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Kobe Bryant Discussion: Mamba Out!

Discussion in 'Lakers Discussion' started by DjBelvedere, Oct 5, 2014.

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Weezy Moderator Staff Member

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southbaylakers72 said: ↑

Been waiting to catch the last 2:30 again myself. Then want to watch from 4:50 to 2:30 and count the turnovers. I seem to recall there was a blocked shot in there we all booed because we were rooting for the magical moment to continue. No doubt the 'game winner' was clutch and all Mamba. Why intentionally foul 2 times in last 2 minutes and put him on the line when you are down 1 with something like 30 seconds to go?

Can't wait to relive it.
Click to expand...

I'm not really sure what you're trying to say with your last question. When the Lakers got the ball back off the Jazz miss, there were 21 seconds left, Kobe was fouled with 16 seconds left and the Jazz down 1. The Jazz had a foul to give so they had to do it quick. Then they had to foul again to send Kobe to the line with 14.8 seconds left, and the defender didn't even blatantly foul him, he tried to defend him at first and the refs called it, expecting a foul like they do in that situation. The 60 on FTs was legit, the Jazz had to either foul or concede defeat, shot clock was off.

Weezy, Apr 15, 2016

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Weezy said: ↑

I'm not really sure what you're trying to say with your last question. When the Lakers got the ball back off the Jazz miss, there were 21 seconds left, Kobe was fouled with 16 seconds left and the Jazz down 1. The Jazz had a foul to give so they had to do it quick. Then they had to foul again to send Kobe to the line with 14.8 seconds left, and the defender didn't even blatantly foul him, he tried to defend him at first and the refs called it, expecting a foul like they do in that situation. The 60 on FTs was legit, the Jazz had to either foul or concede defeat, shot clock was off.
Click to expand...

That's why I just re-watched it. Was trying to believe what I saw. You are correct and I am incorrect.

I will say that I charted what happened (rough) and here is what I found so that we can say it was not a Hollywood Script and really just amazing choke job by Utah combined with guts, desire, and all out Mamba with some help from Tarik Black (swat) and Clarkson dunk:

9:40 left in 3d concession basket was given to Kobe by the defense.

10:04 in 4th blocked shot by Utah.

6:41 unforced error was the call by Lakers announcer on the pass out of bounds for no reason by Utah.

3:46 Timeout….Lakers Down 7 kobe has 45

2:30 Down 10 Kobe has 47

1:54 Ball slips out of opponent’s hand.

1:34 Travel by Utah.

1:12 Utah takes three missed shot

Lakers down 1 with 59.7 left

44 seconds left terrible shot selection Utah.

22 seconds left Utah choke.

16.1 foul to give.

14.8 had to foul. Kobe pushed off to get the ball no call.

13 POINTS in 2:30.

southbaylakers72, Apr 15, 2016

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CaCHooKa Man, Apr 15, 2016

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Man I'm going to miss Kobe dearly, the NBA will never be the same.....

OmarE, Apr 15, 2016

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^^ I'm not sure i would trust Russell, walking around with a phone like that

Kenzo, Apr 15, 2016

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Weezy said: ↑

And just because, can't get enough Kobe today, articles Baxter Holmes has been posting that I don't remember reading, or must have missed along the way. There are some real gems in all of these articles. Like Kobe wanting to wipe the smiles from the faces of the C Bags family members in 2010 on the plane from LA to Boston with the C Bags having split the first 2 games with us in LA

Kobe could have been a C bag
http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/1...ts-how-kobe-bryant-almost-became-boston-C bag

Holmes on Kobe's final game
http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/15202045/nba-kobe-bryant-fitting-farewell

Jackie MacMullan's Kobe article
http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/1...unt-rushmore-mentors-starting-michael-jackson

Thank you dinner for Kobe AS Weekend
http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/15175760/kobe-bryant-most-memorable-retirement-gift

Kobe and Chris Paul almost teammates
http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/15131014/kobe-bryant-chris-paul-talked-winning-titles-teammates

Kobe's pre-game shooting preparation
http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/15179469/kobe-bryant-famous-pregame-shooting-routine
Click to expand...

That's a great quote from MJ about Kobe. "His game was so similar to mine, people were offended. I never was". I feel this is a big reason a lot of MJ lovers hate Kobe.

RasAlgethi, Apr 15, 2016

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That "Kobe could have been a C bag" piece, oh man, oh man. I can easily see myself hating on Kobe and i mean HATING! Can You imagine a young, cocky and talented as hell player torturing us for years. Thank you Jerry... and Vlade.

Kenzo, Apr 15, 2016

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Article about Kobe's sneakers:

As Kobe Bryant entered the NBA in 1996, his idol, Michael Jordan, had just capped the greatest season of his career with a then-record 72-10 regular season and a championship. Jordan was also wearing what many consider to be the greatest sneaker of his storied Air Jordan series, the Air Jordan XI.

Bryant wanted it all. The rings. The sneaker line. The endorsements, records, accolades and the legacy. He was willing to work for it – at all costs – and perhaps committed himself more than any player in history. Two decades later, Bryant’s on-court legacy is cemented.

View photos
The Zoom Kobe IV (Getty)
Jordan ushered in the signature-shoe era and, with the help of legendary designer Tinker Hatfield, took branding, design and performance to a new level. Kobe's legacy in the footwear world has rightfully earned him a legion of fans and helped shift the styling of modern basketball shoes.

After a six-year run with adidas that ended when Kobe broke his sneaker contract after the 2002 NBA Finals and a third consecutive title, his 13-year span with Nike has featured a string of 11 signature editions that pushed the boundaries of performance, with incremental updates and improvements along the way.

The first three Zoom Kobe sneakers were well received by fans and players, but the series blossomed with the fourth model, the Zoom Kobe IV. Kobe requested a low top, taking the entire industry to a new place.

"He said, ‘I want the lowest, lightest-weight basketball shoe,' " longtime designer Eric Avar said. "I asked him, ‘You mean, like a three-fourths height?’ ‘Low top,’ he says. ‘Soccer-type low?’ He just looks at me and says, ‘Yes!’ ”

"I think how the soccer background came into play is understanding how much stress you put on your ankles and how hard you play the game," said Bryant, who grew up around the sport in Italy. "In soccer, you can still wear low-tops, and they put more stress on their ankles than we do, but they can still wear low-tops. So I think you need a confidence to be able to push the boundaries a little bit.”

As Avar and Bryant worked on the IV during the 2007 and ’08 seasons in Nike's Innovation Kitchen and in meetings in L.A., low-top sneakers were being worn by the likes of Steve Nash, Gilbert Arenas, Luke Ridnour and a few others. Lows were spotted on just a handful of point guards around the league who mostly played a floor game. Bigger players and slashing, explosive wings all stuck to mid and high tops, aiming for more ankle support.

“I wanted to go low for a couple of reasons," Bryant said. "One is, I wanted the foot to move comfortably. I felt like high tops at times can be a little bit restricting of your movement. Also, I wanted to decrease weight. I wanted to cut the shoe [in height], make it lighter, make it sleeker, and we were able to accomplish both of those things."

In order to deliver on a few of those specific items, Avar and his go-to developer, Jeff Spanks, worked to lock in the fit through the heel and midfoot of the shoe. They added extra padding along the collar and narrowed the middle of the shoe. Before even lacing them up, the IV was instantly more targeted and well sloped to the contours of the foot. The team also incorporated Nike's Flywire panel, which was a piece of plastic with nylon cables that ran along the side of the shoe and provided strength and support. It also weighed less than traditional leather or synthetics.

View photos
Kobe Bryant wears Zoom Kobe V shoes in 2010. (Getty Images)
When the Kobe IV initially launched in spring 2009, there were skeptics.

“Everyone's first reaction was, 'Hmm …' You know, 'That must do something,' " Bryant said over the phone at the time. "Because players know how meticulous I am and how detailed I am about my game, and I’m not going to throw something on my feet just to throw something on my feet. The reaction that I got was more of a curious one."

Within a matter of weeks, Lakers teammates Lamar Odom, Trevor Ariza and Shannon Brown began wearing the shoe, showcasing the versatility for players of all sizes and styles of play. Unlike in Jordan's print-media era, Bryant could also lean on the emerging online world of niche performance-review bloggers, who were praising the shoe and its reduced weight and impressive support.

"It just makes sense that the lower you are on the floor, the better command you'll have of your feet, your legs and your whole body," said Hatfield, Nike's VP of design and the forefather of many of the industry's greatest innovations. "You'll have better stability, you can anticipate more, and you'll sprain your ankle less in a shoe that's a little bit lower to the ground, because you'll have less of a lever to roll over on.”

The following season Bryant took the court in his new Kobe V and was suddenly facing opponents in his low-top fourth model. The shoe had taken the league by storm, with players of all positions opting for the lower and lighter Kobe IV and Kobe V all season long.

“I had no doubts that Kobe’s clout would have great influence on the league and basketball players young and old, but it was even faster than I thought," Avar said during the 2010 season. "Personally, I think we all agree that a little lower, more minimal, lightweight product works more in harmony with the body and is definitely a design philosophy that we all believe in. But to see it in basketball, and basketball at that level – to see that shift – is pretty amazing.”

With the success of the breakout low-top IV, Nike never looked back and continued to release low-top editions of the next seven Kobe sneakers, all the way up to the Kobe XI this year. As Bryant took the court one final time Wednesday night, amid a massive #MambaDay marketing campaign from Nike, it’s easy to see his impact.

View photos
The Zoom Kobe XI (Getty)
"Just from looking at guys, I want to say 50 percent of guys are wearing low-top shoes now," said Kevin Durant, whose own signature shoe is often a low top. "Everybody I see is either in Kobes, old Kobes or [laughs] my shoes. Guys are gravitating more towards low-cut shoes.”

In today's sneaker landscape, all brands release low tops during every quarter of the year. That wasn't the case just a decade ago, when low tops were typically introduced only in the summer and worn more for casual use than on the court.

"The entire Kobe line has been awesome. It's become the norm now, and it's not like we have to fight to get a low in the line," said Leo Chang, Nike Basketball's current design director. "It's there now. It's expected that we have to have lows, because people want it. Kobe really helps to drive that."

With his meticulous involvement in pushing Nike to reimagine the basketball sneaker, Bryant ushered in a new era of footwear, much like his idol before him.

“It means we were doing it right, because professional athletes aren’t going to throw shoes on their feet just to throw shoes on their feet," Bryant said. "That’s how they make their living, on their feet, so they want to make sure they put something on their feet that’s comfortable, that’s going to help them perform and that’s safe. To see so many people wear ’em, and even have more players still request to wear them, is a tremendous honor, and it’s a great credit to Eric Avar and his team.”
Click to expand...

Its pretty crazy how Kobe alone changed basketball sneakers. Before him, no one wore low tops. It was extremely rare. Now over half the NBA do and if you play pickup ball, almost everyone wears low tops now.

RasAlgethi, Apr 15, 2016

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I'm going to cast some doubt on the shoes story...

If I were a betting man, I'd bet on someone at Nike coming up with the scheme to get low-top basketball shoes, so that even more people would wear them,
outside of a gym.

They needed an icon to drive the appeal, so Kobe was it, and the story was patched later on.

[/skepticism]

ZenMaster, Apr 15, 2016

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I believe it. Kobe is a soccer guy for one. And two, its just like Kobe to want a show that's light as possible, low to ground as possible. Whatever it takes to give him an advantage.

RasAlgethi, Apr 15, 2016

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I have a ridiculous amount of Kobes

That's just half of them

CaCHooKa Man, Apr 15, 2016

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Kenzo, Apr 15, 2016

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The rookies (and of course others) clearly love him so much. In some plays you could see them have huge smiles on their face right after Kobe scored haha

Exonyte, Apr 15, 2016

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I read you guys talking about Randle's screen on Kobe's last jumper but I never payed attention to it until and now and its freakin hilarious. Randle nearly tackles hayward, it was so illegal.

RasAlgethi, Apr 15, 2016

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CaCHooKa Man said: ↑

Click to expand...

Ruh Roh .... saw Russell with his cell phone out recording.

LTLakerFan, Apr 15, 2016

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Weezy said: ↑

I still can't believe this happened. I watched all the ESPN talking heads say the same thing all day. I've watched the 4th quarter over a couple times, taking in every little detail. Everyone turned it up for Kobe out there, Tarik, Huertas, JC, Russ, and Nance. By the end our last 4 best draft picks of the last 2 seasons are out there with Kobe giving everything they have, marveling at the moment.

JC is all over the place on D, pumping his fist at good plays, Russ is chasing dudes around on D as well, and after every big play grabbing Kobe, laughing, marveling at what's happening, looking up at the scoreboard as if to see if this is actually real, he looks like a kid playing with his hero getting to see something he never thought he would let alone actually being a part of it. Randle is protecting the rim, setting crazy screens and smiling ear to ear whenever Kobe does something, Nance looks like he can't even believe where he is, it's absolutely nuts. If these 4 remain part of our core going forward for a while, what an incredible thing to be a part of and to leave a lasting impression of what Staples is like during important times, what a playoff atmosphere is like, what it means to be a Laker and why it's more special than being any other kind of player (sorry, it is).

What a game, I could not have imagined this, I'm still recovering from it. I'll never forget it. In game time chat I called this game over when we got down like 15, I was like well, I wanted a win but I guess these guys don't appreciate the moment. Some in there didn't concede defeat though, I know LJ didn't give up, and of course I hung in there to see what Kobe would do. And then one more time, in a meaningless game if you want to call it that, Kobe says "no, we aren't going to lose, I'm not going to let it happen", and he wills this team to victory. I don't know where he pulls that kind of will from, it's something a mere mortal like myself doesn't have, but damn is it inspiring.

And I don't want to hear this crap about the Jazz having nothing to play for so they eased up. They were playing D, he was being doubled, he had a hand in his face on almost every shot, he was being met in the paint by 3 and 4 guys, it didn't matter, they couldn't stop it. I was complaining in game time being all irrational because they were trying hard on d and stripped and blocked him a few times and cost him layups. And of course in the end those that told me Kobe wouldn't want it any other way were correct, it was sweeter because they weren't giving him anything, he went out and took it. That crazy high shot off the board to get to 51, ridiculous, had Randle smiling huge. Squeezing between 2 defenders and pulling up from 17 with 3 guys closing for the swish shortly after, vintage. The quick step back 3, toes barely behind the line with Lyles in his face, should have been an airball by that point, nothing but bottom. The last jumper from 20, Hayward fighting like mad to get free of Randle, the help defender leaping out at Kobe, still drains it, you can't write that stuff, he hadn't been that clutch in years. The Jazz let up on D, ha, please, they tried, there was nothing to be done aside from sending 3 guys at him and making him pass and conceding layups to someone else. You can't hate on this performance, you can't, and I heard no one today even attempt to (aside from some minor insinuations that the Jazz didn't play as hard of defense as they would had this been a game to get into the playoffs), and in a world of Kobe haters, that's almost unfathomable. Bravo, Kobe, he pulled out one last magic show for us.
Click to expand...

I feel you, and I was so happy to be able to share this moment with you guys in the gameday chat.

I wish this site was around in 2010 when the Greatest Day Ever happened in June. The other site went down back then and it would have gone down Wednesday were it still around.

Barnstable, you did a great job putting this site together for us Laker fans to share moments like this.

Juronimo, Apr 15, 2016

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My wife and I are going to watch the entire ceremony, game and press conference tonight to relive the moment.

TIME, Apr 15, 2016

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Dreading the day I come here & this thread has been moved to NBA Discussion...

LakerFanIam, Apr 15, 2016

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No reason to really. Always a Laker.

LTLakerFan, Apr 15, 2016

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Mitch opened his exit interview with an anecdote about Kobe retiring...

He tried to erase Kobe's name off the depth chart on the white board, but it was there for so long that the ink had dried and stayed on the board. He had to get a spray and work it off but it wasn't easy.

*cue tears*

therealdeal, Apr 15, 2016

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