Friday, June 8, 2007
Kobe Bryant
After the Los Angeles Lakers' mediocre season, Kobe Bryant, the captain of the team, was shot down by a Laker front office insider for the sole reason for Shaquille O'Neal for trading him after the end of the 2004 season. In an article written by LA Times journalist Bill Plascke, he points out that Bryant ran Shaq out of town. In fact, it was owner Dr. Jerry Buss who spoke to Bryant about keeping an old Shaquille and promising to build a championship caliber team. The last three years the Lakers have not won a playoff series, while Shaquille's HEAT won a championship. At this point, it seems that the Lakers want to rebuild around 19 year-old center Andrew Bynum instead of the NBA's best player, Kobe Bryant. Which poses the question what direction are the Lakers going?
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7 comments:
Let's see, Kobe was not shot, right? Can I assume he was traded?
How do you know he was traded for just one reason? (That reason is the Laker's mediocre season, right?)
If that's clearly not Kobe's fault, doesn't that suggest that some other motive is involved? If it is Kobe's fault, doesn't that suggest that there's some other reason or more specifically idenfiable reason that has to do with him individually?
Well, Kobe Bryant is currently not traded and is still a Laker. The point was that he wants to be traded. Bryant is demanding a trade due the neglience of the Laker front office to make moves to make them an elite squad instead the Lakers of the mid-1990s. In addition, Bill Plascke of the LA Times wrote an article saying that Kobe drove Shaquille O'Neal out of town, according to a reliable source from the Laker management. According to the owner, Dr. Buss has no intention of trading their star player. In my mind, I think he is trying to stir up the media, so the Lakers can actually make some trades and sign some free-agents to help Kobe and the Lakers.
Unfortunately, sports politics that used to be handled behind closed doors (i.e., between players and management) is now expressed through the media. Kobe mishandled this situation by selfishly airing his dirty laundry in the public. Shameful misuse of public media leverage.
Used to be it was just playing basketball where the game was over my head. Now even watching's getting complicated.
Kobe has surprisingly accepted West not returning although he used that as an ultimatum for his decision of whether he would become a free agent. So I think he is more willing to learn from his experience with the whole Shaq thing and and the huge mistake he made with that. He seems to be more willing to work with other players including Bynum (still wish it was kg tho!) Plus he is looking for them to incorporate some veterans, who are just as hungry for the championship and he is. I understand him being burned out with carrying the team and doing it all himself. He hasn't said anything about Lamar Odom but its frustrating to even watch Odom missing simple shots and not even attempting any slam dunks. As much as I disagreed with the way Kobe handled the whole Shaq feud he seems to be trying to prove he's learned his lesson and seems willing to work with any reasonable option.
Well, if you ask me I think LO was hurt with his torn labrum and just came back from a knee injury, thus missing easy shots came from not having your full range of motion in your legs and arms. But, if you had a healthy Lamar, he showed his all-star capabilities!
yeah I have to give you that, but with his injury not fully healed he is not an effective center, yet they still have him out there and Kobe is having to make up for that.
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