Kobe: If West isn't back running Lakers I want out
- Thread starter AleksandarN
- Start date
He evidently did well enough in Memphis considering that they made the playoffs 3x in a row after posting annual 20 win sesaons.
Name another good move he's made since trading for Kobe Bryant and all the collective moves he made to acquire Shaq (a week after getting Kobe). Do you realize how that sounds?
Name another good move he's made since trading for Kobe Bryant and all the collective moves he made to acquire Shaq (a week after getting Kobe). Do you realize how that sounds?
i said the initial story ric wrote was that if west didnt come in, he wanted to be traded. then espn changed that. so yes ma'am, ive followed the story
obviously if he were traded, the other team is affected too. i never claimed that our current roster is "the team". what is meant is that id have better faith with geoff building around kobe over mitch kupchak. i think anyone would even with the erroneous idea that he would even come here
and to add, if it were in any way possible to put kobe on the current roster, we would be going to a kings game tonite
obviously if he were traded, the other team is affected too. i never claimed that our current roster is "the team". what is meant is that id have better faith with geoff building around kobe over mitch kupchak. i think anyone would even with the erroneous idea that he would even come here
and to add, if it were in any way possible to put kobe on the current roster, we would be going to a kings game tonite
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There's absolutely NO way you could make that leap IMHO. It's the conference finals. I seriously doubt if, even with Kobe on the current roster, we would have made it past the second round. We'd still have no frontcourt.
And FYI - ESPN reportedly changed the story because Bucher (brace yourself) got part of it wrong.
And FYI - ESPN reportedly changed the story because Bucher (brace yourself) got part of it wrong.
Obviously Shaq showed that he has too much ego, and that he can no way defer to another superstar and let him take over for long stretches of playoff games and still win a championship that way... err whoops... sorry he did. He'll never be able to win a another championship without kobe though... err whoops... sorry, took him all of a couple of seasons. Kobe got what he wanted, now he's going to have to live with it.
Ok...Straight from the man's mouth (his website):
The Truth: I haven't asked for a trade
Haven't checked in in a while,
I'm sure you guys have been hearing all this and that and are not sure what to think or believe.
The Truth section was created for times such as these.
So here's tha deal:
I have NOT asked to be traded, I don't want to be traded and I have given no ultimatums or demands of being traded.
I love it here in LA, my family loves it here.
I've been a laker fan my whole life. A REAL Laker fan! I'm talkin Silk Wilks days, and know the history of the Lakers going back to George Mikan era. I WANT to retire a Laker and contend for titles.
It is my opinion that Mr Clutch, one of the greatest GMs the game has ever seen would b able to get us to back to that level sooner rather than later.
If he is available, then it makes sense to give him the reigns and let him do what he does BEST. I KNOW I can trust him to build us an elite team.
I'm tired of losing and I'm sure you guys are tired of it as well.
Now is the time to step up and make some things happen. We have all have waited patiently for three years...Let's GO!
- Strength and Honor
The Truth: I haven't asked for a trade
Haven't checked in in a while,
I'm sure you guys have been hearing all this and that and are not sure what to think or believe.
The Truth section was created for times such as these.
So here's tha deal:
I have NOT asked to be traded, I don't want to be traded and I have given no ultimatums or demands of being traded.
I love it here in LA, my family loves it here.
I've been a laker fan my whole life. A REAL Laker fan! I'm talkin Silk Wilks days, and know the history of the Lakers going back to George Mikan era. I WANT to retire a Laker and contend for titles.
It is my opinion that Mr Clutch, one of the greatest GMs the game has ever seen would b able to get us to back to that level sooner rather than later.
If he is available, then it makes sense to give him the reigns and let him do what he does BEST. I KNOW I can trust him to build us an elite team.
I'm tired of losing and I'm sure you guys are tired of it as well.
Now is the time to step up and make some things happen. We have all have waited patiently for three years...Let's GO!
- Strength and Honor
My guess? He went on a long rant about how pissed he is and he insinuated it... Perhaps by saying... "Yeah I want West back... He was good GM blah blah blah. If something isn't done I want out of here." Now all of a sudden that he's getting blasted for it and realized how stupid it was he's trying to do a quick PR stunt to retract his statement. Bottom line, is that Stephen A. Smith AND Ric Bucher don't just get the same impression when according to Kobe he never said anything to that nature.
Actually, it would be very easy for them to have the same impression if one of them - SAS in this instance - was basing his impression on what Bucher had said. It wouldn't be the first time...
I don't believe Smith any more than I believe Bucher. They're both guilty of taking very little molehills and trying to build them into another Mount Everest.
But I guess this is going to be the juicy rumor du jour for the off-season. I'm just glad it isn't about the Kings.
EDIT: I do suspect your scenario above may have more than a kernel of truth to it, however. If Kobe was venting and thought he was "off the record," he might indeed have said something he didn't think would go any further than Bucher. If so, Mr. Bryant needs to remember that Bucher isn't a pillar of journalistic integrity; he's a sports hack who will run with just about anything, not bothering to let facts get in the way of the story.
Bottom line is I do not think Kobe Bryant is going to leave the Lakers.
But I guess this is going to be the juicy rumor du jour for the off-season. I'm just glad it isn't about the Kings.
EDIT: I do suspect your scenario above may have more than a kernel of truth to it, however. If Kobe was venting and thought he was "off the record," he might indeed have said something he didn't think would go any further than Bucher. If so, Mr. Bryant needs to remember that Bucher isn't a pillar of journalistic integrity; he's a sports hack who will run with just about anything, not bothering to let facts get in the way of the story.
Bottom line is I do not think Kobe Bryant is going to leave the Lakers.
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Making the playoffs three years in a row and getting swept all three years isn't exactly what I'd call a successful team.
They don't look better than they did when he started; they actually look worse, but I think he realized that they need to start over while they still could, and he had the balls to make some drastic changes. They are only a couple of good players away from being a legitimate playoff team, assuming Gasol stays healthy and they have a capable coach.
Jerry West built a championship team in LA, and that's something that will stay with him for a long time. He earned his reputation as a good GM, and it will take more than a few bad years in Memphis to take it away from him.
They don't look better than they did when he started; they actually look worse, but I think he realized that they need to start over while they still could, and he had the balls to make some drastic changes. They are only a couple of good players away from being a legitimate playoff team, assuming Gasol stays healthy and they have a capable coach.
Jerry West built a championship team in LA, and that's something that will stay with him for a long time. He earned his reputation as a good GM, and it will take more than a few bad years in Memphis to take it away from him.
It seems Jerry Buss was just busted for DUI.
http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2007/05/29/news/breaking/12_01_275_29_07.txt
http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2007/05/29/news/breaking/12_01_275_29_07.txt
I wouldn't put it past Kobe, at least to put it out subtly. Lakers front office is definitely killing his best years. It's a shame to waste that talent. There were some good rivalries when Lakers were actually competitive and not a team trying to make the 6-8 seed.
Even if Kobe got what he wanted(in wanting to get rid of Shaq), the front office didn't exactly do a good job of working for a good deal. They got back Odom basically, a broken Brian Grant with a huge contract and Kwame after the dust has settled. For Shaq? Didn't even get an all star back. Odom still has not lived to his full potential. He shows up once in a while, but hes also better suited for a more face paced team as evident with that great year he had in Miami in Wade's rookie year.
Even if Kobe got what he wanted(in wanting to get rid of Shaq), the front office didn't exactly do a good job of working for a good deal. They got back Odom basically, a broken Brian Grant with a huge contract and Kwame after the dust has settled. For Shaq? Didn't even get an all star back. Odom still has not lived to his full potential. He shows up once in a while, but hes also better suited for a more face paced team as evident with that great year he had in Miami in Wade's rookie year.
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Moving away from the subject of the thread for a moment, I think Shaq had the type of ego problem that CWebb had after his injury --- diminishing skills in the same surroundings, and so couldn't put his ego by the wayside to let other players better suited to carry more of the load actually carry that load. Shaq wasn't a youngster when he left LA, but he still had a couple of good, potentially dominant left (if he stayed in shape), and he wasn't willing to let Kobe take over as the true #1 option, at least imho.
As for the Kobe drama...couldn't Stern have commanded Kobe to wait until after the NBA playoffs are finished?
As for the Kobe drama...couldn't Stern have commanded Kobe to wait until after the NBA playoffs are finished?
