I guess with Artest and Bell both on his team all he needs is get Bruce Bowen out of retirement and all the so called "Kobe Stoppers" will be his team mates. Oh how could i forget Shane Battier http://sports.espn.go.com/los-angeles/nba/news/story?id=5375672 The seemingly hard-to-picture prospect of Kobe Bryant and old nemesis Raja Bell playing for the same team remains alive. The longtime rivals will sit down for a face-to-face chat Wednesday in Los Angeles to further discuss the feasibility of the Lakers signing Bell in free agency, sources close to the situation said. Bryant Bell Bell is traveling to Los Angeles this week to watch the ESPYs and has arranged to meet with Bryant to hear the Lakers' face of the franchise make yet another recruiting pitch to the 33-year-old swingman. Bell acknowledged last week in a phone interview with ESPNLosAngeles.com's Dave McMenamin that he has already fielded several phone calls from Bryant, who was unforgettably clotheslined to the floor by Bell in Game 5 of a testy Suns-Lakers series in 2006 that L.A. ultimately lost in seven games. NBA front-office sources say that Bell continues to draw interest from a variety of playoff teams, such as Miami, Dallas and San Antonio. One source said signing with the Heat has essentially been ruled out because of Miami's financial constraints after signing LeBron James, Chris Bosh and Mike Miller to flank the re-signed Dwyane Wade and Udonis Haslem. But the Suns are also weighing the prospect of trying to bring Bell back. Bryant, though, has not abandoned his pursuit and continues to press Bell to join the Lakers, who have only $1.8 million of their mid-level exception left to offer Bell next season after signing Steve Blake. One source close to the situation said memories of Bell's takedown, which earned him a suspension for Game 6 of the series -- the Suns, down 3-2, won the game at Staples Center without him -- are actually one reason why Bryant sees Bell as such an ideal teammate. The premise? Anyone with the gumption to hit Bryant that hard is someone he wants on his team. The sentiments between them weren't so pleasant during the 2006 playoffs. After the hit, which earned Bell the nickname "Kobe Chopper," Bell publicly blasted Bryant as a "pompous, arrogant individual" who gets preferential treatment from the refs. "It's a personal thing when someone continually hits you in the face," Bell said after Game 5. Bryant then answered with a memorable rant during which he repeatedly referred to Bell, who is two years older, as some "kid." "Does he know me?" Bryant said. "Do I know this guy? I don't know this guy. I might have said one word to this guy. I don't know this kid. I think he overreacts to stuff. ... I don't know this kid. I don't need to know this kid. I don't want to. We go out there, we play the game and leave it at that. Maybe he wasn't hugged enough as a kid. I look at him a little bit, he gets a little insecure or something. I don't know." Four years later, Bryant and Bell know each other much better and have buried the animosity. And the two-time defending champions still have an opening in their backcourt after signing Blake and Monday's re-signing of Derek Fisher, although sources say Shannon Brown has not abandoned his interest in returning to the Lakers for next season's chase of a three-peat. Bell played only six games last season because of a wrist injury. He began the season with the Charlotte Bobcats, then was dealt to the Golden State Warriors in November as part of the Stephen Jackson trade. The Warriors released him in March, but Bell has been pursued by several playoff teams since free agency began July 1 now that he's recovered from December surgery.
Well it's the truth. There is no Kobe stopper. Shane does a good job at making him work for every basket though.
http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slu...gentbuzz071310 Free-agent buzz: Lakers, Spurs chase Bell By Adrian Wojnarowski and Marc J. Spears, Yahoo! Sports 6 hours, 40 minutes ago The Los Angeles Lakers have long targeted Raja Bell(notes) in free agency, and now one of his biggest boosters within the two-time defending champions – Kobe Bryant(notes) – will be working to close a deal with an old, fierce rival, league sources told Yahoo! Sports Bell is traveling to Los Angeles later this week for a visit that sources said is expected to include an audience with Bryant. After helping to keep Derek Fisher(notes) with a three-year, $10.5 million contract on Monday, the Lakers have one available spot in their rotation that comes down to Bell and Shannon Brown(notes). The Miami Heat are tying to recruit Bell, but it appears the Lakers and San Antonio Spurs could be the two top remaining suitors for Bell. The Lakers have a little less than $1.8 million of their midlevel exception left to pay Bell after agreeing to a four-year, $16 million contract with point guard Steve Blake(notes). After agreeing with 2007 first-round pick Tiago Splitter(notes) on a three-year, $10.9 million contract, the Spurs have nearly $2.4 million left in the midlevel exception to offer Bell. The Spurs had Bell in training camp in 2001, and always regretted cutting him before the season. Spurs coach Gregg Popovich helped persuade Larry Brown to sign Bell later that season with the Philadelphia 76ers and Bell helped guard Kobe Bryant in the NBA Finals. Bell, 33, was dealt to the Golden State Warriors in November as part of the Stephen Jackson(notes) trade with the Charlotte Bobcats. Bell missed all but six games last season. Bell famously dropped Bryant with a clothesline foul in the 2006 playoffs, but the two developed a mutual respect. Bell was ejected and suspended a game for the foul and complained about Bryant’s tactics in the postgame news conference. “It’s a personal thing when someone continually hits you in the face,” Bell said at the time. “That’s the only way I can put it. I’ve been playing as hard as I can play. I’ve been trying to do a good job, I’ve been trying to be what my team needs me to be, and I continually get hit in my face. There doesn’t seem to be any boundaries or limitations for what he’s allowed to do to me, and at that point, I kind of lost my cool and I took it into my own hands.” Bell made a league-high 205 3-pointers in the 2006-07 season for the Suns under coach Mike D’Antoni, but his role changed the next season under Terry Porter and he was eventually shipped to Charlotte. Bell averaged 13 points in 45 games for the Bobcats in the 2008-09 season.
Shane is slipping..he can't hold Kobe's jock anymore. Ariza on the other hand seems to be able to lock him down pretty well and it seems he has somewhat of an edge on other defenders in that he's extremely familiar w/ Kobe's game and comfortable guarding him because of years practicing against him in LA. That being said, when Kobe is on...he makes EVERYONE look silly for trying to guard him.
Wasn't Ron Artest Kobe's "enemy", I think Kobe knows its all about winning and Raja Bell would help especially against the Heat
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