NBA Playoffs 2007: Conference Finals

[Guest]

I'll post his words.

 

Boozer, Artest and Baron Davis have called Kobe and asked Kobe to lobby for them to come to LA when their names where on the trading block. Jim Buss made excuses when Kobe asked for each one to be traded there (all at different times, obviously). Said Boozer was too slow. Baron too injury prone. Artest is a headcase.

 

Kobe did not know about this five year plan. He thought he was signing up for a team that was going to do what it took to put themselves in championship contention for years to come. He has no trust in the team.

 

Now my words.

 

At the beginning of the interview, he sounded beyond furious. Like he was totally over the idea of staying with the Lakers and that he wanted out. But at the end, he eased up a lot and it seemed more like he was going to stay. It sounded to me like he felt like someone that was completely lied to. He wanted to win now, Shaq around or not, it didn't matter to him.

 

He's so gone, and I don't blame him one bit. Not one person has called him from the front office ever since his comments were taken out of context by Bucher, so I'm going to guess that this is it for Kobe with the Lakers, and not entirely of his doing. The Busses lied to him. I am so angry with the Lakers right now. If this happens and they do not get something worth getting, they are dead to me.

 

However, all it takes to fix this is the firing of one Kupchak, Mitch and a simple phone call to Jerry West on July 1st and it is all taken care of. Kobe said if West gets put in charge, he will have trust in anything that the Lakers decide to do. Hopefully this is what happens.

 

 

Just wait until ESPN gets a hold of this interview and the ones he has left to do today. Then you will see.

[Just John 0]

Don't know why the Lakers wouldn't want Boozer. Which of their front-line players is better than him again? And Baron Davis is too injury prone, but they insist on keeping Lamar Odom around? I can see why Kobe would be upset with the direction of the Lakers right now.

[Guest]

He had another interview just now. He nearly started crying toward the end of it.

 

Pretty much the same stuff. He said that he just found out today that they're stuck on this get under the cap and get a big free agent plan while they were lying to him about trying to win now. They told him and Phil separate things about the direction of the team. He called the front office a circus.

He also said that guys have been calling him for three years trying to get him to make something happen so that they could get out to LA. The Lakers totally tricked and used this guy just to sell tickets. That's fucked.

 

He also said that the Lakers had decided that they were going to trade Shaq no matter what Kobe did during January of the year in which Shaq was traded. He also said that he'd love to see anyone in the FO say otherwise (basically saying, lie to me and I'll ask to get out).

 

This is nuts.

[USC Wuz Robbed! 0]

Why now though? It just seems so sudden that Kobe would be that pissed. They have been out of the playoffs for a few weeks, why not when they first got eliminated by the Suns?

[Guest Vitamin X]

Christ, this is insane. I really wonder who that one team is, though. The Bulls, maybe?

[USC Wuz Robbed! 0]

I can't see him wanting to play for the Bulls. I'd say the Suns. He idolized D'Antoni, didn't he?

[alfdogg 0]

That was one of the top suitors when he was a FA. Marion & Banks for Kobe, possibly?

[Guest Vitamin X]

I don't see why not. The Bulls have been "one piece away" for years now, and Kobe Bryant would be a hell of a big piece. The only problems would be the salaries.

 

The Suns would be a great team for him to go to, but can you imagine him and Raja Bell on the same team?! Or even who the Suns would give up in exchange? If the Suns had gotten the Hawks' first round pick this year, like a #4, I could see them trading that and someone else for Kobe. Just getting rid of Bryant alone would ensure the Lakers demise for years to come, what better team to want to do that more than someone in their own division?

 

And if Kobe's really pissed at the Lakers front office, he'd want to do that, too.

[USC Wuz Robbed! 0]

I don't see why not. The Bulls have been "one piece away" for years now, and Kobe Bryant would be a hell of a big piece. The only problems would be the salaries.

 

The Suns would be a great team for him to go to, but can you imagine him and Raja Bell on the same team?! Or even who the Suns would give up in exchange? If the Suns had gotten the Hawks' first round pick this year, like a #4, I could see them trading that and someone else for Kobe. Just getting rid of Bryant alone would ensure the Lakers demise for years to come, what better team to want to do that more than someone in their own division?

 

And if Kobe's really pissed at the Lakers front office, he'd want to do that, too.

 

I think Bell would be traded. Obviously Kobe and Bell can't be on the same team. I'd see Banks, Bell and Marion for Kobe (and maybe a scrub if needed).

 

And I didn't mean the Bulls wouldn't want Kobe. They probably would. I just don't think HE wants to go there. He'd have to live up to the Jordan comparisons even more there.

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

Christ, this is insane. I really wonder who that one team is, though. The Bulls, maybe?

It has to be the Bulls. I can't think of any other team he'd leave LA for.

[USC Wuz Robbed! 0]

Am I missing something? Why is Chicago the hot spot for Kobe? Did he say anything in regards to wanting to play for Chicago? Because I'm just not seeing it.

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

Well, if we flash back to Kobe's free agent period a couple of summers ago, at the eleventh hour he decided he wanted to go to Chicago. I guess he had dreams of being the heir to Jordan, or something like that. Problem was, Chicago didn't have to cap room to sign him. Whether the Lakers either flat out refused a sign and trade or nothing materialized because Chicago lacked anyone with trade value, I have no idea.

 

Things could have definitely changed since then, but all of the Kobe to Chicago stuff was covered really well at the time he signed with LA. I don't know how much of it was serious and how much was a romanticized vision of being the next Jordan though.

 

With regards to Phoenix, I remember that they went hard after Nash when Kobe's agent informed them that they had no chance to sign him. They had cleared all that cap space with the intention of going hard after him and he had little to no interest.

[Guest George's Box]

I could see Kobe wanting to take on the challenge of being the heir to Jordan. The problem is, since NBA trades pretty much have to be dollar-for-dollar, which I think is a bunch of horseshit but that's beside the point, there's no way the Bulls could land him without being extremely creative and parting with some hard-to-part-with players.

 

I'd become a big Kobe Bryant fan very quickly if he came to Chicago, needless to say.

[Guest]

It is the Bulls. Kobe said today that he didn't sign with them because he was promised by Buss that a contender would be delivered ASAP. That was the main reason.

 

Ol' PJ would never take Wallace, so the only way to get contracts to match would be to load up the plane to Los Angeles. That's why it'll never happen and Kobe will opt out if this shit continues, because nobody is giving that much for any single player.

 

I'd laugh like hell if all these cities that boo the shit out of Kobe Bryant started begging and pleading for their GM's to trade for him. Hypocrites.

 

Me, after thinking about it for a while I figure that the guy is going to stay and then opt out. At which point this whole city will turn on the Lakers and force Dr. Buss to sell the team.

[Guest George's Box]

I'd laugh like hell if all these cities that boo the shit out of Kobe Bryant started begging and pleading for their GM's to trade for him. Hypocrites.

That's what everybody does with every good player. Come on, you know that.

[Black Lushus 0]

I haven't watched a single game of the conference finals...am I missing anything?

[Guest George's Box]

San Antonio flopped a lot, Utah got a shitload of technical fouls, Detroit slacked their way into two road losses, and LeBron James chest-bumped a bunch of teammates. There you have it.

[Black Lushus 0]

sounds pretty predictable to me...ho hum.

[Edwin MacPhisto 0]

I can understand why Kobe would be pissed about a poorly run front office--who can't identify with that?--but come on, guys. This doesn't seem a little silly to you? He makes $20 million a year. The guy shouldn't be crying or feeling used for any reason related to his career.

[Coffin Surfer 0]

I have to agree, the Kobe whining is getting old. For crying out loud, the guy already has more than rings than he knows what to do with. Yet we have to hear about the "Shaq fued", the evil conspiracy to sideline one of the league's top draws, and now the shit front office that can't guarentee a Championship caliber team every year. Damn them all to hell.

[Ripper 0]

Ugh. He has the right to whine. The team signed him by telling him one thing and knew they were doing another. The team has had multiple chances to better themselves and refuse to do so.

 

I would see if they were built for the future but they aren't. Outside of shooting guard and maybe Center, they aren't built for the next 5 years. Odem, at the rate he is going, is going to break down sooner or later. Nothing at the point (I am not counting Farmer as the point of the future), nothing at the Small forward...

 

His prime is going to go to waste. Tough.

 

By the way, saying Bell and Kobe couldn't play together would be underestimating the professionalism of both of these players.

 

If the Suns threw Marion, Barbosa, Atlanta's unprotected next year and those two first rounders this year the Lakers way for Kobe, they might have to pay a little attention, but seriously, who the hell would pay to see that team. Kobe isn't going any where. He is too much of a draw.

[Coffin Surfer 0]

"Ugh. He has the right to whine. The team signed him by telling him one thing and knew they were doing another."

 

I'm sure they did, obviously they knew he would try to cut loose and run as soon as they said they wouldn't be surrounding him with A+ talent every single year.

 

How many great players have had their primes wasted without even getting the opportutines poor Kobe has endured? Looking at the big picture, he's lucky to have had the career he's had already had and sorry, there's just something plain wrong about him bitching and moaning as much as he does. It's not fair but that's the way the NBA has always been run, and apparently crying to media isn't going to change that. I would honestly have more pity for Kobe if it wasn't for all the conspiracy theories and fueds before this.

[Brett Favre 0]

We all know he wants to go to New York. *crosses fingers*. We'll give them Jared Jeffries ...

[Ripper 0]

"Ugh. He has the right to whine. The team signed him by telling him one thing and knew they were doing another."

 

I'm sure they did, obviously they knew he would try to cut loose and run as soon as they said they wouldn't be surrounding him with A+ talent every single year.

 

How many great players have had their primes wasted without even getting the opportutines poor Kobe has endured? Looking at the big picture, he's lucky to have had the career he's had already had and sorry, there's just something plain wrong about him bitching and moaning as much as he does.

 

There is nothing wrong with it. He is away from his family for how many months, on the road and busting his ass for a franchise that doesn't care about winning right now. Whats the point? Yes, great players have had their prime wasted, but find me one great player that didn't complain about their prime being wasted. Thats what great players do. They want to win. They aren't satisfied with just being able to play in the NBA.

 

Bottomline, when he was a free agent he told them he wasn't interested in a rebuilding project, he wanted a team that could compete now. They knew all along that they weren't trying to build a team for now. The person that got decieved has a right to complain. You would complain too if you were at a dead end job.

 

I think its a little unfair to say that the guy should just be happy with whatever because he had sucess early in his career. He might as well retire then if that is the way he is supposed to think.

 

And I don't even like the guy.

[Coffin Surfer 0]

I'm sure Kobe has a very hard life and is a very dedicated family man......

 

And yeah, he has a "right" to complain but I'm certainly not gonna shed any tears for the guy.

 

"You would complain too if you were at a dead end job."

 

Who isn't at a dead end job in this country? A handful of CEOs, Oil Tycoons.....

 

And if being an NBA Superstar on a successful but not Championship caliber team is Kobe's idea of a dead end job, count me in. It's great he wants to win but I don't think all this constant bitching to the media is going to help his case much. Bitch about Shaq, Bitch about Malone, Bitch about no telling who else I'm forgetting, Bitch about Conspiarcies, Bitch about the Front office, enough already!

[JohnnyBlaze 0]

I probably hate Kobe Bryant more than any other NBA player I've ever disliked. And I feel absolutely no sympathy for him in this issue. However, I will give him the benefit of the doubt for going to the media with this, but only because the Lakers went their first.

[Ripper 0]

I'm sure Kobe has a very hard life and is a very dedicated family man......

 

And yeah, he has a "right" to complain but I'm certainly not gonna shed any tears for the guy.

 

"You would complain too if you were at a dead end job."

 

Who isn't at a dead end job in this country? A handful of CEOs, Oil Tycoons.....

 

And if being an NBA Superstar on a successful but not Championship caliber team is Kobe's idea of a dead end job, count me in. It's great he wants to win but I don't think all this constant bitching to the media is going to help his case much. Bitch about Shaq, Bitch about Malone, Bitch about no telling who else I'm forgetting, Bitch about Conspiarcies, Bitch about the Front office, enough already!

 

 

Malone needed bitching about. And so does the front office. And honestly, so did Shaq at the time. The Conspiracies, now that was bull. But I am sure that Pat Burke bitches more (in fact I know he does) but he is Pat Burke and noone gives a shit. The fact a mic is in his face makes it seem like he is complaining more than any other player. He is the best scorer in the game. He is going to get alot of press.

 

Plus Shaq/Malone was what? 4 years ago. The dude can't bitch once every 4 years?

[Coffin Surfer 0]

"Malone needed bitching about. "

 

Because he was playing bad sure, not because he talked dirty to his wife or whatever they say happened.

 

"And honestly, so did Shaq at the time. "

 

Some stuff sure, but in so many words complaining that Shaq raped women all the time but got away with it is hardly sympathetic even if it's probably true.

 

"But I am sure that Pat Burke bitches more (in fact I know he does) but he is Pat Burke and noone gives a shit."

 

Well, fuck Pat Burke too.

 

 

"Plus Shaq/Malone was what? 4 years ago. The dude can't bitch once every 4 years?"

 

It's a long line in a continous thread of bitching. I recall he even had trouble with Phil Jackson after that as it's always something. Bottomline, Kobe is a drama queen. And I'm sure the media isn't blame free here but Kobe needs to be mature enough to handle the mics or simply shut the hell up.

[bobobrazil1984 0]

the Lakers organization has passed up a pretty good amount of free agents and trade requests of good players (particularly the latter), I'd be irritated too if they'd promised me serious moves to be a contender, and instead stood around and rolled the dice with guys like Smush Parker and Luke Walton.

[MillenniumMan831 0]

I haven't watched a single game of the conference finals...am I missing anything?

 

You're missing the always awesome Sonic commercials on TNT.