Kobe maybe going to Chicago... Just saw on ESPN...

not official but Ric Bucher said if a trade happens it will be by next week or at least before the draft on the 28th. He said Kobe wants to go to three teams either the Knicks,Bulls, or Suns. He said u can rule out Phoenix right away because the lakers would not trade him to a team in there own division and you can rule out the Knicks because they have too many salary cap issues to deal with and dont have the players to pull off a trade anyway. So that leaves the Bulls and a Kobe to the bulls for Wallace,Gordon,Deng, and there first round pick. Kobe though remember can veto any trade so if the bulls wants him and he sees all those guys coming to the lakers he may veto the trade because who would he be playing alongside Kirk Hinrich and Nocihioni and thats about it.
 
not official but Ric Bucher said if a trade happens it will be by next week or at least before the draft on the 28th. He said Kobe wants to go to three teams either the Knicks,Bulls, or Suns. He said u can rule out Phoenix right away because the lakers would not trade him to a team in there own division and you can rule out the Knicks because they have too many salary cap issues to deal with and dont have the players to pull off a trade anyway. So that leaves the Bulls and a Kobe to the bulls for Wallace,Gordon,Deng, and there first round pick. Kobe though remember can veto any trade so if the bulls wants him and he sees all those guys coming to the lakers he may veto the trade because who would he be playing alongside Kirk Hinrich and Nocihioni and thats about it.
blah blah blah...................:D

edit: blah blah blah...Kobe...blah blah...Kobe...blah blah...
 
Ah, another tidbit from Ric Bucher. He is so much like the million monkeys typing for a million years on a million typewriters. Sooner or later, he's bound to get something right. Will this be the time?

...

...

I'd start a poll but I've already lost interest.

;)

EDIT: I'd be willing to bet he won't go to Chicago, however. He's already lived most of his career in the shadow of Michael Jordan. I can't imagine him going to MJ's home turf and face even more comparisons from the people who knew MJ up close and personal. I don't think those comparisons would be in Kobe's favor.
 
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Bucher may not be generally trustworthy, but he does seem to have some in with Kobe, and remember he ws the guy who broke the intial Kobe whines about wanting a trade story.

Seen that same rumor about Chicago, maybe from the same source.

And if I'm Chicago and that's the situation I tell the Lakers that's not how it works. What are the Lakers' options? Then we negotiate. Wallace is definitely in due to the salary, and I'm thinking Chicago may almost be glad to be rid of it before he fades. Deng can be replaced by Nocioni, that hurts, but you can afford that and he's the major piece for the Lakers. Gordon is replaced by Kobe, and goodbye Ben. But that pick...well since you just robbed me of my center, I'm keeping that pick. 3/5 of the starting lienup? Ok. I'll come back with Heinrich, Kobe, Nocioni, Thomas and hope (although why Kobe thinks that's so much better than his current crew I do not know). But the pick stays to try to replace that big man (likely via trade), but maybe free agency..

Just as an aside, from our perspective I would instantly be on that phone seeing if the Bulls would be interestd in Artest for that #9, Brad etc.
 
You could be right. Perhaps Kobe is using Bucher once again to further his own interests.
 
Kobe + Cook to Boston for Jefferson + Szczerbiak + Ratliff + #5. Lakers get rid of a poison pill contract, a soon-to-be great PF, a huge expiring contract, a quality SF (when healthy), and a high draft pick in a deep draft. Ratliff and Brown expiring after next season gives them the cap room to sign you-know-who as a free agent.
 
I think that this is what Kobe wants, not something that is realistic. If Paxson wouldn't give up Deng+filler for Gasol or 3 bulls + picks for KG, why would he give up all that for Kobe? I think that Kobe would like to make finals like LBJ did, but Paxson has become notorious for stockpiling kids and picks over his tenure so far. He may be regretting signing Wallace to the max, but even there Paxson is softening his stance and they are changing team policy so that Ben can wear the head band (one of many Paxson rules that Skiles gets criticized for).
 
he basically gets into the same situation as he was in LA. the talent gets a little better at PG and SF but that's about it, LA gets better on the otherhand...
 
when did kobe become the britney spears of basketball? his constant struggle to make the headlines after his team got eliminated in the first round is really sickening. i wanna leave.. no i want to stay.. oh wait did i say that out loud? i want to leave.. i am staying if this happens.. sshh, i am planning to leave for the east coast... bah!
 
when did kobe become the britney spears of basketball? his constant struggle to make the headlines after his team got eliminated in the first round is really sickening. i wanna leave.. no i want to stay.. oh wait did i say that out loud? i want to leave.. i am staying if this happens.. sshh, i am planning to leave for the east coast... bah!

Hey, 2¢!!! Glad to see you...

I have to agree wholeheartedly about this whole Kobe deal this time around. It's like the aging movie star so desperate for publicity - any kind of publicity - they'll do just about anything.
 
Hey, 2¢!!! Glad to see you...

I have to agree wholeheartedly about this whole Kobe deal this time around. It's like the aging movie star so desperate for publicity - any kind of publicity - they'll do just about anything.

i know this isn't the point you were trying to make, but kobe's got age on his side. he has a lot of great years of basketball left in him, and regardless of his primadonna attitude, there's a reason the media jumps on every little thing that occurs in kobe-land: he is the best in the nba. LA, chicago, new york, whatever. it doesn't really matter what market he plays in, the media's gonna follow his every move, because he's an amazing ballplayer, and the only thing better than an amazing ballplayer to the media is an amazing ballplayer who's constantly surrounded by drama. i'm not defending kobe, but i find it hard to call this particular trade demand a cry for publicity. if he was just trying to scare the lakers into immediately improving the team, then i'd agree. but it appears that he sincerely wants to be traded, justified or not, and it ain't like the media is gonna avoid stories concerning legitimate kobe bryant trade demands.
 
My point wasn't about Kobe's age whatsoever. It was about someone who is NOT used to sharing the limelight. It's been about Lebron James this post-season; not Kobe Bryant. And I believe the desperation he's exhibiting is a direct result.

It's quite possible it's a combination of factors but most of the stuff Kobe is saying could easily have been said privately. He chose to initiate contact with various media people.
 
My point wasn't about Kobe's age whatsoever. It was about someone who is NOT used to sharing the limelight. It's been about Lebron James this post-season; not Kobe Bryant. And I believe the desperation he's exhibiting is a direct result.

It's quite possible it's a combination of factors but most of the stuff Kobe is saying could easily have been said privately. He chose to initiate contact with various media people.
Well heck if it's headlines the Koblet want's all he really has to do is go to Colorado...:cool: :p
 
My point wasn't about Kobe's age whatsoever. It was about someone who is NOT used to sharing the limelight. It's been about Lebron James this post-season; not Kobe Bryant. And I believe the desperation he's exhibiting is a direct result.

It's quite possible it's a combination of factors but most of the stuff Kobe is saying could easily have been said privately. He chose to initiate contact with various media people.

heh...i know...

that's why i prefaced my response with this opening statement: "i know this isn't the point you were trying to make..."

:p

my point was simply that the media sees kobe as a young superstar who's always gonna have something to say, so their scribble-pads and microphones need to be ready. sure, he easily could have kept this private, but that ain't kobe bryant, and it would have undoubtedly leaked out to the media anyway.

is kobe desperate? that's an interesting psychological question. what is he desperate for? attention? recognition? championships? all those things are interlinked. if you get rings, you get attention and recognition. so, considering kobe is, indeed, a primadonna, its not surprising that he wants to win more championships. he's one several other awards and honors in the nba, and the only thing left is the mvp. players on winning teams win mvp's, so maybe its a two birds with one stone thing. get traded to a team with potential, thrive in the new environment, make a great playoff run, win the mvp, get lots of attention and recognition, win a championship, get lots more attention and recognition. who knows what's going on in his head? hard to tell, cuz no team is gonna be able to keep their roster intact if they trade for kobe bryant, who's salary alone will render potential championship runs almost impossible unless the team he plays for can draft incredibly well.

all i'm saying is: why question the actions of someone who has proven repeatedly to be an attention-whore in the nba? of course he doesn't want to share the limelight. he's the best, and he wants to be able to compete with the rest at the highest level attainable. again, i'm hardly defending kobe, cuz i think he's a pompous ******* who has no understanding of the "team first" concept, but to write his trade demand off simply as "ego" is a bit shortsighted, imo. his logic is faulty, cuz he's being paid so damn much that the lakers have had difficulty wiggling around since they re-signed him, but he's a helluva competitor, and it's not surprising to me at all that he would want to be able to square off against lebron james in the nba finals sometime in the near future. he wants to prove that he's still the best. he's ego-driven, but even MJ had that. MJ was a much better teammate, though, and had a better understanding of what it takes to build a team and win. maybe kobe will get there someday. lebron's already got a step up on him in that regard...
 
;)

EDIT: I'd be willing to bet he won't go to Chicago, however. He's already lived most of his career in the shadow of Michael Jordan. I can't imagine him going to MJ's home turf and face even more comparisons from the people who knew MJ up close and personal. I don't think those comparisons would be in Kobe's favor.


same reason i wouldve guessed. this makes more sense than all the rest
 
Kobe's an idiot. Doesn't he have the common sense to know whoever trades for him would have to give up the farm to get him, therefore putting him in a similar situation he's in with the Lakers???
 
Where are our resident Lakers fans anyway? I'd be interested to see what they are thinking about this... strangely silent.
 
I'm more of a Laker fan than a Kobe fan...

Paxson has denied any talks with the Lakers. You can either take him at his word, or take it as a cover-up. Personally, I don't think Kobe's going anywhere. The Lakers front office holds all the cards. Kobe's under contract for two more years. If they trade Kobe, the Lakers can count on a dramatic drop in season ticket sales and overall attendance. People pay to see Kobe Bryant, not Ben Gordon.

They can keep him and do nothing, and he'll remain unhappy, but he won't tank his game in order to lower his value as a future free agent. Or, they can keep him and try to get something done to win now. What they've done since the Shaq trade feels like a half-assed balance between scaling back (dumping Shaq, not making any big-name trades) and rebuilding, or making moves to win now (MLE signings and contract extensions), and neither have been very successful.
 
Where are our resident Lakers fans anyway? I'd be interested to see what they are thinking about this... strangely silent.


Just waiting for it all to shake out.

I've been a Laker fan long before Kobe was even born, so that's not going to change...no matter what happens, but I don't think Kobe's going anywhere.

Though I don't think he should have spouted off in public, he's not the first superstar to do so.
 
Where are our resident Lakers fans anyway? I'd be interested to see what they are thinking about this... strangely silent.

I can't tell you much more than you already can figure by common sense. I've also been moving for the last 4-5 days so I haven't had a lot of time to read sports boards. No one here including the Laker fans can make definitive claims about trade possibilities until it's certain that Buss is trading him. Until then, trade talks are a waste of breath.

Here's what I gather in order of certainty:

a) Buss doesn't want to trade Kobe.
b) Kobe doesn't like Bynum.
c) Don't listen to Bucher. He changes his mind daily more than Kobe himself.
d) No real confirmation behind the scenes that I'm aware of on what Kobe REALLY has or hasn't said to Buss since May 30/31. Therefore, can't really gauge what's up until more public statements are made.
e) If they fail to do something he likes, he eventually gets traded.
f) If he eventually gets traded, LA won't get back equal value.
g) If they trade Kobe, that means Bynum has survived and will stay a Laker.
h) Indiana rumors seem dead -- I have a feeling that Kupchak may be searching for 3-ways to appease Kobe. No way of telling what's what until Draft Day as you well know.

My personal feelings on Kobe's state: He's crossed a line of professionalism this month. You may think we're all Kobe fanatics (I dunno), but I'm not for anarchy. Kobe's first round of radio interviews was sufficient to get his point across. Everything after that has muddied the situation and has made him into a mercenary. He did the same thing to Bynum that Shaq once did to Kobe.

Bottom line is that this is a superstar no matter what he does -- must ensure that you maximize the situation no matter which way it goes. Exhaust ALL opportunities to appease him. If that fails, try to come to a consensus w/ him to be patient while he's being dealt so both parties come out fairly satisfied. If that fails, take the best deal available as quickly as possible.
 
Kobe's behavior towards Bynum has been much worse than anything Shaq did to him (was this before or after Kobe decided to out Shaq as a philander to the cops to try to save his own ***?). For the simple reason that Kobe is attacking, and fairly viciously if that most recent video pops up, a young teammate who is not even remotely his equal. This is not a superstar vs. superstar tug of war, this is an absolutely spoiled superstar just pummeling his young teammate and not even disguising his foot as he repeatedly tries to kick him out of town.

Mentioned before that the best possible resolution of all this would be for the 7'0" kid to take a giant step forward in toughness if not maturity, show up on Kobe's doorstep, and just beat the holy hell out him. Outside of shouting "not the shooting hand" I know if I was one of his teammates I wouldn't do a thing to interfere. All comes around eventually, and this has just been ugly.
 
Kobe's behavior towards Bynum has been much worse than anything Shaq did to him (was this before or after Kobe decided to out Shaq as a philander to the cops to try to save his own ***?). For the simple reason that Kobe is attacking, and fairly viciously if that most recent video pops up, a young teammate who is not even remotely his equal.

Shaq's was far worse. We're talking from 1997 and prior to Eagle.

Shaq's ranged from physically slapping him to berating him in front of the team at table meetings to demanding him being traded to working to ostracize him from the other vets to taking games off when he was mad at him (confirmed by Winter) to calling him by pointed nicknames to the LA media from the very start. And I'm sure there's more. It's not surprising Kobe was so quick to namedrop him to those cops. Shaq's not a nice guy to people he doesn't like and the Laker fans are realizing that Kobe is also capable of sinking to that level.

PS: As far as Bynum going after Kobe physically, he's not ready even for that. He cries (actual tears) when his coach yells at him. However, Kobe's lucky this isn't 1986 because if he talked smack about Kupchak back then, he would've gotten an elbow to the nose. Mitch fought Akeem once, much less Kobe.
 
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Kobe's behavior towards Bynum has been much worse than anything Shaq did to him (was this before or after Kobe decided to out Shaq as a philander to the cops to try to save his own ***?). For the simple reason that Kobe is attacking, and fairly viciously if that most recent video pops up, a young teammate who is not even remotely his equal. This is not a superstar vs. superstar tug of war, this is an absolutely spoiled superstar just pummeling his young teammate and not even disguising his foot as he repeatedly tries to kick him out of town.

.


Kobe sound alot like M.J.
 
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