Kobe remains a Laker!

[RiCE-DaDDy]

Oh well. I was hoping he would go to the clips. Then the Lakers would be completely butchered hahaha, stupid Buss

[xevanx]

i hate the lakers and kobe bryant.. did anyone see the shaq interview.. when he said that kobes gonna be the best player in the nba? haha what an idiot kobe sucks

[wildrice]

damn that sucks

and sucks even more for the clips
they freed up so much salary yesterday

they lost quentin richardson, eddie house, and melvin ely
clips could have afforded to pay kobe 14mil+ next year

[RiCE-DaDDy]

^ they wont lose qrich. they have the ability to match the suns offer which they'll do.

[mo_virgin]

AHhhh!!! I wanted to see shaq in a clippers jersey. Stupid kobe... he should be sent somewhere obscure, like toronto... nono even thats to good for him.

[wildrice]

what???
shaq was never gonna go to clippers

[mo_virgin]

I know i know... i just thought it woulda been a good diss to the lakers

[bigboom]

Originally posted by RiCE-DaDDy
^ they wont lose qrich. they have the ability to match the suns offer which they'll do.

i dont think the suns are that desperate for a 2 guard though, they got joe johnson who is turning into a pretty decent guard.

and who said kobe sucks? haha you may not like the guy but deny the fact that he can play ball...

[RiCE-DaDDy]

Originally posted by bigboom


i dont think the suns are that desperate for a 2 guard though, they got joe johnson who is turning into a pretty decent guard.

and who said kobe sucks? haha you may not like the guy but deny the fact that he can play ball...

But the suns know something we dont. they offered qrich i think 4yrs for 51mil, obviously, they would rather have him than johnson.

edit:

great article bout how Kobe shoulda chose the Clips.


The Lakers and Clippers are the final two contestants in the Kobe sweepstakes. The Bulls, reportedly, had the third-best shot, but the only way Chicago could've landed Kobe was via sign-and-trade, something the Lakers just weren't going to entertain (though a deal including Eddy Curry and Ben Gordon would've been better than nothing).

So, Lakers or Clippers?

We've all believed that, given the events over the past two weeks, that the Lakers were the heavy favorites to retain Kobe.


If Kobe truly wants a challenge, he'll choose the Clippers.
The Lakers dumped the coach he hated. They shipped off the most dominant player in the league to accommodate him. Their owner, Jerry Buss, has begged on bended knee. They can offer him a seven-year deal worth $136 million -- as much as $30 million more than the Clippers can offer.

The Lakers still have a solid roster with Lamar Odom, Caron Butler and Brian Grant coming into the fold. They still have Gary Payton, Devean George, Kareem Rush, Luke Walton, Brian Cook and rookie Sasha Vujacic to surround him with. The team also has its full mid-level exception and is trying to lure a big man like Erick Dampier with it. Coach Rudy Tomjanovich is a class act. He's a winner and has a great rapport with his players.

Most importantly, the Lakers have the purple and gold. They have instant credibility and a storied history. They are the Yankees of the NBA. Everyone outside of L.A. hates them, but there isn't a player in the league who doesn't want to don their jersey. Buss is handing the team to Kobe. By the time this offseason makeover is complete, Kobe would not only wear the captain label, he'd also inherit the titles of GM and King of the Lakers.

That's the upside. But there's a rather large downside to returning to the Lakers that no one has bothered to mention. The Shaq trade hurts the Lakers tremendously. I'm a big Odom fan, and I think Butler has a chance to become a star. But the Lakers, with the roster they've now configured, are no better than the fifth-best team in the West -- possibly worse.

If Shaq blows up in Miami and the Lakers stumble out of the gate in the West, the floodgates will open. Kobe will take the blame for breaking up the marriage and causing the team's demise. The retribution from the media will be swift and ferocious. The Lakers won't be the team Kobe built --they'll be the one he destroyed.

The Clippers' history, on the other hand, is much more sordid than storied. Their owner, Donald Sterling, is synonymous with cheapskate. The team has just one measly playoff appearance in the past 10 years. It has had a winning record once in the past 24 years. There are no banners. No titles. There is no honor in being a Clipper.

Kobe knows it. But his ego tells him things could be very different if he was running the ship. With Kobe, the Clippers would field one of the best teams in the league.

Elton Brand is an unselfish, 20-and-10 guy and low-post warrior who does all the little things a championship-type team needs. Corey Maggette has improved every season and, at the still young age of 24, has the potential to be Kobe's Scottie Pippen. Chris Kaman is one of the best young big men in the game. Shaun Livingston, the Clippers' first-round draft choice, has more potential than anyone drafted in June. He's unselfish -- a kid who wants 20 assists, not 20 points a night. Marko Jaric and Chris Wilcox are formidable pieces off the bench. Their coach, Mike Dunleavy, is experienced and has a great rapport with Kobe.

The Clips, even with Kobe, won't be ready yet. Livingston is too young, and Brand, Maggette and Kaman have never played a playoff game. But Kobe is just 25 years old. He knows the drill. Unlike the Lakers, where anything short of a championship is a failure, he can afford to be patient with the Clippers. He recognizes they don't have to win the title overnight.

Making the playoffs would be expected with Bryant on the roster. But anything else would be gravy. A run to the Western Conference Finals, a distinct possibility with this team, would mean more on that side of the Staples Center than another title with the Lakers. A Clippers title? That's one of the signs of the apocalypse, isn't it?

When Phil Jackson took the Lakers coaching job, more than a few people rolled their eyes. Jackson's "challenge" wasn't much of one. Anything short of multiple championships with a team that had the two best players in the game would've been a monumental failure for Phil. Had he chosen to coach the Clippers? Then we would've been impressed.

The same challenge awaits Kobe.

He can play it safe, take the money and return to the Lakers. The purple and gold will be his recruiting call. Eventually, Buss and Kupchak will spend enough to put them back into contention. Three or four years from now, Kobe could stand on a podium, holding the golden Finals trophy above his head, and he can tell the world, "I told you I could do it without Shaq." We would cheer, nod knowingly, and then ask, under our breath, "Well, how many trophies would you have if you had chosen to get along with the Big Fella?"

Or he can take the mission impossible. He can etch his name into the very fabric of a tattered franchise. Kobe or no Kobe, the Lakers will always be Magic, Wilt, Kareem, West and Shaq. The Clippers could be Kobe's forever.

We'll learn a lot about Kobe Bryant in the coming hours. We'll learn whether this was just a power-play -- a desperate, vengeful purge against enemies, both perceived and real. Or whether this was truly about the challenge. About doing something bold and special with his career. About taking the path less traveled and transcending the game in the process.

Pick the Clips, Kobe. Pick the Clips.

[accordboi_02]

That sucks, I was hoping he'd go to the Clips too.
Oh well, here's to Denver State Penetentiary's new top player!! :thumbsup:

[bigboom]

yeah i was hoping for the clips as well, either the clips or the nuggets...

i guess in the end it was all about the bling.

[sin]

i was definitely hoping for him to go to denver, him and 'melo wouldve definitely been a good team

[PhenomSE]

Originally posted by xevanx
what an idiot kobe sucks
How so? :dunno:

[Cyruss12]

Kobe's going to jail so it doesnt matter what team he's on.

[Cyruss12]

Kobe's going to jail so it doesnt matter what team he's on.


sorry about the double post..

[PGTze]

If Kobe doesn't go to jail the lakers will be a sick run and gun type team next year. It will be scary to see what Kobe can do when he's running the show solo.

[Chester]

I fucking hate Kobe, I hope he goes to jail. Hes good but I hate him.

[wildrice]

please, we all know everyone hates kobe, but u have to admit, he's pretty good

and he's not gonna go to jail
he'll probably pay some money and do some community service

[gongSHOW]

very true ^

He's an amazing player, in fact, one of the most exciting in the league. Everyone hates him because he's an egotistical b**tard, but if you were that good, got drafted out of high school and made that much in one year, I bet you would be a bit cocky as well.

There is little if no chance that Kobe will go to jail, all that girl wants is her spot in the news and some cash. There will be an out of court settlement, most likely. But who knows?

[accordboi_02]

Originally posted by gongSHOW
very true ^

He's an amazing player, in fact, one of the most exciting in the league. Everyone hates him because he's an egotistical b**tard, but if you were that good, got drafted out of high school and made that much in one year, I bet you would be a bit cocky as well.


LeBron doesn't strike me as the type of player who would whine and bitch because he's playing on a dynasty team and he has to share the glory with another great player... and correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't he "that good" and wasn't he drafted out of high school, and didn't he make even MORE money than Kobe in one year???

With only Kobe, and no big guy, Lakers are a 5th place team, AT BEST. It'll be awesome to watch Minn and SA just own them this coming year!!

[pinoyhero]

Originally posted by xevanx
i hate the lakers and kobe bryant.. did anyone see the shaq interview.. when he said that kobes gonna be the best player in the nba? haha what an idiot kobe sucks

Yeah Kobe sucks, he's not a good player at all. Are you serious?

[RiCE-DaDDy]

Divac just signed w/ the Lakers. So it went Divac - Shaq - now back to Divic aka Flopper.

[[GaGe]]

Originally posted by pinoyhero


Yeah Kobe sucks, he's not a good player at all. Are you serious?

kobe takes a lotta dumb shots, but other than that he's a pretty good player.. i think he'll be the leader in points next season without Shaq..

[Cyruss12]

Originally posted by wildrice
please, we all know everyone hates kobe, but u have to admit, he's pretty good

and he's not gonna go to jail
he'll probably pay some money and do some community service

I dont hate Kobe, i just think he's going to jail.

[Jynx]

Originally posted by Cyruss12


I dont hate Kobe, i just think he's going to jail.

the chance of kobe goin to jail is slim to none...

[legereandrew4]

whats all the hate against Kobe? He sucks? Are you kidding me... He is said to be the best player in the game... Ever... Jordan had a cinderella story, but kobe has crazy skills... NBA vets say he is the best to step foot on the court, I second that, hes fast, has an eye, can move the ball, can jump, can shoot, can guard. and you gusy say he sucks? all I got is a laugh about that one, dont hate him because he runs the show.

[CKY]

Originally posted by legereandrew4
whats all the hate against Kobe? He sucks? Are you kidding me... He is said to be the best player in the game... Ever... Jordan had a cinderella story, but kobe has crazy skills... NBA vets say he is the best to step foot on the court, I second that, hes fast, has an eye, can move the ball, can jump, can shoot, can guard. and you gusy say he sucks? all I got is a laugh about that one, dont hate him because he runs the show.

so? everyone on this forum seems to hate malone, he is one of the all time top 50 players in NBA, its just about the charisma, let the hateres hate, there ain't much you can do to change what they think about kobe

[accordboi_02]

Originally posted by legereandrew4
whats all the hate against Kobe? He sucks? Are you kidding me... He is said to be the best player in the game... Ever... Jordan had a cinderella story, but kobe has crazy skills... NBA vets say he is the best to step foot on the court, I second that, hes fast, has an eye, can move the ball, can jump, can shoot, can guard. and you gusy say he sucks? all I got is a laugh about that one, dont hate him because he runs the show.

Actually Shaq hit the nail on the head when he said Kobe COULD be the greatest, but the one thing he's missing is that he doesn't make his teammates around him better. He's far too selfish to do that, and until he learns how to boost them up, he's never going to go down as one of the greatest players ever.

Is Kobe a good player? Yes.
Is he a great player who can lead a team to numerous titles? Definitely not.

[huss]

thank god he's staying at least they didn't lose them both

[Cyruss12]

Originally posted by Jynx


the chance of kobe goin to jail is slim to none...

And you base this on what?

[pile_0_crap]

lakers will be a better team than miami, although miami may go deeper in the playoffs because the east still licks ass

[Jynx]

Originally posted by pile_0_crap
lakers will be a better team than miami, although miami may go deeper in the playoffs because the east still licks ass

im willin to put money on the heat beatin the lakers both times they play nxt year

[gongSHOW]

Originally posted by Cyruss12


And you base this on what?
I also doubt that Kobe will go to jail, with all the money he's got, there will most likely be an out of court settlement, for millions. With all the money he's got, he can afford it. But who knows?

[accordboi_02]

Originally posted by gongSHOW

I also doubt that Kobe will go to jail, with all the money he's got, there will most likely be an out of court settlement, for millions. With all the money he's got, he can afford it. But who knows?

A settlement is different from criminal charges (civil law vs criminal law). Unless you're saying he's going to pay off the DA, and the state of Col????? Maybe he can pull a Belfour and offer them 1 billion dollars!! :rofl: :rofl:

[Cyruss12]

Originally posted by accordboi_02


A settlement is different from criminal charges (civil law vs criminal law). Unless you're saying he's going to pay off the DA, and the state of Col????? Maybe he can pull a Belfour and offer them 1 billion dollars!! :rofl: :rofl:

lol yea, ya beat me to it i was thinking the same thing

[gongSHOW]

whoops sorry, I thought it was just a criminal case pursued by the victim and not by the state of Colorado. <----- Thats probably not even possible, sorry bout that.

[civicluva]

kobe is alright. i dont blame him for anything... that woman is just a piece of trash trying to get easy money. If she gets money from him, why dont they just give all the sluts in the world money? :werd: