This entire scenario is just like the movie "True Grit", where the heroine (I think her name was "Faith") fell into a deep pit full of rattle snakes and broke her arm. Then, to make matters worse, she looked up to the opening of the pit and saw the dastardly villain leaning over the edge, getting ready to shoot her...

AK/BK,
I thought i read you said you guys werent going to keep posting the same opinion....

1st, let me point out I think I've read about you guys thinking Kobe is making it harder on himself 50,000 times !!!

2nd, let me point out the contradiction...

Did the Lakers EVER have any leverage? BK wrote:
"There's also the issue of whether or not his call for West makes it easier for Mitch to operate this summer in his efforts to improve the team. I think there's some truth to that, but given the present state of the roster, I can't imagine there are any NBA GMs suddenly waking to the notion that the Lakers don't have a lot of leverage. Especially with L.O. and Kwame having gone, or soon to go, under the knife."

So you are saying that damage is already 10 out of 10 in terms of Leverage? So what does saying anything extra do or dont do?

The only leverage that is being wielded is Kobe's desire to win and pressure on the Lakers front office to stay active.

OTher than that,
Kobe has no dealing with Odom, Kwame getting hurt, Buss family arguments, or anything like that.

The main thing that I believe is what Chris Broussard said today on FIrst Take.

The internal struggle is over Andrew Bynum trade or not to trade. OR even, to explore a trade or not to explore a trade.

PJ and Kobe obviously want him traded. JIm Buss obviously doesnt.

Who will win the power struggle?

The Bynum trade asset is going away no matter what Kobe says.

The Lakers need to find a way to turn Bynum and Kwame into a all-star.

Any means necessary.

KL

1. Thanks for answering my question without bringing The Big Unleaded into the convo.

2. You say "my point is that good teammates and leaders know how to get the best out of “them other guys”. Look at LBJ, have you ever heard of guys like Pavlovic, Varajao, Gibson, etc? I seriously thought DMarshall retired. I’d say the talent in Cleveland and LA are not too far apart. The only reason Z made the all-star reserve that one year is because there were no centers in the East. Just my take bro."

Do you recall the downward spiral when Lamar/Luke/Kwame was injured and we slid all the way down the Western Conference flagpole? Do you recall that Kobe did THE EXACT THING you're riding him for: passing the ball to his teammates, relying on them to consistently shoot the damn ball. They couldn't do it. Once again, HOW IS/WAS THAT KOBE'S FAULT???

because clearly, chris mihm on a stationary bicycle and phil jackson's dental visits were so boring...WELCOME BACK, DRAMA!

oh how have we missed you.

Korey-

First of all, I don't remember ever saying I wouldn't repeat myself (haha). But I don't think there's a contradiction in what I wrote. I don't think Kobe initial comments after the season really did any damage, and in the grand scheme of things, I don't think this stuff will make it that much harder to deal. But it doesn't make it easier, either. I think the biggest danger is that the Lakers might be more tempted to make a move that isn't as good b/c of the perception that they have to show Kobe they're doing something. But yeah, it's not just Kobe. They could jump at something less favorable to please fans, the media, etc. But like I said, because they're in such a lousy situation to begin with, that to me isn't really the damaging part of all this.

I think AK (and he'll correct me if I'm wrong) thinks this hurts their abilty to maneuver this offseason more than I do. I think it's a factor, but not a monumental problem. The other stuff I wrote about bothers me more.

And I agree, too, that what to do with Bynum is also a big internal issue, and that has little to do with Kobe. 24 isn't the only issue they have, for sure.

BK

Even in the Heisler article, I don't see definite proof that Kobe demanded a trade. To say "you might as well trade me", though it is an ultimatum, isn't a trade demand. It's almost the same thing as a wife sick of a husband's drinking problem saying "if you keep drinking, we might as well get a divorce.". It's a sign of fustration, it's an ultimatum, but the main intention is actually to STAY together if possible. I think deep down, Kobe really wants to remain a Laker, but is willing to go if he doesn't see some light at the end of the tunnel.

[Heisler]: "Nevertheless, as a Lakers insider notes, it was Bryant's insistence on getting away from Shaquille O'Neal that got them in this mess."

GEEZ! How many times do we have to rehash this Shaq stuff!
I'm not a blind Kobe lover. I know Kobe had his role in what went down, and he could have done some things differently. But ultimately, Shaq was the driving force behind the entire thing. Even Phil has more responsibility, as the veteran coach, in what went down than Kobe. Kobe was wrong in some of his reactions, but they were just that, reactions. He wasn't the driving force in the breakup. At the same time, Kobe's actions were always more understandable to the rational and sane Laker fan cuz his beef was justifiable...unlike Shaq's. And the tension Kobe created was due to his competitive nature and fire to win (as someone pointed out in that last article with Horry), while Shaq created tension out of jealously, selfishness, laziness, and greed.

"It's true enough. By their final season, O'Neal and Bryant disliked each other equally."
So does that mean each have the same role and responsibility in the breakup? So Shaq hates Kobe cuz he's jealous and petty and can't not be "the man". Kobe hates Shaq cuz he comes in 50lbs overweight, or waits till the end of summer to have surgery (which infuriated everyone in the organization and NOT just Kobe), and only plays 50 games cuz he's so out of shape he always gets injured, and becomes a liability at the end of games cuz he can't hit a FT, which he refuses to improve. Sounds like a girl cheats on a guy, the guy calls the girl a whore, then they break up. Heisler might say its both their faults cuz they hate each other equally.

"However, O'Neal was just focused on a three-year, $80-million extension, which was about $15 million higher than Buss wanted to go. It was Bryant who was focused on getting away from O'Neal, whether that meant going to the Clippers or returning to the Lakers after they traded him."

GEEZ! Again, I can't believe this guy gets paid to write this crap. That line reeks of bias as it takes it out of context. Yeah, I think it's true Shaq was focused on the $ (I always thought he wanted 90 million, but I could easily be wrong, ...ah not important tho). Why? Cuz Shaq don't give a crap! Shaq isn't about winning. He just needed at least one ring. He coulda been the greatest ever to play the game...but he was satisfied being lazy and still being the MDE for a year. Shaq just wanted his huge last payday, and had he stayed on the Lakers, he would have come in 20lbs heavier every single year and been 500lbs and enrolled in the Police Academy by his final year. The other reason Shaq don't care is that ....well, again, he just don't care! That attitude is much harder for Kobe to deal with than the other way around. Have you ever played ball with a guy that just won't play D, plays lazy, and then doesn't care when you lose? The competitive guy gets furious, but you think the lazy guy goes home and worries about his laziness? It's Kobe that would be losing sleep for the next 3 years....not Shaq and his 80million in the bank.

Now despite all of this, to say Kobe got himself in this mess and deserves it is absolutely ridiculous. Let's say Kobe was the biggest jerk on the planet. Let's say Kobe slept with Shaq's wife and that was the reason for the breakup. EVEN THEN the GM bears most of the responsibilty of THIS team. Ok, Shaq is gone. It's in the past. Mitch promised Kobe a contending team so its his role to get that done. So the only direct trade related responsibility Kobe can take is to say he induced the Shaq trade. But did Kobe bring in Semaki Walker (the O.G. Kwame Brown...but much worse) or old fogies Richmond, Tracy Murray, Byron Russell, and Aaron Mckie? Did Kobe re-sign Kareem Rush, Devean George, Slava Medvedenko, and Brian Cook? Was the "Not do a thing for the chance to get Yao/Amare" plan Kobe's idea? Do you think Kobe liked wasting away those prime years just for the small chance to land Yao or Amare? Was it Kobe's idea to not trade for Kidd, Baron, Boozer, or Artest? Sorry, but that's just not on Kobe. Even the Shaq trade....although the feud was at its peak...Shaq didn't care, he wanted to stay and make his 80million....he made life much harder for Kobe than the other way around....and it was Kobe that couldn't take it anymore and wanted out. Mitch then PUBLICLY said they would keep Kobe at all costs and THAT was when Shaq publicly demanded to be traded and THAT was what cut our legs out from under us in terms of getting fair trade value. It put Mitch in a tough position to trade Shaq....but lets not forget, his statement ignited the trade demand in the first place. Oh, and just to add, it also wasn't Kobe that traded GP without even giving him any notice and thus losing out on Banks as well as losing a draft pick.
And let me defend Kobe in advance of Heisler's next article about how it's Kobe's fault that Smush is lazy and has no heart but a bad attitude, that Kobe started Smush all year, and that its Kobe's fault Cook is clueless and plays no D after years in the triangle, that Kobe's passes to Kwame have too much heat on them, and how his passes to Sasha isn't right in the sweet spot, which is why Sasha misses, and how Luke isn't really slow, but Kobe is too fast and just makes Luke look slow, so its Kobe's fault.
Oh and I think Odom hurt his shoulder when Kobe fouled him, and I think Kobe was the one that tripped Kwame, kicked Mo Evans in the knee, and bought Vlad's snowboard ticket.
Geez.

WOW things never are quiet here in LakerLand are they?

I have mixed opinions on Kobe’s outrage. On some points it is good but on some points it is bad. From a business perspective it was totally a misstep since nothing good can come from it as AK and other bloggers have nicely argued. A more productive way of pressuring the front office would have been to directly meet with Kupchack and Jim or Jerry Buss. He could have gotten all his points through without all this turning into a media circus.

However with that said it is good that he is expressing his thoughts so honestly because now we all know what is going on. There clearly is a reason why Kobe came out all firing and blazing after keeping silent for 3 years especially when you think of all the hits that his already fragile imagine was going to get and is getting. That really does show that he wants to win more than anything and is not concerned with public image whatsoever. It also shows that he feels betrayed by the Lakers as he clearly is sending the message "build around me or let me be". This was the first time that Kupchack clearly stated that they would be building the team around Kobe and I think it was Andrew Z who commented that it was a good thing that that issue was cleared up. What took them so long? However I think the Lakers are a bit late for that.

Therefore I think the Laker organization deserves all of what is happening because it is now obvious, that from the start they were not serious about building the team around Kobe. I think it is that realization that got Kobe so frustrated and mad. When you have a 26 year old Superstar (back then) you do not waist your time drafting or trading for developmental players or projects who all have potential and MIGHT be really good or solid in a couple of years. Now if your franchise player is 22 or 21 that is fine cause that gives you 4-5 years to experiment until your primary player hits his peak. But when your star player has already reached his peak your main concern should be getting both young and veteran players whose potential you already know and are solid. The players who the Lakers did not get like Boozer, Davis, Artest all carried risks but one risk that they did not carry were their level of talent. You already new what kind of talent you were getting. There might have been other problems like injury proneness or chemistry issues but the level of talent was not one of them. However the players that the lakers did get were mostly all potential with huge unknowns and ifs. Plus as Kobe said most of those players were his friends that wanted to play with him and that he also wanted to play with. As management you try to make those trades to build around your superstar.

Although it seems as if the Lakers are not moving Kobe I really I think that the Lakers should actually trade Kobe. They were not serious in building a team around him in the first place. It really seems as if they thought that they could start a new project around Bynum, all the while selling seats with Kobe. With a talent like Kobe you never know maybe you could get lucky and strike gold (winning a chip) or silver (WCF?). All teams in the league try to build around their superstar. They get the best players that compliment that superstar and find a system that best suites him (Phoenix and Nash anyone? Tim Duncan and the Spurs?).

I feel sorry for Kobe because he deserved for a team to be built around him. Every superstar in the league has that privilege why can't he? That’s why I think he is so pissed. The Lakers wanted to go another way all at the same time keeping him in the roster and a talent like Kobe could just not waist his prime as an afterthought. That is why I think that it is good that he is speaking his mind. Everybody now knows the reason for his outrage.

However all of this makes little sense if he plans on staying put. He made the same mistake when he tied management’s hands in the Shaq trade (which initially had nothing to do with him and unlike AK and BK I put very little blame on Kobe for those events leading to the trade demand) and now he is doing it again. I sometimes truly wish he had signed with the Bulls or something way back when he was a FA. Now they for sure would have built a team around him with much little fuss. The question LakerLand should be asking is what took management so long to realize that they should build around Kobe?

Cheers!!!

Mamaba24,

".....carefully cultivated plan by the Lakers to bring Jerry West back while at the same time letting Mitch Kupchak down easy by letting Kobe take the heat..."

Brilliant as ever.

Ventriloquist

BK,
What your forgetting, in mentioning that Kobe would of been better served by keeping his longing for Jerry West private, is that he probably has already done that numerous time to no prevail.

BK:

"What your forgetting, in mentioning that Kobe would of been better served by keeping his longing for Jerry West private, is that he probably has already done that numerous time to no prevail."

EXCELLENT POINT

This is getting crazy!

Wow...

Dr Buss under arrest for DUI?

Kobe having to revisit and explain the Shaq deal, that was an eye opener... they had already told him they were going to trade him no matter what (and BTW folks, Shaq had that coming). Remember, this was in the midst of the mighty team with Malone, Payton, Shaq & Kobe...
If they would tell Kobe this back then, just think of how much he knows regarding the front office's inability to make a deal. No wonder the guy is displeased.

I thought I was done seeing the titantic sink... geez, the damn thing is sinking through the ocean floor now.

Can it get any lower for us?

You can't even rely on the famed Dr Buss anymore, he's out partying, driving the wrong way in a drunken stupor...

Please Lord.... let Magic Johnson take over the team... please, please.

Damn, after reading the Truth in kb24.com, I now know that the Laker FO has mistreated Kobe for 3 years.

Oh, Dr. Buss already made up his mind to trade Shaq at the begining of 2004 season. And the managment didn't prepare for a better trade than getting Odom, Butler and Grant (the huge salary wasted).

And the Lakers FO didn't say exactly this to the public, instead let Kobe be the scapegoat?

The management promised Kobe to build a contender "NOW", but still sticked to its original plan to clear space for a top status star?

After 3 years of mistreatment Kobe has received, yet people are wondering why Kobe is so frustrated?

Let's see how this plays out. Maybe it will all work out okay...

We get Artest, get competitive this year. Get KG in 09, things really start looking up.... otherwise, with this circus that's going on now, who would ever want to go to LA? If they can't shape up this team by the end of July, I now agree with the haters (but a totally different reason)... let Kobe go, he deserves way more than this. Way, way more.

We can rebuild around Bynum and maybe in ten years or so, we might have a fightin chance to add another banner (since it usually takes the Lakers about a decade to reach the pinnacle again)... of course, that was with an ambitious Jerry Buss and Jerry West running the show. Now??

Ha, we're this close to being the Knicks of the West.

WOW Lakofan,

I wrote my opinions on this topic without reading your post from KB24. What an eye openner!! Now I am more sure that I hit the mark for his recent rage. Great info man. It also clears alot of things about the Shaq trade.

Thanks man!!

iksaglam,
“So you would wish that he did not want to become "the man"? Well that would mean that he would not be Kobe the great basketball talent. You just cannot become that good if you don't have the desire. Shaq wanted to be the man, Lebron wanted to be the man, Nash, Duncan, Jordan, Magic, Bird etc all wanted to be the man.”

in a perfect world, I would have like to see kobe become “the man” similar to how Magic became "the man" during Kareem’s declining years. you gotta remember everyone has egos (even the Big Lazy) and one (kobe) needs to harness that ego for the sake of winning or one (kobe) is liable to become the Big Selfish. you see, had kobe played his cards right, he’d be the “man” and a winner/champoion, but kobe wanted to it WITHOUT the Big Lazy (this is my main problem with kobe, he traded in opportunties to win so he can prove a point). So now kobe bears the burden of being on an island by himself. remember how shaq use to make the comment that he [shaq] takes the crap so others (kobe et al) can just play ball? now that kobe’s the “man”, I say act like one? Don’t be a fool.

“Kobe's fault in my opinion was not that he wanted to be the man. His fault was (and still is apparently) is that he just does not know how to be political about it.”

yes, yes, yes! we agree. you gotta be smart about wanting to be great and being viewed as great. it’s the fans, not the players, that perpetuate so-called “greatness”. "greatness" is not accomplished in the regular season, it's done in the post season. LBJ is becoming "great". D-will/Boozer tandum is becoming "great". The entire Spurs and Detroit team are "great" with "great" individual players on any given night.

“But there is nothing wrong with him wanting it. I feel sorry for him because the Lakers did not try to build the team around him after the initial bad Shaq deal.”

I’ll put some on management, but I’ll also say that others in the league may be cautious about playing alongside kobe. remember, kobe did have a part in breaking up a championship team and rid of HOF center and HOF coach.
“But after that, the Lakers did have opportunities to get the ship back in the right direction (for Kobe) but they chose to steer it in another direction (Bynum and youth).”

agreed, I’ve never been a big Bynum fan. The Kidd no-deal was stupid.

“That's why I feel sorry for him.”

I still don’t feel sorry for kobe. in his mind [kobe's mind], he’s the “greatest b-ball player of all time”. he’s trying to prove it and if LA can’t give it to him, then he’ll go elsewhere (can you say selfish?). this is why I have such a good time with so-called kobe-lovers who are just on the bandwagon cuz kobe’s a scoring champ. kobe will abandon LA in a heartbeat if given the chance.

have you been watching the SAS-Jazz series? D-Will is becoming a "great" player if him, Boozer and "them other guys" continue to win. check it out, D-will is becoming "great" player while kobe is becoming irrelevant sitting at home watching the playoffs. I hadn’t realize how good D-will is until now. I love the crossover and sweet Js. nice chat. as always, I really respect your opinion and I’ll knock off the banter stuff.

Careful, BK. You start deducing that Kobe bears some responsibility for this mess and you're a "hater."

And they say McCarthyism is dead.

KL

we agree alot accept for his part in the Shaq trade. If the new statement on KB24 is true (and why should it not be) than he had very little to do with pushing out a HOF center. As I said had Shaq wanted it he would have signed with the Lakers for 20 mil but that would have been that he would have to put up with Kobe the "man" on the chance that he returned. Instead he lobbied to get Kobe out by demanding 30 mil. At this point Phil also wanted Kobe gone.

However it all backfired with Buss throwing both of them out for Kobe. Now had Shaq resigned (for 20 mil) and Kobe still insisted that Shaq be traded or there was no way he was signing with the Lakers, then what you say would be true. Kobe pushing out a HOF center just to be the man. However that never happened so we cannot know. He was never given that chance ironically enough!!

lakofan:

Don't feel sorry for Kobe. He's thrown his teammates under a bus before. On and off the court. What is NOT mentioned in his post is that Buss told Kobe that when Kobe had yet to affix his John Hancock to a re-up. As Ventre pointed out -- and as I've pointed out ad nauseam -- had Buss had more time to decide he'd have never made the move to placate Kobe so hastily.

wiZo:

Again, Shaq had his role and his faults, but the way they moved him, hastily, to induce Kobe to re-sign, meant that the FO made a promise they couldn't keep: to REBUILD around Kobe. People want to forget they already BUILT a contender around Kobe and Shaq, and they broke it up to REBUILD around Kobe solo. They've been hogtied by that move ever since, and dud moves like Vlade, re-signing Cook, and especially Butler for Brown only made matters worse. And, of course, Kobe sometimes made things harder on himself (the Malone fiasco).

Consiuder this: if they can't get West AND make a move, they'll have to trade him. He's thrown everybody but Dr/ Buss under the bus. Can any of the teammates that remain follow him? Can Kupchak really work hard to build a team around a guy who's burned him in a very public way?

KL,

Lebron really isn't in the same boat. I think if the Lakers were 100% healthy, then it's debatable. But without Mihm, Vlad and with Lamar, Kwame, Luke and Mo playing through injuries....Kobe's supporting cast was (at least by season's end) much worse than Lebron's. I don't think Lebron would've made any real difference if he were on the Lakers instead of Kobe. Maybe they win a few games Kobe didn't, but then again, Kobe stole a bunch of games by himself. He needed to score on that team and Phil gave him the green light cuz even the Zen master who is all about teamwork realized this team can't survive without Kobe's point production. We BARELY stayed in the playoffs, and with all the games Kobe won himself...I think Lebron on the Lakers miss the playoffs.
Again, I hope the Lakers put more talent around Kobe and I think he'll show you he can be a great team player as well.
My main beef is with the "Lebron is still playing" argument. I think it means nothing since he's in the junior varsity East. The disparity between the East and West is huge IMO (and about to get worse). Most of the playoff teams in the East would have no shot in the West....and if Lebron and his Cavs played in the West like Kobe, he wouldn't be playing right now either.

"just when I was starting to respect you, you give kobe the cop out and blame the “entire thing” on the Big Lazy."

I didn't give Kobe the cop out. I admitted Kobe didn't handle things great...and he shouldve done certain things differently....but at the same time I think his reactions were understandable given the facts and circumstances. I think Kobe had his role in it, but yes, while I don't blame Shaq for the "entire thing", I do blame him for most of it. And again, Phil the veteren coach, the Zen master, the team first guy, didn't help things much.
What EXACTLY is Kobe's fault? Given all the circumstances, Buss made the (correct) decision to not re-sign Shaq. Given the circumstances and the decline of Shaq, it think even without the Kobe feud, it would've been very difficult to sign an overweight C on the decline to such a huge contract. Let's not forget, Buss isn't Cuban, he's here to make money as well, and signing Shaq would've been a very very risky business proposition.

"okay, now I have to call you out. I think you got it backwards, kobe “green with envy” Bryant was jealous of the Big Lazy."

Maybe he was....we can't really know. But whether he was or not, he played the role of second fiddle to Shaq during the championship years. Shaq 2000 was the most dominant player ever. But the next two championships, Kobe was critical to the championships, and if there were such a thing as PLAYOFF MVP as opposed to just a FINALS MVP, Kobe would've actually won 1 or 2 PLAYOFF MVPs. Towards the end, Kobe was becoming the man, and Shaq played along with it in his words. Calling Kobe "the best player in the world" and his little bro. Yet right after that you literally see Shaq's jealousy, complaining of touches and calling himself the big dog that needs to be fed. Kobe, whether jealous or not, at least played second fiddle for a time, something the Big Ego never could do. (And something Kareem learned to do when it was Magic's time.)

"Wait a minute, how many playoff series has kobe “the snake” Bryant won as the #1?? it rhymes with Hero. Shaq has taken 3 different teams to the NBA finals (albeit the last one in Miami, shaq was the #1.5)."

Come on KL, you know that's not a fair argument. Basketball is still a team game and no one person can do it all himself. Even the great Jordan couldn't do it alone. Subsitute Kobe for ANY of the all-time greats....anyone....who could've won a championship with this team? MJ? Magic? Bird? Kareem? Stockton? Its just simply an unfair argument. Guys like Kobe and KG have had it bad the past few years.
And come on KL, even you have to agree with me that Shaq's not all about winning. You can't possibly defend coming in overweight and delaying surgeries to party in the summer. WHO does that? Noone! Shoot, I bet most guys want to party in the summer...but they still get their surgeries done soon after the season. Its called being a professional. Really, the reason I hate Shaq is that very fact. I think if he even upped his work ethic by 50% he'd likely go down as the best ever. But you can't argue with facts, the guy has proven to the world how lazy he is towards the end of his Laker days. Kobe couldn't have won without Shaq but Shaq wouldn't have won without Kobe either. He still needed Penny in Orlando. And he wasn't 1.5 in Miami, he was #2...and a far #2 at that. Wade had one of the ridiculously great series performances ever and he literally carried the Heat on his back. He singlehandley brought them back in every game. Take out Wade that series and they get swept.

generic_one,
Is PJ still coaching?

BK,
It has been reported that Kobe wanted Boozer, Baron Davis and Artest. All of this was behind "closed doors", and look what happened, NOTHING.
I understand your point about West's reluctance to throw Kupcake under the bus, but the more important question is - do the Lakers even want West back? Before Kobe's comments, Jerry West was not even part of the public discussion regarding the future of the Lakers. Now, thanks to Kobe, it is at the forefront. As a result of the media circus, Kobe has created an enormous amount of PUBLIC pressure to force management to hire West.
West's feelings regarding this issue are irrelevant if management's priority never involved hiring West to begin with. Now management is FORCED to deal with this issue, and if they don't bring West back, Kobe and most of Lakerland will be very upset. Kobe's public demand has only increased our chances of bringing West back.

This situation is no different than when Magic publicly demanded a better coach. If Magic had remained silent, Riley would not have been the Lakers coach. Magic used all his leverage to force management to act. Management had no choice but to respond and make Magic happy.
Kobe is using the exact same successsful strategy to bring West back.

wizo,
“I don't think Lebron would've made any real difference if he were on the Lakers instead of Kobe. Maybe they win a few games Kobe didn't, but then again, Kobe stole a bunch of games by himself.”

with all due respect, I don’t necessarily mean what’s physically done on the court, but some of the mental leadership and grooming of “them other guys” night in and night out. also playing in the playoffs as a team, as LeBron’s team, but most importantly as a TEAM is the main difference I see between KB and LBJ.

“I think Lebron on the Lakers miss the playoffs.”

true, when LBJ’s a rookie; then Year 2, LAL make the playoffs; then Year3, round 2; then Year4 conference finals……….ya get the drift?

“My main beef is with the "Lebron is still playing" argument. I think it means nothing since he's in the junior varsity East.”

who won the championship 2 of the last 3 years? Detroit is a “beast” and Miami was a “beast” last year.

“I think Kobe had his role in it, but yes, while I don't blame Shaq for the "entire thing", I do blame him for most of it.”

I can live with that considering how far we were apart (I fell like a settlement attorney).

“What EXACTLY is Kobe's fault? Given all the circumstances, Buss made the (correct) decision to not re-sign Shaq.”

agreed, as a business, if I only had one choice, I’d pick kob.

“But the next two championships, Kobe was critical to the championships, and if there were such a thing as PLAYOFF MVP as opposed to just a FINALS MVP, Kobe would've actually won 1 or 2 PLAYOFF MVPs.”

we agree again. I would add that collectively, the TEAM was fantastic. kobe, shaq and “them other guys”. remember, we were beating up on the Spurs at their prime. We’ve fallen a lot since.

“Yet right after that you literally see Shaq's jealousy, complaining of touches and calling himself the big dog that needs to be fed.”

I disagree with you here. The triple post (aka Triangle) is a movement offense based on passing, so the offense begins with the “post”. I recall in 2004, the reason we lost to an inferior Pistons team is that we (kobe) deviated from what worked in the past.

“Towards the end, Kobe was becoming the man, and Shaq played along with it in his words. Calling Kobe "the best player in the world" and his little bro.”

Wizz, this is the saddest part. kobe was becoming the man, unquestionable. had kobe played his cards a little better and not pissed shaq off and making the Big Lazy the Big Lazy, we’d be talking about kobe MVP and kobe the greast finisher next to MJ, but instead we’re talking about LBJ and brining Jerry West back. We might as well ask Magic, Kareem, and Worthy to suit up.

“Kobe, whether jealous or not, at least played second fiddle for a time, something the Big Ego never could do. (And something Kareem learned to do when it was Magic's time.)”

I think the Big Ego wanted a reason to pass along the legacy. Did you notice how giddy shaq was handing the Finals MVP trophy to Dwade?

“And come on KL, even you have to agree with me that Shaq's not all about winning.”

I agree conditionally. Shaq has been past the 2nd round every year in his career except his rookie and this year, but will concede that shaq could have done more on the fitness department.

“You can't possibly defend coming in overweight and delaying surgeries to party in the summer. WHO does that? Noone! Shoot, I bet most guys want to party in the summer...but they still get their surgeries done soon after the season. Its called being a professional. Really, the reason I hate Shaq is that very fact.”

and I respect your opinion.

“And he wasn't 1.5 in Miami, he was #2...and a far #2 at that. Wade had one of the ridiculously great series performances ever and he literally carried the Heat on his back. He singlehandley brought them back in every game. Take out Wade that series and they get swept.”

okay, I’ll concede #2. as for wade, isn’t this what the playoffs are about? legends being made? that’s what I love about the playoffs. good chat bro, thanks for being cordial.

ex: Newp. I'll come up with an amusing title for PJ later. I'm trying to find a complete employee list for the Lakers organization so I can go more in depth. I found one for the Clippers that I think I can work with, as their individual titles are probably the same. I'll post my full synopsis in a couple hours or so.

AK / BK

JUST THE FACTS:
Kobe does not really want to leave Hollywood, Jerry West has MAYBE one more favor left for the Lakes, Phil Jackson is anxious to retire after another championship and will probably not stick around for the mess too long, he unlike Kobe is not in his prime and doesnt have more then a couple years left anyway as a coach. Jerry Buss wants to make sure everybody understands we keep Kobe and keep him happy. Forget West, a coach, Mitch, whatever. This organization has KB24, what more else do you want, keep the guy happy during the offseasons and get decent players, thats it i dont know how we ended up with so many dumb dumb space cadets on one Laker team last season. Of course my man Kobe is gonna flip. The truth is Los Angeles should have never went into an even remotely rebuild type mode just because Shaq left town. Phil came back and everybody thought that was it, we are elite again. Through all this Phil and Kobe forgot they need to pick up some decent ball players, why? Cuz Phil is busy boning his employer's daughter and Kobe is caught up in the moment of breaking world records. Work and get the job done: Dr. Buss, Jim Buss, Mitch and Phil and especially PHIL need to get on his job, NOW. How bout some input Phil? Or maybe it is extremely too uncomfortable dealing with Jim, or Dr. Buss when your screwing Jeanie?
I'm sorry for sounding vulgar but i am a big time Laker fan and maybe Phil's relationship with Jeanie is enabling him to vent through her rather then Jerry or Jim or Mitch, thats the impression i get. I would like to see Phil more involved especially since he is "dating" Jeanie. Zen Master please step up to the plate, with Kobe and do something now, thats all i want to see.
AM I WRONG?

Mitchell-

I just don't agree. It doesn't do any good to put pressure on an organization if it pushes West away. And there have been rumors flying around for a while that the Lakers would try to bring Buss back. Even if that's not true, if Kobe said to them, quietly, "If you don't bring Jerry back, I'll have to seriously consider walking in '09," that would have been plenty to get their attention. Don't know if it would have worked- you can't make Jerry West come back, and Kobe can't make them hire him- but in my mind that's a far better tactic. But I don't think making the sort of statements he supposedly did helps him get his goal, or sits well with a lot of fans. Some will agree with him, but others will not like anything that sounds like a trade demand or an ultimatum. So it can go either way.

As for the players, all of those guys were rumored at one point or another to be available, but there were seriously good reasons to pass. Would you have swapped L.O. or Bynum for Artest last year? I wouldn't. Davis was coming off injury riddled seasons, and continued to have them. Even this season he was hurt a lot before the playoff run. Boozer may or may not have actually been available, and wasn't the guy he was this year when he was even theoretically on the market. Who knows? All of those guys are great players, but it's not like picking them up was a no brainer, and the team passed up easy opportunities.

BK

Exile ,

I don't feel sorry for Kobe, I feel sorry for the Lakers,

Kobe can go to another team, and believe me he will win again,

I feel sorry for the Lakers because the Buss Family is coming apart, and see Dr.Buss arrested, it's beyond repair.

KL:

"Wait a minute, how many playoff series has kobe “the snake” Bryant won as the #1?? it rhymes with Hero. Shaq has taken 3 different teams to the NBA finals (albeit the last one in Miami, shaq was the #1.5)."

On those three teams the Big Toe sucker had 1)Penny Hardaway 2)Kobe Bryant and 3)Dwayne Wade as "sidekicks." All three were/are bonafide stars in their own right.

Give Kobe a bonafide superstar to play alongside him, then you can judge on series won. You always seem to forget that LO is not to the level of those above mentioned players. Compare this - As a rookie Shaq missed the playoffs (Penny didn't come till the yr after).

Simply ridiculous. The talent disparity that Kobe has down to the #2 option is HUGE compared to what Shaq has had. It's truth and fact.

Don't get it twisted the Big Whiner cries every time he doesn't get his way. He's also narcissistic, egotistical and all of the above. People out there act like only Kobe's that way, no, it's called public perception. All of these superstars are this way. Articles talk about Kobe feeling entitled to such and such, rewind that back 10 years and you have exactly what Shaq used to say. People seem to forget that Shaq isn't an angel. People seem to forget that Shaq wouldn't come to play come training camp. People seem to forget that Shaq had to be taken out at the end of games because he wasn't clutch.

The Eastern is the weaker conference period. Does that mean that it doesn't have 1 or 2 top competing teams? No. Does it mean that the majority of the competition are a bunch of stiffs? Yes. Miami was lucky last year because they were by no means a GREAT team. They were a good team that just had a good run. The Mavs last year were a good team that had a decent run. Detroit has been a great team since the Sheed trade because their core is intact and they play well together.

And let's say it again....

Kobe played team ball. Then team ball went to crap. In order to win games, PJ unleashed Kobe and the Lakers won 4 of 5. Because team ball wasn't working, Kobe had to up his offensive production to drag the Lakers into the playoffs. If not, this team would have been in the lottery. But the Shaq apologists twist the script and say "oh kobe's a ball hog, why didn't he pass it to wide open smush who just hit a trey 3 months ago and is shooting a blistering .002453 for the night?" Get real.

Man, the press is starting to get on Kobe, just saw the Adrian Wojnarowski column "Classic Kobe", and let's just wasn't pretty

Kobe went to Magic for advised.... That's were he got the idea to lobby for Jerry West! When the front office does not know what their doing, the superstar of the team must go to the media to start something. The pressure is on, it was a great move by Kobe and the timing was great. It's the Conference Finals, how else can the Lakers be on the spot light?

How are we going to get Kevin Garnett? How?

GO LAKERS!

Okay, so we've had a lot of discussion over trades... but what would Laker fans like to see if we could revamp the Front Office?

Here's my plan for the "Slash and Burn of the Lakers: 2007!"

Chairman of the Board, Owner and NBA Governor: Jack Nicholson

[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v630/genericone/nicholson.jpg[/IMG]

Seriously. You know how we all like to see Mark Cuban so involved in the team? Well, talk about an even scarier owner. People would be willing to deal with him just on fear alone. You could have a limp noodle for a GM (picture Rick Moranis in Ghostbusters) and people would still be calling up and offering the deals of your wildest dreams.

Executive Vice President and NBA Alternate Governor: Magic Johnson

[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v630/genericone/magic-1.jpg[/IMG]

With Magic? You can guarantee there will no longer be players demanding for ridiculous contract extensions or trades. What do you say to Magic, exactly? "Oh, hello there. Uh... I was wondering if I might be able to pay YOU money to play for the Lakers?" You don't talk back to Magic. He's like the B.A. Baracus of basketball.

General Manager: Phil Gordon

[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v630/genericone/philgordon.jpg[/IMG]

Talk about hell on earth for other GM's. They would never see him coming. They'd pull crazy trades like Brian Cook for the draft rights to Kevin Durant or Andre Igoudala for Sasha Vujacic. Why? Well, for one, they'd never know if he was holding a pair of aces or an off-suit two and five. Secondly, they'd have to listen to him out of fear that Jack would axe their front door open one night and chase them around a garden maze. If they were already in charge this season, you could bet your bottom dollar that Greg Oden wouldn't be picked until our turn came at #19.

Executive Directors of Business Operations: Flea & Anthony Kiedis

[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v630/genericone/fleakiedis.jpg[/IMG]

Need I say more? Who could possibly come up with more ways to rock Staples than those two avid Laker fans? Flea alone could do enough damage to make a preseason game look crazier than every single March Madness game combined. Stick Anthony in there?? Holy. Cow.

Executive Director of Public Relations: Bill Clinton

[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v630/genericone/clinton.jpg[/IMG]

The guy would never give away more to the press than necessary and there would never be anyone that would be able to tell if he was lying. The Lakers need a guy that knows how to keep his mouth shut at the right time and divert attention when necessary. Why not one of the all time best of the best of the spin-doctors?

Executive Director of Marketing: Reon Kadena

[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v630/genericone/reon.jpg[/IMG]

I am sure that many of you are just as entranced by her musically bouncing underboobs. If Laker commercials were just thirty seconds of that gif looped into infinity with the Laker graphics spliced in a small tiny box in the corner, I would buy tickets. Lots of tickets. And I live in Seattle, WA.

Executive Director of Broadcasting: Zombie Chick Hearn

[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v630/genericone/chick.jpg[/IMG]

Our broadcasters are so awful, I think it would be worth an attempt to contact a Voodoo practitioner to raise Chick from the dead and restructure how the broadcasting is run. Even if his jaw had completely wasted away, it would be a lot better than some of the crap we have to listen to.

Head Athletic Director: Dr. Gregory House

[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v630/genericone/house.jpg[/IMG]

We really need a no-nonsense type of physician to inspire our players into getting into games while in pain. If you're thinking what I'm thinking, Dr. House is our guy. Leg broken? Tough luck, sport. You're getting insulted. A case of the sniffles? Screw you, punk. Get out there and cough on someone so they get sick, too.

Strength and Conditioning Coach: Dr. Leo Spaceman

[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v630/genericone/dr_spaceman.jpg[/IMG]

Luke: DAWCTAH SPACEMAN, DAWCTAH SPACEMAN I'VE GOT A SPRAINED ANKLE!!

Dr. Spaceman: Well Luke, fortunately for you, I've got some purples, some pinks, some oranges, and some blues in this week. Of course, bread might be your problem.

Luke: Bread? Is that bad for you?

Dr. Spaceman: Well, there's no proof that bread causes severe brain damage, but my grant loans furthering the theory that bread is bad have been thwarted by the evil "Bread Lobby" in Congress.

Chief Psychological Zen Guru: Phil Jackson

[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v630/genericone/philjack.jpg[/IMG]

Once again, insults. Insults are the key to our success. If you have people complaining, insulting them is the quickest way to get them to shut up. Between Dr. House's medically trained insults and Dr. Phil's psychologically trained insults, we should be set.

Head Coach: Mike Krzyzewski

[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v630/genericone/mikew-1.jpg[/IMG]

He's got one eye! What more needs to be said? If he only has one eye to look at his players and the ball and the court with, then he won't be distracted! He's one of the most respected coaches in College Basketball as well.

Whoops... that was Mike Wazowski. Sorry.

General Counsel: Steven A. Smith

[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v630/genericone/screaminsteve.jpg[/IMG]

Are you seeing what I'm seeing? Screamin Steven doesn't need any introduction here, and fortunately any cases he would have to attend would grant him an instant win. WIN, I'M TELLIN YOU! YOU DO NOT HAVE TO HEAR IT FROM ME!

Now, with all of that out of the way, I can tell you are wondering how well our team would improve with the new front office management. Fortunately for all of you, I have employed the ancient tactic of "fortune telling" and can let you in on what is going to happen over the summer.

1) As previously mentioned, Greg Oden will not be drafted until the 19th pick, which is incidentally the one we have. This is because of the sheer willpower of Jack Nicholson.

2) Brian Cook will be traded for the draft rights to Mike Conley.

3) Sasha Vujacic and a re-signed Shammond Williams will be traded for Andre Igoudala.

4) Kobe Bryant will be traded for Kirk Hinrich, Luol Deng, and Tyrus Thomas.

5) Lamar Odom will be traded for a re-signed Gerald Wallace and Sean May

6) Kwame Brown wil be traded back to Washington for Caron Butler

7) Mihm, Luke, and Vlad traded to Toronto for Chris Bosh

07/08 Laker lineup:

PG: Hinrich/Conley/Farmar
SG: Igoudala/Butler/Williams
SF: Deng/Gerald Wallace
PF: Thomas/Sean May/Turiaf
C: Bosh/Oden/Bynum

Well folks, looks like we're all set.

"Kobe has to turn on everyone at some point, cut people and ties in almost every relationship in his life," a former Bryant associate said Monday. "He turns on people because he believes he's not getting what he deserves. He has a one-track mind that thinks the world revolves around him and doesn't take a second to consider the costs, or what's the best way to handle something.

"This is the same stuff he did with (Shaquille O'Neal). He would leak the story, instigate it and then not understand why it never worked. Shaq is still more beloved than Kobe, and he will always be in L.A. People have seen this all before with Kobe. This never turns out right for him."

THE CANCER CONTINUES TO GROW UNTIL EVERY LAKER FAN WILL BE HATING EACH OTHER. AND THEN THE FRANCHISE WILL BE TARNISH AND WE WILL THEN BECOME THE LOS ANGELES CELTICS.

Some big story's today, eh.

The most serious one is the owner of the Lakers is arrested for DUI and spends the night in the drunk tank. Have you ever seen a drunk tank full of inebriated people, puking and pissing on each other. Not a pretty sight, and our owner is right in there among all the drunks. Now THAT is embarrassing to the Laker family.

Kobe should not have gone public: Not that he wasn't speaking the truth, not that we have serious problems in the front office, we are a mess. Its what it means, there is no going back. The clock is now ticking, another great star will be leaving the Lakers. No way Buss will keep someone who called him out in public like that, even if Kobe is right.

West can not straighten out this mess: This is why he left LA. No way will he come back. He is not a glutten for punishment.

I'm not blaming Kobe for this mess either. All the blame goes to Buss. He should have been on the phone to Kobe, doing his best to smooth it out, but instead was on the floor of a drunk tank, passed out.

A glimmer of hope: All the parties need to get together. The feathers are ruffled, it will be hard, but it could be done. Only one person could get these people together and mediate a sensible resolution. Magic. They need to get together and do it ASAP. Magic, we need your services again. Get the coffee brewing, sober up both Busses, get Mitchie away from his play station, get Kobe away from reporters, lock them all in a room with no food, phones, or water until they solve this mess.

Attention all Kobe Lovers/Kobe Haters and Laker Lovers. If Kobe demands a trade, we are screwed worse than when Shaq screwed us. For two years, kobe can call all the shots. He wants to play only for the Bulls. They would absolutely own us. If you keep Kobe until his no trade option runs out, he still will dictate where he goes. His salary will be in the low 20 mils. The trade team would demand an extention from Kobe, to give away all those players, and if Kobe refuses, no deal.

Of course the Lakers can always release him and send him packing with a 90 million dollar check and be done with him. We'd have four years of 22 mil against the cap and nothing to show for it.

If you say keep him, do you feel he would play all out for Dr.Buss. I don't mean tank games, but a mild sprain would keep him off the court for 2-3 months like Luke did. Can't risk his future and take a chance, I think he might reason. He would be saving himself for his future team.

Kobe you are right, but you over reacted. I understand your frustration of being mislead all along. You should have done this behind closed doors.

Fatty

PS. My next post. Why Buss needs to sell the Lakers.

gdchild-

I would say those are bad moves on both levels. Not necessarily that he should be the final verdict on whether a trade should go through, but he also shouldn't hear about it after it's over, either. And beyond that (and more importantly), clearly the Wizards have gotten the better of the deal on a personnel level as well. It was a trade I thought made sense when they did it, but the last two years have shown that even if the logic was there, the results haven't been. Given what Caron Butler has become, they'd have been better off holding on to him for the money it took for Washington to sign him to an extension. So bad move by the front office on both counts. I called that one wrong when it happened.

My point with all of this isn't that the Lakers front office has been cruising along in the last couple years. I don't think Mitch Kupchak is a top flight GM, and like many in the Laker Nation, the idea of Jim Buss running the show gives me pause (and a slight case of the willies). There's some discombobulation going on down there in El Segundo, and they need to get it together. Kobe's basic point- that Jerry West back and running the show would be a good thing- is absolutely true. No doubt he'd be an upgrade. It's how he delivered the message that is the problem. If bringing West back was his goal, this was just about the worst way he could possibly devise to make it happen. It still might, but if it does it will be in spite of, not because of, what's happened over the last few days.

In a lot of ways, I feel for Kobe. This team isn't very good right now, and will be hard pressed to get substantially better this summer. Maybe they can. But just about everything is stacked against them. I really believe that this is a dangerous summer, because there's a greater chance of them doing something that could hurt them and turn a five year rebuild into a ten year really fast. I don't doubt his will to win, or how hard he works. These are all things I point out in my year end evaluation of him. But saying what he said to Bucher (and he confirmed on the radio that his account was accurate) was the wrong way to do it.

BK

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_ylt=AuoHNwac7vneTwVsoDwksg45nYcB?slug=aw-kobe052907&prov=yhoo&type=lgns
Ouch!!!!!

I am a big fan of Kobe's immense talent, desire and dedication, but always have concens over his personal character and how it has worked against him and the Laker locker room and Laker organization.

Adrian Wajnaroski's colum about Kobe in Yahoo Sports is a pretty revealing piece about Kobe's ego and inability to forge and maintain personal. business and media relationships One can be in awe of his talent, but also chagrined with how he has handled Shaq, his teammates, MItch and now Jerry.

If Kobe knows anything about Jerry West, he knows about his loyalty to friends and business associates. By playing a very heavy-handed public violin (while using and manipulating the media with respect to what he said, but now, um, really didn't say) instead of working smoothly behind the scenes, he has now pissed off Jerry West in a very big way. Kobe's intentions were valid, and his goal re: West was achievable if he had kept his public mouth shut - but now?

No way.

Jerry is just too much a gentleman and a stand up guy to bury Mitch under these circumstances.

Unfortunately, Kobe is at his best when he is spouting vacuous cliches about competing, or simply keeping his mouth shut. By flapping it the way he does, he shoots himself in the foot over and over again. It's said to see that the older he gets, the more destructive he becomes within the Laker organisation. Usually players mature in this respect, but he seems to be de-evolving. If only (Paul Westhead aside) Kobe's body had Magic Johnson's brain. That combination would create the ultimate basketball player.

Kobe's desires would ultimately be served by keeping his mouth behind the scenes and away from any microphone.

Adrian's description of Kobe's daughter's birthday party painted a said picture of an incredible talent who in the end, is all alone.

M2

Socalife,
“On those three teams the Big Toe sucker had 1)Penny Hardaway 2)Kobe Bryant and 3)Dwayne Wade as "sidekicks." All three were/are bonafide stars in their own right.”

I will concede the “bonafide star” comment, but I will qualify it by saying what ever happened to Penny? He became irrelevant. What’s happening to Kobe, becoming irrelevant by the day. Sorry to say it, but it’s just the way it is. Kobe made a bad mistake by being a jerkoff toshaq. BTW, you notice kobe’s being a jerkoff to Mitch and laker management? This is the MO for the Big Jerkoff.

“Simply ridiculous. The talent disparity that Kobe has down to the #2 option is HUGE compared to what Shaq has had. It's truth and fact.”

My biggest complaint is that kobe is an a$$hole and nobody really wants to be around the guy. Sorry.

“Don't get it twisted the Big Whiner cries every time he doesn't get his way. He's also narcissistic, egotistical and all of the above.”

Do you mean kobe?? LOL

“People seem to forget that Shaq isn't an angel. People seem to forget that Shaq wouldn't come to play come training camp.”

Fair enough, but shaq’s a winner. Kobe’s a B-I-G loser at the moment. I love the disingenuous interview kobe gave to Matt “Money” Smith. Dude, the guy [kobe] is a faker, a charlatan, who can’t be trusted. You go on believing kobe's a “laker for life”. Dude, the guy [kobe] will dump you like a piece of crap if given the chance. I don’t understand why kobe’s lovers defend the guys so passionately. I love how TNT completely ignored kobe (I didn’t catch the halftime show so i might be wrong).

“People seem to forget that Shaq had to be taken out at the end of games because he wasn't clutch.”

Who was awarded the finals MVP?

“Miami was lucky last year because they were by no means a GREAT team.”

Right, just like LA was lucky wining 3 consecutive. I guess shaq’s the luckiest guy in the world.

“Kobe played team ball.”

Sure, as long as the ball is in kobe’s hand and “them other guys” defer to the Big Crybaby.

“In order to win games, PJ unleashed Kobe and the Lakers won 4 of 5.”

That’s a great recipe for a championship squad.

Jon Kavulic
“Man, you'll never be the Greatest until you grow up a bit! The Greatest doesn't lash out at those around him when he doesn't get his way! Figure it out!”

Jon, you da man.

FearlessWhackJob
“I think you are a little myopic. It isn't that Kobe cannot make teammates better.”

Fearless, I love the screen name.

The only person who’s myopic is kobe. Check out LBJ making a name out of guys like Sasha (Pavlovic that is), Gibson, Gooden, etc. that’s how you do it. You gotta get guys to die for you. Nobody’s dying for kobe.

“There is a long list of players who played their best seasons (at the time) while playing with Kobe. Unfortunately, we traded the best of those guys away.”

I think one person is Shaq Big Granddaddy O’Neal.

“Do you think LBJ would make Kwame better? Kwame can't catch the ball. The fact that LBJ had 0.6 more assists than Kobe this year can be attributed solely to Kwame's dropped dimes out of bounds alone.”

Hey, LBJ’s 2 games away from the NBA finals…I bet the Big Envy (kobe) is seething right about now. BTW, did you see the amazing step back? Simply amazing. LBJ’s the anti-kobe in my book.

ohio bob,

first off, welcome to the blog.

"I'd really like to hear everyones thoughts about team "James" vs "me" Kobe."

what's there to talk about? LBJ's 2 games away from a finals appearance and The Big Me Me is bashing Shaq and the Laker front office. Why is it whenever the Big Cancer is around, there is always drama? i say, save your drama for yo mama.