Archive for May, 2007
Special thanks to David Brickley for writing this take and giving us the privilege to add it to GetGarnett.com. If you have an article that is Lakers related and you know that it will interest our readers, feel free to e-mail us and will add it to the blog. Thanks!
Being a diehard Kobe/Lakers fan I can’t get enough of Laker news. Regardless of the time period it always seems that ESPN has some kind of documentary or lead story involving the Lakers. The Lakers sell, and the media knows that.
When the Lakers lost this year in the playoffs people were putting Kobe down. “He can’t win without Shaq,” “the Lakers will never win,” and, “they choked.” Forgetting the fact that the best team in the league the Dallas Mavericks got knocked out in the first round, forgetting the fact that the reigning NBA champion Miami Heat not only got beat but got swept by the Chicago Bulls? You’re telling me the most dominant big man in NBA history can’t even get one win against the Bulls, regardless of injuries to Dwayne Wade and others. Shaq could have gotten one win right? Kobe did? But it never seems to be enough.
The reason why Kobe wakes up every morning at 4:30am, the reason why he comes back every season with a better game is because he wants to WIN, more than anything. More than Jerry Buss, More than Phil Jackson. Kobe will fail but will not accept failure. He is the only guy you want to go to battle with. Score 81, dish out 15 assists, or lock-down the other team’s best player. Dirk doesn’t do that, T-Mac doesn’t do that, Wade doesn’t do that, AI, Carmelo.
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I am a Lakers fan, and today is the longest day of my life.
Wednesday could have been played out like a season of 24. The day started off like any other. Here I was, studying for finals… not knowing that Kobe Bryant was on ESPN radio with Stephen A. Smith. Then… at 9:48am PST I got the call, it was LD2k. “Are you listening?” he asked, “No, I’m studying for my finals…” I replied. Then it came….
“Kobe just asked to be traded!”
Before it can even sink in, I got another call waiting. I was Shane Bien. Right then and I knew why he was calling. I quickly turned it to ESPN Radio to check for myself. It was true. The rest of the day would be like hell. I had one final coming in 2 hours, I had to study. But how? My world was crumbing. But I am a man of priorities. So right then I decided the right thing to do was go online and see what other Laker fans thought of all this. Just my luck, Lakers sites are down! This is madness! No, this is LAKERLAND.
I arrive in class, it was all I can think about. I looked so bad, so dead. I let a few of my fellow Laker fans know what was going on. They were also unaware. “YOU LIE!” they said, “Kobe was on the radio yesterday and… and… and… said he wants to stay with the Lakers!” So I pulled out my Blackberry, went on ESPN.com, and had them see for themselves. I can see their hearts drop. It was torture for me as a fan, but better they find out now. *4 way split screen comes up*
The rest of the afternoon I felt like Chloe during a CTU operation *dropped another 24 comparison*. On my computer looking for the latest news, looking at the TV which was on ESPN the whole day, and listening to the radio tuned to AM570. Getting calls left and right, trying to fill everyone on the latest while still keeping up with whats going on. He’s leaving! No he’s staying, YES!!! Damnit, he might not stay!!! What is going on?!?! Not even Jack Bauer can fix this!
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Special thanks to Trevor Smith for writing this take and giving us the privilege to add it to GetGarnett.com. If you have an article that is Lakers related and you know that it will interest our readers, feel free to e-mail us and will add it to the blog. Thanks!
He’s a liar. He’s a cheat. He ran Shaq out of town. He’s disloyal. He killed the Lakers.
For years, these were the allegation throw out at Kobe Bean Bryant from fans and media alike. Now they are (finally) being hurled at his owner. It has been popularly accepted that Kobe had broken up the Lakeshow dynasty. He said nothing to dispute this. As his team continued to struggle, as the front office continued to trip over themselves, Bryant was the good solider and continued to take the heat for the Lakers’ very obvious, very public failures. So long as the Lakers fans and head brass supported him, Mamba would keep his mouth shut and play ball, no matter how dysfunctional his team was.
That changed Tuesday. Bryant opened the LA Times to see that a Lakers “insider” had blamed him for getting rid of Shaq. Camel’s back, meet straw. Feeling betrayed, 24 was pissed off and launched into a series of interviews and demands that flipped back and forth from Trade Me/Trade Me Not. He got out the Festivus pole and aired grievances. Telling his version of the truth, he put the Lakers’ dirty laundry on display.
So, now what?
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Special thanks to Justin Page for writing this take and giving us the privilege to add it to GetGarnett.com. If you have an article that is Lakers related and you know that it will interest our readers, feel free to e-mail us and will add it to the blog. Thanks!
Everyone in Los Angeles Just Calm Down!
“Kobe Bryant demands to be traded from the Los Angeles Lakers” is what you saw scrolling across your screen yesterday, but don’t let ESPN fool you with their headlines and reports. Look past the Stephen A. Smith interview and focus more on the Dan Patrick interview that took place after Kobe spoke with Smith (and Phil Jackson for that matter), and you will see how he backs off his demands and reveals what his real agendas are.
Agenda # 1: Win, and win now (make a significant trade and hire Jerry West). Kobe realizes that he’s an old 28, having logged 9,000 more minutes than Michael Jordan did at the same point in his career. Everyone’s saying, “Why’s he making demands through the media?” Although it makes him look extremely selfish (he is), it also puts immense pressure on the Lakers front office to make a significant move this off-season, and ultimately, the pressure he’s applied is going to result in big trade this summer (not involving him) and Jerry West’s return. Kobe took things to another level on Wednesday with his trade demands, a level that I’m completely stunned, embarrassed, and disappointed in as a loyal fan of his. He bluffed this afternoon, and he couldn’t even hold his bluff for one interview, let alone two hours.
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Dr. Buss had a chance to sit down and talk to Kobe Bryant during a period which Bryant has gone to the media and displayed his frustration. Luckily, it sounds like Buss is committed to building around Kobe:
Lakers.com: Dr. Buss has made the following statement:
“I talked to Kobe this morning and assured him that I share his frustration and, more importantly, I assured him that we will continue to pursue every avenue possible to improve our team with him as the cornerstone. I told him that we will keep him apprised of our progress and we agreed that we will talk again in the very near future.”
Unfortunately the bad news keeps rolling in. West was asked about a possibility of returning to the Lakers, he had this to say:
Daily Breeze: “I’m absolutely not going back to the Lakers,” West said assertively. “I’m 69 years old. I’ve been at this long enough. It’s time for me to step permanently to the sidelines.”
Peter Vecsey came on NBA TV and announced that JO to LA in a few weeks.
Interesting stuff, we know management will now “do something, and do it now,” but will they get desperate and “settle” for a trade? We can only hope they can put together an attractive offer as Vecsey did not give us any details.
One thing I’ve noticed about Vescey is that he has broke many deals:
- Artest for Peja
- Harrington to GS
- Magloire to Milwaukee which NO denied and then made the deal.
It appears when Vecsey is giving strictly “movement reports” – he’s been very accurate. Something to think about… hmmm…
Here’s some quotes from his latest interview:
“I don’t want to play somewhere else, I really don’t.”
“Phil is the guy I lean on a lot. For clarity, for hope, and right now it’s no different.”
“Now looking back, it’s not that their competent, they had a long term plan.”
“If you wanna do something, do something now. Get this team turned around.”
“I can trust Phil, that’s all I have to go off of.”
“My problem comes in, tell me one thing, doing another. Blaming me for things…”
“I’m just happy the truth is out there finally.”
“Show me [the trust].”
“A phone call would help [on rebuilding trust].”
“I’d love to, I’d like to know what the hell is going on [on management getting together with him].”
“If there trust. . . I’m staying.”
“It’s not me [on wearing a different jersey].”
“I want to stay here.”
“Me & Shaq coexisted because of our killer instinct on the court.”
Dr. Buss has stepped up and spoken out on Kobe’s announcement of wanting to be traded:
Lakers.com: In response to inquiries regarding Kobe Bryant’s comments in the media today requesting a trade, Lakers owner Dr. Jerry Buss has issued the following statement:
“We are aware of the media reports. However, Kobe has not told us directly that he wants to be traded. We have made it very clear that we are building our team around Kobe and that we intend for him to be a Laker his entire career. We will speak directly to Kobe and until we do that, we will not comment publicly about this.”
From Kobe himself live on ESPN radio.
“I want them to do the right thing, they know what they did.”
Kobe revealed that he wants to be traded. He knows the “insider” who basically accused him soley for Shaq being traded. Kobe was frusterated and went on Steven A. Smith’s show and revealed this:
“Yeah I’d like to be traded and as tough as it is to come to that conclusion, there is no other alternative.” Steven A. Smith asked him if there is anything the Lakers could do to prevent you from being traded, Kobe responded with, “NO!”
ESPN has written a news story on this.
It’s crazy to me that a franchise will immediately trade future hall of famers, but play conservative and not bring in any stars, all-stars, or future hall of famers. They tell Kobe they’re building around him, yet putting youth around him & Phil. Quite the paradox.
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