LAist: Kobe Wants To Be Traded? Just Do It.

Teddy

Thu, 31 May 2007 14:51:40 -0800

Kobe may be an asshole, but he's our asshole and he's the best player of his generation. He loves the Lakers and he loves winning. As for "he front office sucks, needs to get checked because theyve done a lot of different creative things." Sorry, it's really not up for a debate if the front office sucks or not. They are the joke of the league, and have been since West left. There have been no great drafts, no big trades, zero creativity, and the whole place is a mess and known to be a disaster by other GMs etc. There are 3 captains (Jim, Jerry, Mitch) plus Jeannie and Phil. No leadership-- this above all is what Kobe is reacting to. And he's doing it because he wants to win, no other reason. The "laker mystique" is not what brought Malone and Payton to LA. It was Shaq, Kobe, Phil, and their three championships. People want to win, especially perennial almost-ers like Payton and Malone.

tony

Thu, 31 May 2007 13:47:57 -0800

i meant everything i said Steve. getting Payton and Malone might not have gotten them a ring, but it showed that management was willing to do anything and the Laker mystique could get top players to come to LA and be part of the team for below market value. any whining that Kobe does or his fans on his behalf that goes along the lines of the front office sucks, needs to get checked because theyve done a lot of different creative things. as for the Bush thing... im not saying that 81 points is the same as losing this ridiculous war, im saying the fans of kobe are just as myopic as Bush supporters because kobe fans are so blinded by their love for him that they instantly forget about the foundation that got him there. in their minds if kobe's unhappy suddenly theres a problem with a) shaq b) phil c) mitch d) jerry west e) jerry buss or f) all of the above its never that kobe might be the asshole. just like with Bush's base, its always that we're unpatriotic or crazy or surrendercrats or soft on terror bush is never wrong, kobe's never wrong. so fuck the constitution and fuck everything about the Lakers except kobe. the LA Times enjoyed shaq not just because he was good copy, but because he wasn't a spoiled asshole cancer who ought to be traded for the #1 pick.

Steve

Thu, 31 May 2007 13:22:57 -0800

Aside from the absurd Bush supporter simile, Tony's article seems like a shrill distillation of much of the LA Times commentary about Bryant since the Shaq trade. While I don't agree with it, I sort of understand the Times' feelings because, unlike the ever-aloof Kobe, Shaq was nice to the writers. Not that that should matter to the average sports fan. But isn't the criticism of those suffering from blind allegiance to Bush based on the fact that he hasn't done anything remotely competent as president? Can't anyone, even a Kobe hater, understand why a sports fan might enjoy his astounding play? I mean, no one thought 81 points was even possible in the modern game until Kobe did it. But let's get back to the Shaq trade. If he had remained a Laker, as Tony wishes had happened, Shaq never would have gotten himself back into shape. Shaq is notoriously lazy. He reported to Laker camps out of shape, that is, in the years he hadn't delayed surgery until shortly before camp began so he could enjoy his off season first. His motivation for working hard in the off season after the trade was to prove Buss was wrong for trading him. If the Lakers had kept Shaq, he never would have gotten himself back into shape and the Lakers would be in about the same place today - no more rings and saddled by too much payroll for one superstar who is unable to carry them to a championship without another. Meanwhile, Kobe the Clipper would likely have at least another ring. As for Shaq's class act after leaving the Lakers, I guess Tony is too young to remember his constant barrage of criticism directed at Buss and Kobe during his first year with the Heat, or the fact that the both chose to take the high road and not respond. Or, more recently, Shaq's pointed comments about Phil Jackson upon learning that he was returning to the Lakers. Class act all the way. I think it's clear that everyone involved in the Laker fiasco that broke up their dynasty is culpable. While Kobe's tantrum is unfortunate, and I cannot imagine the Laker's trading him after learning from the Shaq trade how difficult it is to obtain equal value for a superstar, he is saying what every Laker fan I know has already said - the Laker front office is inept and changes are overdue. The best take I have seen on Kobe's last few days is Dan Wetzel's column on Yahoo titled "No Other Choice." On a final note: Tony, please say you didn't really mean to use Payton as an example of one of the great things the Lakers have done during Kobe's tenure. Payton's time with the Lakers was a disaster. He never fit in with the offense. Never tried to fit in. Complained constantly about it. Then, when they traded him, he stuck it to the Lakers by reporting for his Celtic physical late, thereby allowing the Celtics to not have to include a draft pick as part of the trade.

Nick

Wed, 30 May 2007 22:46:38 -0800

Another lame kobe hating article by this guy Pierce who claims to be a Laker fan. If knew you anything about the Lakers you'd know that Buss and Kupchak are the reasons behind all the Laker problems. Do you have any idea what would happen if they traded kobe? ticket sales would PLUMMET. Why kind of fool would want his team to trade the best basketball player on the planet away to another team? You obviously have no clue what you're talking about, you must be too busy scouring the net for "Rock in L.A." to pay attention to any sports.

whycantwealljustgetalong

Wed, 30 May 2007 18:15:19 -0800

woah woah...geez, lets not degenerate our comments like the lakers have (i've been a lakers fan since van exel was the go to guy). i think we should all take a few steps back and breathe a little. i think we are all confused/pissed about the situation and need to let the dust settle before we make any sort of judgments.

Noah

Wed, 30 May 2007 17:24:26 -0800

Point? What point? Bush? WTF are you talking about dude? Patriotism? Are you on drugs? Clearly you have fumbled. Clearly you are backtracking. Clearly you are a Kobe hater. Clearly you have no place in Lakerdom. Go forth to Clipperdom, where you will be welcomed with open arms by Frankie Muniz and company. You are hereby banished from the Purple and Gold, where there is no room for your brand of vitriol.

tony

Wed, 30 May 2007 16:51:02 -0800

Noah, you proved my point perfectly. Just like Bush supporters who attacked people who were against the Iraq War, they would claim that if you were against Bush you hated America and were unpatriotic. you echo that idiotic approach to debate perfectly - on a post that ridicules those sorts of people! all i did was praise everything about the Lakers except one player and because of that you wanna say im a clipper fan? thats the definition of myopic my friend. you fail at every part of your comment.

Johnny

Wed, 30 May 2007 16:41:58 -0800

OK so here is my sensible side talking where earlier was my emotional side. Yes we are probably not going to get equal trade value for Kobe but there is no team in the NBA that will help the Lakers out by given even a some what ok trade. At best you will get another Shaq-type deal where we would get one semi-star and some others thrown in. If you keep him who do you get? Our salary cap limits who we can bring in. Our trade baits will not yield a superstar and if you do get one (Garnett) who will be on the bench to help out as we would have to give up others as well. Not an easy task for the best of front offices and from what is being said we don't even have that. Not a good scenario for the team.

Lakerwurm

Wed, 30 May 2007 16:38:41 -0800

Wow, another Snack Dick Sucka, Go to Miami, Your the Biatch! And if ya got a problem, we can meet uo at Staples, Just ask for Lakerwurm. Jay Z Quote "you don't even know me and your a hater, now I know exactly how it feels to be a Laker!

Teddy

Wed, 30 May 2007 16:05:32 -0800

I disagree. Kobe has done everything in his power to win, but the Buss ownership, led by an in-the-shadows idiot son has done nothing to help him. The team has only one other player who would start on any other NBA team! Seriously, it's Kobe, Lamar... and a bunch of 6th or 7th men, or in the case of the starting point guard, a D-leaguer! If you like winning championships, support Kobe and ask the Lakers to get some serious help for the NBA's best all-around player. The Lakers are one star and 2 decent players away from being the best team in the West. Lastly, there's no possible way to get equal value for Kobe from any other team.

Noah G

Wed, 30 May 2007 16:05:27 -0800

LAME! Tony, save your vitriolic hate. Just come out of the closet as a Clipper fan and be done with it. True Laker fans don't need people like you. Kobe will be fine, the Lakers will be fine. If you can't understand the real reasons behind this brilliant P.R. move I suggest you think about things before drinking Steven A-hole Smith's Kool-Aid. Oh and by the way Kobe was the #13 pick.

LA Scumbag

Wed, 30 May 2007 16:04:38 -0800

ya know what. this really hurts me. as a kid i started watching basketball. I remember when kobe and allen iverson both joined the league, i remember sitting around to see who was going to be rookie of the year. I remember watching the FIRST slam dunk competition that Kobe killed at. I still have hella Kobe rookie cards, I haven't kept up with basketball in about 8yrs. But i still kept up with the lakers. Went to every Laker parade. And you know what this makes me kinda sad. But you know what Kobe didn't make the lakers, They made him what he is. and just like Eddie Jones or Nick Van exel who left the lakers as "stars" to us once they left LA nobody cared one bit about where these guys went and what their doing and the same thing is going to happen to our friend kobe bryant. Lets get a new team together, it's about time. It'll take us a few seasons to get up to par but belive me by 2010 the lakers will have a great team with the next superstar.

Johnny

Wed, 30 May 2007 15:33:32 -0800

Amen. Durant or Odem? Maybe also a decent pointguard? If the rebuild starts now and we get a fair market value for him the Lakers will be just fine. Send him somewhere he can be the lone star that he wants and not win another championship.

james

Wed, 30 May 2007 15:30:42 -0800

you are so on point tony. everything that we hoped wouldn't happen, happened. shaq won a title after leaving and the lakers haven't even won not one single playoff round. i love kobe, but i love championships more. too bad most people are taking his side.

Em

Wed, 30 May 2007 14:50:20 -0800

oh jen...as a park sloper I am just so disappointed...

Jen Chung

Wed, 30 May 2007 14:45:00 -0800

I want him in NJ, so he can play for the future Brooklyn Nets!