Kobe knows talent and hard core "winning" mindset when he sees it. My guess is he is thrilled with what he sees around him around him this year compared to every year since we beat the C Bags and Pau disappeared the following year.
I definitely think he likes the young guys and is excited to mentor them. I also know Kobe's sociopathic tendencies regarding winning. He won't get as far as he likes with this squad. If he is thrilled as you say, maybe the old geezer has finally changed and is excited to be a grandpa. I have my doubts....but you can't blame me - it's been a hell of a 20 year ride.
I highly doubt it happens, but I would have no problem with it if that's what Kobe really wanted. If after this season, it turns out that we need a few years to let the youngsters develop before we have a serious shot at contention, I think it would actually be pretty cool if Kobe retired from the NBA and went back to Europe to tear stuff up with Pau. It would be an interesting business decision and make Euro basketball more relevant than it ever has been. I'd probably watch every Barca game if it happened.
^most of us would . Either way, I want Kobe on my Lakers. Better Barca than another team in the NBA, but that's still not the way I want him to finisz his career
If that happens I'm hoping they will be in the same devision as Maccabi Tel Aviv. Man, to see him live here in Tel Aviv... what a dream.
One time...24 spoke of finishing his career with an Italian team. It would be difficult for someone like him to just let go of the competitive juices he's had for so long. Plus he and Gasol have a close brotherly relationship.
Kobe trash talking is awesome. Wasn't there a clip of that this year where he was trash talking Lin? Or am I slowly losing my mind....
It's funny they had Chris Geeter or whatever his name is from TWCSportsnet on ESPN radio yesterday and they touched on that question. Geeter is in a volleyball league with some role player type NBA guys like Richard Jefferson and Luke Walton. He asked them specifically if the stars reach out when you go to new teams and they said no not really. In fact Jefferson JUST signed with Cleveland and he said LeBron didn't reach out to him, so what's the big deal? The only reason this is news: it's Kobe.
It's funny that it was made into news by a media that hates Kobe and is probably bored right now. But it was also funny that while it was a question on every show on ESPN yesterday, every single person asked it either laughed at how it was even a story, or said it isn't a big deal, or both. Some asked when the idea that stars of teams have to call up and welcome every new signing began to be a thing. Almost all said "he'll see them in training camp like every other star, every single season, and he'll say hello then" and that basically that's when they'll get to know eachother. Plaschke or maybe even some other journalist not from LA said isn't Kobe on vacation at some beach with his family right now, why does he have to contact these guys. The media that runs with this stuff is either bored because they have no NBA or NFL, or is ESPN and hates Kobe.
This is pretty stupid. Does every superstar "reach out" to new players as soon as they're signed? No. And so what if he doesn't, why the hell does that matter? It's the off season.
The media just loves to have some controversy around Bryant...nothing here. Moving on. With that said, in the past Kobe was playing sooooo good, that we didn't have to care about the ish of the media. Now that he is washed up and injury prone, its becoming more "relevant" to the eye but at the end they don't matter IMO. I think its time to hang it up for the Mamba though. He is not getting any respect anymore these days from the media which is a shame. But this is partially his fault too...his reputation comes straight out of the horse's mouth. Tim Duncan is every bit as much a winner as Kobe but he doesn't constantly rub it on people's faces. Kobe should be a little more conservative.
Wow. That's a bit of a revisionist history, but then again - you always had some gripe with Kobe (which we are not going to discuss at this point). Kobe says that because he was vilified by the media as being selfish, uncoachable and all kinds of other made up problems, despite being as much as a winner (if not more) as Duncan. He got fed up with being harshly and most of the time unjustly criticized by a biased media, so it's his way to say to them "F You".
Kobe's not going to hold their hand when they get to camp, so why should he give them that impression now? They are solid players, but are they champions? No, and that's pretty much how he treated Lebron until Lebron became a champion. How about earning some respect first? Reaching out to rookies and responding is one thing since I'm sure people did that for him when he entered the league. Reaching out to vets that are allegedly making your final year bearable and helping you not be a sub .500 team? Maybe that's not worth a call if he plans on chewing up their arse in practice once they arrive at his champions training camp. Just another perspective....
And will wonder how they're are supposed to, or rather what the limits are in defending themselves when they're "D" ing him up as he would want them too, but still he's getting them with those chippy elbows. Just guessing that is always there. Also guessing Julius knows what to do. Hopefully I'm wrong about him catching guys' faces with elbows.
