"Peek behind the banners," says one longtime NBA agent, "and it's rotten."
"Kobe is like the big rock in their front yard," says an agent who has had a Lakers client in recent years. "You can't mow over it, so you just have to mow around it."
Another agent with current Lakers clients was asked whether Bryant undermined the team's rebuilding by alienating would-be free agent recruits. "Well, duh," he replied. "Isn't that obvious?"
"I've had a lot of clients in the last five years, good players, who didn't want to play with Kobe," says an agent who has had numerous NBA stars. "They see that his teammates become the chronic public whipping boys. Anyone who could possibly challenge Kobe for the spotlight ends up becoming a pincushion for the media. Even Shaq."
"I just never felt like the Lakers put as much effort into the building-the-team part of it," says an agent who once had a free agent decline a Lakers offer. "I saw some things in the players' parking lot. Conversations between Bynum and his people and some people with the Lakers. It got pretty rough and heated."
"It's horrendous. It's evil. It's a hard drug to quit when you're winning," says a front office executive from a rival team who knows everyone involved well. "Kobe has cost the Lakers dearly in human capital. Kobe has hurt a lot of people. In some cases jeopardized careers."
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+1.
Jim Buss is the new Jimmy Dolan.
Isn't it agents and executives that are piling on? Certainly not the media. Kobe is the media's darling.
3 sidekick rings have inflated the hell out of kobes legacy
Also heard horror stories about Chris Berman. Then I met him and he started a convo with me talking sports, he was actually a very nice guy.
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Kobes greatness lies in the fact that he was a top 5-6 player for 13 or 14 years in a row. Hell of an accomplishment. He was never at any point though decisively the best player in the league, even during his lone mvp season.
and i love how lebron was scared to face wade, who in the 4 years prior to lebrons arrival was sub .500 with zero playoff series wins. Or boshs raptors. Lets see them go win 55 games this year and contend like the bulls did without mj in 94, the overexpansion pre foreign talent infusion most watered down era in nba history
Should we consider Gasol a ring chaser now?
This is true. It's been evident from the beginning.
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Two other top ten players because I'm scared face. Or the flop as a steroid ridden 270 lber and then look disgusted when I get called on it face.
Should we consider Gasol a ring chaser now?
By going to Chicago? LOL a little presumptuous aren't we?
These articles are for the MoM's who fifteen years from now will have altered history enough to show that Kobe was just a hair above the level of Smush Parker.
That guy is a fucking toilet stain.
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In comment 11933418 chris r said:
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Two other top ten players because I'm scared face. Or the flop as a steroid ridden 270 lber and then look disgusted when I get called on it face.
Should we consider Gasol a ring chaser now?
By going to Chicago? LOL a little presumptuous aren't we?
You dont see Chicago as a top contender? They are easily at worst the 2nd best team in the East and probably a top 5 team in the NBA.
Most incredibly driven, focused individuals aren't well liked because they demand others work as hard as they do, and most people don't want to work that hard.
There is plenty to dislike about Kobe and much criticism to be made. But using Andrew Bynum in any way to make that point is laughable and undermines the topic.
Lets not mistake drive with petulance. Kobe is often a little baby. And before we laud that as a trait responsible for titles, lets ponder how many they robbed the lakers of after 02 and before the pau trade in 08. He basically blew up a dynasty in progress because he didnt want to be 2nd fiddle. First by poisoning the locker room from the inside out and then by orchestrating the break up.
He's fishing for haters.
I'm not sure where the revisionism is. Rather, the conventional wisdom (which is correct) seems to be that those were indeed Shaq's teams and Kobe was the clear 2nd guy. A fact re-inforced once Shaq was gone and they were a mostly middling team until another capable (though obv not Shaq level) big came to LA. Will never forget his game 7 against Boston where he was ice cold all night and totally bailed out by Pau & Artest.
kobe was a top 5-6 player himself during the kobe/shaq threepeat, dont get me wrong. He wasnt some bystander by any stretch. But shaq during this period was just historically dominant, best player in the league by a mile. Could have been a legit goat contender if he gave a shit about staying in shape
kobe was a top 5-6 player himself during the kobe/shaq threepeat, dont get me wrong. He wasnt some bystander by any stretch. But shaq during this period was just historically dominant, best player in the league by a mile. Could have been a legit goat contender if he gave a shit about staying in shape
Yet an old ass already been paid millions upon millions Kobe Bryant refused to take any paycut whatsoever. Fuck You, Pay Me. That's what Kobe said to the Lakers. I lost a lot of respect for Kobe with these past negotiations. He clearly valued money over everything and it was a slap to the face of the Lakers.
Kobe's a douche but we've always known that. It's the absurd contract that he signed for that's the real problem in LA.
Also, people can harp on "Fredo" Buss all they want. He is horrible when it comes to coaching hires, but homeboy put a plan in action, successfully prior to the veto after the tears of other owners piled up, to pair Paul, Kobe, and Howard together. Would still rather have Jeanie running the show, but I haven't forgotten that he pulled that trigger.
Shaq
Gasol
Dwight
Those are the 3 best players Kobe has played with over his career. He ripped all 3 of those guys in public. Called Shaq a lazy fuck, showed Howard no respect, and he continually ragged on Gasol for being a pussy. Despite the fact that Gasol outplayed Kobe in most of the big games during their two-peat.
Dwight, however, got everything he deserved. Flat out refusing to run the plays that are called, refusing to work on parts of his game, telling Nash he doesn't need his help regarding free throws, refusing to care. Fuck him. I'm glad he is gone as someone who loves the franchise.