Laker rivalry continuing? (Split thread)

[Smart_guy3]

It's truly is a weird feeling. I would never like a player who broke this teams heart and specialy ours.

what makes you like Kobe so much? why not players such as T-mac or Lebron.

 

[AleksandarN]

what makes you like Kobe so much? why not players such as T-mac or Lebron.

Because of his talent and things like this

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2184083
The Los Angeles Lakers' star served as the witness to Chief Yeoman Lawrence A. Sivils' reenlistment to the U.S. Navy SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team ONE on Friday at the Stan Sheriff Center on the University of Hawaii campus.



Sivils, from Louisville, Ky., has spent the past 19 years in the Navy -- the last three stationed at nearby Pearl City.



About a month ago, Sivils sent the Lakers an e-mail requesting Bryant's participation in the reenlistment ceremony. To his surprise, he was contacted last week by Lakers public relations director John Black, who told him Bryant would be honored to take part.



"I knew they were coming here for training camp," Sivils said. "He is my favorite basketball player -- smart, intelligent. And he's a good person. For Kobe to accept my invitation is greatly appreciated."



The brief ceremony was delayed for more than an hour because of a long Lakers practice. Bryant, wearing practice gear, shared the stage with Sivils and his wife, Shelonda, 9-year-old daughter, Aaliyah, and 6-year-old son, Lawrence Jr.



The ceremony began with the 40-year-old Sivils receiving an honorable discharge certificate, as is the custom before reenlistment, which followed immediately.



"I could join the Lakers basketball team," Sivils said of his brief period as a civilian. "I've got Kobe here today."



Then, Sivils said: "I'm ready to rejoin for three more years. I love my country. I love to support my country."



When the ceremony ended, Sivils said: "I appreciate your all coming and Mr. Kobe Bryant for accepting my invitation."



Bryant seemed sincerely moved.



"I'm so honored. It was a blessing and an honor for me to be here," he said. "He's helping to protect our country. It's a chance for me to give back. I'm deeply honored to be here. It goes beyond words. To request my presence to be here, it's unbelievable.



"To be a part of it, to see his family, his wife, you can see how special this is."



Sivils said his friends were skeptical regarding Bryant's participation.



"People called me this morning saying, `Quit lying,"' Sivils said with a laugh.



Sivils presented Bryant with an engraved paddle and coin and a SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team One baseball hat as souvenir gifts.



"Thank you so much. I really appreciate it," Bryant said.



Sivils said he plans to retire from the Navy in three years and coach basketball, a sport he played in high school and junior college. He has also been stationed in Japan, London, Iraq, Hong Kong and The Philippines.



Sivils first met Bryant on Thursday night, chatting briefly with him following practice.



"Meeting Kobe Bryant is a great feeling," Sivils said. "I've got family here, I've got all my friends. It's just a great honor that I'll never forget."

 

[HndsmCelt]

Why flatter the Lakers with a thread... they realy are not worthy of even this much attention. The opsit of love is not hate... it is indifferance.

 

[VF21]

Sivils sent the Lakers an e-mail requesting Bryant's participation in the reenlistment ceremony. To his surprise, he was contacted last week by Lakers public relations director John Black, who told him Bryant would be honored to take part.

Nothing like a little good press to try and restore a tarnished image...



I'm moving this to the NBA forum. If it's going to become some kind of tribute to Kobe Bryant, it doesn't belong in the Kings forum...

 

[Padrino]

Because of his talent and things like this

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2184083
The Los Angeles Lakers' star served as the witness to Chief Yeoman Lawrence A. Sivils' reenlistment to the U.S. Navy SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team ONE on Friday at the Stan Sheriff Center on the University of Hawaii campus.



Sivils, from Louisville, Ky., has spent the past 19 years in the Navy -- the last three stationed at nearby Pearl City.



About a month ago, Sivils sent the Lakers an e-mail requesting Bryant's participation in the reenlistment ceremony. To his surprise, he was contacted last week by Lakers public relations director John Black, who told him Bryant would be honored to take part.



"I knew they were coming here for training camp," Sivils said. "He is my favorite basketball player -- smart, intelligent. And he's a good person. For Kobe to accept my invitation is greatly appreciated."



The brief ceremony was delayed for more than an hour because of a long Lakers practice. Bryant, wearing practice gear, shared the stage with Sivils and his wife, Shelonda, 9-year-old daughter, Aaliyah, and 6-year-old son, Lawrence Jr.



The ceremony began with the 40-year-old Sivils receiving an honorable discharge certificate, as is the custom before reenlistment, which followed immediately.



"I could join the Lakers basketball team," Sivils said of his brief period as a civilian. "I've got Kobe here today."



Then, Sivils said: "I'm ready to rejoin for three more years. I love my country. I love to support my country."



When the ceremony ended, Sivils said: "I appreciate your all coming and Mr. Kobe Bryant for accepting my invitation."



Bryant seemed sincerely moved.



"I'm so honored. It was a blessing and an honor for me to be here," he said. "He's helping to protect our country. It's a chance for me to give back. I'm deeply honored to be here. It goes beyond words. To request my presence to be here, it's unbelievable.



"To be a part of it, to see his family, his wife, you can see how special this is."



Sivils said his friends were skeptical regarding Bryant's participation.



"People called me this morning saying, `Quit lying,"' Sivils said with a laugh.



Sivils presented Bryant with an engraved paddle and coin and a SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team One baseball hat as souvenir gifts.



"Thank you so much. I really appreciate it," Bryant said.



Sivils said he plans to retire from the Navy in three years and coach basketball, a sport he played in high school and junior college. He has also been stationed in Japan, London, Iraq, Hong Kong and The Philippines.



Sivils first met Bryant on Thursday night, chatting briefly with him following practice.



"Meeting Kobe Bryant is a great feeling," Sivils said. "I've got family here, I've got all my friends. It's just a great honor that I'll never forget."

dare i exercise my own form of piksimism? yes!

as sincere as kobe bryant may be, the one thing he needs is the continual re-brightening of his image. kindofa 'Wag the Dog' strategy. for those of you who havent seen the movie, its, in a nutshell, about how political camps spin news stories to detract attention from a separate but particularly incriminating news story. if you can paint your candidate in a positive light amid scandal, and in an election year no less, then you have a shot at winning.

thats politics. and much of the nba is politics as well. kobe bryant is one of the major faces of the nba, and his own scandal last season did little for his or the nba's image. he's trying to clean that up a bit, i imagine, and i dont really care for the way the press is jumping at the opportunity to reacquire their hero.

 

[VF21]

^^In other words:

Nothing like a little good press to try and restore a tarnished image...

 

[Padrino]

^^In other words:

lol

i was never one for brevity.

 

[VF21]

Bottom line? Great minds think alike and we both think this was a PR-driven event.

 

[hoopsfan]

Just to clarify..this was brought out by the officer that re-enlisted because nobobdy would believe him. I heard about this a couple days ago. There are a lot of things that Kobe, and MANY other athletes, (except Shaq who always has to have a camara crew with him) and celebrities do that people don't know about.
The pictures of the event were taken by family and friends of the officer..not media camara crews.
Not that it will change anyone's mind..just wanted to get some facts out there.


"thats politics. and much of the nba is politics as well. kobe bryant is one of the major faces of the nba, and his own scandal last season did little for his or the nba's image. he's trying to clean that up a bit, i imagine, and i dont really care for the way the press is jumping at the opportunity to reacquire their hero."

The "scandal" was 2 seasons ago. And if you think the press is "jumping at the opportunity to reacquire their hero", then you must not read or hear most of what is said and written about Kobe or the Lakers. They sure like to build you up and then kick you when you're down. I feel for Lebron when he pisses someone off...

 

[Peja]

It doesn't matter if they are not good,or if we aren't good,that is rivaly.So,if I would like to see somethnig in the regular season that is Lakers heavy defeat in front of the loud Kings fans in Arco.

 

[KingKong]

I've always liked Kobe too, I think he always respected the Kings as an opponent. The only time I can recall he was derogatory about the Kings was when somebody from the media asked him about the rivalry and his reponse was some thing to the effect of "Don't they have to win one first?" .... which is probably true.

 

[piksi]

As usual I wish LAL to lose all 82 games this season

 

[sono]

When a game gets intense he never loses his competitive spirit. That's the only thing I like in him. Other than that I agree with everyone on this thread who is pessimist about him.

 

[funkykingston]

As far as the rivalry goes, the Kings still have a long way to go to even up the score. The Kings have yet to break the Lakers hearts in the postseason, although I suppose that could change this season.

As far as the regular season goes, I have NO real read on the Lakers. They were a lottery team last season, and they didn't reload with proven players. In fact, they dealt a proven commodity in Butler for an unknown in Kwame Brown, who still is little more than unused potential. Instead of drafting a guy who could help immediately, they gambled on Bynum, who has the size and athleticism to eventually be the best player in this year's weak draft.

Then they brought back a coach who called his best player "uncoachable."

This Laker team could absolutely go down in flames. Brown could continue to disappoint, Bynum could prove that he's not ready for real playing time, Odom could continue to be inconistent and Bryant and Jackson could fail to work together. Throw in the fact that a Kobe injury dooms this team and there are a lot of reasons to doubt the Lakers.

Still, they have length, energy and athleticism up front, a player perfect for a Scottie Pippen role in the triangle in Odom (being coached by Pippen no less), and the best perimeter player in the NBA in Bryant.

The Kings SHOULD be better than LA. But they have their own problems. A lack of individual OR team defense, two new starters, the chance for selfish play with Wells and Peja auditioning for new contracts, a lame duck coach and an oft-injured center with no real depth behind him.

I expect the Kings to finish above the Lakers in the season standings. But I wouldn't exactly be shocked to see the reverse.

 

[Padrino]

I expect the Kings to finish above the Lakers in the season standings. But I wouldn't exactly be shocked to see the reverse.

???

this kings team rebuilt is a 50-win team, barring any more ridiculous injury scenarios. the lack of defense/rebounding will hurt, but it wont prevent the kings from winning 50+. this new lakers team is one fatty unknown. there's obviously too many unknowns to say yay or nay, but i hardly see the lakers making the playoffs, let alone winning at least 50 games.

 

[hoopsfan]

I remember a time last season when many Kings fans were worried about making the playoffs.
The Lakers will make the playoffs this year...PJ back, Odom playing his natural position, not having a coach leave halfway through the season, NOT having Chucky on the team...all pluses in my book.

 

[funkykingston]

A lot of people seem ready to annoint the Warriors as this year's comer, and I can certainly see the justification for that based on their play down the stretch.

But if I'm looking for that "out of nowhere", Seattle-of-last-season type team for this year, I think the Lakers could easily be it.

They were in the thick of the playoff hunt last season until a horrible second half derailed their playoff hopes. I think their season hinges on whether Kwame Brown can actually make good on his potential and (to a lesser extent) how well Lamar Odom adapts to a facilitator role in the triangle and a move back to small forward.

If Brown can give them 12 & 8 or better and play any semblence of help defense, the Lakers could definitely surprise.

Roster wise, I'd actually put the Clippers and possilby the Warriors above them. But I can't bet against Kobe Bryant and Phil Jackson willing this team to a decent playoff seed.

 

[funkykingston]

Trading for Kwame Brown is a move that I would hate if the Kings did it. But I also hate that the Lakers did it.

It is a big gamble. Brown has a bad attitude, bad hands, and often seems lost defensively, not even being a good shotblocker despite his size and athleticism. If I'm the Lakers I'd also worry about him running the triangle as he has a tendency to be a black hole offensively, at least this far into his career.

On the other hand, he's long, well built and quick. He has a good shot for a big man and is only 23 with something to prove.

Whether he does or not will likely make or break LA's season.

 

[Wert]

I've heard it said that with their current lineup, that the lake show might actually be able to run the tri more effectively now that they don't have to compensate for the slow moving Shaq.

Of course, it's also been said that it can take quite a while for players unfamiliar with the tri to use it effectively.

So we'll see I guess....

 

[hoopsfan]

I've heard it said that with their current lineup, that the lake show might actually be able to run the tri more effectively now that they don't have to compensate for the slow moving Shaq.

Of course, it's also been said that it can take quite a while for players unfamiliar with the tri to use it effectively.

So we'll see I guess....

Not having Shaq is a big plus for running the tri.

As far as taking a long time to learn...that's what was thought in 99 when Phil came on board the first time..and they went on to win the title that first year. Now..I AM NOT SAYING THE LAKERS WILL WIN IT THIS YEAR by any strtch of the imagination..just that it might not take that long to learn the system.

 

[Gargamel]

Only reason the rivarly ever existed was the media always hypeing it up. I doubt it will live on since Shaq or Fox aren't with the Fakers.

Btw, I'm not a Laker fan and I think LA is a beautiful place.

It started because they faced each other in the playoffs for 3 straight years and because various players on either team didn't like each other.

Since then, the teams have become vastly different and they haven't played each other in a truly important game since 6/3/2002. That's a long time.

There will be no real rivalry to speak of until they face each other when it counts (preferably in games with a lot of intensity & animus).

 

[Mr. S£im Citrus]

... There will be no real rivalry to speak of until they face each other when it counts (preferably in games with a lot of intensity & animus).

That depends on your definition of "real rivalry." I've hated the Lakers since October 30, 1988, which is the day that I became a Kings fan (before then, I didn't follow basketball at all). So, as far as I'm concerned, there always has been a rivalry, and there always will be.

 

[Gargamel]

I'll admit I could be wrong about who said it...but I'm not wrong about Kobe's attitude towards Kings fans at Arco.

I'm sure the attitude between Kobe and the first few rows of Arco fans has been mutual over the years. Just business.

 

[Gargamel]

That depends on your definition of "real rivalry." I've hated the Lakers since October 30, 1988, which is the day that I became a Kings fan (before then, I didn't follow basketball at all). So, as far as I'm concerned, there always has been a rivalry, and there always will be.

In general. I don't think I'm alone here when I say that last year Sac/LAL felt like ordinary games between two teams who seemed pretty indifferent towards one another. Fox, Vlade, Webber, Shaq, Christie DO make a difference in the hate levels between fanbases.

 

[VF21]

I'm sure the attitude between Kobe and the first few rows of Arco fans has been mutual over the years. Just business.

I think it extends well past the first few rows.

 

[Gargamel]

dare i exercise my own form of piksimism? yes!

as sincere as kobe bryant may be, the one thing he needs is the continual re-brightening of his image.

He's done public things like this for years, before Colorado, during Shaqgate I, II, and III. He doesn't always have the media around. Fans perceive everything he does post-Colorado as image restructuring. No good deed goes unpunished.

 

[Gargamel]

The "scandal" was 2 seasons ago. And if you think the press is "jumping at the opportunity to reacquire their hero", then you must not read or hear most of what is said and written about Kobe or the Lakers. They sure like to build you up and then kick you when you're down. I feel for Lebron when he pisses someone off...

Werd. I would like to add that Kobe's media vultures pick his bones dry like no other athlete in sports today that I'm aware of. Not Ray Lewis, not Milton Bradley, not Latrell Sprewell. The good gestures he makes are not and will not turn the tide in the way certain media write him up and in the way many opposing fans view him. THAT has been made abundantly clear even before Colorado. However, I credit him in that he continues to push the boulder up that hill.

 

[kingsfan916]

Lakers and Kings rivalry??????????? U kiddin me? We are a good team. Thats all

 

[VF21]

Lakers and Kings rivalry??????????? U kiddin me? We are a good team. Thats all

Whether the Kings are a good team or not pretty much isn't the point.

There is a rivalry. Some people still feel it; others don't.

 

[VF21]

Werd. I would like to add that Kobe's media vultures pick his bones dry like no other athlete in sports today that I'm aware of. Not Ray Lewis, not Milton Bradley, not Latrell Sprewell. The good gestures he makes are not and will not turn the tide in the way certain media write him up and in the way many opposing fans view him. THAT has been made abundantly clear even before Colorado. However, I credit him in that he continues to push the boulder up that hill.

Oh, please.

I'm pretty sure Kobe will be able to survive the criticism and snide comments made about him on a Kings message board. How many kind things about Chris Webber and all his good deeds did you see posted on a Laker board?

Wait.

Let me get my violin...