It's fun watching the Lakers try to wish and hope their way back to the promise land. Kobe is one of the most hated players in the league right now, nobody cares about his A$$ anymore (atleast I don't), I'm sick of him. He's a great player that is a whiney punk. The only way they get Lebron is if he really wants to go there, and that's not happening as long as Kobe is there. Plus, I'd rather see Lebron go to NY and bring out of the doghouse.
Kobe has the exact same personality and very similar skills as Michael Jordan. The only difference is that Jordan won all those rings and he wasn't involved in a trial. Kobe was the common era Jordan, before Shaq and the trial. The criticism is unfair. I don't like Kobe very much because he's a rival to T-Mac, but other than that I respect everything he has accomplished as a basketball player. Why are you saying that Kobe is whiney? He's exactly the opposite. He's a warrior on the basketball court. If you're as good as Kobe and Shaq is declining in skill, I don't blame him for wanting to be THE GUY. Jordan would have proably done the same thing and not played second fiddle to Shaq. If you're think you're the best basketball player on the planet, why would you want to be a second option on your team? Dwayne Wade will have the same problem when Shaq gets older and Wade gets more experience. Yeah he's a humble guy, but he's no Kobe and he realizes that he will be more successful with Shaq. Once Shaq gets older though, he'll get to a point where he says: "Why am I playing behind Shaq? I am better than him". You don't become successful in the NBA (or any competitive walk of life) if you don't have ego and drive.
Actually if I am not mistaken Shaq last year had Dwayne Wade take a major role and became first scoring option. I mean Wade did score about 40pts almost in two or more consecutive games against the Heat. Kobe's ego is just pathetic. There aren't any excuses for driving Shaq out. The fact is he may be physically as gifted as Jordan but mentally he has yet to prove he is anywhere close to the viscinity of greatness as Jordan was. Jordan would have definitely gotten the guys on his team into the low seed of the playoffs. I used to like him but now... he's just minced meat in my books.
Guys. Um.. first of all I don't like Kobe because I am Rockets fan. Just tell me one thing. Why did Shaq become so humble last week and let the violine be played by Flash? Did anyone happen to think for a second that Shaq has something to do with it, too? Well he hates Kobe, but admitted that he's done some mistakes himself.. As I said, I don't like him, but after watching last year's all star game, I know what he is built of. When everybody on the lazy-selfabsorbed-ass-west team wasn't taking it seriously, even though they declared they would, Kobe was the leader and the only one playing hard - at East team's level. Even T-Mac played that funky style, and for some rare moments Kobe MADE him play hard. I don't like AI, he's a player to dislike in terms of foundational BB. He talked about making everybody better, but what he did was just jacking up shots (he's great player, though). In oposite, Kobe does make teamates better. If he didn't, he wouldn't have won WC. You guys talk so many times about bad sportwritters and it's true (and can be proven easilly). So many of you know much more about BB than great majority of American sports media. So please, just for a second try to think about Kobe-Shaq thing that way. It's just a cliche for bad sportwritters. Doesn't Zen's comeback just prove that? I don't mind hating Kobe, because of being a Rockets fan. But for bashing him for things he's not.. well, that's wrong. He is a warrior, the thing our TMac has yet to prove. And onother thing.. I don't remember Kobe referring to teamates as "my guys" the way TMac is. I don't like that. And that is what Shaq did also. That is the thing that would have driven many players out of tandem. Jordan in first place..
You know what...Kobe is easy to dislike. He's cocky, a whiner and eventually drove not only the coach out of town, but the best player in the league. As VH1 would air "Where are they now?" We'll...I'll give you a clue, it's not in the playoffs. First of all, I do remember Jordan giving thanks to his "supporting cast" in an interview on National TV so your theory is blown right out friggin' window. I don't like Shaq - never have, never will (especially with the ridiculous comments about Yao when he entered the league) but if I'm forced to believe one or the other - Shaq is much more credible than Kobe. And comparing Kobe and T-Mac...give me a break, Kobe played with Shaq and T-Mac played with...a broken down Grant Hill (oh that's right Hill didn't even play). Look virtually NO player, regardless how good (remember Jordan before 'God, I'm even scared to mention his name' Pippen) never achieved crap. So if you're going to compare T-Mac's last season in Orlando, you must compare it against Kobe's last season w/o Shaq. Let's also compare T-Mac season last year against Kobe's non playoff season, and one we get on a roll, T-Mac and Yao's Championships vs. Kobe and Shaq's. I just don't see T-Mac running Yao out of town because he thinks he's better, in fact IIRC Yao is the reason T-Mac came here in the first place.
There will be no chemistry between Kobe and Lebron, because both players are very selfish and all they want is all the attention, they cant stand be # 2 in any team.
Shaq was the big whiner when they played in LA. Not Kobe. Kobe may jack up too many shots sometimes but he's probably one of the hardest workers in the league. Wait until Shaq shows up to camp at 370. This is the year Yao passes him.
