Editorial- Has Kobe Already Ruined The Next Great Laker?

This is what I think will happen. Of course, there's going to be that honeymoon period with whoever the next star player is. But once he has a couple tough playoff series, people will start saying "oh Kobe wouldn't have done this, Kobe would have taken that shot, etc...". There's going to be so much pressure on the next star - doesn't matter who it is.

Even with how we talk about Randle right now. What's going to happen once he's in his prime (if he ends up being an all star calibar player) and has a bad playoff series. "He doesn't have Kobe's killer instinct, he doesn't have Kobe's will to win".

 

Kobe wouldn't be Kobe without Phil Jackson and Tex Winter. I think it's important for the next star to have this kind of coach. don't know if Byron fits this role.

 

I agree. I like Byron Scott because he is a notable Laker, but he seems to have essentially been brought in to fail. Mind you, it has only been one season where the goal has been to tank. Can he be the philosophical leader and mentor to a new star? Nope, and I am not sure. We need another coach on the level of Phil Jackson, but he is one of a kind who happens to work for the New York Knicks.

 

@Snake Eyes Unfortunately I think the current NBA coaching crop is very weak. There's very little greatness that can be snatched up.
-Pop is the best in the business but he's obviously not going anywhere.
-I hate Doc, but his players like him and he has a good level of respect throughout the league.
-I love Thibs, but you have to be a player willing to do serious work and he'll run you ragged in practice. His offensive schemes are lacking, but he's the best defensive coach the league has seen in a long while. He's the only top tier talent who might actually be available because he and management don't get along.

I'm not ready to give up on Scott. I want to see what he can do with a complete and healthy roster when we're not in tank mode. That said, I don't think he's a long term solution. Weaknesses he had in NO and Cleveland, he still has now. He hasn't added anything new to his bag of tricks.

 

Epic editorial, therealdeal. And already so many great responses. There's nothing I can begin to think of to add. It is going to be tough when Kobe has laced them up for his last time. I hope that our front office is up to the task that presents to them and us as fans.

 

Considering I don't view Kobe as the greatest Laker and have seen guys I never thought would / could be replaced in Laker fans hearts retire, I think as long as the next "Star" gives his all, is professional in every way, he will be embraced wholeheartedly. It's the best when the Lakers win it all with their "Star" leading the way, but even if they don't it's how they play the game, entertaining us along the way, giving us the passion to cheer them on win or lose. Jerry West comes to mind for me, he and his Lakers lost year after year to the C Bags yet he was loved by Laker fans. One thing different now though is social media which can skew people's opinions negatively, so hopefully that next Laker "Star" has thick skin and is able to cope with that aspect. Regarding comparing Kobe's incredible work ethic, all players do it different, great players figure out what's best for them, very few if any will be like Kobe, and that is fine as long as we see professionalism.

 

After some thinking I think the real issue for the next star is his desire to be "like" or "better than" Kobe. We saw with Dwight that the legacy of Centers in this franchise was too much for him to want to follow. Think the next "superstar" will see the history of the franchise and push to make his own legacy. How will it feel following a player who spent his whole career here and has 5 rings? Will it be like the MJ aftermath? That will be the biggest hurdle for the next star having to live up to the bright lights of being a Laker. Like I said earlier I think these lean years have helped to buffer the amazing what the hell did we just see Kobe from the Kobe the great.

How many of today's players present and up and coming have the fortitude to live up to the history of this franchise? Even the "best in the game" had to bolt to a new city and make a magic team in order to win in a town that barely sold out playoff games. I'm not so sure the kids coming up will have the balls (for lack of a better term) to look at the banners, the retired players, the gold trophies and say "give me the wheel." In the end, be it the Lakers legacy or Kobe's legacy the next guy has to have some solid brass ones. I don't think anything short of that will be accepted unless he wins that is.

 

Damian Lillard would be one of "those guys" with real "shiny" ones for the cherry on top of the sundae. Too bad!!

 

You know I agree that Lillard definitely has that "killer" in him. Of course there are guys who have the confidence to be the "#1" player (guys like Westbrook come to mind) but I don't see many who are willing and able to stand in this limelight.

 

I love this discussion for tons of reasons. First, as everyone has aptly identified - Kobe is a one of a kind, perhaps once in a lifetime kind of player. Aside from Mike Jordan and Larry Bird, I have never seen someone play with such cold hearted "I want to beat you" before Kobe and its hard to find a player in the league right now that comes close. But before we start listing players who have that Glimmer (e.g. Metta back in the day), we have to add the insatiable work ethic that Kobe had for 'being the best' and we find very few who ever in the history of the game had both these qualities - killer instinct, work ethic and preparation. For those who missed the Kobe interview - seemed to me like he was talking all about 'visualization' the concept of seeing your moves (and success) before you practice them, before you perfect them so that when it happens in real time - its like slow motion for you - John Wooden taught this concept too but very few players have the gifts that Kobe had - including good luck to not get injured at an early stage of their career and cut short what has become what it has become "i should have 7" (love that quote for all it says about kobe).

Next, I love the discussion because it brings home the point which is the eternal optimism that is being a laker fan but also a basketball fan in all of us. Ok - in me for sure. That there can and will be another player that makes us say 'wow' and begin the comparisons once again. Julius Randle for me is a good example (not seeing Kobe but others in him) but that is taking me off the point.

I don't think Kobe has ruined it for the next lakers great because there are so many ways to be great and adored and accepted by fans like myself. Sure, I doubt (highly) anyone will ever (and I mean ever) work as hard as Kobe to be 'the best' but that (for me) is what allowed me to forgive Kobe's transgressions and inspired me to accept that Kobe is great back in 2005 and before he proved something to us without Shaq. I just admire hard work. But I like winning when it comes to basketball which is why Kobe will be loved even if there are reasons to hate him (24 Million of them or so) in any given year.

I lost my train of thought and for that I appologize. Ah yes, Kobe as a measuring stick. Do they measure Rose against Jordan (no). Did they measure Pierce and Garnett against Bird or other C bag Greats? If the Lakers had never had Magic and only Kareem and Worthy - would we measure Worthy differently? What if we had Magic and Joe Barry Carroll instead of Kareem? Greatness is greatness. There will be more of it to come - Randle is a nice place to start.

 

And that is why I made the post before this one. The new star is going to have to be a lot like Lillard who I agree looks to be the kind of guy to spend his career in Portland unless traded. Some would argue Kobe almost left so he isn't really "that" kind of guy but that had more to do with Shaqs laziness than his desire to be in LA. I am sure there are other guys who have a little of both those aspects but I can't really think of any. Which goes back to being able to live up to the Lakers lore of greatness not just Kobe's greatness.

 

@therealdeal Watching the Duke/UNC game last night I kept thinking (as every fan of a lotto team was) how great it'd be to secure Okafor. I think he and Randle would feed off each other extremely well as far as carrying the mantle and leading this team going forward. A built in buddy system, each could lean on the other because they'd be going through nearly every rookie experience at the same time (even though Randle has the advantage of pre-season, training camp, and a fraction of a NBA game).

I don't know a whole lot about Okafor as far as workout habits, work ethic, killer instinct, personality, etc. But I was impressed with him getting the job done even after the ankle injury. He didn't have his lift so he found other ways to contribute, especially with some fantastic passing (impressive for a big). The play that impressed me the most was when they sent 3 guys to trap him in the corner and he dribbled around the entire UNC team and took it to the hoop. I didn't know he was THAT mobile. Having the mobility of him and Randle up front would be insane.