVG hinted that T-Mac faked injuries, and given T-macs history with Orlando, in which he admitted to QUITTING and NOT PLAYING GAMES, who's the r****d here? T-Mac is NOT a winner. What the hell has he ever won in his life? Sure, he was talented at one time, but that's not the issue. Character is more important when your body breaks down. T-Mac doesn't have the mental fortitude or the heart to win. He never did. Never will. Any moron can see that T-Mac is not talented from 5 years ago. He's lost a step, can't go to the hole aggressively every time. He was never really a great jumpshooter. his game is all about attacking the basket, and he can't do it consistently. That's why he'd have games where he shoots 30%. THIRTY PERCENT! #'s do not prove anything. He's not as good as he was. Kobe is selfish. Sure. Great players are. But T-Mac is a selfish non-winner loser. Big difference. 10 years, and never past the first round? What does that say? Two years in a row in which his team goes up 2-0 but loses the series? Where was T-Mac in game 7 against Dallas? huh? That's just stupid. Shaq was demanding 30 mill / year. Lakers passed. That's why Shaq left, dummy. It was about $$. Yeah, they didn't get along. But if they were willing to pay Shaq what he wanted, he'd still be in LA. Buss saw Shaq as a fat, lazy, aging former super-star that had 1 or 2 seasons left. He wasn't going to give him 30Mil / season for 4 years. Great players want to win, and will do anything. It takes courage to leave a team in which you are the superstar and franchise. Sounds like you really personally dislike Kobe because you really have something against him. I dont' like him either, but he scored 80 points, and 70, 60 points several times. Hes' a great great player. Anyone willing to choose T-Mac over Kobe is the "dummest" poster on the board.
Like I said before, I dont see Pheonix or Dallas wanting to breakup such a solid team. They are both contendars with legitamate shots at winning a title in the near future. They would be risking an awful lot if they traded for Kobe. Pheonix isnt going to screw up their roster to my understanding. They just want to dump Marions salary and get the best return on him they can. From what has been reported its no chump change. They reportedly asked Boston for the 5th pick and players. In other words they would be getting a high lottery player and players they could dump for salary room. Not a bad return if I have that right.
Losing Marion would be screwing up their roster. Methuselah Nash isn't getting any younger either. Those bastards have a great future regardless.
Kobe = Championship Tmac= 1st round Playoff That's my calculation! What about yours? I'll take Kobe anytime, baby!
yao has not been truly the "main" guy on his team yet. kobe as the "main" guy has been 1 and out, like tmac.
Shaq won 3 times. Kobe was along for the ride. How many times has he won since Shaq left? How many times past the first round? And? This topic isn't about Yao. What about the game after we clinched home court advantage...? it didn't mean anything. Players being scratched from the lineup happens all the time. You say he hinted that there were fake injuries...how so? Unless he comes out and accuses T-Mac, I don't think there is anything to it. He missed 11 games for crying outloud...that's not unnacceptable for someone who's been in the NBA for 10+ seasons. And he didn't quit and STOP playing games. He just gave up hope that his team could win anything, with good reason. He's realistic, nothing wrong with that. Oh, and I don't believe anyone's a r****d here... What has Kobe ever won in his life without Shaq? How many 50 win seasons. Kobe doesn't have the attitude to win, and never will. T-Mac had more pressure on him than just about anyone in the NBA this past season, and he perforemed like an MVP. No team depended on one player more than the Rockets did on Tracy this year. T-Mac can still go to the hole agressively anytime he wants, I guarantee it. he just doesn't have to do that as much to win anymore, so why should he when it puts more wear on his body? Kobe has never had 30% shooting games? Yeah, I thought so. Oh, and first you said he wasn't ever good, and now you're saying he's just not as good as he was? Great players are not selfish. Hakeem wasn't selfish. Magic wasn't selfish. MJ wasn't selfish after he figured everything out. Duncan isn't selfish. Shaq isn't selfish. Nash isn't selfish. I could go on. To correct your statement: record setters are for the most part selfish. Kobe falls into that category. He is not a great player, he is a great scorer. And again, how many times out of the first round for Kobe without Shaq? Put today's T-Mac on that LA team with Shaq and I'm willing to bet he'd have at least 3 rings too, probably more. Oh and I don't know where T-Mac was in that game 7, but while we're on the subject, why don't you tell me where Yao and the rest of the crew was during that game. Wrong. They would have paid him the money if Kobe hadn't expressed that he didn't want to be on the same team as Shaq anymore. Shaq ended up with Miami because of Kobe, nothing else. I dislike him both as a player and as a person. But I never liked him as a player even before I saw what kind of person he is. And it does not take courage to leave a situation where you are the man on a team. He wanted a team where he was the man. He was jealous of Shaq. He wanted to prove he could win on his own, and look what happened. He finds that it's not so easy and now wants out of the situation. That's not courage, that's bs. So what? 80 points doesn't make up for being a clown of a teammate, and it doesn't make your team better. He's a great scorer, and a great example of a bad attitude, I'll give you that much. Again, I'll take T-Mac over Kobe on my team any day of the week. And before you start calling people dumb, you might want to make sure you can spell it. Anyway, I'm done here. I've presented all the evidence any logical person would need to come to the conclusion that T-mac is a better all around player, teammate, and role model than Kobe.
I cant agree more. Kobe can dunk more, score more, but he cannot bring victories to his team. Though he is the best scorer in the league, he is not the best player at all, never if he continues to keep the ball in his own hands and blame his teammates when losing games. I appreciate his beautiful moves in the game, while I dont think a player who attacks his team which has brought him 3 champion rings, sent Shaq, the MVP in the finals, away as he wished and allows him to play in his style. When he has dominating teammates, he dont want to cooperate, and when his teammates are not so strong, he cant stop criticizing his teammates. Such a play could lead rockets to the championship? Those who keep saying that T-mac has not passed the first round should not forget that Kobe has not done better yet since he got Shaq away.
Which is a problem when he's getting blocked 3 times a game by Okur. Now all you Yao fans, don't get me wrong, I love the guy, and I would never trade him if it was up to me. But his play in that series against Okur was just not good enough.
why would the lakers give up kobe for a player who is injured /ready to retire and can't get past the first round...we would have to throw in many years worth of draft picks...not going to happen
All this talk about McGrady being ready to retire is ridiculous. Has he said he want's to retire soon? And he's not injured. By the way, Kobe can't get past the first round either, which is why he wants out.