LFC Blog

What a MVP performance by Kobe tonight.

One can only make shit shine for so long.

I'm archiving this for my personal use, as my computer loves to erase my bookmarks. I'll undoubtedly pull parts out from time to time.

 

Tonight, I was shocked at the level of responsibility the basketball world has given Kobe Bryant. It is more than just basketball.

 

Rather than leading chants for their own team in victory, the Suns' fans chose to deride Kobe for losing. Rather than chanting "MVP" for Steve Nash or "Go Suns", they chose to scream "Kobe sucks." Getting more satisfication to see Kobe lose is just staggering. (Note I say 'Kobe,' not 'Lakers') That's simply astounding. How many players can elicit that kind of hate. They love to hate you, even more they love to love their own. That is not respect. That is fear. The Lakers are no longer a basketball team, a worthy foe. They are Kobe, the enemy they would pay to see him lose than watch their team win.

 

But it has moved beyond just the fans, and now into the media. All series long, analysts and commentators no longer credit Kobe's play in a loss - if the Lakers lose, the blame is on him. The fact that he played a great game is a moot point. In a loss, Kobe can do no right. Kobe can never play well if the Lakers lose; after all, the argument goes, if Kobe plays well, the Lakers should win. No other player is held to that standard. The inherent implication of this is that Kobe is the greatest player in basketball, but more than just a player. He has transcended the role of a great player; instead, Kobe embodies an entire team, a franchise, a city.

 

For Kobe Bryant, the conversation has moved beyond his play, and only that of: he's responsible for everything that happens on the basketball floor, for both the home and opposing fans.

 

There has been only one other player in NBA history that has been judged by that level, and that player was Michael Jordan. The funny thing is, most haters hate Kobe for being compared to Jordan (although he never made that comparison, and deferred to Jordan with humility), but the haters have unwittingly elevated Kobe closer than ever to Jordan.

 

And Michael Jordan was only vindicated by winning. And through that, he won the right of being called the greatest basketball player.

 

Kobe is now at the threshold of a similar opportunity.

 

Playing excellent basketball, being the best at your position, achieving progress is meaningless. Those are for mere mortals. Now Kobe is considered a one-man wrecking crew, no more, a monster, a frankenstein, the wolf man, Bill Simmons' Darth Vader, the foil to every non-Laker fan's hope.

 

And if Kobe is responsible for everything that goes wrong, the opportunity to take credit when things go right is all his.

 

You see, you have players like Lebron James, who has also played great individually, but when the Cavaliers lose, the conclusion is that he needs more help from his teammates. Nevermind he has one of the best centers in the league and solid veterans surrounding him. The point is, Lebron has not transcended individual play.

 

For Kobe, there are no excuses. If Kwame drops the ball, it is Kobe's fault. If Odom and Smush can't hit a shot, it is Kobe's fault. And Kobe haters join hands and dance. They dance and chant and burn Kobe's effigies.

 

The stage is set. The stakes are high. The mob have lit their torches, raised their truncheons, sharpened their knives. They want your blood, Kobe. They want to see you die.

 

And it will be all the more sweeter to rip their hearts out.

 

This season begins now.

I would just like to remind you that Smush Parker is one of the big reasons the Lakers won that game 4 classic. He sank a 3 in the final minute to help get the lead back down and stole the ball from Nash at the end of regulation. Now, I'll admit he sucked pretty bad for the rest of the series, but he isn't the sole reason the Lakers lost the series being up 3-1. I just find it funny how quick some forget Smush's contributions were less than a week ago and now all of a sudden he's Laker public enemy #1.

edited because I read the playoffs thread after posting here. And now I see what you meant.

I'm well aware that Smush Parker isn't the sole reason that the Lakers lost. Phil Jackson is just as much to blame for leaving him in as Smush is for missing so many shots.

I wonder if Kwame Brown is/was distracted by the sexual assault allegations? For the Lakers sake, you'd like to think it was that as opposed to a "Kwame being Kwame" type deal where he becomes known for not being reliable in a clutch game.

 

 

Sporting News is reporting that the Lakers may still be looking to deal Lamar Odom because Jerry Buss doesn't want to pay such a huge luxury tax hit and Odom's contract will do nothing but balloon in the next few years, making it harder to sign FA's or re-sign guys they may be cultivating right now (such as Walton).

 

I wonder if Kwame Brown is/was distracted by the sexual assault allegations? For the Lakers sake, you'd like to think it was that as opposed to a "Kwame being Kwame" type deal where he becomes known for not being reliable in a clutch game.

It's possible. If the allegations aren't true (which is likely), and it comes out that he was distracted, that would really suck.

 

 

Sporting News is reporting that the Lakers may still be looking to deal Lamar Odom because Jerry Buss doesn't want to pay such a huge luxury tax hit and Odom's contract will do nothing but balloon in the next few years, making it harder to sign FA's or re-sign guys they may be cultivating right now (such as Walton).

People are talking about Marcus Banks as a mid-level exception, Garnett, and if they deal Odom somewhere, they want to get cheap players so that they can make a play for Ben Wallace. I see Banks as a likely, Garnett as a possibility because McHale's stupid, and Wallace as very unlikely. I really want them to get a point guard and just continue to build from within.

 

Just to pick up where we left off on KG talk in the conference semi's thread...

 

 

KG may also be headed to the Bay Area since there is interest in a deal with either J-Rich or Baron Davis, along with Troy Murphy or Ike Diogu, and a couple draft picks for KG. I think GS will land either Iverson or Garnett this off season. They have to. Their division is a killer. The Suns will get Amare back and be just as good, if not better. The Lakers should get better. The Kings, if Artest gets a training camp under him, should get better. The Clippers will probrably stay the same. The Pacific will probrably be the most competitive division next season.

 

 

 

Ok, in response to the post.

 

Philadelphia should never have dealt for Webber. They're going to have to blow it up. That was stupid. I don't know how good Amare's going to be. That's an unknown. They will be better though, just because of his presence.

 

Golden State has pieces too. I like Diogu, he fills a need. Pietrus and Richardson are the likely other guys to go with him if such a thing were to occur, because of the PG issue and the need for scoring in KG's place. The question is, is do they need a guard? They want to develop McCants and they have the two overpaid guys at PG.

 

People say that Cassell is going to the Lakers, I don't buy into that. He won't be a Clipper next year, which means it's Livingston's time. Every team in the Pacific will be either a playoff team or one game out. If GS gets KG or AI, the Lakers could be the weakest team in the division. That's saying something, especially considering that Kupchak is on record as saying they want to improve at PF (Ely), and PG (Banks). Mihm's as good as gone.

 

The Kings will be very good with a full season of Artest, provided he doesn't do something stupid.

 

Chicago has the best chance of getting Garnett and that's where I expect to see him next year.

The Kings still have to figure out whether to give Bonzi a contract or not. He wants 5-6 years guaranteed. I don't feel comfortable with anything over 3 years guaranteed with perhaps a player or team option in the 4th. I'd love to unload Bibby and/or Miller because I think the window is sort of closed in terms of building around them. They are skilled players no doubt, but they are soft in the playoffs and while Bibby is a very clutch player, he is a defensive siv.

I don't think I'd give Bonzi more than a 3 year contract. I don't know how good he'll be after 32. What's the money figure?

 

The Kings should trade Miller first, but if they do that, then they lack bigs. They don't have a lot of depth at PG and C. If they trade one, they probably have to trade both.

I know he pulled down 8 mil this year, which was the final year of the contract. No way I'd give him more than that per year, so the only things are to either a) let him go or b) sign and trade.

 

I'd say go with b), but I'm not sure who could/would take him? Not too many teams I can think of that need a shooting guard except Denver, and they want more of a spot-up, pure shooter type.

Denver and Orlando to start, Utah and Toronto to finish. Oh yeah, New York *snicker*.

 

Those don't sound like Bonzi places, beside the obvious.

 

Toronto may not need a shooting guard, but they definitely need scoring in the short term.

Bonzi has pulled quite the magic trick in Sac. He's been quoted as saying he loves the town and wants to stay, basically throwing the ball in managment and the Maloofs court in terms of possibly being the bad guy if they don't re-sign him. He endeared himself to the fans too. I just hope people do understand he was in a contract year and while he dominated the Spurs series, he can meltdown just as easily as Artest can.

That's going to be the concern for other teams as well, is his checkered past. Sacramento has a great opportunity here. They're on the brink of something big, they just need to make the right little moves in order to get where they need to go. Getting rid of Webber was the beginning.

 

For the record, I don't see them as a rival. That's probably because they haven't beaten the Lakers in the postseason......yet. I want it to be a true full-fledged rivalry, and keeping Bonzi would be putting that on the right track. I hope they do.

The Kings/Lakers rivalry died when they blew up the Shaq/Kobe dynamic.

If the Bulls were to get KG, I'd actually start watching their games again.

Who wouldn't? They need to put more Bulls games on WGN, because watching the two teams here isn't enough. I need more.

I remember when the Atlanta Hawks were on TBS all the time. Outside of WGN showing Bulls games, the only station I get that shows one team's slate of games is some hippie local station that shows a Cavs game every now and then.

 

Does WGN broadcast Blackhawk games by chance?

No, the Blackhawks don't. Their owner is too stupid to even allow them to broadcast home games in Chicago.