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Kobe Bryant Discussion: Mamba Out!

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

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sirronstuff - Lakers Legend -

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Im hoping for

In his final game. Legend.

sirronstuff, Apr 11, 2016

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Nothing is going to change, but it sure would have been nice if the Lakers who play today didn't play their last game until Thursday or Friday. Would have given Kobe ample time off to get rested and his legs ready before the final game.

Battle Tested20, Apr 11, 2016

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Lakers2015 said: ↑

Click to expand...

Dear Kobe: We moved your final game to ESPN 2, we have hated and tried to knock you down a peg for years while elevating LeBron, Harden and others. We've tried to pretend you don't exist at times to diminish your accomplishments and elevate LeBron to MJ status he hasn't earned, and you didn't even make our top 10 best players of all time list, but hey here's a SC feature with some sentimental piano music to make it seem like we care as consolation.

Weezy, Apr 11, 2016

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sirronstuff, Apr 11, 2016

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Weezy said: ↑

Dear Kobe: We moved your final game to ESPN 2, we have hated and tried to knock you down a peg for years while elevating LeBron, Harden and others. We've tried to pretend you don't exist at times to diminish your accomplishments and elevate LeBron to MJ status he hasn't earned, and you didn't even make our top 10 best players of all time list, but hey here's a SC feature with some sentimental piano music to make it seem like we care as consolation.
Click to expand...

It'd make me happy if he called them (and other media outlets out) for not supporting him the same they did everyone else.

To be fair, they really started tearing him down after the Colorado incident so he earned it a bit, but they never brought him back up again. They never supported him again after that and I don't know why. Other athletes have been through worse and they still loved them.

Even THIS season ESPN started a "MJ Monday" thing or some such Jordan honor even though it's Kobe's last season. Why did they decide do that this year? Is there some Jordan anniversary I haven't thought of? No. They just wanted to have a daily/weekly thing that wasn't Kobe.

therealdeal, Apr 11, 2016

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Wouldn't happen, but it would be great if Kobe was able to wear 8 on the front and 24 on the back for his last game.

Daniel Beltz, Apr 11, 2016

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That ESPN feature was great. It got real dusty in my room while I was watching it.

Daniel Beltz said: ↑

Wouldn't happen, but it would be great if Kobe was able to wear 8 on the front and 24 on the back for his last game.
Click to expand...

Or if he had #8 in the 1st half, then #24 in the 2nd half.

VinMillerHearn24, Apr 11, 2016

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https://amp.twimg.com/v/b942d018-83e4-4000-a4ee-d5cd2b9c2200

Candance's Kobe impression.

Lakers2015, Apr 11, 2016

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Lakers2015 said: ↑

https://amp.twimg.com/v/b942d018-83e4-4000-a4ee-d5cd2b9c2200

Candance's Kobe impression.
Click to expand...

Alright see that one got to me... Because those are not only his peers, but some other true great players too. You saw generations of ballers giving him love and respect. That got me in the feels right there.

therealdeal, Apr 11, 2016

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I kind of want for the Jazz to win and eliminate the Rockets from the PO. On the other hand, one last epic game from Kobe or last second winning jumper would be beyond SWWEETTT.

Kenzo, Apr 11, 2016

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sirronstuff said: ↑

Im hoping for

In his final game. Legend.
Click to expand...

Bite me. The LB $100 prize for at the game witness is mine at 38 against MN for the win.

LTLakerFan, Apr 11, 2016

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It's funny they moved him toESPN2 but everyone wants to see him over the Warriors and his tickets are higher. I'm going to miss him playing in purple and Gold, it won't be the same. Ironically I'm that sad. I hope he stays close to theorganization. There will never be another Kobe. The level of disrespect he recieved over time really still sucks.

Jazzygirl205, Apr 11, 2016

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therealdeal said: ↑

Alright see that one got to me... Because those are not only his peers, but some other true great players too. You saw generations of ballers giving him love and respect. That got me in the feels right there.
Click to expand...

Like they say "game recognizes game..."

gcclaker, Apr 11, 2016

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The Players' Tribune piece just referenced pre-game on TWCSN

http://www.theplayerstribune.com/kobe-bryant-lakers-retirement-teammate-tributes/

How We’ll Remember Kobe
APR 11 2016
PHOTOGRAPH BY GREG NELSON/THE PLAYERS' TRIBUNE
HORACE GRANT, BRIAN SHAW, RON HARPER AND DEVEAN GEORGE
RETIRED / LOS ANGELES LAKERS

Hijacking Italian Basketball League warmups as an 11 year old. Destroying a teammate so badly in one-on-one that it nearly caused a riot. Waking up at 5 a.m. to practice while his teammates slept. Rapping The Blueprint in the back of the bus. These are the stories that define Kobe Bryant to those who know him best.

As Kobe’s 20-year NBA career comes to an end this week, many tributes are pouring in. But this isn’t one of those tributes. This is a snapshot of Kobe during the Lakers’ historic three-peat in the early 2000s by players who were around him every day. We sat down with Brian Shaw, Horace Grant, Ron Harper and Devean George to answer a simple question: How will you remember Kobe?

*

Brian ShawI played against Kobe’s father, Joe Bryant, in Italy in ’89. Kobe was about 11 years old at the time. Joe played in a small city, and whenever the other teams would come play us in Rome, all the American players would go to this big McDonald’s in the center of the city. This place was enormous. It was different than any of the McDonald’s we have in the States. It was the spot — it would almost be like a family trip. Everybody would meet-up there. So I vividly remember Kobe sitting around eating french fries and talking basketball as a little kid.

Kobe was obsessed with the game even back then. When we would be at the shootaround before the game, Kobe would be trying to warm up with us. I’m not talking like, you know, shagging rebounds, like a ball boy or whatever. I’m talking, this kid was in the layup line like he was on the team. He was out there shooting Js with the players.

So one day I must have told him to get out of the way, and he challenged me to a game of H-O-R-S-E. To be honest, I can’t even remember what happened in the game. But the story grew and grew over the years. It started as him beating me in H-O-R-S-E, to him beating me in a game of one-on-one. It took on a life of its own.

PHOTOGRAPH BY TODD WARSHAW/GETTY IMAGES

By the time Kobe got to the league and we were in the NBA Finals that first time in L.A., I had reporters coming up to me asking, with a straight face, “Did Kobe really take it to you in a game of one-on-one back in Italy?”

I’m like, “What? He was 11. I was 22. Are you serious?”

But that was the power of Kobe.

I think he might have beaten me in H-O-R-S-E. I’ll give him that.

After Italy, I didn’t see Kobe for a while. I met him again his junior year of high school. His father brought him to a game when I was playing for Orlando. By this time, he was 16, and he was the same height as me. We had a nice chat, and as I’m turning to leave, Kobe says, “I’ll see you after my senior year. I’ll be playing against you.”

I kind of shook my head, thinking, This kid must be a little mixed up. He didn’t mention college. A year and a half later, I saw it come up on the news: Kobe Bryant declares for the NBA draft.

Horace GrantIn terms of pure competitiveness, it’s Jordan 1A and Kobe 1B. I played with both guys and I can tell you that for certain.

You know when the captains go to center court with the referees before a game, and everybody shakes hands for the cameras?

MJ would look you right in the eye when he was shaking your hand. Sometimes he would even smile. But while you were smiling, MJ would be thinking about how he’s going to put his foot on your neck. He was diabolical like that.

Kobe was different. He would come right up to you during the handshake and tell you he didn’t like you and that he was going to destroy you. Seriously, he wouldn’t just say it in the pregame, he would say it in the heat of battle. He didn’t care who you were. He’d say, “I can’t believe they’re putting you on me. Are you serious? You think you can guard me?” And he wasn’t joking. He meant it. And the defender knew he meant it. That’s the difference. He would plant that seed of doubt in their mind. And when you had that seed of doubt against Kobe, it was over.

Ron HarperKobe’s relentlessness wasn’t just about games. Basketball was a 24/7 obsession for him. When they rolled the ball out at practice, there was no need for him to warm up. He was already warmed up at 7 a.m. He was ready to get it in. He would go at guys so hard in practice that I started to think to myself, Okay, this guy is really trying to be MJ. He’s trying to be the greatest of all-time.

Brian ShawIf you scored on Kobe in practice, or even if you just made a nice play with him guarding you, he would not let you leave the gym unless you played him one-on-one. Who wants to play Kobe one-on-one? Nobody. But he would bug you until you finally gave in.

If you crossed him over or scored on him, the rest of the team would gas it up because everybody knew how competitive he was. So they made a big deal out of it. Those early 2000s Lakers teams were full of instigators.

So this guy J.R. Rider gets to the team in 2000, and things got really interesting.

Oh. Em. Gee. J.R. Rider.

Devean GeorgeOh. Em. Gee. J.R. Rider. He was an interesting guy. He was so talented, so gifted. He was the first NBA player I ever met in person. I’m from Minnesota, where he started his career with the Timberwolves, and my dad managed a bar in North Minneapolis. So one day when I was in high school, my dad called me up and said, “Hey, J.R. Rider is down here at the bar.”

I was like, “Why in the hell would J.R. Rider be at a bar in North Minneapolis?”

My dad’s like, “He’s hanging out. Come on down and get a picture.”

So I did. I got a Polaroid with him. My neighborhood was not exactly a prime hangout spot for NBA players. But that was just J.R. He was a real dude. A very real dude.

Horace GrantJ.R. was brash. He was an Oakland guy. Oakland guys are a different breed. He had this swagger about him. Kobe was just coming off winning the championship in 2000. We traded for J.R., and he wasn’t a threat to Kobe’s position or anything, but it didn’t matter.

J.R. would s***-talk Kobe. Every practice, it was MF this, MF that. He would say to Kobe, “Get your a** back in the kitchen.”

PHOTOGRAPH BY VINCE COMPAGNONE/LOS ANGELES TIMES/GETTY IMAGES

You don’t say that to Kobe. You’re asking for it.

We knew Kobe was going to wear him down. Once Kobe found his weakness, he was going to let him have it. Then one day, I guess he found it …

Brian ShawJ.R. had been a star in Minnesota and Portland. He was the go-to scorer. He also had played some really good games against the Lakers. So he came in with a lot of confidence.

So one day in practice, J.R. says to Kobe, “Don’t get it twisted. I’m a star too, and I used to give you buckets.”

So Kobe says, “Man, you really think you could take me? Alright, after practice, me and you. One-on-one.”

J.R. says, “O.K., I ain’t no punk. Let’s go.”

Ron HarperPhil Jackson loved this stuff. He didn’t even wait for practice to end. He says, “Alright, you want to go? Everybody off the court.”

I’m a vet at this point. You don’t have to tell me twice. Get me a Gatorade and an ice pack and some popcorn. I pulled up a chair and waited for the show to start.

Devean GeorgeThe older players were always woofin’. If somebody scored on somebody in our practices, it was like we were at Rucker Park. “Ooooohhhhhhh! He got you! He got you, boy!”

You got Shaq out there instigating stuff, “Oh! Don’t let him get you like that! Don’t let him cross you!”

It was a show every day. Now you got Kobe vs. J.R. in front of everybody? Oh, my gosh. Nobody went to the showers. Everybody pulled up chairs on the sideline. It was like a heavyweight fight.

Brian ShawThey played to 10 by ones. Kobe just absolutely demolished him.

Ron HarperKobe destroyed him.

Brian ShawThis is 22-year-old Kobe. Crazy athletic. Unlimited stamina. I mean, he kicked his a**. He pulled out everything in his bag — dunk, up-and-under, pull-up, crossover.

Devean GeorgeFadeaway. Left hand. Right hand. Blowing by him.

Brian ShawWe were on the sidelines gassing it up. People are laughing, yelling, “Hey J.R., be careful what you wish for.”

Ron HarperGuys were waving white towels, yelling, “Stop the beatdown, please! Please stop!”

Horace GrantJ.R. wanted to fight everybody in the gym.

Devean GeorgeWhen Kobe finished him off, it was almost like, Man, why did you have to do him like that?

PHOTOGRAPH BY ANDREW D. BERNSTEIN/NBAE/GETTY IMAGES

The sideline was in disbelief. You have to understand, this was a guy who put up numbers in the league. This wasn’t a benchwarmer. J.R. was a super-talented player. But Kobe got into some kind of zone and just went crazy. No, he went berserk on J.R.

Horace GrantIt got to a point where J.R. basically said, No más. No más.

J.R. had his tail between his legs for the first time in his life.

Ron HarperI remember thinking, Oh, my God. This kid is on another level.

Brian Shaw:The thing is, we won the championship again that year, and J.R. was a contributor to that team. That’s just how those guys worked. It was a very competitive environment.

It got to a point where J.R. basically said, No más. No más.

Horace GrantKobe wanted to be the best. Most guys, they want to be in the NBA. Maybe they want to be an All-Star. Maybe they want to be a max player. But most guys don’t have the passion and drive to really want to be the best. Kobe wanted it from Day One. He was going after MJ. That was his goal.

Ron HarperI remember when I got to the Lakers in ’99, I went to a TGI Fridays with Kobe in New Mexico. We had a long conversation, and he wanted to pick my brain about what MJ was like. “How much did he practice? How did he work out? How did he evolve his game?” I told him, MJ brought a new thing every year. One year, pull-up jump shot. The next year, fadeaway. “How did he carry himself?” I told him MJ was always in a suit and tie. When MJ went to work, he went to work. Kobe was really intrigued about all that.

Horace GrantKobe was obsessed. During the season, he worked extremely hard. But the off-season? An animal. He would get up at 5 a.m., head to the gym for four hours of shooting and working on his post-up, then after that he would hit the weights for two hours. Then he would go home for a bit and come back later in the evening and shoot some more. That’s truth. That’s every day. Every. Day.

Devean GeorgeKobe isn’t a loud competitor. He’s a quiet, psycho competitor. I believe he’s talking to himself inside, drilling himself. He’s at home watching film 24 hours a day when the cameras aren’t on him.

People know he works hard, but I think it’s almost underrated in a way. I don’t think the average person fully understands how psycho competitive he was, because it didn’t end when the game was over and the lights went down. Seriously — I would go to the gym at 6 a.m., and Kobe would already be there dripping wet, ready to leave.

Brian ShawHe has the highest threshold for pain of anybody I’ve ever met. LeBron got cramps and they carried him off the floor. Paul Pierce hurt his knee and they took him out in a wheelchair. Dwyane Wade got wheeled off after he separated his shoulder.

Kobe ruptured his achilles and wouldn’t come out of the game until the trainer let him shoot his two free throws. Then he walked all the way to the locker room. He wasn’t going to let anybody wheel him off.

PHOTOGRAPH BY ANDREW D. BERNSTEIN/NBAE/GETTY IMAGES

That was the most amazing thing about him that I’ve ever witnessed, and I’ve seen a lot. If you know what it feels like to have that injury — I mean, the toughness to do that is indescribable.

Horace GrantKobe giving up those two free throws would’ve been like a little kid giving up his ice-cream cone. Forget it.

His ability to play through injury was unlike anything I’ve ever seen. On those championship teams, he was playing with so many injuries that people didn’t even know about. And he would never complain about it.

Brian ShawI always tell people this story when they ask me about Kobe. We would always freestyle on the back of the bus. Whenever a new Jay-Z album came out, it was a big deal. Guys would get it Day One and be rapping their favorite songs. Maybe they knew the first few bars or the hook. Well, Kobe would be on the back of the bus rapping every single line of every single song the day after the album came out. I’m talking every lyric. It was genuinely amazing. Nobody could figure out how it was possible.

Devean GeorgeIt was incredible. It didn’t make sense. I was always wondering, How in the world is this guy learning the lyrics so quickly? We’re all buying this stuff right when it comes out. We’re all listening to it. I don’t know the lyrics yet. How do you? It just came out 24 hours ago, bro!

I would picture him sitting up all night with his headphones on, scribbling the lyrics over and over in a notebook like my kids do when they study for an English test. The damn album just came out yesterday, and he knows it front to back.

That’s when I realized, maybe this guy is a genius. Either that, or he was getting Jay to send him advance copies. Either way, that’s a little window into Kobe. He was obsessed with greatness.

Ron HarperThere is never gonna be another Michael Jordan again. But there may never be another Kobe Bryant again, either. He’s as close as we’re ever going to see to MJ. Kobe could put it on the floor, he could shoot it from anywhere on the court, he could pass it. And it was every day. Every day. That’s the difference. If Shaq and him would have stayed together, I truly believe they would have won six or seven titles. I really do.

Devean GeorgeKobe’s legacy is how long he sustained greatness. There’s so many levels of respect in the NBA. To be dominant for 20 years? That’s ultimate respect. That’s why you see all these great players now just in awe of him as he goes out the door. The NBA is great at figuring people out, but there’s a select few that you just can’t. Nobody ever really got at Kobe. The only person who was ever able to stop Kobe Bryant was father time.

It’s definitely weird to watch him on TV for this farewell tour, smiling and enjoying himself. But I love it, because you can tell he’s at peace with it. The run is over, but damn, it was a great run.

Click to expand...

Weezy, Apr 11, 2016

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^Damn, that's a great read. I can only imagine what it looked like when Kobe abused JR 1 on 1.

RasAlgethi, Apr 11, 2016

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Kendrick Lamar's tribute to Kobe. This is one of the best ones I've seen. Seeing it from one of my favorite hip hop artists to my favorite player of all time. It's amazing.

VinMillerHearn24, Apr 11, 2016

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Jazzygirl205 said: ↑

It's funny they moved him toESPN2 but everyone wants to see him over the Warriors and his tickets are higher. I'm going to miss him playing in purple and Gold, it won't be the same. Ironically I'm that sad. I hope he stays close to theorganization. There will never be another Kobe. The level of disrespect he recieved over time really still sucks.
Click to expand...

Jazzygirl
I too am really really hoping he stays close to the organization. Some executive position where he can manage the hours and still have time for every other thing I am sure he has by now on his radar. Just get him to sign. I would love to see like a VP position over player development, with an actual on the floor hands on and teaching. Kobe Bryant is literally pro basketball's equivalent to Yoda. He has THE skills for everything there is in the freaking game of basketball plus the mentality needed. The FO would prove they are nothing more than broccoli stems up top mentally if they do not recognize this. Nash who certainly owed them, they let get away. Gawdammit do not let Kobe get away too from being locked up as Yoda to the organization exclusively. Pay him again. He sits in on the FA meetings.

Kobe was quoted months ago saying he wanted to remain close to the Lakers organization. He is going to have a basketball Jones like no other. How cool to be paid like a powerful executive (swag is back and credibility back to the Lakers FO) ..... and still be able to when he's in town go down on the floor and literally challenge while teaching all of our key players going forward, talk smack and still be the competitive Mamba in his own way. If you were a free agent and knew your game could be raised to a higher skill level from personal sessions from the MOST all around skilled player in the history of the NBA .... damn that has to count for something.

LTLakerFan, Apr 11, 2016

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I think it'd be awesome if we just retired his jersey right after the game.

And, I echo the sentiments above about keeping Kobe associated with the Lakers in some capacity.

RasAlgethi, Apr 11, 2016

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And then there was one...

JLaker17, Apr 11, 2016

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Byron said he wasn't gonna cry after Kobe's last game because he's a man's man

CaCHooKa Man, Apr 11, 2016

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