# Kobe is a *****...



## SoCalfan21 (Jul 19, 2004)

I can't believe that he says that the 3 teams hell go to are the Suns, Bulls or the Knicks...If Kobe comes back..I will not support him or if he gets traded I will not support him. He quit on the Lakers. He quit on us..he did nothing positive when being here. If it were not for Kobe, we would have still had Shaq and a few more rings. Thank You Kobe. I hope your career goes down the ****hole.


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## DANNY (Aug 9, 2005)

Hey what can you say
if you can't beat em, you might as well join em.
kobes lame


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## LamarButler (Apr 16, 2005)

Wow, shows how much of a competitor he is. He wants to go to the team that beat him twice in a row. After all that rivalry stuff after last year's 7 game series he wants to go there.


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## Eternal (Sep 7, 2005)

I can see why he wants to go to the Suns... b/c of their coach. That would be really lame though if he went to the Suns.


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## Cris (Jun 18, 2003)

There is no way unless the suns get absoultely owned does kobe go to the suns. I really cant see us getting enough out of NY and I have been saying Chicago since the beginning.


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## Bartholomew Hunt (Mar 4, 2003)

He completely ****ed us over in every which way. No leverage in adding talent to compliment Kobe and none to trade him. I say just force him to stay around unless he agrees to waive the no-trade clause. It's obvious that management takes the vast majority of the blame for ****ing up the Shaq trade and failing to build a contender when the opportunities were there. But Kobe can honestly shove it.


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## Seuss (Aug 19, 2005)

HELL NO.


There's no room for his 40 shots per game. I hope he goes to a different team.


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## Eternal (Sep 7, 2005)

Dr. Seuss said:


> HELL NO.
> 
> 
> There's no room for his 40 shots per game. I hope he goes to a different team.


I guess the Suns will just have to play a faster pace game then to make room.


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## Damian Necronamous (Jun 10, 2002)

Hey, if we get Stoudemire and Barbosa...Kobe can feel free to go to the Suns.


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## Dissonance (Jul 21, 2004)

Damian Necronamous said:


> Hey, if we get Stoudemire and Barbosa...Kobe can feel free to go to the Suns.



It'd be a long shot for the Lakers to deal him to the Suns.

But I doubt LA would be able to get Amare out of it.

They'd probably offer, Marion, Diaw or Barbosa, 24th pick, and Hawks unprotected pick next yr. Probably wouldn't get it done. But as I said, it'd be a long shot for you guys to even talk about a deal with the Suns.


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## bmac (Feb 18, 2007)

Damian Necronamous said:


> Hey, if we get Stoudemire and Barbosa...Kobe can feel free to go to the Suns.


Zero chance you're getting Amare.

Marion + filler/picks is a little more sensible, although it's HIGHLY doubtful they trade him to a team in their division, especially one that has dumped them from the playoffs the last 2 years.


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## Diable (Apr 26, 2005)

I suppose the Lakers need to at least pretend that they would trade him to the Suns as that would be the only leverage they'd have to get a better offer from the Bulls.Of course my opinion is that they'll just tell him that he doesn't have to like playing for them,but they'll sue his *** for 100 million dollars if he doesn't.


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## afobisme (Apr 29, 2006)

well, im kind of turned off by kobe doing this... but if i see him in another jersey, i'll still root for him.


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## Maddocks (Jun 16, 2006)

guess im still one of the few that believe kobe is not leaving. maybe im just being ignorant about the whole thing. but i dont want him to leave. myself as a fan put so much stock into him, we(fans) supported him in the highs and lows. i was all for them tossing shaq in the trash can for kobe. 

i just want him to say it, more publicly that he wants out for sure. no saying he wants out and phil talking him out of suicide, but real deal he wants out. all i hear are reports he wants out and more 3rd and 4th hand info. i want to hear it from buss or kobes mouth that he has given up on LA as a city and team before im saying screw him.

but he never should have came out and said,"i want out" in the first place, he publicly told the other teams hes pissed and that pretty much screwed any trade we could have made. thats why the pacers are asking for so many players, because they know the lakers will not give into their demands making kobe more pissed. if kobe was mum about the whole thing, we prob could have got oneal for maybe just odom or bynum.

but ill still root for him no matter what team he goes on, well maybe not the knicks lol.


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## Pain5155 (May 28, 2006)

the guy is in his prime, and the team their building around him is garbage. WHy would you stay when this GM is focused on not winning now?


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## Amareca (Oct 21, 2002)

Would you rather trade him out of the conference to play him just twice or would you rather get the best deal for the Lakers?

That is what it comes down to in this case. Personally I don't think anything of the Bulls package. Gordon is way overrated, career 6th man tweener, he is a shorter version of Leandro Barbosa in my opinion. I would much rather have Barbosa.

Tyrus Thomas will never be more than a good roleplayer.

Luol Deng will always be a borderline Allstar ala Antawn Jamison.

Ben Wallace is way over the hill and grossly overpaid.

2 of these plus #9 is not even nearly as good as Marion, Barbosa and Atlantas unprotected 08 pick in my opinion.
Barbosa/Nick Young/Marion/Odom/Bynum is a pretty good young team to build on in my opinion, maybe better than the current Lakers.


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## afobisme (Apr 29, 2006)

who cares. if we trade him, we won't be a competitive team anyways.


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## Dornado (May 26, 2003)

Amareca said:


> Would you rather trade him out of the conference to play him just twice or would you rather get the best deal for the Lakers?
> 
> That is what it comes down to in this case. Personally I don't think anything of the Bulls package. Gordon is way overrated, career 6th man tweener, *he is a shorter version of Leandro Barbosa in my opinion*. I would much rather have Barbosa.
> 
> ...


The bolded part was where I realized that you either 1. haven't really seen much of Ben Gordon or 2. don't generally understand guard play.

What makes Ben Gordon a shorter version of Leandro Barbosa? I would love to hear it.


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## kzero (Apr 30, 2006)

Translation of above posts:
Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah Waaaaaaaaaaaaah Waaaaaaaaaaaaaah

Three years on a crappy team (Smush Parker as starting PG? Seriously), what do you expect him to do, "Well, the FO hasn't really done much, so I'll keep losing, but I will enjoy it because it will make my fans happy." You guys say he's selfish for wanting ot go elsewhere, okay, so he is, but who could blame him for wanting to win a championship and getting the heck out of a place where they obviously don't plan to win one until 2010 or whatever. You may call him selfish, but I think the fans who are crying about it are selfish for wanting to keep him for yourself. Let the man go or watch a video on YouTube with KG crying because he can't get into the playoffs with his sorry *** team.


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## Mateo (Sep 23, 2006)

bmac said:


> Zero chance you're getting Amare.
> 
> Marion + filler/picks is a little more sensible, although it's HIGHLY doubtful they trade him to a team in their division, especially one that has dumped them from the playoffs the last 2 years.


I'd trade Amare if I were the Suns. They were still a really good team when Amare was injured that year. If he was gone, perhaps Diaw would wake up from his year long sleep. I think this would make the Suns the championship favorite for the next couple of years. Nash/Bryant/Marion/Diaw/Thomas with Bell off the bench? Sounds pretty formidable to me.


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## ChadWick (Jun 26, 2006)

If Kobe goes to the Suns, the Suns will no longer be my 2nd favorite team, i will hate them...like i hate Kobe...I can see him getting traded for Marion, Bell...and other people...but i hope it dont happen..I'd much rather see him in Chicago...Though, I only picture him in L.A. gear. When I think of Kobe I think of the Lakers, Purple, and Yellow..If he goes, Lakers are nothing.


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## koberules24 (Nov 12, 2006)

SoCalfan21 said:


> I can't believe that he says that the 3 teams hell go to are the Suns, Bulls or the Knicks...If Kobe comes back..I will not support him or if he gets traded I will not support him. He quit on the Lakers. He quit on us..he did nothing positive when being here. If it were not for Kobe, we would have still had Shaq and a few more rings. Thank You Kobe. I hope your career goes down the ****hole.


You sound like an irrational five year old who didn't get his way.


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## KDOS (Nov 29, 2005)

SoCalfan21 said:


> I can't believe that he says that the 3 teams hell go to are the Suns, Bulls or the Knicks...*If Kobe comes back..I will not support him or if he gets traded I will not support him*..


Are you sure about this? I dont think you want to do this. This post is going to haunt you, if everything is resolve this off season.



SoCalfan21 said:


> He quit on the Lakers. He quit on us..he did nothing positive when being here..


Right...



SoCalfan21 said:


> If it were not for Kobe, we would have still had Shaq and a few more rings. Thank You Kobe.


I thought real Laker fans are aware of the Shaq/Kobe/Buss situation?


It should be a general information and I think most LA fans will agree in consensus, that Buss does'nt want to pay Shaq the money or contract that he desires. Therefore, he was shipped in the off season.


Kobe has nothing to do with it. Deal with it.



I understand everyone's emotion is running high, we are all upset because this franchise doesnt seem to have a direction right now. I dont like how Kobe is handling this, there's a much better way to deal his issues with our Front Office, and if he wants out then, I wish him the best of luck.


We cant really blame him, if he wants out though. Lakers passed up way too many oppurtunites to make this team better. He was assured by Dr. Buss that it would not take a long time to rebuild around Kobe, and look at what we have? Be realistic now, this is not what you have in mind, when you speak of contending...much more if you're team plays in the heavy and talented West.


The sad truth is, the Lakers F/O wasted, 2-3 of Kobe's prime years. I cant fault him for wanting to leave, his pride is wounded and his desire and passion to win a title is unquestionable, traits the Lakers used to represent.


Kobe has dedicated himself in making sure he can perform at a highest level. The least thing the Lakers F/O can do is reward his hardwork by surrounding him with capable players. 


Again, I hate Kobe and how he is acting like a Diva, but dont hate him for leaving and wanting to win when the Lakers F/O essentialy has no plans in rebuilding a better team, had Kobe not open his mouth publicly.


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## DANNY (Aug 9, 2005)

KOBEDUNKEDONSHAQ said:


> Are you sure about this? I dont think you want to do this. This post is going to haunt you, if everything is resolve this off season.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



If you want to rebuild and compete at the same time, you're only going to end up with a mediocre team at best. When the Lakers took Bynum, it proved that the Lakers wanted to take the rebuilding approach. Now Kobe kept on insisting that we sign some veterans with the mid level exception and we ended up signing Divac, McKie, and Radmanovic. The Laker managment and Kobe are at fault on this one. It turned out real ugly as no one really contributed to making the team better. Now Kobe insist that the Laker management failed to acquire players like Baron Davis and Artest. Well true because the Lakers didnt have any expiring contracts at that time to acquire Baron. The Pacers wanted Odom for Artest and the lakers simply going to waive the white flag and say we ****ed in the shaq deal. 

Now if Kobe accepted the fact that team wasnt going to be a championship team within the next three years, we would of been in a better postition right now. It's the little things that count and I believe Mitch would of signed guys like mo williams and chris duhon instead of old useless vets like divac and mckie. We probably wouldnt of dealt Caron to Kwame as our plan would of focused more on accumulating talent instead of addressing our needs. 

I have no clue wtf i was writing about but my conclusion is that kobe and the laker F/O are at fault. Out of frustration, I came up with this grandiose plan of having a bunch of laker fans get pickett signs that says, "Free Kobe" & "Sell the Lakers" perhaps it would make us feel better and unit as one. :boohoo:


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## HKF (Dec 10, 2002)

When will people learn. The day Kobe is dealt it will be for 50 cents on the dollar at the most. You're going to get an expiring contract (two years or less), a young player on a rookie contract, a decent player who can play now and a pick. You're not getting Barbosa, Marion, Bell and two picks for Kobe. No team is going to give that up for any player, unless it's Tim Duncan or Shaq in their primes we're your guaranteed to be competing for the championship.

If Kobe is traded, he's going East.


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## SoCalfan21 (Jul 19, 2004)

koberules24 said:


> You sound like an irrational five year old who didn't get his way.


Kobe is a ***** who said he wanted to be a laker for life. How do I sound like a five year old when if you look at all the highlights of the three peat it was infact Shaq that won us those Championships...not Kobe.


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## SoCalfan21 (Jul 19, 2004)

KOBEDUNKEDONSHAQ said:


> Are you sure about this? I dont think you want to do this. This post is going to haunt you, if everything is resolve this off season.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Dude, think about it, if we had a shot at winning more championships. Its publicly known that Kobe didn't want Shaq in LA. He wanted his own team. **** the Front Office. If Kobe were the greatest player in the NBA then he should be able to win 45-50 regular season games and win atleast a round in the playoffs. Lamar Odom isn't that bad to basically demand a trade because he can't win with this team. They played great at the beginning of the season last season..started out 26-13..is it really Odoms fault that he got hurt and their momentum ended? No, it wasn't. If Kobe would pull his head out of his *** he would see that with a small move here or there we would be a very good team. But no, Kobe will be the selfish Kobe would doesn't give a damn about no one but himself.


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## mjm1 (Aug 22, 2005)

Pain5155 said:


> the guy is in his prime, and the team their building around him is garbage. WHy would you stay when this GM is focused on not winning now?


Vince Carter did the same thing, how did Toronto fans feel then?


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## kzero (Apr 30, 2006)

mjm1 said:


> Vince Carter did the same thing, how did Toronto fans feel then?


Well, one major difference was the Carter told the public that he was dogging it while he was there. Anyway, the Raptors have Bosh now, so I don't think they're unhappy about losing Carter anyway.


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## HKF (Dec 10, 2002)

SoCalfan21 said:


> Dude, think about it, if we had a shot at winning more championships. Its publicly known that Kobe didn't want Shaq in LA. He wanted his own team. **** the Front Office. If Kobe were the greatest player in the NBA then he should be able to win 45-50 regular season games and win atleast a round in the playoffs. Lamar Odom isn't that bad to basically demand a trade because he can't win with this team. They played great at the beginning of the season last season..started out 26-13..is it really Odoms fault that he got hurt and their momentum ended? No, it wasn't. If Kobe would pull his head out of his *** he would see that with a small move here or there we would be a very good team. But no, Kobe will be the selfish Kobe would doesn't give a damn about no one but himself.


The real answer is this team is not good enough to win the "West" and that's what matters. Yeah the team could compete for the Eastern crown, but the team is not good enough to win the West. Not to mention no NBA teams want to help the Lakers win another title, which is why they are always on the short-end of the stick in the Kupchak era. 

If the Lakers continue have bad front office management, they could easily turn into a team like the Celtics and go decades without winning another title. In the Celtics case it has been 21 years. Right now, the Lakers are on five years and counting.


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## afobisme (Apr 29, 2006)

it's true. i think kobe had an indirect hand in getting shaq out of la. even phil said that kobe told the FO (or at least someone) that he wouldn't be "shaq's sidekick" any longer. 

if kobe and shaq didn't have issues, maybe he wouldn't have demanded so much money. he obviously did that because he wasn't happy with something in the organization.


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## Theonee (Dec 5, 2006)

So if Shaq is not happy with the front office we can blame Kobe but when Kobe is not happy with the front office he is a ****.


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## truth (Jul 16, 2002)

SoCalfan21 said:


> Dude, think about it, if we had a shot at winning more championships. Its publicly known that Kobe didn't want Shaq in LA. He wanted his own team. **** the Front Office. If Kobe were the greatest player in the NBA then he should be able to win 45-50 regular season games and win atleast a round in the playoffs. Lamar Odom isn't that bad to basically demand a trade because he can't win with this team. They played great at the beginning of the season last season..started out 26-13..is it really Odoms fault that he got hurt and their momentum ended? No, it wasn't. If Kobe would pull his head out of his *** he would see that with a small move here or there we would be a very good team. But no, Kobe will be the selfish Kobe would doesn't give a damn about no one but himself.


Great Post..Kobe is out for Kobe...Now that it is his team and he cant ride Shaqs jock,he wants out???WTF??

How about showing some loyalty and waiting a year for Bynum to develop??


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## Jamel Irief (May 19, 2002)

Kobe is easily the most spoiled and narcisstic athlete in the history of sports. Regardless of why Shaq left, everyone can at least agree that Kobe clearly wanted to guide his own team. Apparently he didn't realize it wasn't easy. 

Has there been a more dislikable Laker superstar ever? Hell no.


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## WhoDaBest23 (Apr 16, 2003)

Per say Kobe does happen to stay in LA after this off-season, I can just imagine how the fans will react with all that's happened this sumemr. It's going to be awesome. I really don't blame you guys for hating him, he is a little *****.

If he does end up with Bulls after all though, it's going to be extremely hard to like him even though they're my favorite team.


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## afobisme (Apr 29, 2006)

per say? im lost, don't know what u meant by that.. i dont think you spelled it correctly right or used it in the right context.


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## DaRizzle (May 22, 2007)

Kobe can eat a big fat schlong. Gee Kobe thanks for de-valuing every trade possibility for us. Thanks for ripping the team in the media, thanks for not being able to make up your mind on the biggest decision of your career and hurting the Lakers reputation and trade power. Thanks for being a diva. F-you Kobe! You dont want to be a Laker?!? Well the guess what, don't let the door hit you in the *** on the way out. The Lakers have class and honor and they don't owe you anything. I am a LAKER FAN! I cheered for Kobe because it made the Lakers win, I couldn't give a rats *** about him personally unless it affected the Lakers in a negative way....well it has, so get the hell out Kobe. NOW!!!!! Sorry Kobe but there are no Yankees in basketball so have fun on teams that will not be able to afford anyone good besides you. If for some reason you stay then I will root for the Lakers and the shots you take to go in, BUT NOT YOU! I WILL BOO YOU EVERY CHANCE I GET!! I will gladly take some rebuilding years before I ever want a player to be able to get away with the crap he has or is trying to pull on the Lakers. The Lakers were winning before Kobe and we will win after Kobe. GET THE HELL OUT OF LA KOBE, WE DONT WANT YOU HERE!!!

P.S. Your wife is a money grubbing insecure no bypassing censors for taking that ring as an apology. At least Dr. Buss is man enough to admit that all he want are 18-21 year old chicks for pleasure and not get married instead of you trying to fake the persona of a family man....F you Kobe!


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## Eternal (Sep 7, 2005)

I can't believe people are getting mad at Kobe for wanting to win. =\ I'd want to get the hell out of the Lakers organization myself if I was playing on that team... with the moronic GM and the rest of the front office. Lakers won't be winning the championship anytime soon... and there really isn't a way the team can just magically fix this team so they are a contender. 

Some people are being hypocrites on how alot of people were wanting KG to demand out... since his team isn't going anywhere (which I can understand he isn't on our team), but now that Kobe is doing it... everyone is getting all mad at him, where in reality we should be getting mad at the front office for not putting a winning/contending product on the floor, so Kobe wouldn't be in this situation demanding out.

I know not many people will agree with me here... but that's just my take on the whole situation.


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## truth (Jul 16, 2002)

Eternal said:


> I can't believe people are getting mad at Kobe for wanting to win. =\ I'd want to get the hell out of the Lakers organization myself if I was playing on that team... with the moronic GM and the rest of the front office. Lakers won't be winning the championship anytime soon... and there really isn't a way the team can just magically fix this team so they are a contender.
> 
> Some people are being hypocrites on how alot of people were wanting KG to demand out... since his team isn't going anywhere (which I can understand he isn't on our team), but now that Kobe is doing it... everyone is getting all mad at him, where in reality we should be getting mad at the front office for not putting a winning/contending product on the floor, so Kobe wouldn't be in this situation demanding out.
> 
> I know not many people will agree with me here... but that's just my take on the whole situation.


As the expression goes,"Be careful what you wish for as you may get it"..Kobe had no desire to play Robin and had a large role in Batman leaving town..As he soon found out,life after Shaq was far ore difficult than he imagined...

No doubt Kobe is the ultimate competitor,but he is not the only player in the NBA who has a burning desire to win..Malone,Stockton,KG,Reggie and Ewing(to name a few) were all great players who never won it all,and certainly never held their team hostage...

You shouldnt make excuses for Kobe.Even the most rabid laker fan should clearly see that Kobe is a lone Wolf that is as self severing as they come...Did he honestly think he could take the Lakers to the promised land without Shaq?? What kind of leader pulls the the type of **** kobe feels compelled to do???

The Laker management stood by Kobe thru thick and thin.Kobes reward?? You tell me


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## King Sancho Fantastic (Jul 19, 2005)

Eternal said:


> I can't believe people are getting mad at Kobe for wanting to win. =\ I'd want to get the hell out of the Lakers organization myself if I was playing on that team... with the moronic GM and the rest of the front office. Lakers won't be winning the championship anytime soon... and there really isn't a way the team can just magically fix this team so they are a contender.
> 
> Some people are being hypocrites on how alot of people were wanting KG to demand out... since his team isn't going anywhere (which I can understand he isn't on our team), but now that Kobe is doing it... everyone is getting all mad at him, where in reality we should be getting mad at the front office for not putting a winning/contending product on the floor, so Kobe wouldn't be in this situation demanding out.
> 
> I know not many people will agree with me here... but that's just my take on the whole situation.


I agree with you in that i feel that the Laker FO deserves about 93% of the blame for this but i also wont stand here and allow Kobe to get away with what hes doing right now. 
but ill reserve judgement until someone gets traded somewhere...


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## Drewbs (Feb 16, 2004)

Eternal said:


> I can't believe people are getting mad at Kobe for wanting to win. =\ I'd want to get the hell out of the Lakers organization myself if I was playing on that team... with the moronic GM and the rest of the front office. Lakers won't be winning the championship anytime soon... and there really isn't a way the team can just magically fix this team so they are a contender.
> 
> Some people are being hypocrites on how alot of people were wanting KG to demand out... since his team isn't going anywhere (which I can understand he isn't on our team), but now that Kobe is doing it... everyone is getting all mad at him, where in reality we should be getting mad at the front office for not putting a winning/contending product on the floor, so Kobe wouldn't be in this situation demanding out.
> 
> I know not many people will agree with me here... but that's just my take on the whole situation.


Thank you. I don't understand how people criticize Garnett for not wanting out, and then criticize Kobe for wanting out. The front office is stupid, the team currently has no direction, hes doing what everyone is saying that Garnett should have done. Its a tragedy that a player of Garnett's talent is forced to spend his prime years sitting at home during the playoffs. 

As for the person who brought up guys like Malone, Stockton, Ewing, Reggie, all of them had a competent team around them. All of them had a front office that could get it together and had concrete goals, they never won it all, but thats just their tough luck. As for Garnett... is it really right that he is allowing his career to rot in Minnesota? Is he really he example that Kobe should be following? 

That being said, Kobe has been a ***** so far this offseason. I can't blame him for wanting out, just like I would not blame Garnett for wanting out, or Iverson who wanted out, or Tmac, but going about it the way he did was childish and immature.


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## Drk Element (Nov 10, 2004)

afobisme said:


> per say? im lost, don't know what u meant by that.. i dont think you spelled it correctly right or used it in the right context.


lol. :biggrin:


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## Bartholomew Hunt (Mar 4, 2003)

Drewbs said:


> Thank you. I don't understand how people criticize Garnett for not wanting out, and then criticize Kobe for wanting out. The front office is stupid, the team currently has no direction, hes doing what everyone is saying that Garnett should have done. Its a tragedy that a player of Garnett's talent is forced to spend his prime years sitting at home during the playoffs.
> 
> As for the person who brought up guys like Malone, Stockton, Ewing, Reggie, all of them had a competent team around them. All of them had a front office that could get it together and had concrete goals, they never won it all, but thats just their tough luck. As for Garnett... is it really right that he is allowing his career to rot in Minnesota? Is he really he example that Kobe should be following?
> 
> That being said, Kobe has been a ***** so far this offseason. I can't blame him for wanting out, just like I would not blame Garnett for wanting out, or Iverson who wanted out, or Tmac, but going about it the way he did was childish and immature.


Summed up my thoughts perfectly. If this video turns out to be the real deal(Kobe trashing teammates to a fan), I will demand that he gets the hell out. I understand that he wants to win, but there are better ways to go about it. This whole ordeal and past events really makes it clear that he thinks of himself as bigger than the Lakers. I will have no part of that and cannot support it. But I will wait and see what happens. I think he should apologize to the fanbase though.


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## DANNY (Aug 9, 2005)

I'm wondering what Phil Jackson is thinking while this whole fiasco is being played out. 
He probably doesnt care since he's gone skinny dipping in the lakes of Montana or something but if kobe is damn serious about being traded, it's showing major disrespect to the zen master. 
I mean everybody knows that the only reason PJ came back (other than the 10 million salary) is to win a championship for Kobe. Sure the F/O isnt able to assemble the talent capable of winning one, but Kobe should atless stick around for Phil.

I have a feeling this whole trade thing is being played out and when everythings settled, Kobe will still be wearing purple and gold.


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## Bartholomew Hunt (Mar 4, 2003)

dannyM said:


> I'm wondering what Phil Jackson is thinking while this whole fiasco is being played out.
> He probably doesnt care since he's gone skinny dipping in the lakes of Montana or something but if kobe is damn serious about being traded, it's showing major disrespect to the zen master.
> I mean everybody knows that the only reason PJ came back (other than the 10 million salary) is to win a championship for Kobe. Sure the F/O isnt able to assemble the talent capable of winning one, but Kobe should atless stick around for Phil.
> 
> I have a feeling this whole trade thing is being played out and when everythings settled, Kobe will still be wearing purple and gold.


And it will be the same **** all over again, because any trade made will result in the Lakers taking it square in the ***. It's bad enough with the ineptitude of management, but Kobe made it even worse. We have zero negotiating power whether we trade Kobe or build around him. To me, that is sabotaging the Lakers and the fans. That's why I am so pissed at him.


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## The One (Jul 10, 2005)

kzero said:


> Translation of above posts:
> Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah Waaaaaaaaaaaaah Waaaaaaaaaaaaaah
> 
> Three years on a crappy team (Smush Parker as starting PG? Seriously), what do you expect him to do, "Well, the FO hasn't really done much, so I'll keep losing, but I will enjoy it because it will make my fans happy." You guys say he's selfish for wanting ot go elsewhere, okay, so he is, but who could blame him for wanting to win a championship and getting the heck out of a place where they obviously don't plan to win one until 2010 or whatever. You may call him selfish, but I think the fans who are crying about it are selfish for wanting to keep him for yourself. Let the man go or watch a video on YouTube with KG crying because he can't get into the playoffs with his sorry *** team.


seriouly, this is _the_ best post in this thread.

Now can we end this pity party?


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## KDOS (Nov 29, 2005)

dannyM said:


> If you want to rebuild and compete at the same time, you're only going to end up with a mediocre team at best. When the Lakers took Bynum, it proved that the Lakers wanted to take the rebuilding approach


Exactly. Also I think Bynum pisses Kobe more than any other player in this team, not on a personal level, but more on the fact LA FO's unwillingness to part with him, thus holding this team from getting a player that Kobe wants.



dannyM said:


> It's the little things that count and I believe Mitch would of signed guys like mo williams and chris duhon instead of old useless vets like divac and mckie. We probably wouldnt of dealt Caron to Kwame as our plan would of focused more on accumulating talent instead of addressing our needs. :


Just bad decisions from time to time. As you mentioned, other players could be had but instead LA ended up signing veterans old enough to qualify for retirement benefits.




dannyM said:


> I have no clue wtf i was writing about but my conclusion is that kobe and the laker F/O are at fault. Out of frustration, I came up with this grandiose plan of having a bunch of laker fans get pickett signs that says, "Free Kobe" & "Sell the Lakers" perhaps it would make us feel better and unit as one. :boohoo:


Both are indeed at fault, no doubt about it. But I feel that the FO should get majority of the blame. My main gripe about Kobe is how he just never stops creating drama.


As far as Laker fans uniting, I dont know about that man. Right now LA fans are divided in several groups. You have people rooting for the Lakers purely because of Kobe, you have those OG and loyal Laker fans and you have the Shaq nut huggers, still clamoring about how Kobe got Shaq traded.


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## KDOS (Nov 29, 2005)

SoCalfan21 said:


> Dude, think about it, if we had a shot at winning more championships. Its publicly known that Kobe didn't want Shaq in LA. He wanted his own team. **** the Front Office. If Kobe were the greatest player in the NBA then he should be able to win 45-50 regular season games and win atleast a round in the playoffs. Lamar Odom isn't that bad to basically demand a trade because he can't win with this team. They played great at the beginning of the season last season..started out 26-13..is it really Odoms fault that he got hurt and their momentum ended? No, it wasn't. If Kobe would pull his head out of his *** he would see that with a small move here or there we would be a very good team. But no, Kobe will be the selfish Kobe would doesn't give a damn about no one but himself.


Allright bro, I can see your frustration, but check this out.


Kobe does not like Shaq, sure, but its not his decision to make on who stays. Afterall Kobe does not sign the checks, Dr. Buss does. I believe in what Kobe said. Dr.Buss told Kobe before he signed the contract that "regardless, if he stay or not, Buss will not give Shaq an extension". Buss simply does not want to a long term commitment for a guy who is simply deteriorating or declining. Its a business move, nothing more.


Next, I dont believe Kobe asked management to specifically trade LO. Matter of fact he even commended Lamar's ability to play in pain during the playoffs. I think its the rest of the team, really. I mean c'mon, Kobe's 2nd option is not even consistent enough to be a "real" threat, and to add insult to injury, he has to carry the likes of Smush,Kwame,Sasha,Radmanovic when his sidekick decides to just shoot the ball 6 times in a span of 40 minutes.


Kobe's been a primadonna, no mistake about that, but you cant overlook the fact that he's doing it because he wants to win. I mean damn fellas, this is not a player who shows up out of shape in the offseason. This is not a player b*tching due to monetary reasons. This is definitely not a player, content in collecting his paychecks while his team goes to lottery every year. Damn, the dude is just an all world talent, and its no coincidence that the only reason the Lakers are even in the playoffs is because of him. Its just so hard to fully hate this guy, when all he wants to do is win.


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## HKF (Dec 10, 2002)

With or without Kobe this team isn't going anywhere for years. It's just not built to win in the short term over the better teams and then when Oden rounds into shape, Kobe will be out of his prime and declining. Say what you want about Bynum, but dude is no Greg Oden and will be dominated by him once Oden gets two years under his belt. 

It's gonna be tough times in Lalaland. The most interesting thing is that there is exactly one can't miss superstar that's a big man that I can see in the next few years and that's Greg Monroe. I doubt the Lakers will be bad enough to draft him however.


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## NOODLESTYLE (Jan 20, 2005)

It has begun:


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## Pimped Out (May 4, 2005)

Eternal said:


> I can't believe people are getting mad at Kobe for wanting to win. =\ I'd want to get the hell out of the Lakers organization myself if I was playing on that team... with the moronic GM and the rest of the front office. Lakers won't be winning the championship anytime soon... and there really isn't a way the team can just magically fix this team so they are a contender.
> 
> Some people are being hypocrites on how alot of people were wanting KG to demand out... since his team isn't going anywhere (which I can understand he isn't on our team), but now that Kobe is doing it... everyone is getting all mad at him, where in reality we should be getting mad at the front office for not putting a winning/contending product on the floor, so Kobe wouldn't be in this situation demanding out.
> 
> I know not many people will agree with me here... but that's just my take on the whole situation.


kg didnt play a role in breaking up a dynasty and has dealt with a whole lot more stupidity from mchale than kobe has from buss.


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## Jamel Irief (May 19, 2002)

Eternal said:


> I can't believe people are getting mad at Kobe for wanting to win. =\ I'd want to get the hell out of the Lakers organization myself if I was playing on that team... with the moronic GM and the rest of the front office. Lakers won't be winning the championship anytime soon... and there really isn't a way the team can just magically fix this team so they are a contender.
> 
> Some people are being hypocrites on how alot of people were wanting KG to demand out... since his team isn't going anywhere (which I can understand he isn't on our team), but now that Kobe is doing it... everyone is getting all mad at him, where in reality we should be getting mad at the front office for not putting a winning/contending product on the floor, so Kobe wouldn't be in this situation demanding out.
> 
> I know not many people will agree with me here... but that's just my take on the whole situation.


Kevin Garnett would of worshiped Shaquille O'Neal as a teammate. Kobe AT THE VERY LEAST did not support him when Buss said he wanted to deal him.

Kobe has never sacrificed winning huh? Idiot wants to go play for the Knicks.


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## Maddocks (Jun 16, 2006)

lakers first, kobe second. thats my stance now of days.


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## HKF (Dec 10, 2002)

Jamel Irief said:


> Kevin Garnett would of worshiped Shaquille O'Neal as a teammate. Kobe AT THE VERY LEAST did not support him when Buss said he wanted to deal him.
> 
> Kobe has never sacrificed winning huh? Idiot wants to go play for the Knicks.


Worshiped? Not likely. Besides as soon as Garnett was declared as good or better than Shaq, he would just get mad and keep telling everyone that he's the most dominant player in the game, as he clunked another free throw off the basket apparatus.


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## ii9ce (Feb 1, 2005)

Pain5155 said:


> the guy is in his prime, and the team their building around him is garbage. WHy would you stay when this GM is focused on not winning now?


I would hate to see kobe go but I really dont blame hime. Why hang around when management is not interested in helping the team. Meanwhile the Laker owner is getting rich of kobe via Jersey sales, ticket sales, endors etc Kobe is no fool. 

Unless Buss puts up more of that money back into the team...good luck kobe


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## Eternal (Sep 7, 2005)

Jamel Irief said:


> Kevin Garnett would of worshiped Shaquille O'Neal as a teammate. Kobe AT THE VERY LEAST did not support him when Buss said he wanted to deal him.
> 
> Kobe has never sacrificed winning huh? Idiot wants to go play for the Knicks.


Where did I say he never sacrificed winning?


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## Eternal (Sep 7, 2005)

Pimped Out said:


> kg didnt play a role in breaking up a dynasty and has dealt with a whole lot more stupidity from mchale than kobe has from buss.


And Kobe did play a role in breaking up the dynasty? Kupchak and Buss are just as horrible as Mchale over the past few years.


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## nbanoitall (May 21, 2004)

actually i can feel what kobe is going through. im sure he knows about some trades that already got passed up that you all dont know about.

i just wish kobe could have chilled until july. give the lakers a chance to make a big deal, draft and sign free agents. I mean Webber and Mo Williams would be big additions. Add maybe MoPete to that and Kobe just got a ton of help. Williams, Webber, and Peterson all have some offensive skills too.

Not to mention the lakers are using bynum and others as trade bait to avoid using odom. it could work out, and i wish kobe would have given it until the end of july. but if nothing big happened and kobe waited until later this summer. id have no problem with his trade demand


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## JerryWest (Jun 24, 2002)

Pimped Out said:


> kg didnt play a role in breaking up a dynasty and has dealt with a whole lot more stupidity from mchale than kobe has from buss.


what dynasty breakup are you talking about, if shaq stayed, the lakers would have have been a 50 win team for the next 3 seasons that would never win a title, please lay off the pipe if you think the lakers could have won with shaq and piss poor "workout"

Jamel - just because you worship shaq doesn't mean other people should. What did shaq do in his last two seasons that made him work worshipping? Delaying surgery? wanting a larger contract despite because in the worst shape of his life.

I am Laker fan and I am Kobe fan. I'm dislike the fact that the Lakers have less negotiating power now, but that's it. Some of you guys are acting like clowns IMO. My opinion of everything remains the same as it was 6 months ago, 1 yr ago, 2 yrs ago, and so on.
-Kobe is the 2nd best player in his generation after Duncan, Kobe was the guy that took on the tough western teams, the finals mvps that shaq received didn't mean anything considering the 1st round, 2nd round, conference finals matchups in the west were tougher
-Mitch is a horrible GM and should have been fired after the 2nd title run. He missed many trade opps. He does not take action but would rather wait for things to come to him. Horrible at evaluating talent in general.
-The lakers are my favorite team in the NBA


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## DANNY (Aug 9, 2005)

nbanoitall said:


> actually i can feel what kobe is going through. im sure he knows about some trades that already got passed up that you all dont know about.
> 
> i just wish kobe could have chilled until july. give the lakers a chance to make a big deal, draft and sign free agents. I mean Webber and Mo Williams would be big additions. Add maybe MoPete to that and Kobe just got a ton of help. Williams, Webber, and Peterson all have some offensive skills too.
> 
> Not to mention the lakers are using bynum and others as trade bait to avoid using odom. it could work out, and i wish kobe would have given it until the end of july. but if nothing big happened and kobe waited until later this summer. id have no problem with his trade demand


good point. 

but it would be too late if he started his drama around july. the lakers F/O wouldnt of made any move to improve the team. Also kobe knows that the best deal would come before the draft so it makes sense that he would acting up before that. It basically leaves him with two choices: 1) if satisfied, he stays with the lakers 2) if not than the lakers have enough time to work out a trade for kobe

trust me i definitely would be more understanding of kobe if they lakers hadnt made any move came july but kobes gotta do whats hes gotta do. he's gotta find a way to somehow motivate those lazy ****s sitting on top of the lakers F/O


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## Theonee (Dec 5, 2006)

If Kobe had kept quiet or talked privately to the Front Office, the FO would have quietly ignored his request and milked him, till he starts to decline.


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## Showtime87 (Jun 27, 2005)

Maddocks said:


> lakers first, kobe second. thats my stance now of days.


Amen to that, that's how it should be for real Lakers fans.


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## Theonee (Dec 5, 2006)

Showtime87 said:


> Amen to that, that's how it should be for real Lakers fans.


I agree, but what Kobe is doing is for the good of the Lakers. He wants to win. Aren't we all tired of losing for the last three years?
Everytime we do a game thread, we almost go in Cardiac arrest because of the scrubs our FO has gathered to play for US.
Three years is a very long time.


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## Showtime87 (Jun 27, 2005)

Theonee said:


> I agree, but what Kobe is doing is for the good of the Lakers. He wants to win. Aren't we all tired of losing for the last three years?
> Everytime we do a game thread, we almost go in Cardiac arrest because of the scrubs our FO has gathered to play for US.
> Three years is a very long time.


Kobe is really only interested in what's good for Kobe, that precedent was sent when he started bickering with Shaq and complaining that they couldn't get along. Kareem was not the most endearing character when Magic broke in, but Mag knew that he needed the big man in order to make it to where he wanted to go, and he was absolutely right. Don't get me wrong, I think Kobe is the greatest talent in the league, but I'm a Lakers fan before I'm a fan of any one player and if Kobe is so dead-set against returning then I have nothing else to say but goodbye Kobe. This team will get back to a championship level, it may not be right away but it will happen. And trust me, three years is not a long time. We as Lakers fans are so spoiled that we expect a championship year in and year out, I've been a Clippers fan for 20+ years now and I'm still waiting for a finals appearance. LOL. Building around Odom and Bynum can work, especially if the Lakers can acquire talent like Gordon and Deng to compliment them. Patience is the key.


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## Ghiman (May 19, 2003)

Kobe's kinda wearing thin on me too. But as long as he remains a Laker i'm gonna support him 100 percent. If he leaves and goes to another team, then he is the enemy. It took me a while to get over the Shaq trade but eventually i got over it. And if Kobe leaves, i'll be sad, but eventually time will heal all wounds. As my saying goes, i'm a fan of a team, not an individual.


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## Tragedy (Dec 9, 2002)

Lakers have no one to blame but themselves as an organization.

They win either way while having Kobe. They're one of the biggest draws in the league and Kobe makes $$$$$ for the Lakers.

They could have easily traded SHAQ and gotten enough back to at LEAST be in the playoffs every season and have a chance to get out the first round.

Instead they bobble that, trade Shaq for 30 cents on the dollar, and then trade the one player from that deal who would have been good alongside Kobe in Caron Butler, who can find his niche playing alongside a volume shooter/scorer.

It has to be extremely frustrating.

Not just for Kobe but for Lakers fans. Now you're facing a situation where the star player wants to leave and has a no-trade clause. Then considering what the front office has done before in trades, you really can't feel too good about the immediate future of the Lakers.


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## truth (Jul 16, 2002)

Theonee said:


> I agree, but what Kobe is doing is for the good of the Lakers. He wants to win. Aren't we all tired of losing for the last three years?
> Everytime we do a game thread, we almost go in Cardiac arrest because of the scrubs our FO has gathered to play for US.
> *Three years is a very long time*.


3 years is NOT a very long time.What did you expect when you traded the most dominating player in basketball for 2 small fowards??

The Lakers went the path of the rebuild,and that takes time.You simply do not draft and hold Andrew Bynum if that is not your mindset.If you want to get back to the Finals,call David Stern and see if the Lakers can get reassigned in the cupcake Eastern division..


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## KDOS (Nov 29, 2005)

Showtime87 said:


> Kobe is really only interested in what's good for Kobe,


And really..you should also know that the Lakers are really only interested in whats good for the Lakers. Its a business afterall.


We should'nt criticize Kobe for the very same thing fans really care about, and thats winning.


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## KDOS (Nov 29, 2005)

:lol: @ Kevin Garnett worshipping Shaquille O'Neal as a teammate.


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## Jamel Irief (May 19, 2002)

HKF said:


> Worshiped? Not likely. Besides as soon as Garnett was declared as good or better than Shaq, he would just get mad and keep telling everyone that he's the most dominant player in the game, as he clunked another free throw off the basket apparatus.


Dwayne Wade seems to worship Shaq.



Eternal said:


> Where did I say he never sacrificed winning?


You didn't. I was responding to Kobe. The fool that wanted to sign with those winners known as the Clippers.


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## Lynx (Mar 6, 2004)

Showtime87 said:


> Amen to that, that's how it should be for real Lakers fans.


Yeah bru.

If Kobe wants to win badly, he better start taking the pay cut.


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## PauloCatarino (May 31, 2003)

Lynx said:


> Yeah bru.
> 
> If Kobe wants to win badly, he better start taking the pay cut.


And play defense...


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## DANNY (Aug 9, 2005)

PauloCatarino said:


> And play defense...


:lol:


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## AllEyezonTX (Nov 16, 2006)

#24/NBA/David Stren want to save the Eastern Conf.


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## JerryWest (Jun 24, 2002)

Jamel Irief said:


> Dwayne Wade seems to worship Shaq.
> 
> 
> 
> You didn't. I was responding to Kobe. The fool that wanted to sign with those winners known as the Clippers.


dude, just because you worship shaq doesn't mean keeping an overweight fat piece of lard would have helped this team. I don't know why Shaq was traded, my only regret was that we didn't get more for him when he could have traded him a year before and gotten more value for him


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## Jamel Irief (May 19, 2002)

KennethTo said:


> dude, just because you worship shaq doesn't mean keeping an overweight fat piece of lard would have helped this team. I don't know why Shaq was traded, my only regret was that we didn't get more for him when he could have traded him a year before and gotten more value for him


Who the hell said anything about keeping Shaq on the team?

It's funny that Kobe worshippers are always quick to call me a Shaq worshipper, when they are far bigger Kobe fans than I am a Shaq fan.


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## KDOS (Nov 29, 2005)

Shaq Worshipper!


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## Basel (Mar 31, 2005)

I don't think anyone should worship a basketball player...

Great success!


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## rogue_nine82 (Jul 3, 2003)

I for one have lost all respect for Kobe. On a scale of 1 to 10 my support and adoration for Kobe Bryant was an 11. I thought he was the most maligned and misunderstood player in the league who was criticized for any and everything he did. I supported him through the Shaq debacle (even after reading Phil's book), I supported him through the whole rape incident, I would argue with friends all the time that he was not selfish that he could sacrifice for the team yada yada. And then this whole trade crap happened and now Kobe in my opinion is the TO of the NBA.

I have been a Laker fan since the showtime Lakers and as Laker fans we always understood that we were never beholden to our stars, we helped make them. This whole Kobe fiasco has demonstrated to me just how far my franchise has fallen.

In throwing his temper tantrum Kobe is simply proving all of his critics right, that he is selfish that it is all about him and that he is willing to hijack a franchise to get his will. This whole thing could have been handleded professionally and with dignity but now it has become a circus, with one player holding my team hostage. I say let the ******* go. I don't want him on my team. He is a cancer and I don't put it past him next year to simply sabotage us on the court and actually cause us to lose games. Recall that he has been accused of doing this before by refusing to shoot in an important playoff game. You don't know what you will get out of this chump. Trade him. NOW.

I have lost all respect for Kobe Bryant and will no longer root for him in or out of a Laker jersey.


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## seifer0406 (Jun 8, 2003)

For the people that want the Lakers to keep Kobe, I hope you are getting a share of the ticket revenue next year because that is the only reason why the Lakers are keeping him. LA will suck next year with or without Kobe, and will suck for years to come if Kobe stays around. The West is way too loaded for the current Lakers to contend even if they somehow manage to add 1-2 quality veterans to help Kobe. Now is the best time to rebuild since the 2-3 years that it will take would probably be the same time for the Spurs and Suns to go on the decline, opening the West again. Unless the fans want the Lakers to stay mediocre and drag this out into the next decade, they should root for the Lakers to trade Kobe whether they like Kobe or not.


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## Eternal (Sep 7, 2005)

seifer0406 said:


> For the people that want the Lakers to keep Kobe, I hope you are getting a share of the ticket revenue next year because that is the only reason why the Lakers are keeping him. LA will suck next year with or without Kobe, and will suck for years to come if Kobe stays around. The West is way too loaded for the current Lakers to contend even if they somehow manage to add 1-2 quality veterans to help Kobe. Now is the best time to rebuild since the 2-3 years that it will take would probably be the same time for the Spurs and Suns to go on the decline, opening the West again. Unless the fans want the Lakers to stay mediocre and drag this out into the next decade, they should root for the Lakers to trade Kobe whether they like Kobe or not.


I don't think so. If the Lakers can add one more player that is a borderline all-star, without giving up Odom, or trade Odom and Bynum and get two borderline all-stars in return, we can contend. Keep in mind the last time we saw a full healthy Lakers team is when we took the Suns to 7 games. The Lakers are clearly not as bad as they shown in the later parts of last season.


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## Dissonance (Jul 21, 2004)

Eternal said:


> I don't think so. If the Lakers can add one more player that is a borderline all-star, without giving up Odom, or trade Odom and Bynum and get two borderline all-stars in return, we can contend. *Keep in mind the last time we saw a full healthy Lakers team is when we took the Suns to 7 games.* The Lakers are clearly not as bad as they shown in the later parts of last season.



A Suns team down Amare Stoudemire and Kurt Thomas need I remind you . Lakers may have been healthy. Suns weren't. Works both ways.


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## seifer0406 (Jun 8, 2003)

Eternal said:


> I don't think so. If the Lakers can add one more player that is a borderline all-star, without giving up Odom, or trade Odom and Bynum and get two borderline all-stars in return, we can contend. Keep in mind the last time we saw a full healthy Lakers team is when we took the Suns to 7 games. The Lakers are clearly not as bad as they shown in the later parts of last season.


The Lakers would need another borderline all-star caliber player to simply reach the level of the Cavs this year which would be great if LA is in the East. Try to come up with a list of players that LA could get that would allow the team to have a decent chance against the Spurs/Suns/Utah/Mavs(Well, maybe Mavs, anything is possible against the Mavs).


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## seifer0406 (Jun 8, 2003)

Forgot to add that "Contend" does not include the strategy of having Kobe go insane and score 50 for 4 straight games. You can use this for how LA will make the playoffs next year as well.


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## KDOS (Nov 29, 2005)

Dissonance19 said:


> A Suns team down Amare Stoudemire and Kurt Thomas need I remind you . Lakers may have been healthy. Suns weren't. Works both ways.



Oh shhh...here we go.


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## Dissonance (Jul 21, 2004)

KOBEDUNKEDONSHAQ said:


> Oh shhh...here we go.



Here we go what? He can't say it one way about health, and forget the other way. It's simple logic.


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## KDOS (Nov 29, 2005)

seifer0406 said:


> Forgot to add that "Contend" does not include the strategy of having Kobe go insane and score 50 for 4 straight games. You can use this for how LA will make the playoffs next year as well.



FYI:

Only reason Kobe went medieval is because of the teams injuries, other than that the Lakers were playing "team" basketball last year, with just a few occasional bursts from #24.


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## KDOS (Nov 29, 2005)

Dissonance19 said:


> Here we go what? He can't say it one way about health, and forget the other way. It's simple logic.


Just saying, its been beaten to death. We all know the Suns are a better team.


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## Showtime87 (Jun 27, 2005)

rogue_nine82 said:


> I for one have lost all respect for Kobe. On a scale of 1 to 10 my support and adoration for Kobe Bryant was an 11. I thought he was the most maligned and misunderstood player in the league who was criticized for any and everything he did. I supported him through the Shaq debacle (even after reading Phil's book), I supported him through the whole rape incident, I would argue with friends all the time that he was not selfish that he could sacrifice for the team yada yada. And then this whole trade crap happened and now Kobe in my opinion is the TO of the NBA.
> 
> I have been a Laker fan since the showtime Lakers and as Laker fans we always understood that we were never beholden to our stars, we helped make them. This whole Kobe fiasco has demonstrated to me just how far my franchise has fallen.
> 
> ...


While I can't say that was ever a huge fan of Kobe, much like you I did respect and defend him when people would take shots at him. I thought he went about things the right way. He always worked hard on his game, he had the killer-instinct necessary for greatness and with the exception of the Shaq fiasco he was always respectful and supportive of his teammates. Unfortunately, whether out of simple frustration, or due to other more selfish motives he has now proven himself to be little more than primadonna superstar who is willing to throw anyone under the bus who doesn't give him his way. It really is sad, because you would never see someone like Magic, Kareem, Worthy or any of those great showtime Lakers behave in such a childish manner. That team had great talent that was matched only by the high level of integrity and professionalism of it's team members and coaches. Maybe it's just a sign of the times, but when I look at a franchise like the Spurs I see that same type of character and professionalism that once made me so proud of the Lakers organization. That being said, I would rather start over and build around character guys like Lamar Odom, Andrew Bynum and Luke Walton rather than see this team taken hostage by the me-first attitudes of the Kobe Bryants and Shaqs of the basketball landscape. I know exactly where you're coming from and I couldn't agree more, this franchise will go without Kobe Bryant and will ultimately be better off in the long run without him. This is purely the opinion of a lifelong basektball fan who would rather lose with class and intregrity than win with cancerous superstars.


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## Wilt_The_Stilt (Jun 7, 2002)

The ironic thing is that if Kobe cared so much about winning, he would have remained with Shaq.

I know the story about Buss not wanting to pay Shaq, but you don't think that Buss considered Kobe opting out and then being left with an aging Shaq and no pieces to trade? Lakers would have been worse than they are now. It was a business decision but one based on Kobe leaving if Shaq stayed, which I do believe would have happened. Phil wrote as much in his book. (although he isn't really the most trustworthy either)

But there is blame to be put on the front office as well. They haven't done a good job assembling a team around Kobe or around Shaq and Kobe when they were together.


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## ii9ce (Feb 1, 2005)

PauloCatarino said:


> And play defense...


Why the hell should he take a pay cut??

What he is getting paid, he has earned! Can you imagine how much the Lakers are making off of Kobe? 

Buss should stop spending all his money on drinks and girls half his age and invest in the lakers. In the last two years ticket prices have gone up every year, jersey sales is top the NBA chart...yet his complaining about paying luxery tax. 

kobe...get paid!


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## compsciguy78 (Dec 16, 2002)

Kobe has been pulling this stuff on the Lakers for years and everybody was blind to it.
That to me is the funniest part.


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## kzero (Apr 30, 2006)

I don't really want to argue, but I just wanted to ask when did Kobe actually DEMAND a trade? Demand is a such a strong word. If I recall correctly, he said he would "like to be traded." After that, people started putting words in his mouth so he tried to do some damage control with the later interview and his website (e.g. "I wanna be a Laker, but they gotta do something," etc)

Ever since then, what has he done? You guys act like he's going out to the media everyday saying, "I'M STILL WAITING WHERE IS MY TRADE RAAAWR." Then you got the media pretending like he's flip flopping and demanding trades all over the place. The fact of the matter is, he has not gone public about it since the second day. The only reason everything thinks he's still whining is because the media keeps following his *** around trying to dig up stories. What he does in Spain is up to him, its not like he set up a press conference and said, "Whooo, I'm going to tell people I want to get traded again." Then you got the media up your *** the next day publicizing what he did.

Then you got the fans saying, "Oh no, he betrayed me. I need to go cut myself and never root for this guy again." Or, "How could he do this after we supported him all these years, through Colorado and whatnot?" All I have to say to this is how the hell can he care about fans right now? How does he know who is loyal to him? I mean he is having a nice day talking to some people about how they should have gotten Jason Kidd and all that, and these people pop out their phones and tape him saying this stuff and bring it to the media. Yes, he loves his fans, the ones he knows that won't backstab him, oh wait, which ones are those?

- k0


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## SoCalfan21 (Jul 19, 2004)

The More and more that I hear Kobe wants to sit out for the season rather than play for the Lakers. I say jus ship his *** out. We would be a better team oriented basketball club and we could get Deng and Gordon out of it. Trade Bynum and fillers for JO. We wouldn't be that bad of a team

PG- MLE, Farmar
SG- Gordon, Evans
SF- Deng, Walton
PF- Odom, Turiaf
C- JO, Mihm


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## DANNY (Aug 9, 2005)

SoCalfan21 said:


> The More and more that I hear Kobe wants to sit out for the season rather than play for the Lakers. I say jus ship his *** out. We would be a better team oriented basketball club and we could get Deng and Gordon out of it. Trade Bynum and fillers for JO. We wouldn't be that bad of a team
> 
> PG- MLE, Farmar
> SG- Gordon, Evans
> ...


we'll be decent just like we are now. 

with that lineup it's an automatic first round knock out in the west IMO.


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## compsciguy78 (Dec 16, 2002)

SoCalfan21 said:


> The More and more that I hear Kobe wants to sit out for the season rather than play for the Lakers. I say jus ship his *** out. We would be a better team oriented basketball club and we could get Deng and Gordon out of it. Trade Bynum and fillers for JO. We wouldn't be that bad of a team
> 
> PG- MLE, Farmar
> SG- Gordon, Evans
> ...


I like that team a lot.

JO, Odom, Deng, Gordon...thats a better team then we have now with Kobe.

Deng is a legit perennial all-star in the making. I don't think the Bulls want to ship him for Kobe.


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## Maddocks (Jun 16, 2006)

kobe wont sit out, no one wants to give up 20 mil to prove a point.


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## Showtime87 (Jun 27, 2005)

compsciguy78 said:


> I like that team a lot.
> 
> JO, Odom, Deng, Gordon...thats a better team then we have now with Kobe.
> 
> Deng is a legit perennial all-star in the making. I don't think the Bulls want to ship him for Kobe.


I like Deng as well, he seems to be on the verge of becoming a big time player. It's still ridiculous though that the Bulls would expect to get a future HOFer and perennial scoring champ for Ben Gordon and some scrubs. Gimme a break Chicago, even the woefully inept Lakers front office learned their lesson from the Shaq trade and will not deal Kobe unless they at least get the other team's best player in return. Or, I really hope they wouldn't...


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