Could it be the others wanted to keep their jobs? Hmm... Kobe vs. anybody but Shaq or Phil would've been instant discipline or ejection from the team via trade or suspension. Or maybe everybody else just wanted to keep out of Babygate?
Something aint right in that boy's head....he don't get along w/ his teammates, his coach, his wife, his parents...does he have a dog?
I'm a Laker fan and I think Kobe is the biggest ass this side of Hollywood. Phil probably shouldn't have written that book. But I already suspected everything he described about Kobe. Phill's book is just a little bonus confirmation.
i agree with max and others that Phil should never have written this book. It's about his ego...and reluctance to leave the spotlight...don't figure he needs the cash. But i'm going to buy it anyways Smegg -- what other phil books to you recommend??
Phil has had several books published before this one and has never been known to go off on someone like he did on Kobe. I think that says more about Kobe than it does about Phil. Fact is, Kobe's been exposed as a blatant liar when he talks about how he loved playing with Shaq, wouldn't mind keeping the dynasty together, and how he was in no way responsible for the breakup of the team. No one should take this guy seriously anymore when he talks about anything.
Kobe's relationship with his dog can't be anyworse than Jayson William's relationship with his dog. I hope.
You know, most of you guys a pretty much accepting that Phil published this stuff just so his book would make money, but are any of you considering the fact that Kobe may just have been enough of an ass that he pissed Phil off to the degree that he felt he had to come out with this? I mean, if Kobe really is all the things people are saying he is, can you really blame Phil for wanting to exact a little revenge?
had to?? had to?? you don't have to trash a guy in public. you may feel compelled to talk to him about it...or not talk to hiim ever again at all. but no one has to return evil with evil. you don't have to be a jackass because someone treated you poorly. especially when you're paid large sums of money to manage these egos. so ultimately, he's paid to manage them and then gets to make off like a robber-baron by writing about how bad they were after he can't manage them to a championship. great.
I doubt it's about money. I think Phil's embarrassed about losing to the Pistons and is publishing this book to deflect blame from himself. Anyway, it doesn't matter. I can't think of any noble reason he could have for publishing this book. Greed, egomania, and revenge are a couple of possible ignoble reasons.
I heard one "analyst" say that publishing this book pretty much means that Phil is not going to coach for the near future. This kind of "tell all" stuff don't go well with owners.
Rudy is a master of the ego's His ego won't get in the way. If anyone can deal with Kobe it's Rudy. He will coddle him. When Sparky Anderson started coaching the Big Red Machine of the 70's (Rose, Bench, Morgan, Perez) he acknowledged that he gave preferential treatment to the super-stars -- even told everyone in a team meeting that he was going to do so. Rudy will take the same approach.
Yes, he will coddle him. But, I hate to say it, I think this Lakers coaching stint is going to hurt Rudy's legacy because Kobe is so out of control. Rudy couldn't get through to Steve Francis, how is he gonna get through to Kobe? Basketball teams win championships. Jordan, the greatest player ever, didn't win anything until he learned how to make his teammates like him, and gave them the confidence to play with him. Bird, Magic, Jordan all did that. Kobe hasn't learned that yet. Phil's motive may have been greed and revenge but there's way too much smoke around Kobe. Buss and the Lakers have turned into The Stupids since West left town.
apparently if you allegedly abuse your dog it warrants a suspension from the nba on the otherhand if you allegedly rape someone....
I really don't care about the moral aspect of what Phil did, nor his coaching skills. All I'm saying is that this isn't necessarily just about him trying to make money. Maybe he was genuinely pissed at Kobe and wanted to tell it all.
Just saw this excerpt, wanted to just confirm everything: So much for the theories that he didn't drive Shaq out. I'm truely shocked that two such great players can't share the spotlight
and i'm not even talking about morality. i'm talking about professionalism. when your job is to manage these egos and have them play for you...and you can't do it....that's, at least partially, on you. and you certainly don't go out afterwards and write a tell-all. not if you're one of the players in the story. lacking professionalism.
