Talking with Maurice Evans, Part II

Maurice Evans to Kobe: "F-U" (i admit, it's a stretch)

AK: Have you talked to Kobe since everything came up?

ME: No, I haven't. I haven't talked to him since the season ended.

I wonder if kobe has done anything in the offseason to get "his" team ready? Probably not cuz it's not kobe's job to establish a repore with teammates, it's "his" teammates job to establish a repore with kobe. Likewise, it's not kobe's job to help bring guys to LA, it's management's job to bring guys for "kobe's team".

Good morning early risers!

nice to hear he's working on his ball handling skills, he's actually having to audition for his job again this season. . if i'm not mistaken (contract year)

its about time though for Kwame to start auditioning for his job lol

maybe you guys can catch up with kwame and ask him if he's been practicing catching the ball. . or if he's considering a jorden-esque move to basebal to further work on that throwing arm. .

shame about them dogers haha

AK/BK

If all links appearing on this board aren't accessible to all of us, will you please make it so.

It behooves ESPN Magazine to provide freebies on this blog.

Don't you agree?

Sonnybelfast

Player A

PPG 6.9
RPG 3.3
APG 1.0
SPG 0.4
BPG 0.4
FG% 0.453
FT% 0.723
3P% 0.400
MPG 15.7

Player B

PPG 9.7
RPG 5.9
APG 1.6
SPG 0.4
BPG 0.1
FG% 0.465
FT% 0.824
3P% 0.000
MPG 26.5

which guy do you want on your team???

Now like LakerLarry, I shall do my own ways of manipulatiing numbers. I like to tihnk that if a guy is shooting 40% from 3point line, but only averages 6 points a game, then you have to take away about 5% away because he only shoots a couple times a game. So if we make that adjustment to Brian Cook, then he is shooting the LEAGUE AVERAGE from 3point range. Does that sound like a shooting big man?? Is he in the Memet Okur level???

by the way, player B is Juwan Howard, averaging 25 minutes. Now how much could he get in fewer minutes? probably about the same since he would be getting more rest.

That is the Juwan howard of LAST YEAR, not TWO years ago.

case closed.

KL isn't a Lakers fan.

He is a Shaq follower.

I'm glad Evans defended Smush. I can't wait for the next year. Unfortunately, I'll have to purchase League Pass for I will be out of town.

KLBeast:(repost)

"this is what i said: "I'm not sure laker management can do anything to improve the team to a championship level outside of TRADING KOBE and starting over."

i didn't say that management should trade kobe, i just don't think we can win a championship with kobe as the #1."

So, according to you we should keep Kobe and forego the opportunity to win championships...

If trading Kobe and starting over is the only way to improve the team to a championship level, why shouldn't the Lakers do it?

weave-man

you just said that trading Reggie Evans would be because the Nuggest want to remove their log jam at the forward position? And how is acquiring brian cook fixing that problem???

dont mis understand me. By all means i would love if Denver took Cook for Reggie Evans. But to think thats a possibility is ridiculous. of course i would offer that trade, but i hope that karl isnt that stupid.

KL Beast,

I dont think its an FU to Kobe. Its an FU FROM Kobe to the whole Lakers team.

Gee, Kobe hasnt talked to Odom, Walton, and Evans. And nobody can find Vlad, and whatever Kobe said to Andrew was probably not anything too friendly.

I find it interesting how every laker who has been interviewed had said that they havent spoken to Kobe since the season ended. Didnt their season end in May? Its now August. Thats almost 4 months of Kobe not talking to anyone.

Lake Show

"I dont think its an FU to Kobe. Its an FU FROM Kobe to the whole Lakers team."

you know, when i started the "F-U" jokes, i only meant it as guys around the league who secretly diss kobe by not wanting to help the guy. Not atypical when a person is known to be a jerk and "others" look forward to the day when the "jerk" fails.

Regarding kobe saying "F-U" to his guys, i suspect you might have a point. rarely do i hear anybody saying anything genuinely positive about kobe. the closest is JO saying that kobe's misunderstood. whenever i hear someone describe another as "misunderstood" it usually translates to excusing someone's behavior because....[fill in the blank]. either way, it's not acceptable.

i will say that i can't wait for training camp to start, then the drama will begin again and us bloggers can bicker again about "how great kobe is" or "what an a$$hole kobe is".

hal9000

"So, according to you we should keep Kobe and forego the opportunity to win championships..."

in a perfect world, i'd like kobe to change a little and lead a laker team to a championship. leadership isn't just sitting ang biatching at others on what their doing wrong. leadership is doing whatever it takes to achieve the goal....i'd venture to guess a championship.

many blogger complain that the past 3 years have sucked, well, i'd argue that it was inevitable when shaq left because championships are not easy to achieve.

had kobe struggled on his own (ie, without shaq) then had shaq join the lakers to propell the lakers from mediocrity to champions, i'd guess that kobe wouldn't have been as much of an a$$hole to shaq. too bad the reversed has happened.

kobe came into the league with a silver spoon and had the luxury to biatch at others, won championships, got a big head and chased away a HOF center. now kobe is wallowing in mediocrity and still biatching at others.

With all the reporters within the LA papers. and they are suppose to be reporters aren't they? Why don't someone get in Mitch's face and find out what is going on?I can't beleive they have no money....Why don't a reporter get a hold of Jerry Buss, and Mitch and say what are you guys doing.? I am a retired Engineer, and have been a loyal Laker fan since Jerry Wests rookie year, On of my best freinds was 'Wilt' we went to the same high school together, Overbrook, in Philadelphia, when we, my wife and I had season tickets in the 1970/71 season, Wilt and I would run around on weekends. I am in the wrong business, it would not take me too long to get this thing settled with the team... Someone do something positive...Carl

KL Beast isn't a Lakers fan.

He is a Shaq lover.

He just cares about Shaq

The Lake Show

"Gee, Kobe hasnt talked to Odom, Walton, and Evans. And nobody can find Vlad, and whatever Kobe said to Andrew was probably not anything too friendly.

I find it interesting how every laker who has been interviewed had said that they havent spoken to Kobe since the season ended. Didnt their season end in May? Its now August. Thats almost 4 months of Kobe not talking to anyone."

Well, why would anyone expect Kobe to fraternize with the HELP?

Kobe actually did place a phone call to Odom back in June. Sounds like he gave poor Lamar quite a shock:

" Odom said he spoke with Bryant late last week.

"I couldn't tell if he was frustrated," Odom said. "But for us to have a conversation, obviously something had to be up."

http://www.pe.com/sports/basketball/lakers/stories/PE_Sports_Local_D_lakers_notes_09.3eae0b4.html

I think Lamar still is feeling special..

jorema:

"KL isn't a Lakers fan.

He is a Shaq follower."

I think we get the point you're trying to make... But if he was a "Shaq follower", wouldn't he be on a Heat blog?

The reactions on the blog are really amusing. Mo Evans says that the drama of the summer could actually strengthen the team but we have a host of bloggers who think Kobe's job is to share his thoughts with teammates while he's engaged in a a game of liar's poker with Jerry Buss.

Maybe you guys need reminding that basketball and poker are played not only by different rules, but by wildly different strategies. There are no slam dunks in poker. There's no teamwork (outside of old Maverick episodes). There's no triangle. And there ain't no defense of any kind. It's all attack: slam 'em when you're holding the cards, bluff 'em when you're not.

Is it really that hard to understand what's going on. Yeah, we all want to know what the outcome's going to be, but there isn't even a ticking clock and forget about overtime. Yeah, maybe there is a curfew, but that would be February's trade deadline.

So, come on. Watch the poker game, but without TV cameras showing you the hand, cause Kobe's and Dr Buss's know how to keep the cards close to their chest.

In the last analysis, there are two problems here.

1) You guys are bored waiting for the summer to start and want to see action.
2) The best action in town is the Kobe haters game of using every event and non-event to diss Kobe.

The most pathetic thing about it is I get the sense that the haters think they're really proving something that's going to embarrass their enemy. The most incomprehensible thing (for me) is that they feel the need to have an enemy and that the enemy is on their own team. I was no fan of Shaq -- and still don't think very highly of a guy who mocked Yao Ming for being Chinese and patronized everyone else (including Tex Winter) -- but I knew how important he was for the team. I cringed when he was still in close games in the fourth quarter because he lacked the simplest BB skill, shooting free throws. But neither his character nor his weaknesses could hide his strengths.

That being the case, if the Shaq critics (like myself) behaved like the Kobe haters, would they have spent hours every day boring everyone within earshot or blogshot with their endlessly repeated complaints and baseless accusations (such as "proving" that a team with limited talent loses not because of limited talent, but because of one man's lack of leadership)? I doubt it. Not because there was less to complain about with Shaq, just because Kobe haters appear to be a special case of warped intelligence. In that sense one of Kobe's unsung qualities is his ability to out the pathological weirdos. The rest of humanity might just thank him for that. And the medical community will have to thank the K brothers for the extensive documentation of the particular symptoms of this historic epidemic.

One word: Complacency.

I'd hate to see these guys with their newly signed "deals" and just "relax." That would just be perfect with this already tumultous season.

I would expect Lamar and Andrew to have breakout years, but only if the Saint ain't.

Kobe is not for trade!
Can you guys think if he was traded to whichever team that it is? He would brake Wilts record for points scored in one game, aginst the Lakers! (102) Hahaha

Lamar is not for trade!

Can anybody tell me what would we get for trading Radmanovic?

soo. .

no news is good new?

The one thing that bothered me about the Mo Evans interview (part 2) was when he said he had not talked to Kobe since the season ended.
I'm not pointing a finger, but it does bother me how Kobe isn't as vocal and friendly with his "brothers" (as he has called the Lakers the last few years) as he comes off as.
Kobe must be really really busy or pissed at everyone and everything. I think its both. This makes me really think that Kobe was dead serious when he said he played his past game in purple and gold! =( I hate to think its true, but Im really beginning to see the real deal now.

Mo Evans=true professional

A solid player and solid citizen.

I saw Cheik Samb play in Summer League this year. He was pretty athletic. Way too skinny though. He'll be good in the Euro leagues.

Go Lakers!

"No, I haven't talked to Kev. I haven't gotten a chance to congratulate him on his signing with Boston. "-Mo Evans

What?? I thought they were friends. Are you telling me they don't talk to each other every week? What kind of friends are these?

Dude, that argument faulting Kobe for not calling his teammates is wack. It's the offseason. The Lakers are not teenage girls, these are grown men doing their own thing. They don't want Kobe or anyone calling them all obsessed about the season coming up 3-4 months down the line. Most players, including Kobe, just want to chill in the offseason and do their own thing.

Grown men don't need to call each other every other day to validate their friendship.

Words to The Lake-Show

First, let me say, that I almost couldn’t stop laughing this morning as I was reading through the conversation you were having with several on here after I left. You now have received a clear picture of what caused me to want to leave a couple weeks ago. The frustration you experienced yesterday is the same frustration I have been dealing with on here since the summer began. Most have accused me of just taking things too personal, when it has nothing to do with anything personal. Instead it is about and has always been about the ridiculous and inconsistent views and comments being expressed by the same group of people on here. I must admit that part of me is glad that FINALLY there is someone else that understands what I have been saying all this time. I would like to correct one thing you stated, which is that this ISN’T about Kobe Lovers. I think that is a gross overstatement. Don’t pin this on people who are simply fans of Kobe Bryant. There are ones on here that act this same way, that can’t stand Kobe Bryant. Besides, I have grown tired of this label “Kobe Lovers” being thrown around anyway. The NBA is made up of teams that are made up of players…..It is those players, that cause people to like teams, which in turn brings money to the league.

Second, let me state that although many appear to be against Howard, I have a really strong feeling that says he will end up a Laker by the end of the summer. Much like I had feelings of Horace Grant coming to LA back in 2000, I have that same kind of feeling right now. So….don’t even concern yourself any further with those that don’t agree with that trade or simply the acquisition of Howard…..they aren’t running the team. I do find it funny, as you mentioned, how the apparent views of Cook have clearly shifted from where they were during the season. When he was a starting power forward for a few games, the amount of negative messages could have filled up the blog by themselves. When he received his extension….the same happened again. When there were talks of a possible trade with Houston….people were shouting “Trade Him”. However….now…..well, you know the rest. This blog is really a good example of the changing thoughts and opinions of the average person. Also, please know that the majority of their arguments against him are paper thin if existent at all. However, the moment you try to refute them, it is like being in the O.J. trial with the dream team against you! LOL! They will pull out so many facts and figures that it will make your head spin. Although it is really pretty simple….

Finally, off the subject a little, but I was able to watch most of the PGA Championship over the weekend and as I watched Tiger go for yet another Major Championship, a thought came to me. We praise Tiger Woods for all that he is accomplishing and has accomplished. We even praise him for his pursuit of Jack’s records. We…..most….want him to reach those goals. Then I kept thinking and my mind went to Barry Bonds and the Home Run Record. Discounting the many that question his drug usage, there is a great deal of the population that wanted to see him reach the record. In fact, several news reporters have stated that even a great amount of the other players in the league wanted him to do it. Well, maybe not the pictures…LOL! They wanted to see Barry reach this individual record even if accomplished during a season when the Giants have no chance of even getting to the World Series let alone winning a championship.
In case you don’t see where I’m going with this, let me lay it in your lap. How can the same people the are so overjoyed to see these things happen (there are others but you get the point), be so against Kobe Bryant? Tiger is clearly chasing Jack, yet Kobe is wrong for chasing MJ? Over the past so many years, Bonds has clearly been more concerned with getting the record than he has with his team actually being good, yet when Kobe shoots….he is criticized for not passing more and reduced to only being concerned with individual records. How can we be so varied and inconsistent in our views? Is not the same mindset that has made Tiger the best golfer in the game, and Bonds the Home Run leader, the same mindset that Kobe exhibits now? If that is true, why is Kobe so hated, while at least Tiger, if no Bonds, is loved? Just something I was thinking about.

In closing, like I said above, I appreciate the fact that now I am not the only one that sees the inconsistent nature of this blog. I am now not the only one that has gotten frustrated with it. Thanks Lake Show!!!!

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ATTENTION BLOGGERS : TODAY IS DEDICATED NOT HONORED DEDICATED TO SONNY BELFAST
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PAST HONOREES: MIKE TENIENTE, EDWIN GUECO, KLBEAST, GENERIC_ONE, A.K. J.J. FAITH and LAKERTOM
EXT HONOREE: JOREMA
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To explain my somewhat controversial selection for today let me begin by saying I was raised to always respect
and honor a guest in your house. Since this Blog is somewhat many of our home away from home and since
although a KINGS fan Sonny chooses to participate in our forum I thought his participation should be acknowledged.
Without speaking to those you disagree with, you will never be able to come to any kind of agreement or knowledge of
the other party. Right off the bat I learned that Sonny is a former Laker Supporter who when his Kings are out of the
playoffs roots now and then for the Lakers. He’s also a Dodger, USC and 49er supporter all points in his favor. I also
know that unlike my friend KLBeast who’s post tend toward diatribes Sonny writes some clever, comical and thought
provoking post – even if they are wrong a lot of the time. The first time I read one of Sonny’s post, I tore into him like
most of you do. But then as I sat back and just read what was written, from time to time I found myself chuckling even
if in disagreement. You have to admit the man has a way with words. Speaking of which MIKE T. you might have
a rival in the writing department as Sonny is also working on a book. There’s an Old saying, “Keep your friends close
and your enemies closer” And Sonny while I’d never consider you an enemy – except when our respective teams face
off I hope this day dedicated to you would help bring the Blog closer together. So Sonny Belfast, Author, Comic, Kings
Fan and sometimes Lakers fan today August 14, 2007 is dedicated to you sir. Although we may be on opposite sides in
sports I will always be on your side in regards to your right to express your opinion. So here’s to you sir, enjoy your day.
SONNY TODAY LAKERS TOMORROW LAKERS FOREVER
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BLOG LINES OF THE WEEK:
Great teams can rise above injuries to succeed. Our Lakers, on the other hand, are one or two injuries away from being a lottery team
... Hal9000
"You do more flip-flops than a pair of sandals." Hal9000

"And of course there's Kwame who I've diagnosed with chronic butterfingers." Well, in Kwame's defense (or not), he never washed
his hands when he threw the cake.” KING LAKEMIDAS

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55 WIN BANDWAGON MEMBERS:
(1) Laker Tom (2) Marty (3) HUBBIT (4) Fearless Whack Job (5) Mamba24/10
(6) David Whang (7) BD (8) Dan Dan the Laker Fan (9) Long Time Laker Fan
(10) Roky (11) JoninJapan(In Canada) 12) JUNO (13) KEIFO,
(14) Alexinho17 (15) TALIQ (16) GENERIC_ONE (17) VIOLATER
(18) Twoody (19) SLO Gal (20) HobbitIMage
Members at heart
(1) Bob
(2) Faith
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WEARY-OF-BANDWAGON BANDWAGON MEMBERS
(1) Cbuck
(2) J. Walter WeatherMan
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AND NOW ROLL CALL
(1) FAITH, MIKE T. TALIQ, Edwin Gueco,, KEIFO, Mamba24Fan4Life, Fan of Mamba, Wolf,
KIWI, WOW, PEACE, J_COOL, DAVID WHANG, ADAM KILEY, LAKERSRYDEORDIE, CLEON
FISH_GUY,TIM-4-SHOW, THA_ SHOW, WESJOENIXON, BAYWOO, THE_D, SBPIMP,
CHARLES, Precious, NEVER, CALI KING, RICK FRIEDMAN,THIRTY2, EXHELODRVR,
GENERIC_ONE, TWOODY, JJ, AJAX, MITCHELL., LAKERTOM, LAKERFAN, CHARLES,
KHANG VMAN, KOREY, XTRO, MCGARNAGLE, GUGY, GDChild,Laker4Life, Laker Seth
KL BEAST, Jorema, FearlessWhackJob, MARTY, JANDRO, LAKERFAZE, PhxLkrFAN,
TexasLaker, BOB, TreacherousBalloons, EagleBoy, JR., EASTCOASTJESSIE, Zakee,
Swettual, Utzworld, Andrew Z, LAL Fan, BRANDON C., Kinglakernidas, BlackMamba24,
FKILLAH, CYRUS(VENTRILIQUIST), RespectMyAuthorith, Waterboy, Hariyahu, HUBBIT
ZEN, SARCOCOP,Staples24, Bobby, COMPTONS FINEST, MIGUELINHO, Greek Dude,
SOCALIFE, HAL9000, Greekdude, Michael J, Michael H, Michael A., Rick Friedman,
Gunner24, GINO, FATTY, CBUCK,LAKERGURL, CRITICAL BEATDOWN, PFUNK36,
PAUL LEE, Jay EL, SocalSpider , WEAVE MAN, JON KAVULIC, Tajluck, Alexinho17
BERKLEYLAKER, Dice8Up DION, KARL, CRAIG, MITCHELL, Lakers4Life, Ryan
JR, Dascilla, tellitlikeitisNik Kannan, GABE, SEAN P., HanSoulFood, HollywoodJack,
Jay Jay, TaosHum, HOBBITIMAGE, Caeser, Obel, CHITOWNLAKER, ANGRYLAKER
wiZo, MagicShaq, HugoBoss, OSCAR, RDLEE, RealityBites, LakerLarry, Bucky, LEELO,
Juno, LakerLifer, C.S. JOVA, BLAZE1BX, Tripgame3, TSPHERE, SIXONEZERO,
Mfeige, Reggie, Hollywood Jack, Reality Check Time, Jack In Hollywood, SLO Gal
JONINJAPAN(INCANADA), VIOLATER, LT Laker Fan, , KATE, TROY, Mainor
JEFF, ANDY B., SWANWORLD, PUPLE&GOLD_4EVA, BENNY BLANCA,CS in Virg
EMMA, TIM IN SYDNEY RISING STAR, LakerBake, JuanMan888,Blkthght06,
Any_One_mouse, 10milliondollarZen, Shiva, Laker_Hopeful, LakerDawg
,Ghost of Spiderman, Steve in Denver Guy Owanlele, Lincoln Laker, Houston Laker
MITCH KUPCHAK, JERRY BUSS, PHIL JACKSON, KOBE BRYANT, CLEON
Marc Gasol, Sun Yue, Shamond, Williams, Ronny Turiaf, V. Radmanovic,
Maurice Evans, Lamar Odom, Derek Fisher, Luke Walton, Brian Cook,
Kwame Brown, Andrew Bynum, Coby Karl, Chris Mihm, Sasha Vujacic
Jordan Farmar, Jarvis Critterton, JERMAINE ONEAL???, FAITH

ALL TOGETHER NOW:
WE ARE THE FREAKIN LA LAKERS THE WINNERS OF 14 NBA TITLES
THE HOME OF WILT, KAREEM, GEORGE MIKAN, SHAQ, MAGIC, KOBE,
ELGIN BAYLOR, JERRY WEST, PAT RILEY, JAMES WORTHY, SILK
COACHED BY THE 9 TIME TITLE WINNER PHIL (9RINGS) JACKSON AND
NO ONE AND NOTHING WILL EVER DIVIDE OR CONQUER

LET'S TAKE A COUNT

HOW MANY OF YOU HAVE BEEN LAKER FANS FOR 2 WINNING ERA'S at LEAST???

Meaning perhaps
1. The Wilt and Jerry West yrs
2. The Magic and Kareem yrs
3. The Shaq and Kobe yrs

Just curious

I'm a 2 era fan since 1979

Magic and Kareem yrs
and
Shaq and Kobe yrs

LET's TAKE A POLL

GET JO BANDWAGON???
How many guys/gals are on the bring in Jermaine O'Neal before training camp regardless of giving up Odom and Bynum BANDWAGON?

KEEP LO and BYNUM BANDWAGON
How many guys/gals are on the do not bring in Jermaine O'Neal before training camp if it costs Odom and Bynum BANDWAGON?

Sign me up for the GET JO BANDWAGON

What Laker wagon are you guys riding?

It highly disturbs me that in a multitude of interviews I've read of Laker players that the near uniform response to the question of "Have you spoken to so-and-so this summer (or other break)?" is "No, I haven't."

I don't know, man. If I was on any professional team and we had to improve in any regard, I'D be calling my teammates every couple days, just to check in, give them updates on my training, see how their training was coming along, asking what I could do as a player to help them improve, calling Coach to get his philosophical thoughts about the game and my particular needs for improvement, and so forth.

Hey, even if a teammate was a recluse and didn't like to talk too much, I'd still leave a message weekly with the player giving him updates on my training, expressing faith in that player and communicating my desire to win with that player.

That's team-building 101.

Why aren't the Laker players doing this?

It's absolutely incomprehensible to me.

Don't these guys want to win?

GO LAKERS!

Lake Show,

Did you understand what I said in my post? Yes Cook is also a forward, but he is a really good shooter!!!! Why is that important? Because Denver doesn't have ANY. If I'm wrong tell me one big man they have on their roster that can hit the 3? Damn that, tell me 3 role players on their whole squad that can consistently hit the 3? I'm not over valuing Cook I'm stating a known fact that he is a hell of a shooter. Anyone that has seen this team knows that. He's not a savior, but he fits a piece to their puzzle. When building a contending team, you need role players that can take away your weaknesses. Cook does that for them, Evans doesn't.

You said in the last thread that Evans is important to them, but if he's such an important part to their team, why did he play little to no minutes in the playoffs? I don't think important role players ride the bench in the PLAYOFFS!!! Denver needs shooters, not rebounders. If they are trying to fill that hole(which they are), why wouldn't they trade away a piece they don't need, for one that will get them closer to a championship(and no I'm not saying Cook is the missing piece to their championship puzzle, but he could HELP them get closer)?

PS: I think Cook is a decent player, and wouldn't mind keeping him, but we have Vlad doing the same exact thing!!!! Their both the same player, with the same weaknesses, so why should we keep Cook. If we could move Vlad instead, I would be all for it, but I don't think anyone is taking on his contract after the season he had last year.

By the way, I did a Bio-Chrono reading for The Critter and even consulted my mentor, Dr. Arthur Mikaelian (creator of Bio-Chronology) on the matter.

Interesting. The Critter is a complex dude and expect he and Kobe to have a complex relationship.

I'll type the whole thing out as pre-season begins. In short, the guy is competitve, a little selfish, and prone to passive-aggressive acts.

That passive-aggressive tendency is a positive thing when it comes to having strong negative feelings towards other teams/opposing players as a point guards because it tends to manifest in a strong desire to "fake out" and "show up" these adversaries.

However, when manifested against teammates it is a very detrimental quality in terms of "team builidng".

We'll see.

GO LAKERS!

Lake Show,

And if I remember right, Karl himself said he was looking for a big man with a jumpshot. My memory could be wrong, but I think he said that at one of the Lakers summer league games.

What the hell did Kobe and Lamar talk about then?

Lamar: [Ring] Hello?

Kobe: Hello, Lamar. It's Kobe.

Lamar: What's up?

Kobe: Nothing. [Long pause.]

Lamar: Cool.

Kobe: It sure is hot today.

Lamar: Yeah, it is. [Longer pause.] You watch "American Idol" last week?

Kobe: [Pause] Nah, I missed it.

Lamar: It was alright.

Kobe: Yeah...

Lamar: Yeah, it was alright.

Kobe: Alright, Lamar. I'll talk to you when I do.

Lamar: Yeah, okay, Kobe.

Kobe: Alright.

Lamar: Later.

Kobe: [Hang up.]

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRGHHGHGHGHGH!!!!!!!!

These guys need to be in better contact with one another. This is insane.

GO LAKERS!

Lake-Show,

I find it interesting how every laker who has been interviewed had said that they havent spoken to Kobe since the season ended.

---

First of all, from the rest of your message, you are assuming that because Kobe hadn't
spoken to Odom, Walton, or Evans at the time of their interviews that he hasn't spoken to
them since the interview. Furthermore, you're ignoring the fact that Kobe specifically
mentioned that he apologized to Bynum and that he called Chris Mihm and congratulated
him when he got re-signed. Also in an interview, Derek FIsher said that he and Kobe
hadn't spoken on the phone, but they had been text messaging back and forth.

So that adds up to three teammates that he has had communication with, and three that
he hasn't (or at least hadn't at the times of their interviews).

Kobe (if you'll remember) is spending his time off from the NBA training with Team USA
and soon will be playing a mini-season with Team USA. In between those obligations,
he's trying to spend what little time is left of the summer with his family. On Kimmel he
mentioned that he had gone on two vacations - one just with his wife and one with
the wife and kids. Thus, it's not like he's had a ton of free time to call up his teammates
and chat.

Last summer a couple of the players (I recall Farmar and Walton) indicated that Kobe
had contacted them to get together and train during the summer. This season, his time
is much more occupied, so maybe he just doesn't have time to massage the egos of
his teammates and to beg them to train like he does so that they will improve over the
summer.

The big problem on this team is not Kobe's mismanaged relationships but talent. The only guy he dogged personally is Bynum and, really, all he said was that his team should trade him for a hall of famer. If Bynum can't get over that then he's not mentally tough enough to hang in the league anyway. The only other guys he mentioned personally in this whole drama were Luke and Lamar and he gave them praise.

Kobe is a crybaby and he's no politician but he's got D-Fish on his side and I think the drama will work itself out.

The talent won't work itself out. The only hope is that RadMan returns to his Sonics form and that Bynum takes another quantum leap forward. I was pretty down on the pouty Bynum at the end of the season but we've got to remember the progress he made between his first and second seasons. He had to have put in a lot of work to come that far. If he's putting in that kind of effort this summer, Kobe just might want to stick around come February.

JJ,
You have yet to address the fact that your Howard trade would put the Lakers further into salary cap hell. Apparently you don't understand the implications of that.

Tsphere,
"just because Kobe haters appear to be a special case of warped intelligence"

More and more I think that if you scratch the surface of a Kobe hater, you will find a Michael Jordan-worshipper underneath. They probably won't acknowledge it, and may not even realize it. But I think the problem is that Kobe dares to challenge the legacy of MJ, and they can't stand that.

LakerBake,
HOW MANY OF YOU HAVE BEEN LAKER FANS FOR 2 WINNING ERA'S at LEAST???"

I'm a two and I guess a half era fan since 1973.

KLBeast,
"i will say that i can't wait for training camp to start, then the drama will begin again and us bloggers can bicker again about 'how great kobe is' or 'what an a$$hole kobe is'."

Yup training camp is when the real drama begins. I'm personally rooting for an outcome that makes both parties happy. If he gets traded, you can say good bye to the a$$hole kobe and I can welcome the great kobe to his new team.

LAKER BAKE,
"What Laker wagon are you guys riding?"

I'm on the get JO ONLY if we can keep LO Bandwagon.
Bynum I could care less.

Jon Kavulic,
"I'll type the whole thing out as pre-season begins. "

Careful there Jon next thing you know you'll be writting "Jackson Journals" lol!

Jon Kavulic,

"Interesting. The Critter is a complex dude and expect he and Kobe to have a complex relationship"

Yeah, I see him getting in a fight with kobe. I see the entire laker squad coming to the defense of their teammate critter. Wait wait this can't be ... why is another group of guys coming to kobe's aid ... and why is kobe in a blue and orange jersey ... oh wait kobe is just lit up the lakers for 65 points and the told critter 'welcome to the nba' ... and hey why is phil jackson in the stands with jeanie on his lap ...

hmm either i got a glimpse into practice session or kobe got traded and the coach quit ... i'll let u be the judge :)

ROCKY,
"Grown men don't need to call each other every other day to validate their friendship."

Thank you ROCKY!!

JJ,

"Tiger is clearly chasing Jack, yet Kobe is wrong for chasing MJ?"

I don't think I understand how Kobe is chasing MJ. Do you mean for scoring titles, career point total, etc.? Tiger is chasing Jack's all time record for major championships, the mark that defines the greatest golfer of all time. If Kobe was chasing anyone and you were comparing the two, wouldn't you say that Kobe should be chasing Bill Russell, who has more rings than any other player?

Tshere,

I like your points and agree a lot with what you said. Jusy want to add ONE MORE time for haters/lovers of Shaq/Kobe - they have not accomplished anything together without Phil. Lone Shaq's ring in Miami proved nothing - he was riding Wade's back, who was basically earned his pay at charity strike. With latest drama involving NBA referees, I would not bet on using term ‘winning without Kobe’. If you need more prove – remember last season playoff 1st round exit by loosing to Chicago 0:4.

On another hand, why even discussing Shaq? He is in Miami, we wish him well, he is happy there, more power to him. Don’t we have anything else to discuss?

Taliq,
"mm either i got a glimpse into practice session or kobe got traded
and the coach quit ... i'll let u be the judge :)"

Taliq stop it! No, no no I'm sorry man but New York can't have Kobe
You got Marbury and that's all you'll get. Of course his supporting
cast of Randolph, Curry, etc is better than Kobe's. So Taliq
dream on brother. Just tell Jeanie no more of those Lap dances
in public. lol!

Tsphere

"The most pathetic thing about it is I get the sense that the haters think they're really proving something that's going to embarrass their enemy. The most incomprehensible thing (for me) is that they feel the need to have an enemy and that the enemy is on their own team."

let me tell you something sonny (not sonnybelfast, sonny as in LakerTom's patronization of people he doesn't like), if the top dawg on your team is the problem, do you address the problem or look elsewhere for the boggy-man?

please admit that you're a kobe sympathizer who refuses to accept that kobe is a major part of the laker problems since 2003. say what you want about shaq being a jerk, but at least shaq has gotten better results in his career. i'm sure hobbit will come back with "well, shaq had all-stars, etc..." i say, some people make their own luck, others kbiatch about their situation.

ever heard of the cliche "i make my own luck"? that cliche refers to people who are opportunistic and are able to see the "big picture". the big picture in pro-sports is winning a championship.......it ain't rocket science.

JJ,

You'll also notice that over the past year or so media and fans alike have been more on Kobe's side when it comes to shooting and scoring and have become more critical of the talent around him.

At the end of the day if Kobe wins a championship(s) no one will care how much he shoots or passes.

Why people ultimately don't like Kobe is he comes off as arrogant, selfish, and immature. They think he ran Shaq out of town and wanted to be the man and now can't win so he's crying about it and wants to go somewhere else. Whether this is true or not doesn't matter, its how he's perceived and that's the truth.

If Kobe truly wanted to go down in the history of basketball as the greatest ever, he needs to win another ring or two with the Lakers. He needs to take this team back to the top. If he complains and cries and goes to another team and wins he'll be looked at as a guy who cried when the going got tough and was just the icing on the cake of a really good team. He will never be considered a leader like MJ, Bird, Magic, Russell, John Salley, or Tim Duncan.

If he wants to be mentioned with the greats, he needs to be "the man" on a championship team, and he hasn't done that yet.

taliq,

"Yup training camp is when the real drama begins. I'm personally rooting for an outcome that makes both parties happy. If he gets traded, you can say good bye to the a$$hole kobe and I can welcome the great kobe to his new team."

dude, the knicks aleady have a kobesque player in Blackstarberry (yes, "berry"). if kobe goes to the knicks, how much you wanna bet that Steph gets pushed out? i'll give it 50/50 odds.

"I don't think I understand how Kobe is chasing MJ."

THE ROOT CAUSE OF THE LAKERS PROBLEMS IS KOBE TRYING TO CHASE MJ.

IT AIN'T ROCKET SCIENCE.

Hey, I think Team USA meets up again in Vegas this week so maybe we'll get some new Kobe news.

exhelodrvr,
I totally feel you when you wrote:
" More and more I think that if you scratch the surface of a Kobe hater, you will find a Michael Jordan-worshiper underneath. They probably won't acknowledge it, and may not even realize it. But I think the problem is that Kobe dares to challenge the legacy of MJ, and they can't stand that."

Wow. you couldn't be more right about that, at least in most of the cases. I had a friend who absolutely, positively HATED KOBE since he came into the league. It was so deep-rooted that its was almost disturbing to witness. I would ask him over and over to seriously explain to me WHY he hates Kobe so much and he could never give me a valid or reasonable explanation. Side Note: He is a fanatical MJ fan!
Now fast-forward to present day, and he will tell you "Kobe has gained my respect, he really IS that good, I can't front."

I agree that most people just hate on Kobe because the bottom line is, when all is said and done, he really really IS that good. He challenges MJ for the greatest Guard to ever play the game. Just the fact that he may even surpass Jordan by the time he retires, just scares the living CRAP outta people. I can totally sympathize and understand that thinking because Jordan WAS phenomenal. But lets be clear here guys, Kobe IS phenomenal. PRESENT -TENSE!

mamba/rocky

"Grown men don't need to call each other every other day to validate their friendship."

it ain't about being BFF (best friends forever), it's about reaching out like shaq use to do by having the team come over to his house. it's a jesture (kind of like an olive branch) to teammates. let's not forget, kobe pissed off a lot of guys on his team with the Summer of Rage.

Look fellas, all i'll say is if kobe's on my team, it would be all business for me, i wouldn't do once ounce above what's expected of me. that's very dangerous in a team environment. kind of like when Raja Bell kbiatch slapped kobe, did anybody come to kobe's aide? as i recall, kobe was lying on the floor, like a little kbiatch, disbelieving that he just got kbiatch slapped. then kobe tried to play if off by dusting off his shoulder.

ONE OF THE HAPPIEST DAYS OF MY LIFE SEEING THE A$$HOLE BEING PUT IN HIS PLACE.

ex (aka sunshine)

"More and more I think that if you scratch the surface of a Kobe hater, you will find a Michael Jordan-worshipper underneath. They probably won't acknowledge it, and may not even realize it. But I think the problem is that Kobe dares to challenge the legacy of MJ, and they can't stand that. "

i love you kobe loyalist who deflect blame from kobe. you would make great "yes-men" in kobe's "circle of trust". as i recall, the "circle of trust" consists of kobe's agent (mitchell?) and Ric Bush-eater.

LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING, KOBE HASN'T EVEN DENTED MJ'S LEGACY...nice try.

i will say that kobe getting closer to Domnic Wilkins, but Wilkin's has a better nickname in "The Human Highlight Reel" versus kobe's "Big Mambo or Sideshow Kob".

Case in point on the MJ question, i see young, old and decrepit guys wearing Jordan apparel all the time. When i'm in Footlocker, i don't see anybody ask for kobe's shoes. I'd be careful for those who venture to buy kobe's Nike shoes, i've spat in every single one of them, so if you buy a kobe shoe, you'll have a piece of KLBeast on your foot....haha.
.

Andrew Z,

Not necessarily. Kobe has been criticized for trying to be the next MJ. Am I right?

My point is that, why is that perceived to be a wrong goal in basketball, yet it isn't in other sports?

LakerBake,
I’m a 3 era fan... I didnt get to watch the Showtime Lakers. And I’m on the “lets hope frickin Bynum has a breakout year” bandwagon.

long time

"Kobe (if you'll remember) is spending his time off from the NBA training with Team USA and soon will be playing a mini-season with Team USA. In between those obligations, he's trying to spend what little time is left of the summer with his family."

how does kobe find time for family (nevermind the martial problems) when he wakes up at 4:30am in the morning to work out 25 hours in a day, 8 days a week and 367 days in a year (i'm being sarcastic BTW).

LakerBake,
I meant a #3 era fan... just clearing that up.

LakerBake:
I've been a Laker fan through 3 winning era's (Since 1969)
I'm on the Keep LO/Bynum bandwagon

Dr. Kavulic

"I don't know, man. If I was on any professional team and we had to improve in any regard, I'D be calling my teammates every couple days, just to check in, give them updates on my training, see how their training was coming along, asking what I could do as a player to help them improve, calling Coach to get his philosophical thoughts about the game and my particular needs for improvement, and so forth."

i'm sure kobe will find time to blame his teammates on "being fat and lazy" though.

Ex,

I understand the extra salary issue with signing Howard. I addressed it in my initial post. I just don't agree with the amount of significance you have placed on it. Plus I don't agree with your value of keeping Cook over getting Howard.

That is the difference between how we are viewing this situation. It is fine. You are entitled to you belief, I just strongly disagree with you as you do with me.

Hello Blog,

It's been a long time reading and not posting, but since now the idiotic postings dies down a little I'm happy to report to duty.
Hey Mamba 24/10 I'm with you: put me on the bandwagon of getting JO at any price but LO.

Mamba from the east coast

It doesn't say much for Mo Evans that he aligns himself with stiffs like Smush Parker and Brian Cook, and gives Bynum a skate for having another year under his belt.

Evans' attitude that players shouldn't have to keep auditioning for the team is horrifying. The idea that Walton can now go out "and play his heart and soul out" because he's got a deal is specious. The best of the best feel they are auditioning every minute on the floor to keep their minutes.

Evans represents the worst of today's pro athletes who just want a contract and job security. He doesn't bleed Purple & Gold and just wants to be paid. I dare say, let's trade him as soon as we can for someone who really wants to be a Laker first and foremost.

To Hal9000: If trading Kobe is the only way to improve the team, we've got a problem. Kobe's well-discussed issues aside, his talent and ability make him a great player. A team that can't build around Kobe should relinquish its franchise.

LakerBake: While I agree that JO would be a welcome and valuable addition to the team, giving up Bynum and Odom is overpaying. Let Bird sweat it out a little. I'm with Mamba -- "I'm on the get JO ONLY if we can keep LO Bandwagon. Bynum I could care less."

LongTimeLakerFan: Thanks for putting the who's talking to whom issue in perspective. Rocky and Mamba are on the money by saying "Grown men don't need to call each other every other day to validate their friendship."

Finally, Mitch Kupchak's interview with the Daily News proves once again that the Lakers' problems start in the front office. A sub-mediocre GM begets us mediocrity instead of championships. Mo Evans is a poster boy for Kupchak's kind of player. We need guys who bleed Purple & Gold and are inner-directed to be champions. Not guys who say, "PAY ME."

Bill Russell does not count as a "modern" basketball player. The players to chase are Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson.

Mamba24/10,

We normally agree on things in here, but I have to disagree with you here. If I had a choice between Odom and Bynum and the addition would be O'Neal, I'd take Bynum. The thought of having both O'Neal and Bynum down low, is more impressive to me than having Odom and O'Neal. Besides, those so hung up on salaries would be better off getting rid of Odom for O'Neal than giving up Bynum.

The Lakers could run with a lineup like this, if O'Neal was acquired without giving up Bynum.

Fisher, Bryant, Walton, O'Neal and Bynum

With that lineup, Walton could become the facilitator of the offense with Kobe moving to the wing. Bynum would have it a little easier with Jermaine handling the bulk of the tougher low post defenders.

exhelodrvr,

I think you're right. MJ is an idol and represents something "wholesome" in their minds. They can't bear that a guy who speaks Italian might be just as good. And don't talk to me about the Colorado incident, because the evidence is in that MJ was a much more professional adulterer than Kobe. For one thing he got away with it. For another he was smarter about avoiding getting entrapped by ambitious hotel staff. Yeah, that's where Mike beats Kobe every day: knowing how to protect his image while doing everything he likes doing (including gambling).

KLBeast,
"kobe was lying on the floor, like a little kbiatch, disbelieving that he just
got kbiatch slapped. then kobe tried to play if off by dusting off his shoulder."

Lets see now if Kobe had gotten up and fought then he would heave been criticized
as being selfish for putting his self above the team. But the worst or funniest
thing I ever saw was DWADE with a shoulder injury, SHOULDER INJURY!
needing a wheelchair to get off the floor. I guess even the paid off referres
couldn't help the lil drama queen then. Seriously Beast man you need to get
you some new writters this attack, attack attack shtick has gotten a lil thin.

"He will never be considered a leader like MJ, Bird, Magic, Russell, John Salley, or Tim Duncan."-AZ

How did John Salley get into that mix?

Rick Friedman,

I think you're misinterpreting what Evans meant by "auditioning" (and remember, I'm the one who used that phrase, not Evans). As I took it, he was talking about being able to play freely and with less anxiety because you feel like your place within an organization is secure, as opposed to putting too much pressure on yourself to "impress" (which often results in trying to do too much). Like any job, it's much easier to perform at your best when you feel like inevitable mistakes won't cost you the gig. Freedom typically brings out an employee's best.

At any rate, it didn't sound to me like Evans was equating this situation with complacency. If anything, I think he meant the exact opposite. Remember, he did say that Walton would feel the urge to give even more back to his team with this contract secured. There's a difference between relaxing your nerves and lowering your own ambition. .

AK

Lakerbake,

Sign me up for the get JO at any cost bandwagon

Hab.

"Well, why would anyone expect Kobe to fraternize with the HELP?"

Hab is funny.

Slumming, Habby?

I do agree with you. Why should Kobe fraternize with the help?

The only thing they do is pass him the ball. Anyone ca do that, right?

JJ,
"If I had a choice between Odom and Bynum and the addition would be O'Neal, I'd take Bynum."

I'm sorry JJ but. I feel this yea LO is about to come into his own. If LO ever plays up to his
potential he has the opportunity to be a transcendent type of player in the vein of magic or yes
even KOBE A 6'10 player who can play 4 positions on the floor. Last year if not for the
injurywould have been LO's year. This year there's no stopping him.

Ak- What was the feeling you got from Mo on the Kobe situation? More what he didnt say than what he went on record with.

Were you surprised he hadnt spoken to Kobe? Especially since Kobe has said he "consistently" talks to the team after the season ended.

Is this much ado about nothing?

OK the Warriors just released Adonal Foyle hours ago and it looks like Orlando is going to snap him up immediately.

HOW DOES THIS AFFECT THE LAKERS you ask?

Simple - if (hopefully WHEN) we pull the trigger on the JO deal we're going to be needing some more bodies, probably big ones. Especially if we get our way and snag him for Kwame, Drew, Cookie, and young pieces. So if we want to play JO at the 4, we'll be needing some back up help at center for Mihm. Foyle would have been perfect - he's like Kwame (strong D, fair to poor shooter) but without the bad attitude. Webber and PJ are more expensive possibilities, but even they'll be gone soon too.

Bottom line, the SOONER we pull the trigger on the O'Neal deal the Sooner we'll know what pieces we need and can snap them up before they get signed elsewhere. Like the Celts have been doing since depleting their roster to get KG.

Come ON Mitch, GET IT DONE! NOW!

JJ,

"Not necessarily. Kobe has been criticized for trying to be the next MJ. Am I right?

My point is that, why is that perceived to be a wrong goal in basketball, yet it isn't in other sports?"

Your argument still doesn't make sense. The first sentence, yes, Kobe has been criticized for acting as a clone of MJ. In the past few years he's become more of himself but when he first came into the league you could definitely tell he modeled everything, from his game to the way he talked, around MJ. But he was a kid, that's what kid's do. MJ is a pretty high standard and people thought he was arrogant for thinking he could be that good. But that's since passed.

You second sentence is where you lost me. I don't think trying to be the best is looked at poorly in any sport. The difference between Kobe and MJ is that MJ won six rings as the leader of his team. Kobe has zero. I think if Kobe won rings shooting all the time, leading the league in scoring, and yelling at teammates, no one would care. But he doesn't. He doesn't win. So people think his game is more of a detriment to the team's success than conducive to it. Again, it's not that simple but it's a valid question. Would the team be better if Kobe passed the ball more, kept his teammates involved in the offense, delegated some of the offensive load to others, kept teammates more involved, etc.? Who knows. But until the Lakers win with Kobe, those questions will never be answered and he will continuously be looked at as selfish and unable because he can't lead his team to wins, he can only achieve individual success in a team sport.

Kobe averaged 5.4 assists a game last year. The only shooting guard with more assists was T-Mac, but he scored 24.6 PPG to Kobe's 31.6.

Rocky,

""He will never be considered a leader like MJ, Bird, Magic, Russell, John Salley, or Tim Duncan."-AZ

How did John Salley get into that mix?"

HA! The Spider has five or six rings dude, he must be doing something right.

Glad someone caught that :)

Mamba24/10,

I don't disagree with you as to the potential of LO. I have thought since before he came to LA, that he had a boat load of potential. I actually expect him to have a "breakout" season next year IF healthy. HOWEVER, I still would trade him at this time in order to bring in O'Neal.

I have said it before MANY times that LO and Kobe have not seemed to be able to gel in the Triangle Offense and work well together. Part of it is the fact that they are trying to do the same things at the same times. MJ and Pippen never had that problem. Pippen was always the facilitator and MJ was always on the wing working on the weakside. I just feel that bringing in O'Neal would fit better from a structure standpoint. Would they lose something talent-wise? YES. However, less talent isn't always a negative. I have seen less talented teams beat more talented teams many times because they are better TEAMS. The Blazers were a more talented team than the Lakers, but the Lakers beat them two years in a row in the playoffs by executing their system.

You give me O'Neal and Bynum in the front court with Bryant and Fisher in the backcourt, and it won't matter who you bring in as the small forward.

AK,

Somehow, I anticipated your response. But I think the subtext of Evan's remarks was unmistakable. You'll note that Faith also read "complacency" into what Evans said.

Last season, except for Kobe, I don't recall a single player trying to do "too much." The problem was players trying to do too little.

Professional athletes are supposed to know what they do well and stay within their game. That's what playing "freely" is really about. If a player is worried about "anxiety" he should be in a different line of work.

There's way too much inclination to coddle these guys. Appreciate them when they display excellence, by all means. Basketball is a contact sport. Play hard. Play to win. Nothing less is acceptable to a champion.

Andrew Z,

Okay you have lost me.....

If MJ won 6 rings while being the leader, and Kobe has won none......YET, you say it isn't a problem that Kobe would want to reach the goal of 6 rings as a leader that MJ had......Why has Kobe been criticized so heavily concerning the Shaq trade?

How was Kobe ever going to win those 6 titles as the leader if he continued to play alongside Shaq? Would ANYBODY have given him credit for being the reason for those titles.

You are full of crap! You come on here and because you don't see something or it doesn't fit into your frame you criticize it, yet your point of view makes absolute no sense and is completely inconsistent!

JJ,
"You give me O'Neal and Bynum in the front court with Bryant and Fisher in the backcourt, and it won't matter who you bring in as the small forward."

You know JJ you well may be right. Everybody's looking for LO to be the next Pippen but I don't think
LO wants that so if we get to keep Bynum, I just might make that deal.

Weave-Man,

I completely agree with you about trading Vladimir and keeping Brian Cook. With Cook you know what you're getting: no Defense, a Shooting Maniac - which means he is decisive that he will shoot, big body that can't jump and is foul prone. He has 3 years at 3.5 million

With Vlad: you get the same thing except, he is always lost in the offense. With $5-6.8 million for the next 4 years, I would love to get rid of him.

I understand Radmanovich was hurt last year, but he also lied to the team about the Slalom incident. Cook also was ignorant and disrespectful enough to throw his warm ups on Phil Jacksons lap.

I would love to get rid of Vlad, Cook, Sasha, and Kwame. They all add up to 19 million in contracts. Can the Laker Fans on this blog find some logical trades (I mean logical not Kwame and Cook for Gasol, Sasha and Vlad for Artest; just becasue their Salaries match) for this crew? Maybe Cook + Kwame = $12 mill or Vlad + Sasha = $7 for some unwanted players? Laker Nation?

Charles

Rick Friedman:

"To Hal9000: If trading Kobe is the only way to improve the team, we've got a problem. Kobe's well-discussed issues aside, his talent and ability make him a great player. A team that can't build around Kobe should relinquish its franchise."

I completely agree... Trading Kobe to turn the Lakers into a championship team is the dumbest idea I've ever heard... which must be why it came from KL.

*********** BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND *******************
Get it done Mitch, get it done fast
The Free Agents are fading,
Don’t end up picking last
Get it done Mitch, Get it done not for us
Get it done Mitch
You’re running out of trust
Get it done Mitch, I’m not taking sides
Get it done Mitch
Damn, have you no pride
You Once played with legends, Like Kareem and Magic
Now Jim Buss gives you orders
Man that’s so damn tragic
Get it done Mitch, This is our last cry
If you don’t get it done Mitch
Kobe will say goodbye and so will I
********************************************************************

Andrew Z,

Another thing.....were you watching basketball during the early years of MJ? He was criticized for the same things as Kobe is now. Do you know what MJ's response to that criticism was....Get me better players, and we will be a better team! Does that sound like a guy that thought he needed to change his game? In fact, have we ever heard MJ ever say that he learned how to trust his teammates? The media, coaches, other players throw those words on him, but I have never heard him say that.

MJ has the benefit of getting to the point of winning those titles. Kobe doesn't right now. IF in 2 years with the right teammates Kobe wins those titles, then everyone will get off his back and will act as though they never criticized him as harshly as they do now. That is the part that upsets me. You can't talk about somebody like a dog and then turn and shake their hands a couple days later and think that everything is okay. That just doesn't work for me. That is why MJ left from the media for a while. He was tired of the mess.

Charles & Weave-man,

I also agree with wanting to trade radmanovic over Cook. My only thing is it just seems easier to trade Cook right now because his salary is less and for a shorter period of time, meaning a lesser commitment by the acquiring team. However, if I had my choice I would take Cook.

Although, in keeping Cook, he would have to change some things starting with his arguiing with the refs. I know Kobe does it, but Kobe is the captain, Cook is just a reserve. He would be a lot more productive if he just kept his head and played. Too many times I saw him talk back to the refs and then not even hustle on the next few plays. That led to Phil pulling him right away. Then people wondered why Phil doesn't play him at times.

He can be a quality player for his shooting (ONLY) but he has to keep his attitude in check. He also needs to give more effort to get open and not simply stand around and shoot. Be more agressive as a player.

This just in: David Stern has announced that the league will now be officially tracking a new statistic: Times Talked To Teammates. This will measure the number of times each player talked to his teammates over extended breaks. (An "extended break" is considered any period of three or more consecutive days in which a team does not play a game, and has one or fewer official practices. For the purposes of tracking this statistic, individual rehabilitation sessions are not considered an official practice.) Text messages, emails, and IMs are not included in this statistic; the conversation must take place in person or via telephone.

Times Talked To Teammates (also known as Quad-T or 4-T) will be considered when evaluating players for Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player awards.

Carl:

Glad to hear about your early Laker roots and your friendship with Wilt, who was also my favorite player in the NBA and the reason I became a Laker fan in 1971, after being Warrior and Philly fans due to Wilt. You’ll have to entertain us with more of your first hand experiences with the great Wilt, still my pick as the greatest center to ever play in the NBA.

I also feel the same pain as you with respect to reporters, including our own AK and BK. If I had the access these guys do, I would be constantly digging to find out what is going on rather than passively waiting for news to break. In a way, it’s the same argument we all on the blog have with Mitch. He appears to be more reactive than proactive in the manner he goes about his job. I am not suggesting that he spend all of his time with the ESPN trade machine (lol) but he should definitely be reading the various proposals on the blog more closely and talking to other GMs around the league trying to creatively come up with deals to help the Lakers.

Tom

I wanna be on the "55-win bandwagon at heart" ! To be next to Faith !

Hal9000,
Sorry I misread your post. Thanks for the correction.

Laker Lover,

"What was the feeling you got from Mo on the Kobe situation? More what he didnt say than what he went on record with. Were you surprised he hadnt spoken to Kobe? Especially since Kobe has said he "consistently" talks to the team after the season ended. Is this much ado about nothing?"

Well, it was hard for me to pick up any underlying vibe, since it was a conversation over the phone.

But as far as Kobe having seemingly not spoken to many, if any, teammates over the summer, I don't want to make too big a thing of it, because I don't think these guys are required to talk 24/7. Even in the spirit of comradery, guys should be allowed some offseason downtime away from the game. I think that's an important, healthy thing.

But in light of everything that's happened since the playoffs ended, I can't say I find it comforting that various Lakers keep saying that they're not in contact with Kobe. The overall lack of communication (outside of a situation like him talking to Bynum, which was for a specific reason) adds fuel to concerns that he's not happy with his Laker future, thus he's not expending energy and enthusiasm towards it (and, by extension, his teammates). Or that he's alienated himself from them, having made his wishes to be moved so clear. And by the way, this could be a feeling from both sides, not just Kobe.

But again, this is just a perception and I truly don't wanna make too big a thing of it. Kobe's never been one to spend a ton of personal time with teammates, so this could very well be a case of "business as usual." It may not be business the way I personally feel a team captain should conduct it, but if that's nonetheless the way it's normally been, then to some degree, there honestly may not be anything to read into. It is what it is. But I've always gotten the impression that most players, generally speaking, stay in reasonable contact with at least a few teammates during the offseason, which is why I don't found it comforting when I hear Kobe doesn't. Especially considering how topsy turvy things are at the moment.

But again, that's just me.

AK

Rick,

I think you're reading a little too much into Mo Evan's comments. If you were in his position, you would be saying the same things. I'm sure he loves it here but how much choice did he have in the matter? One day he's on Detroit, then Detroit trades him to the Lakers. When his contract is up - which is obviously very much on his mind because he referenced Walton "getting paid" as well as Cook, - he (Evans) may not be re-signed by the Lakers. He knows this, so while I'm sure he loves being on the Lakers, he only has so many years to "get paid" and he is very well aware of this.

I don't see how he gives Bynum a pass:

"We have a lot of talented tools and a lot of weapons on this team and if we use them properly, Chris Mihm back healthy, Andrew (Bynum) getting another year's experience and better, myself getting better, I think we have a really good team."
--------------------------

he says Bynum getting more experience and getting better, what more do you want? Do you want him to say, "man, I was in the gym yesterday and Bynum was working out so hard, there was blood everywhere and he continued to work out! When I tried to talk to him, he spit foam out of his mouth and told me to get out of there! That guy is going to be a MONSTER!!!" LOL!

Seriously... do any of you guys remember what you were like at 19? Give the kid a break...

TSphere:

The Kobe haters use the same strategy to attract attention on the blog as the journalists do to attract attention to their articles: they invoke Kobe’s name, knowing that that will draw the attention to them and their posts. They are trading on Kobe’s fame and notoriety to get responses and reaction rather than relying on the content of their posts or their basketball knowledge. In a way they are just like the media whores T.J. Simers and Ric Bucher.

Tom

Lincoln Laker & Others,

"The notion that McHale, Bird, Ainge or anyone else for that matter wants to GUT the Lakers is laughable. It's in their best interests to keep this Laker team intact. You act like gutting this team would be a bad thing - the last time I checked, the Pacers and Celtics are not exactly quivering at the thought of playing us. "

Your missing the point. If we kept either Odom or Bynum and still got KG or Oneal, we would be a pretty good team that has a chance to win. Especially if we were able to dump Kwame's expiring contract.

But If we had to give up Odom, Bynum, Farmar and others to get Oneal or KG, we would have less of a chance of winning.

Our team is not good yet. That is why we were looking at KG and Oneal. But, by gutting everyone else who is good on our team, they make sure we have no chance of winning.

Long Time Laker Fan,

"Last summer a couple of the players (I recall Farmar and Walton) indicated that Kobe
had contacted them to get together and train during the summer. This season, his time
is much more occupied, so maybe he just doesn't have time to massage the egos of
his teammates and to beg them to train like he does so that they will improve over the
summer"

Why o why would a guy that asked to be traded be calling the same guys he's trying to get away from. Like "hi famar, i think you and bynum will one day make the lakers proud but right now i'd just rather play with nash, i'm too old to be running and gunning with y'all so i'm looking to be traded, damn imagine that me in a suns jersey, wouldn't u love that seeing me and nash coming at you ... so how's your sis by the way" .

Kiss kobe gbye y'all ... it's a new day in laker nation ... and remember change is a part of life ... so stop holding on for dear life ... let my man go

Hal9000,
"completely agree... Trading Kobe to turn the Lakers into a championship team is the dumbest idea I've ever heard... which must be why it came from KL."

AHAA HAHAH LOL!!

Rick Friedman,

" I think the subtext of Evan's remarks was unmistakable. You'll note that Faith also read "complacency" into what Evans said."

Well, then I think you and Faith both misinterpreted it. haha

Seriously though, when you take into account how much Evans talked about his offseason work and NBA career history (which has been scrapping to stay in the league), I don't think he was making an argument to support feelings of entitlement. Maybe I'm wrong, but that's not how I read it.

AK

hal9000,
If wanted to traded Kobe for Lebron, I would probably do it.

Mamba24/10,

"Kobe will say goodbye and so will I" ... amen to that ... and we should go catch some knick games together once they do the kobe deal yo.

LakerBake:

You can list me as one of the elders from the Wilt and West years. And you can add me to the list that does NOT want to trade Lamar and Bynum for JO. At least at this point!

I was very impressed with JO’s desire to play for LA, however, so if management decided that Bynum was not progressing enough, I would be OK with the trade. But if Bynum is going to improve as much this year as he did last year, no way would I trade the guy for JO, with or without Lamar.

Tom

JJ,

"If MJ won 6 rings while being the leader, and Kobe has won none......YET, you say it isn't a problem that Kobe would want to reach the goal of 6 rings as a leader that MJ had......Why has Kobe been criticized so heavily concerning the Shaq trade?

How was Kobe ever going to win those 6 titles as the leader if he continued to play alongside Shaq? Would ANYBODY have given him credit for being the reason for those titles. "

This has absolutely nothing to do with the original argument of why Tiger is perceived better in the public eye for trying to win more major championships than Jack, and Kobe is perceived poorly for wanting to be like MJ. First off, your original comparison doesn't make sense. If you would have said "Why is Tiger looked at favorably in the public for wanting to be the greatest of all time in his sport, and Kobe is looked at unfavorably for wanting the same?" But you didn't say that.

Why don't you restate your original argument in a way that makes sense. Then we can get back on track here.

Would you guys trade Vlad for Adonal Foyle or like a Brian Skinner?

Great, Adande has just joined ESPN. Like we didn't have enough great writers on ESPN. What next, TJ?!

JJ

"If I had a choice between Odom and Bynum and the addition would be O'Neal, I'd take Bynum."

i'd laugh but something tells me buss and perharps cupcake would make the same choice

JJ,

Not to mention that Cook does'nt find anything wrong by being nicknamed "Columbine."
What does that tell you about his attitude!

Peace Sir!

Charles

JJ

"MJ has the benefit of getting to the point of winning those titles. Kobe doesn't right now. IF in 2 years with the right teammates Kobe wins those titles, then everyone will get off his back and will act as though they never criticized him as harshly as they do now"

I have been saying the same thing. At the end of the day, its about rings. No one cares if you're an a-hole or a saint, if you win, you're the man. Until Kobe wins again, he and his game will be perceived poorly (the same way MJ was).

KLBeast
"dude, the knicks aleady have a kobesque player in Blackstarberry (yes, "berry"). if kobe goes to the knicks, how much you wanna bet that Steph gets pushed out? i'll give it 50/50 odds"

Dude why u worried what happens when he comes to the knicks ... I'm taking him off your holly