UVAwahoos;2100022 said:
I completely agree with what you are saying and I do see these same changes, but I just still feel like they are overtly superficial in the sense that he would certainly turn on these guys he now refers to as his "brothers" if Gasol went down with an extended injury and things started to look bleak again.
Turn on these guys?
First of all... the conversation Kobe had about trading Bynum wasn't meant to be heard by anyone. It was a private conversation.
And to this day he STILL has nothing but good things to say about even Kwame Brown. Kobe never turned on him, Smush, or anyone.
Not the way Shaq has bashed his former LA & Miami teammates.
UVAwahoos;2100022 said:
There are gracious players like Garnett (Minny days) and Lebron who stay loyal and always defend their teammates, even when it's clear that they want to stab most of them in eye, and then there are players like Kobe who have no problem throwing guys under the bus as soon as tough times hit.
Lebron actually has an excuse because he did not ask for his situation. Bad front office management actually created it, and surrounded him with no talent as a result.
Did you not watch any basketball this season? Before the Ben Wallace trade Lebron voiced his frustration about the Cavs not giving him any help - and hinted to the front office that when his contract was up he was going to bounce. There are still many writers in the know that think he's gonna levae the Cavs for NY as soon as his contract is up.
Gracious great players like Garnett are one in a million - but he did turn down the first trade offer to the Celts... before they acquired Ray Allen.
UVAwahoos;2100022 said:
Kobe, with his Shaq-or-me ultimatum,
Man what are you talking about? Kobe never gave a "Shaq or Me: ultimatum".
Totally fabricated. Or can you give a link to an article with a direct quote?
Jerry Buss said a long time ago that he basically told Shaq that he wasn't going to give him a max deal because he didn't keep himself in shape -and that the Lakers were making Kobe the priority. Shaq being the jealous and greedy fella that he is... got angry and demanded a trade.
Kobe Bryant has said repeatedly that he did not ask for Shaq to leave.
Mitch Hupchak has said repeatedly that Kobe had nothing to do with Shaq's departure.
Jerry Buss has repeatedly said Kobe had nothing to do with Shaq's departure.
And now even Shaq has said that Kobe had nothing to do with his departure.
UVAwahoos;2100022 said:
was confident he could do it alone, but actually exposed himself as one who needs help just like any other great player on a championship team. Once he realized it, he threw a fit and wanted out from a team that bent over backwards to appease him.
At what point did Kobe Bryant ever say he could win a Championship by himself? Link to that article please?
Kobe came extremely close to signing with the Clippers.... at the time a much more talented team than the Lakers with Brand & Co. ...but the Lakers convinced him that they were committed to winning "NOW" and had a plan.
But the following 2 years - The Lakers did nothing to prove they were commited to winning "NOW"... but every move they made showed that they were building for the future.
Kobe felt betrayed and was basically lied to. He knows he's in his prime and can't wait for the future.
So to say that the club was bending over backward to appease him is
yet another false statement.
Kobe wanted them to trade Bynum for Carlos Boozer. They refused.
Kobe wanted them to trade Bynum for Jason Kidd. They refused.
Kobe wanted them to acquire Baron Davis. They refused.
And it wasn't about throwing Bynum under the bus.
It was about the fact that Kobe felt Bynum wouldn't become a legit big man for at least another 2 or 3 years & that he was the only trade bait that the Lakers had on ther roster other than Odom - who Kobe didn't want to lose.
The only guy Kobe really trashed was Kupchak... whom at the time ALL Laker fans were trashing too because he had done a crap job.
Kwame Brown was the best you could do after 2 years?
UVAwahoos;2100022 said:
The Gasol trade changed things, but if it never happened, this "new Kobe" would not have happened either.
Again... evidently you really didn't watch the season.
Kobe's attitude changed long before the Gasol trade... which occured after the All Star Break.
By that time Bynum had shown a LOT of promise... along with Sasha and the other young players. Not to forget the acquisition of Fisher.
The Lakers were a good team b4 Gasol arrived - somewhere round the 4th seed in the playoff race.
Kobe had changed his tone well before that trade occurred.
