Kobe Bryant Discussion: Mamba Out!

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

  1. Magic

    Magic - Rookie -

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    Father Time catches up with everyone but I don't think he's there with Kobe just yet. There does seem to be quite a decrease of pep in his explosiveness though and we'll see how he plays but IMO he probably just needs to get his legs up to the speed of the game and wear off the rust. I'm not sure he will ever be superstar player ever again those days might be over.
     
  2. ZenMaster

    ZenMaster - Lakers All Star -

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    I don't know what you guys are talking about... I've paid attention to the defensive end and there, when Kobe does focus, he seems to move just fine - his lateral quickness and response time are there.

    If I had to guess - Kobe preserves himself.
     
  3. LaVarBallsDad

    LaVarBallsDad - Lakers Legend -

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    ONTARIO – Kobe Bryant’s style of leadership has been more or less consistent over the first 18 years of his career.

    It’s called tough love. Like it or prepare to be at odds with the cold-blooded superstar.

    Until this year, that is.

    Bryant said last week that he was taking a more “nurturing” role with this year’s Lakers, who are leaning on far less experience players than Bryant is used to.

    “You had a lot of veteran guys that have been around,” Bryant said, “so, the teaching style is a little different.”

    Byron Scott, who was Bryant’s rookie mentor with the Lakers in 1996, said Bryant “has done a heck of a job with taking guys to the side, just teaching them little things about the NBA.”

    Scott described Bryant as a mentor and “a little bit of an assistant coach,” shortly before the Lakers played the Golden State Warriors on Monday at the Citizens Business Bank Arena.

    If this gentler, more patient Kobe doesn’t quite align with the image Bryant has carved out over his career, it should be noted that it wasn’t long ago he was much tougher on young players.

    “I didn’t even talk to the man,” said Robert Sacre, who was a Lakers rookie in 2012. “I introduced myself to him. I think the first two things I said to him was ‘ball’ and ‘outlet.’”

    But Bryant is 36 and his window to win another championship is closing quickly. If the Lakers are going to exceed expectations and make playoff run after going 27-55 last year, they will need Bryant to help cultivate young players such as Julius Randle, Jordan Clarkson, Wesley Johnson and Nick Young.

    “He just wants to win,” Sacre said, “and I think he knows what he needs to do to help this team and we known what we need to do to be a be part of his legacy, so we just want to help him out and make it better. And all around we’re a closer team.”

    Bryant spent the summer training individually Johnson, and also logged sessions with Young, Randle and other Lakers.

    But it’s Randle for whom Scott anticipates Bryant’s guidance could be the most helpful.

    “He and I had a talk one day with Julius,” Scott said, “and I told him that if he has anywhere near the work ethic as Kobe, he’ll be an All-Star. If you don’t you’ll just be a good basketball player in the NBA one day.”

    http://www.ocregister.com/lakers/lakers-638271-mentor-ontario.html
     
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  4. Realistik

    Realistik - Rookie -

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    I think Kobe will look very similar to a 2012 version. Footage of lakers practice suggests he's still capable of being himself.
     
  5. thkthebest

    thkthebest Administrator Staff Member

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    I didn't see this on here, but this was from a few days ago:

     
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  6. Battle Tested20

    Battle Tested20 Moderator Staff Member

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    I love Kobe and his brutal honestly of his performance. I also love his quotes on competition and just flat out competing

     
  7. SirJunkyBen

    SirJunkyBen - Rookie -

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    ESPN gave Kobe a ranking of #40
     
  8. therealdeal

    therealdeal Moderator Staff Member

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    There's 39 players in the League that know now Kobe is going to go hard at them every single night.
     
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  9. MusixFinest

    MusixFinest - Rookie -

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    ESPN ranking Kobe #40 pretty much says Kobe ain't good enough to be a #1 on a team. I don't know that I can accept that yet.
     
  10. DjBelvedere

    DjBelvedere - Rookie -

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    I just love Stephen A. when he just loses it. But I pretty much did too :D
     
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  11. KobeAnd8

    KobeAnd8 Guest

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    Them people on ESPN are either on drugs, drunk, or believe that April Fools has come early. Last time Kobe "really" played, which was during the 2013 season, he was having a MVP type of season. Pretty much 1 year removed from play, and now he's ranked all the way down to 40?!? There's probably at least 40 million people that has better common sense than those espn rankers.
     
  12. alam1108

    alam1108 - Lakers Legend -

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    This is great fuel to his fire.
     
  13. Magic

    Magic - Rookie -

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    ESPN has always hated Kobe expect for few analyst this isn't news. I hope Kobe shuts them up once again.
     
  14. GNC

    GNC - Rookie -

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    ESPN :D:D:D
     
  15. gcclaker

    gcclaker Moderator Staff Member

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    I'd like to know who these 39 are? James...Durant...Westbrook. Yes, I'd understand from an age and skill standpoint especially the former. The rest? Iffy at best. If there was a metric for heart and guts then the poll would be a sham.
     
  16. thkthebest

    thkthebest Administrator Staff Member

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    I'd like to know this too. So far, I see Wade, Rondo, Klay and Iggy above Kobe.

    Rondo is just...LOL. My goodness. Just how much people overrate him baffles me.
     
  17. ElginTheGreat

    ElginTheGreat - Lakers MVP -

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    There is just no way there are 39 better players than Bryant and ESPN knows that.
     
  18. therealdeal

    therealdeal Moderator Staff Member

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    Iguodala is coming off the bench in Golden State. :D
     
  19. Battle Tested20

    Battle Tested20 Moderator Staff Member

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  20. thkthebest

    thkthebest Administrator Staff Member

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    At first, I was hoping that some people just left Kobe off the list because they didn't want to rank him before they see him.

    But this is a player ranking for 500 players! That's every single player in the NBA and more.
     

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