I can't help but laugh at the Los Angeles Kobes this season but they really have only themselves to blame...actually Kobe to blame. Bryant could have easily made Odom or even Butler his sidekick. Get everyone else involved and take over the game from there. Mihm ain't exactly Kelvin Cato so why don't give him a few more touches? Kobe better be keeping those championship rings real polished because those will probably be the only ones he'll ever have if he don't play team ball
so does this losing streak and Kobe's inability to really make others better mean that he is no longer a superstar according to Kenny Smith's specifications?
I wasn't necessarily saying that the trade was bad for the Lakers - though they did give up their starting point-guard, juicy expiring contracts and a #1 pick for career backups - but they traded Gary Payton after they gave him an extension. I really doubt that Gary would have re-signed if he knew he was going to be shipped out, and he went as far as saying that Kupchack promised not to trade him (remember, he could have taken more money elsewhere like GS.) When he failed to report to Boston, the Lakers had to give up Marcus Banks just because they were afraid he would make a big stink if he went back to LA. I think their GM has some egg on his face after that whole debacle.
That's twisting things a bit. Payton wasn't given an extension, nor was he resigned. He took his second year option. He didn't do it out of loyalty, either - his value was rock bottom and he knew for a fact that he wasn't about to get a penny above the vet min if he shopped around. The Lakers weren't asking him to come back, and they certainly didn't promise anything. Payton made that stink about betrayal by saying that his initial arrival and paycut (the summer before) was an act of faith and that it was a cardinal sin that they would repay him with a trade. But was that why he mad? Was it really? More likely, he wanted to have it both ways - get the most money he could and stay on the Pacific coast. If Portland traded for him, you would not have heard a peep from Payton, unless it was celebratory. I wouldn't call Fox's and Payton's expiring deals "juicy." SAR? Walker? NVE? Those are juicy. Evan
I love it when Kobe makes these pseudo-leader comments. It's like he knew this season that he was going to be "the guy" and that he would be expected to take the leadership role. So he says all these things like he just assumes that everyone respects him and wants his encouragement, forgetting all along that you have to earn those things first. Someone else mentioned this in another thread, but I am SO glad that Rudy got off that sinking ship so that now I can fully enjoy its slow decent.
8 games and counting! I have hated Kobe and the Lakers and im glad to see them falling to pieces. Kobe/Odom/Butler/Grant/Atkins/Mihm That doesnt sound like a bad team.. but I think Kobe disrupts the offense with all his ball hogging. Pass the ball get everyone involved, get them open shots.. Someone mentioned earlier since the Lakers are a crap team does that mean Kobe is no longer a superstar according to lots of NBA analysts you need to be winning to be considered a star. J
Considering how Vince Carter still manages to be an All-Star starter despite doing everything within his power to tank his stock in the last couple of years, I can't imagine Kobe ever completely falling off. He'd have to pull a Shawn Kemp, Penny, or Vin Baker. Evan
Kobe - ballhog with a bad attitude. Odom - athleticly gifted scorer/rebounder, but not a true go-to guy. Butler - role player with little team experience. Grant - overrated big man, role player at best. Atkins - ball hog in denial, role player at best. Mihm - talented big man, would be a great backup, but not a force in the paint. The Lakers were set up for failure from the get go. I'm glad Rudy got out when he did.
with all the new "drama" caused by atkins outburst about kobe being the gm will only further the crazy horrible season for the lakers. the losing streak hitting 8 at the most critical time during the season. what i am hoping for and there is a decent chance at this happening is that the clippers take over the lakers for the 10th spot. that would be horrible considering how many injuries the clippers have had this year, their top 8 players have been injured at point or the other
The difference between Kobe and TMac : Kobe thought he was greater than he was and didn't need a good center to help him win a championship, so he helped get rid of the best center in the game from his team. TMac knew he needed the help of a center to win a championship and couldn't do it by himself, so he went looking for a center. That and Kobe's a jackass.
The Lakers future doesn't look too bright. It'll be two years until they have any significant cap room, and you gotta ask, how attractive is LA to free agents given how many of Kobe's teammates are supposedly miserable playing with him? Kobe has tarnished his legacy forever. He basically said to the world that he'd rather be the star of a mediocre team than co-star on a championship team.