Exactly, again we have Kobe trying to manipulate the team through personnel decisions. Kobe needs to just play ball and lead his team whoever the GM puts with him. I don't have problems with players negotiating their contracts but I do have a problem with players trying to handle front office affairs. Kobe has already won titles, yet he acts like he has never had the chance because of the front office. The truth is, the Lakers were a hell of a lot better when Kobe wasn't influencing the front office.
Here's the latest: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/basketball/nba/06/17/bc.bkn.lakers.bryant.ap/index.html LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Kobe Bryant posted a message on his Web page Sunday strongly suggesting the superstar wanted to be traded from the Lakers. "When you love something as much as I love the Lakers its (sic) hard to even imagine thinking about being elsewhere," he wrote on his Web site, kb24.com. "But, the ONE THING I will never sacrifice when it comes to basketball is WINNING." The two-time scoring champion also wrote: "The more I thought about the future, the more I became convinced that the Lakers and me just have two different visions for the future." The 28-year-old nine-time All Star has four years left on his contract, but can terminate it following the 2008-09 season. Bryant last month voiced frustration at Lakers management and publicly requested he be traded after the team was eliminated by Phoenix in the first round of the playoffs. Though he said nothing could change his mind, Bryant later backed off after speaking with coach Phil Jackson. "I don't want to go anywhere -- this is my team," Bryant told KLAC radio at the time. "I love it here. I called Phil, man. He and I talked; it was an emotional conversation. But he just said, 'You know what, Kobe? Let us try to figure this thing out."' But Sunday's post was a not-so-subtle hint that tension remained between Bryant and the franchise. Bryant wrote that the Lakers, owned by Jerry Buss, had not backed him with players the team needs to win championships. "The Lakers are pursuing a longer-term plan that is different from what Dr. Buss shared with me at the time I re-signed as a free agent," he wrote. "I have seen that plan unfold for the last three years and watched great trade opportunities come and go, and have seen free agents passed on. That has led to the Lakers not winning a playoff series." Buss' spokesman Bob Steiner and Lakers spokesman John Black both declined comment Sunday. Buss, who signed off on Bryant's seven-year $136.4 million contract in 2004, two weeks ago issued a statement stating, "We will continue to pursue every avenue possible to improve our team with him as the cornerstone." Bryant earned $17.72 million last season and will earn $88.6 million over the next four years. He is considered one of the NBA's most dominant players and a top draw at the Staples Center.
And here's the full post from Kobe's website: http://news.kb24.com/ The Truth: A new road ahead Wassup y'all ... Man, today is one of those surreal days for me and my family. When you love something as much as I love the Lakers its hard to even imagine thinking about being elsewhere. But, the ONE THING I will never sacrifice when it comes to basketball is WINNING. That is plain and simply what it's all about. It's in my DNA. It's what pushes me to work as hard as I do. It's my daily passion and pursuit. The more I thought about the future, the more I became convinced that the Lakers and me just have two different visions for the future. The Lakers are pursuing a longer-term plan that is different from what Dr. Buss shared with me at the time I re-signed as a free agent. I have seen that plan unfold for the last three years and watched great trade opportunities come and go, and have seen free agents passed on. That has led to the Lakers not winning a playoff series. All of that was frustrating in itself, but then, this week to have someone "inside" the Laker organization try to blame me in the media for us not being a contender right now -- that is what brought me to my current position today. I want it to be clear that I still love, with all my heart, the Laker Legacy. From Mikan to West to Goodrich to Wilt to Kareem to Magic. That will never change. And the support my family and I have gotten from Lakers fans is undeniably the best. I will also always believe that. But, now there is a new road ahead. I am gonna keep grindin and keep workin to get back to competing for Championships. Sometimes the trek up the mountain is tough. But, I know we'll get there. Strength and Honor, Kobe
I believe at this point the Lakers have no choice but to trade Kobe. one word: LEVERAGE 1) The longer this drags on the harder it will be for the Lakers to equal value in return. Why? because Kobe holds a veto clause and has already narrowed his list down to 3 teams Phoenix, Chicago and NY. That's why only a handful teams might even have a shot at no 24. So if Kobe is Kobe then he will find a way to screw Mitch Kubchak and force a trade to a team where he wants to go. This would allow the trading team some leverage in what they will offer for Kobe. Same thing happened in the Shaq trade where the Lakers could not find equal value and Pat Riley forced their hand. Trust me Phoenix and Chicago will probably try to force it and make them take lesser values maybe even Marion + 24th and 29th pick straight up. On the other hand Isiah Thomas wouldn't even care about it and just call all in and play his hand take whatever you want if it came to it. 2) Now let's Kobe stays in LA and Lakers try to trade other players to get better then every team in the NBA will use an unhappy and suicidal Kobe as leverage in a trade. For example the Pacers just flat out said no for Jermaine O'neal trade. They know if the situation gets desperate in the LA then they will have an upper hand in the trade to make demands and get more added value like Bynum to sweeten the deal. It is clear now that unless Lakers make major trades, Kobe won't stay in LA. So using this every GM in the NBA already has a hostage negotiation against them. A trade that would have worked 2 week ago will now cost the Laker double because their position is weak and they must do something quick or else it's over.
From now on I will be beginning all of my emails with "Wassup Ya'll" and signing them with: " Strength and Honor, " I wonder what my boss will think...
How do we know Kobe is the one forcing all the moves for the past 3 years? We don't really know what happened behind the scenes in the Shaq trade, but was he the one that traded Caron Butler for Kwame Brown? Was he the one who went foward with the "2007 plan" only to flip-flop by extending Kwame and signing Radmanovich with the MLE? Face it, when your second-best player since the trade is an oft-injured Lamar Odom, you know management is at a fault. And your asking Kobe to sit tight and do a Garnett? Besides, McGrady did the same thing back in Orlando. Kobe may be an egotistical prima-donna, but there is some truth to what he's saying. As for Kobe being traded, until I see some true confirmation (like threatening to sit out), I still think Kobe will stay a Laker.
Without reviewing pages preceding this, my 2cents is if Kobe is traded to any team in the East then Kobe will be in, and almost definitely lose, next year's Finals.
Hmm, so Kobe had nothing to do with the Lakers not winning a playoff series? The Suns series two years ago was there for the taking when they were up 3-1 and the Suns had a 7 man rotation. I seem to recall Kobe shooting like 5 shots in the second half, but I guess that is the front offices fault as well........
If i were Jerry Buss, i will trade Kobe to seatle for No2. Pick(Durant), a resigned Rashard Lewis and Robert Swift. Why trade kobe the whiny bi*ch to the East? Trade him to the medicore team in the West and let him suffers the rest of his career and a chance to fight with Ray Allen on the court! Why Lakers do this? They got a future star in Durant, a very good Rashard Lewis and potential Swift. This move, the lakers will back in contender in 3 seasons which with Kobe will lead the team to nowhere except more whining. Why Seatle do this? The franchise desperately needed financial boost and they can achieve this with bryant fillind the seats. Kobe/Odom experiment failed but the sonics can experiment with Kobe/Allen! Kobe sucks!
It's in Kobe's contract that he can veto any trade, ie he can force the Lakers to take back garbage so he can play on a stronger team.
Chicago Bulls get: Kobe Bryant Bulls 1st round draft pick LA Lakers get: Ben Gordon Loul Deng Kirk Heinrich Salaries match up almost perfectly too...
YES, Kobe was the one who forced the trade of Butler for Brown. He wanted a big. And the reason that all the Lakers ever have is an MLE is because they have been trying to sign players to "complete their roster" in an attempt to please Kobe and seem like they are trying for a title in the short run. I can't stand the Lakers so I won't take the time to dissect their payroll and see what needs to be done, but at the end of the day, Kwame, Lamar and Bynum are decent players. The Lakers are in disaray because Kobe won't be a leader, only a complainer. He sells his teammates out, pisses them off, and causes havoc on team morale. The competition in the NBA is such that above all else you have to have chemistry. Take a look at the Warriors. That is chemistry present in the void of talent and even size. The Lakers have enough talent, the best player in the league talent wise, but zero chemistry.
Isn't Chi under the cap negating the need for even salaries? BTW - did you mean Big Ben? BTW II - did you mean Lakes get Chi #1
AOL is reporting this as another statement on his website about wanting out of LA. Lakers management has no comment.
just read this on cbssports line Kobe stated on his website he wants out again http://www.sportsline.com/nba/story/10228797
I think everyone on this board agrees that Kobe has a right to demand a trade yes but he has no right to go out in public bash his team, his GM and his owner one day and crying like a b!tch on the radio and TV then kiss and make the within hours and a week later have cold feet again and start the whole love hate cycle again. Look back in Orlando T-Mac asked to be traded and that was it. A week later he was sent to Houston. He did not got out and make a public spectacle of it. Yeah once he came to Houston he did interviews to clear everything he had to say about his GM Weisbrod and the Magic organization. You want a trade then ask for one and do it professional then shut up and wait for you to be dealt.
