That article always makes me irritated D'Antoni wasn't a strong enough leader to protect Kobe from himself. Inexcusable.
To be honest I still can't believe that last game as it was also my first game in person at Staples Center. Still appreciate how much joy this guy brought to my life. And I'm glad to see that he is enjoying retirement and excited to see what he does in the future. That guy is really an inspiration.
Hell...even Super Clown was begging for him to do so. That speaks volumes about D'Antoni's lack of a spine.
I don't know Man he's got those skinny legs like DAR .... might keep him from doing much in the league. But yeah he sure did have it going on. Good thing West didn't sign him to GS. Come back Jerry, Phil has said he was an a-hole 17 years ago and is sorry.
Watching Kobe as a rookie I had no clue he would become anywhere near as good as he did. 13th pick didn't seem that high to me for one, and he was out of high school. His game was already smooth, but it was also nowhere near as refined as it would become even by 2000/2001. His shot was good, but it became way better over time, the whole form, the fadeaway, the footwork. Kobe was already good, but he worked to become the legend he was, always working and getting better. I'd never have called that one watching him at 17/18, Jerry West is a genius. Russell reminds me of Kobe in that way, I see flashes of star in him, and the media are writing him off too early based on his body and speed.
In our dreams talking about Jerry ever coming back, sorry, just being sarcastic about West closing big deals for GS now.
I remember going to watch Summer Pro League games at the Pyramid. I got to see Andrew Bynum's debut. I also remember Lamar Odom telling a small group of us that he'd come back to sign autographs but never did.
I was thinking about this last night after watching Ingram and Zubac's intro press conferences, and it's not a knock on Ingram or any new nba rookie out there but Kobe even watching this video and looking at interviews his rookie year. He was so outgoing and jovial back then and far more than most NBA rookies today and years past. Just went to show the kind of love and jovial spirit Kobe had to play this game he took very seriously but also knew it's what he was put on this planet to do. Again, this isn't a knock on any other player. Just a personality difference in how players showcase their love of the game.
Kobe ahead of his time in that respect. Can you imagine if he'd have had Twitter back in the Day .... the Mamba himself.... at 17-18? Yo Mike .... y'all better be in the gym because I'm here now and I'm coming 4 U.