Kobe Bryant Discussion: Mamba Out!

Time for him to go Obi Wan for us:



You'll always be with us in spirit Kobe. You're just an old dude now. Time to make that sacrifice, and you don't know how hard it is for me to say that.

 

hate to say it but i agree. ive always defended him against any and all comers but its finally got to the point where i can see the end is near (or now). and yes, it is VERY hard for me to type this but its looking like its true. im still holding out the slimmest of hopes that kobe can pull something out of his bag of tricks but i just dont know

 

went to the game last nite...one of the most emotional crowds ive ever seen...sat in the 300s and you could really feel the sadness

 

ESPN has been hating on Kobe his entire career so it's no surprise.

If he's argurably the greatest Laker ever and there's no question he's in that discussion how in God's name is he not top 10 considering you're talking about the likes of Magic, Kareem, Wilt, Jerry, etc.?

To me he's definitely in the top five. Kobe is the best Laker ever. 5x champion, 2x Finals MVP, only won one MVP which is a joke to me, led a team full of scrubs minus LO to the playoffs two consecutive seasons, 81 points, that ridiculous stretch in 02-03 when Shaq was out of 40 point games, 4 consecutive 50 point games in 2007, while Shaq was the best player in the league during the three peat Kobe was the best closer and was very bit as important because of Shaq's inability to make free throws, a guy like Pau Gasol who never even won a single playoff game in Memphis comes to L.A. and becomes a 2x champ and was considered one of the best bigs in the game which he was, but there's no question Kobe elevated his level of play, he was able to accept being the 1B guy with Shaq and then it was clear in 2003 that Kobe was the 1A guy, won two titles without him, was the clear cut best player on those teams and the leader, and tried to elevate Dwight as well who refused to follow.

 

I haven't watched ESPN in about 5 years and I don't miss it all. It was bad for my blood pressure.

 

i took two just because i didnt want to open/unseal one


after the game, im lookin at fb and saw a post that they're going for $500 on ebay


thank you for the early Christmas present, Mamba!

 

Should have gotten a whole stack for everyone here

 

That's why Parker did his wife !

 

burn

 

The biggest haters are Queens , Jailblazers and Sperms fans/players ...

No surprise here , Kobe playoffs series record against these teams : 12-2

Then come the NBA "experts" who say rings matter little when assessing players ranking ( sure B-ball is an individual sport ) to prop their favorite players ( read CP3 and Lebron) up

 

West says it's 'painful' to watch retiring NBA star Bryant play

By Steve Ginsburg8 hours ago

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By Steve Ginsburg


(Reuters) - Basketball Hall of Famer Jerry West, who engineered the trade two decades ago that brought Kobe Bryant to the Los Angeles Lakers, said on Monday it has been painful to watch the struggling 17-time NBA All-Star play this season.

Bryant, enduring by far his worst season since entering the National Basketball Association in 1996, announced on Sunday he will retire at the end of the season.

"It has been painful for me to watch him," West said in a telephone interview. "It bothers me. A lot of people will remember him for how he's playing now. I won't."

Bryant, who helped lead the Lakers to the NBA title five times, is averaging 15.5 points per game but shooting below 31 percent this season. The Lakers have a record of 2-14, worst in the Western Conference. He is shooting just 20 percent from three-point range.

West said at 37 years old, Bryant may have the desire but can no longer meet the game's physical demands.

"As you get older, you just can't react as you used to," he said. "There are little moments where your body betrays you. The way he plays now is just not something I'm familiar with. This has been a season, to me, that has exposed the dangers of getting older as an athlete."

West, 77, served in the Lakers' front office when he pulled off one of the most one-sided trades in NBA history, shipping journeyman center Vlade Divac to the Charlotte Hornets for Bryant. West now holds a post with the Golden State Warriors.

Bryant, limited by injuries to six games two seasons ago and 35 last season, announced on Sunday "this season is all I have left to give."

"My heart can take the pounding, my mind can handle the grind, but my body knows it's time to say goodbye," he wrote on the Players' Tribune website.

West said Bryant's grit and willingness to play through injury made him "something special."

"It's a testament to his integrity in terms of how he approached the game," West said. "Many players would not have played with some of the things he had. He reminds me of a gladiator, that he was going to play, come hell or high water, regardless of how he felt."

West said he is disappointed Bryant cannot end his career playing at a level "he's been accustomed to."

"In watching him play, it's evident that this is a tough game for him to play right now," West said. "It's sad."

(Reporting by Steve Ginsburg in Washington; Editing by Will Dunham)


http://news.yahoo.com/west-says-painful-watch-retiring-nba-star-bryant-223213079--nba.html

 

And back 2 back/ three peats matter too , that's why I have Kobe over Duncan .

Nowadays , you won't find one SINGLE non Lakers fan who will rate Kobe over Duncan though .

I guess only the 3-4 latest seasons count