Lamar Odom's media day Q&A
Programming note: We'll be hosting a live chat at 1 p.m. to talk about media day, training camp and anything else. To get in, click the link and go to "sports chat."
Some talk from LO during media day. He's still on the mend from his off-season shoulder injury and seems likely to miss most (if not all) of the preseason. But Laker fans will gladly accept him skipping games that don't count if it means an accelerated return for the games that do. Hopefully, the wait won't be too long. In the meantime, Odom remains an introspective and often candid interview. This year, however, the head churning out his thoughts will be decorated with some festive (and ambitious) designs. Here's what he had to say.
Q: How is your recovery coming along?
Lamar Odom: Everything is cool. It takes some time. That's exactly what I have to do is take some time. Hopefully, I'll be back on the court (soon).
Q: How do you think Derek Fisher is going to help the team?
LO: D. Fish is a quarterback. You need one of those, especially one that knows the offense. He's comfortable with the offense, so there's no learning process for him. He definitely has heart. He doesn't mind taking the big shot. He's defensive-minded. I'm just looking forward to being out there and playing some backcourt minutes with him.
Q: Besides just giving 100%, what's your biggest goal for the season?
LO: I'd like to be an All-Star. I'm definitely gonna work toward it. To advance in the playoffs. It's important for all of us if we want to keep this team together.
Q: Staying healthy would help all of that. You were getting close to making the All-Star team, in some people's minds, before you got hurt.
LO: That's part of it. That kind of happens. That's the life of a sportsman, you know what I'm saying. You can be in shape. Look at Kwame. He's got one of, probably the best, body in the NBA. It's not like he was out of shape. Sometimes it just happens. Luke works really hard and he was hit by the injury bug. So was myself. It happens. We just have to get over it, move forward, focus on this year and hope I can have the best year of my life, as far as basketball is concerned.
Q: Is there anything Kobe needs to say to his teammates, as far as mending any fences?
LO: No. We're all professionals. We're gonna go out and play basketball the best way we know how and try to win as many games as possible. Personal emotions are exactly what they are: personal. So I don't think so.
Q: Do you think this team has what it takes to get past the first round of the playoffs?
LO: I think so. We were hurt and beat up last year and we still made it to the playoffs. We were 23-10 before I got hurt.
AK: Given everything that happened to you off the court last season (in particular, the passing of Odom's infant son, Jayden), how much did you need this off-season just to recharge?
LO: That's exactly what it was for me. Off ... season. Time off. From everything. I tried to spend time being a father, which to me is the most important thing in the world. Before basketball. I got time to do that. Focus. My kids, they all live in New York, so it's not easy for me to be away from them for six months. Of course, I look forward to (basketball), but there's always a little void that's there that basketball can't really fill. But I also have a job and I understand that.
AK: So in a lot of ways, you truly need these off-seasons for yourself?
LO: Yeah. I have a 6-year-old son who asks about his brother every day. I definitely don't mind taking the time away from basketball and the politics of the game, you would say. Just being home with my family.
Q: How important is that for you to recharge those batteries?
LO: For me, it's very important. I've been through a lot for a young man. I'm only 27. I've seen a lot. Some would say I've been through it all. But hopefully, the best is yet to come on and off the court.
Q: Other guys say you're the funniest guy on the team. Why is that?
LO: Because I'm always Lamar. I like to keep my guys loose. Camaraderie is very important to me. I'm an only child, so these dudes are my brothers. With some of them, the guys who've been here since I've been here, you become family. It's important to me to keep good energy in a locker room, because it's something that can be redundant. You do the same thing over and over and over.
Q: I heard you have nicknames for everybody. What are they?
LO: I can't tell you, because that's locker room stuff. No offense, but a lot of things that go on in a locker room is supposed to stay in a locker room. I think that's probably why they trust me, as well. You just made me feel good, because it's important for me for them to look at me like that.
Q: Can you explain the stars shaved in your head?
LO: I was real close to having an All-Star (season) last year, then I got bit by the injury bug. So (the guy who cuts my hair) told me I was going to have an All-Star season this year, so he put a star on my head. He put two of them.
Q: Are you going to keep them?
LO: Yeah, this is going to be my look.
AK: Is it tough maintaining a star? How do you go about keeping it looking good?
LO: My hair basically kind of grows. It doesn't grow the way I want it to, but I get a haircut every two or three days. I gotta keep my look up, you know what I'm saying? I gotta stay sharp. I don't think it'll be hard to maintain. I'm bringing him to Hawaii just so I can try to maintain it.
BK: How hard would it be for me to do something like that? (To those who don't know, BK is a member of the shaved-dome club.)
LO: It would be easy. You could do it.
BK: I think I'm going to have a good season writing.
LO: Yeah. That's what I'm talking about. I'll definitely hook you up.
Q: Where do you go for a haircut?
LO: He comes to me (laughs, jokingly puffs shoulders out like a big shot).
BK: I worry that the kind of guy I can afford to bring to my house wouldn't be able to pull off the star.
Q: Kobe just said that he's going to demand more from every player. He's here to win. Does that have the makings for maybe as fun a season as you could have?
LO: No. That wouldn't be anything different. That's part of his personality. That's how he approaches the game as well.
Q: He seemed very intense and emphatic about demanding more from every player.
LO: We all know what happened this off-season. I'm not surprised. As a leader, the position he has on this team, he should.
Q: As a team, do you think there should be a sit-down when you're in Hawaii?
LO: No. No. No. No. No. He didn't say you better trade this guy or you better trade that guy or you need to trade this guy. He didn't say that at all. He mentioned himself. You can't be mad at that. That was a personal emotion. That's exactly what that is. It's personal and it should stay that way. We're still cool.
(To clarify, I don't know if Lamar was referring to things Kobe said to the legitimate media -- as opposed to a couple random jackasses in a parking lot -- forgot about "The Kobe Video" or was simply trying to breeze past it. But obviously, there is evidence contradicting that statement.)
Q: Do you think he should sit down with Jerry Buss, Mitch Kupchak, maybe even Andrew Bynum?
LO: Oh, man. That's way out of my hands. You went way over my head. Kobe Bryant means a lot to this franchise, so however he wants to handle that, I'm going with it.
Q: Do you think there are any hurt feelings among his teammates?
LO: I don't think so.
Q: You probably wouldn't tell us if there were, though.
LO: Probably not (laughs).
Q: Every time there was a trade rumor, your name came up.
LO: I can play. And a lot of times, I take it as a compliment that other teams know what's up. As well as the Lakers. I don't have nothing to prove, because I do it every night.
taos hum
Instead of worrying about who is lying here; Bynum or Kobe about a text message. or Bynum saying: "I have never hear about that video", you should be worry about Bynum showing or not showing in every basketball game.
Since we don't know. what kind of Bynum or Lamar we will get in any game time, we wonder about all that optimism in many of the bloggers here.
Winning doesn't come as a gift from heaven.
Winning can't be based in the shortcomings of other teams.
Winning is decided by the team itself.
When they all give it all.
When they dedicate to be the best in a spontaneous way, not like some dude who fell compelled to be better because Kobe mentioned him this summer .
Don't talk about it.
Just do it.
Posted by: jorema | October 02, 2007 at 03:52 PM
KLBEAST,
"EXCLUSIVE TRANSCRIPT OF THE LOST TEXT MESSAGE BETWEEN KOBE AND BYNUM"
THAT'S HILARIOUS!
Posted by: Gunner24 | October 02, 2007 at 02:56 PM
Yeah, Keep talking to yourself.
Laker Lover you can lick yourself.
TaosHum you're a big sham.
Gunner you've gone gooney like a broken record.
KL not only are you a Biatch, but you are a Klown as well.
All of you above, if you don't know how to appreciate the genius and basketball prowess of a Kobe Bryant, then you don't know anything about basketball. You prefer Shaq, go to Heat's blog. You prefer LeBron, go to Cavalier's Blog. It is that EASY. You are all acting like the Iranian president. Repeating lies does not make it true. Being provocative doesn't make you clever. It makes you incredibly uneducated.
Just go. GO AWAY.
Fed up with all the hates.
Posted by: Laker/KobeFan | October 02, 2007 at 03:53 PM
Maybe KL beast is right...
Kobe learned to be selfish from Shaq, the big egomaniac.
Posted by: jorema | October 02, 2007 at 03:55 PM
I'm sure Mike T and others will like the fact that Phil said they are going to change the offense this year to better fit the players.
Posted by: zen | October 02, 2007 at 03:59 PM
TaosHum,
>>>did Kobe ever do this for Jordan Farmar ...
Yes. Kobe reportedly worked out with Jordan Farmar and Luke Walton last summer
and Caron Butler before that. This summer he had the whole Team USA thing that
took up most of his summer.
Posted by: Long Time Laker Fan | October 02, 2007 at 04:00 PM
Working in a business enviroment where your Jefes -bosses still employing people who doesn't do their job and if you have to work double to make up for their shortcomings or lack of discipline and dedication....
When you see how the bosses ignore this problems and act like they don 't care....you can do 2 things...
1- If you care for the business you are in, you will protest and demand a better crew if people want better results.
2- If you don't care you will let the water run....Receiving the money...who care?
If they don't , I won't care at all.
Posted by: jorema | October 02, 2007 at 04:01 PM
KLBeast,
"Please add me to the laker's-win-45-games-and-kobe-wins-another-scoring-title-and-lakers-lose-in-the-first-round-AGAIN bandwagon."
ADD ME TOO MAMBO!
Posted by: Gunner24 | October 02, 2007 at 04:07 PM
JOREMA,
"When you see how the bosses ignore this problems and act like they don 't care....you can do 2 things...
1- If you care for the business you are in, you will protest and demand a better crew if people want better results.
2- If you don't care you will let the water run....Receiving the money...who care?
If they don't , I won't care at all. "
AND WHAT THIS HAS TO DO WITH THE LAKERS GETTING KNOCKED OUT OF THE FIRST ROUND THIS YEAR?
Posted by: Gunner24 | October 02, 2007 at 04:08 PM
"For the season, L.A. ranked seventh in offensive efficiency thanks to Bryant, and would have been even better if they'd put a couple more shooters around him. The Lakers were fifth in 3-point frequency, taking 25.9 percent of their attempts from long range, but only 17th in accuracy at 35.3 percent. In other words, Kobe created open looks that the other guys couldn't knock down."
That is a weird conclusion to come to after looking at those stats. 35.3% is just slightly lower than Kobe's 3pt FG% at 35.7%. It's not a surprise that the percentages are similar since Kobe shoots 1 out of every 4 of the teams 3-pointers. He's got 3 teammates who shot a higher percentage last season and 4 who shot a lower percentage.
That's why I avoid drawing conclusions based soley on stats. From watching the majority of the games last year, I could tell that for every time Kobe created for a teammate and they missed, he forced up what he'd refer to as a "Gilbert Arenas"-type shot. I could also tell his teammates often gave him the ball with 5-6 seconds left looking for a bail out which also led to some ill-advised long range bombs. There were plenty of times Kobe or Lamar would simply dribble up court and pull up immediately for a 3. To me, none of that is good basketball.
Posted by: lakers_sth | October 02, 2007 at 04:09 PM
PICTURE THIS IF YOU WILL:
Kobe and Lamar holding the doors, to the Lakers El Segundo practice building, wide open.
Andrew Bynum and Kwame Brown take PJ by the arms as PJ kicks and rants. They drag him to the front of the doors.
Then Mike T. puts his Jackson Journal foot in the square of his back and kicks him out into the streets.
LOL!
mike
Posted by: Michael Teniente | October 02, 2007 at 04:11 PM
KOBE FAN POSING AS A LAKER FAN,
"All of you above, if you don't know how to appreciate the genius and basketball prowess of a Kobe Bryant, then you don't know anything about basketball."
IS THAT YOU MITCHELL? ARE YOU IN HAWAII?
ASK YOU BOY, KOBIATCH IS HE TRULY GOING TO ALLOW HIS TEAM TO HELP HIM THIS YEAR. MATTER FACT DON'T ASK HIM. WE ALL KNOW WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN FROM THE PREVIOUS 3 YEARS.
LONG TIME,
IT'S A FACT THAT KG SPOKE TO KOBIATCH AND HE WAS SENT PACKING TO THE CELTICS. CASE CLOSED. KOBE IS A LOSER. AND ANYONE WHO FOLLOWS HIM IS RUNNING DOWN THE SAME LINE.
Posted by: Gunner24 | October 02, 2007 at 04:12 PM
Another bit of John Hollinger's assessment of the Lakers, for those of you without
ESPN insider:
Outlook
If you look at the Western Conference, there are six teams who are trying to position
themselves to win a championship, or at least in the very near future. There are six
others who are clearly rebuilding. There are two others who are pushing to make
the playoffs as a first step to something more.
And then there's the Lakers. Are they coming or going? Nobody's really sure what
their goal is or what the timeframe is for achieving it, but they have Kobe Bryant, a
great coach and a really deep bench, so there's a ceiling on how bad they can be
regardless of how much management bungles things.
In a way, this makes the Lakers one of the easiest teams to forecast. They can't
possibly be under .500 with Kobe on the team, but they can't possibly win more
than 50 games with the crew around him and the wacky front office. So look for
things to turn out like they did last season, with the Lakers bowing out meekly in
the first round of the playoffs. And when it ends, expect Kobe to turn up the volume
on his trade chatter considerably.
Prediction: 43-39, 2nd in Pacific, 7th in Western Conference
Posted by: Long Time Laker Fan | October 02, 2007 at 04:14 PM
LAKERS_STH,
"From watching the majority of the games last year, I could tell that for every time Kobe created for a teammate and they missed"
YOU WOULD MISS TOO IF YOU HAVE TO RUSH THE SHOT WITH 2 SECOND LEFT ON THE SHOT CLOCK. NO FOLLOW THROUGH AT ALL.
AND WHAT ABOUT KOBIATCH TAKING THE BALL FROM ONCE SIDE OF THE COURT TO THE OTHER SIDE. YOU THINK WE HAVE SPACING? ISN'T THE TRIANGLE ALL ABOUT SPACING? IF HE'S SO CALLED BEING DOUBLE TEAM, HE'S BRINGING THE DOUBLE TEAM OVER TO THE NEXT PLAYER. AND YOU CALL THAT PLAYER BEING WIDE OPEN, HUH?
Posted by: Gunner24 | October 02, 2007 at 04:15 PM
Reasons why?
My Lakers should trade Kobe Bryant in January to the Chicago Bulls for Deng, Gordon and Thomas.
Bynum
Thomas
Deng
Gordon
Crittenton
Deng and Gordon are already producing 20 pts each. Bynum, Thomas and Crittenton all have potentials to score in double figures. What else can you get for Odom, Brown, Walton, Mihm and Radman?
Bulls can have Phil Jackson back with this starting five
Wallace
Noah
Nocioni
Bryant
Heinrich
This roster is all about energy players! A kobe type team.
Let's start the rebuiding process with a starting five that can play now and will be great in two years. We should all move on with Kobe Bryant. He gave us a great ride, just as all great rides comes to an end, a new beginning comes along..
It is not easy to get a Center, and a Kobe trade now will get us the pieces to rebuild around Bynum and Crittenton.
Do you guys understand me? I only want what's best for the Lakers. Odom, kwame and Mihm can not give Kobe a championship. It is not Kobe's fault, it is not our fault, it is the cast that we build behind Kobe slighly a year younger than him that have failed all of us. Getting the right pieces
to replace these three is too late in the game, nobody wants to help the Lakers, it isnot our fault tha we can not trade Odom, Kwame and Mihm.
If I let go of Bynum, I will be mortgaging the future of the Lakers with no guarantee Kobe will not opt out. That will leave us with nothing. I would rather have Bynum and get something in return for Kobe, that will speed up the process of rebuilding and might even contend in a few years. Deng is an emerging star in this league. We can have Bynum and Deng as the core of this new Lakers.
Talk to me Lakerfans?
Posted by: JIM BUSS | October 02, 2007 at 04:17 PM
Mike T,
You know phil is changing the offense this year right?
Posted by: zen | October 02, 2007 at 04:18 PM
TaosHum,
>>>yeah, who cares about this stuff, it reminded me of how very much I would
>>>enjoy Kobe vs Shaq II with the roles reversed and Kobe is the vet and Bynum
>>>is the up and comer.
As long as it includes 3 more championships, I'm totally down with that.
>>>The interesting part of this whole mess is that if Bynum emerges this year,
>>>WHERE is Kobe going to find a better situation?
If Bynum emerges this year, Kobe will stay. You heard it here first.
>>>and! the more success Bynum has, the more Kobe will stab him publicly
>>>and privately! FANtastic!
Kinda like Shaq did to Kobe. Yeah, you may be right. Add all that drama to some
championships and I'll enjoy the remake just as much as I did the original.
Posted by: Long Time Laker Fan | October 02, 2007 at 04:20 PM
"Yes. Kobe reportedly worked out with Jordan Farmar and Luke Walton last summer and Caron Butler before that. This summer he had the whole Team USA thing that took up most of his summer."
##########
well, that's great if he worked out with Farmar last year, I wish he would have set up some kind of workout program for him after THIS SEASON as clearly... when I was watching summer league, it appeared Farmar hadn't gotten any stronger at all. As far as Butler, everybody knew they worked out together, perhaps more? mmmmmm... LOL! just kidding... but after this season, when it was so disappointing, why didn't Kobe work out with his young guys and help them develop unless he really thought he wasn't going to be here? I'm fairly sure Ric Bucher didn't make that stuff up out of thin air.
It's just odd, he has all these resources, you would have thought he would have taken Crittenton under his wing after we drafted him and helped him prepare for the rigors of the season as well as given Farmar a call after that summer league disaster and helped him work on some things - IF he really wanted to improve the team, nevermind if he should have at least checked in with Bynum to see if he was indeed doing a summer training program, again IF he indeed really cares.
Posted by: TaosHum | October 02, 2007 at 04:21 PM
Long Time
"And I believe he said
the "Laker situation", not the "Kobe situation"."
"I do have a place in L.A. L.A is L.A. I can’t, you know, knowing the Kobe situation is up in the air;"
http://www.nba.com/garnett_presser_transcript_070731.html
You can splice it, you can dice it, but KEVIN GARNETT said he decided against the Lakers because of Kobe. Something Kobe did, or didn't do is the reason KEVIN GARNETT is not a Laker TODAY!
Posted by: HAB | October 02, 2007 at 04:22 PM
Laker/KobeFan,
Hello Dad, I'm in JAIL! I like it here, it's NICE!
Posted by: TaosHum | October 02, 2007 at 04:22 PM
AND WHAT THIS HAS TO DO WITH THE LAKERS GETTING KNOCKED OUT OF THE FIRST ROUND THIS YEAR?
Because they have 2 ignorants people working in the personal department who continue hiring jokers and chokers.
Because they were fool enough to let Shaq go for a wannabe all star, and bad contract as Grant.
Because they always have some futile plans that never matirialized...
Waiting for Garnett, Lebron Wade, Yao Ming etc.
Because GM socks. They see how many scrubs, not Kobe in that list, are playing in this team and they still think this team rocks.
YIKES!!!!!!!!
Posted by: jorema | October 02, 2007 at 04:23 PM
CALLING ALL LAKERSBLOG FANTASY LEAGUE 2006-2007 PLAYERS!
All-Day & All-Nite
TwentyFour7
Asian Sensation
JF's Lakers
Diablos
Tex Winter
Fish Sticks
Hawaiian LakersFan
Buss's Bastard Kids
Pit-os Tigers
Santa Barbara Pimps
RealAlphaDog
The Fat Tires
Funkalicious_5
L33t Ballers
INTERESTED IN DOING ANOTHER LEAGUE THIS SEASON?
EMAIL ME IF YOU'RE INTERESTED: jumperitis@gmail.com
- the champ, Magic's Johnson
PS: especially you, ASIAN SENSATION! where the F are ya? i want you in the league!
Posted by: jumper | October 02, 2007 at 04:27 PM
zen,
I haven't heard anything. But if it's true then I'm going to hold off on my next Jackson Journal entry until our season opener. I'll take your word for it. I'll be watching next week when we begin play.
If PJ did that I and it worked I would give him a lot of credit.
mike
Posted by: Michael Teniente | October 02, 2007 at 04:41 PM
HAB,
"You can splice it, you can dice it, but KEVIN GARNETT said he decided against the Lakers because of Kobe. Something Kobe did, or didn't do is the reason KEVIN GARNETT is not a Laker TODAY!"
THANKS TO THE BALL HOG KOBE.
KOBIATCH YOU SUCK! YOU SUCK, SUCK, SUCK!
KG WOULD HAVE BEEN IN LA IF WE DIDN'T HAVE THAT LOSER!.
KOBIATCH YOU'RE NOTHING BUT A LOSER!!!
Posted by: Gunner24 | October 02, 2007 at 04:53 PM
Laker/KobeFan
"KL not only are you a Biatch, but you are a Klown as well. Just go. GO AWAY. Fed up with all the hates."
Ladies and ghouls, i give you Kobe Bryant himself.
Yo Kob, did you send the text message or did you not send the text message? Did you talk to Bynum or did you not talk to Bynum? Hey, this sounds eerily like the "trade me, i love LA, hate me, love me" Summer of Rage rant. It seems like you have a problem getting your story straight.
C'mon, do you want to be the "man" or do you want to be someone's kbiatch? Do you want to be the "man" or do you need your Shaq Daddy carrying your skinny ass to the playoffs? Pick one, you can't have both.
if you want to be the "man" ACT LIKE IT FOOL!!!
I know you're response, blame Shaq....strike that....blame Bynum.
Yo Kob, we've all caught on to your schtick. When things go well, you want the credit. When thing go bad, blame anybody and everybody, then deny it or pretend you've made amends. Pure genius.
Whatever happened to making amends with shaq for ratting him out in Colorado? Did your "mutual friend" deliver the message? Did you text shaq in Rome as well? Ever heard of "man law" where you don't rat out one of your guys?
Yo Kob, you're going to grow up to be a lonely, lonely man. I would strongly advise you to befriend as many groupies....strike that....i mean kobe loyalist while you can. i say you've got 2-3 more years before you're "over the hill" and will need to be taken to the barn and.....to be continued.
Posted by: KLBeast | October 02, 2007 at 05:43 PM
YOU PEOPLE dont stop --- beat a dead horse would be an understatement -- if the players can move past that Kobe video crap, you fake ass fans should be able to also and stop talking about the same crap, and tryna dig up animosity that the players themselves dont even have towards one another. I am truly hating this blog! Get a life and get over it already, dayum!
Posted by: Hate2BlogCuzOfGunner&KL&JOREMA | October 02, 2007 at 05:49 PM
Mike T -
What credentials do you have in making these statements about him? Have you ever even played or coached basketball???
MJCMAN32,
Why do I need creditenals for quoting from newspapers?
Quotes can be taken out of context very easily...
I was asking b/c I wanted to see the extent of your knowledge about coaching basketball...You write these very critical journals about Phil and question his coaching decisions....Just wanted to see if you have ever had to make decisions in a pressure environment where every decison you make would be second guessed and scrutinized?!?!?!?!
"IF YOU DON'T KOW THE HISTORY OF THE AUTHOR, YOU DON"T KNOW WHAT YOU ARE READING" - KRS-ONE
Posted by: MJCMAN32 | October 02, 2007 at 06:24 PM
Hate2Blog,
IF YOU DON'T LIKE US BLOGGING HERE, YOU KNOW WHERE YOU CAN GO!
KOBE SUCKS!
KOBE IS A LOSER FOR TELL KG TO GO TO THE CELTICS. KOBE YOU WILL NEVER WIN ANOTHER RING. AND I HOPE BYNUM KBIATCH YOU AS SOON AS YOU DRIVE TO THE BASKET IN PRACTICE.
Posted by: Gunner24 | October 02, 2007 at 06:45 PM
is gunner24 a laker fan? I guess he/she is just a kobe hater..
"KOBE IS A LOSER FOR TELL KG TO GO TO THE CELTICS. KOBE YOU WILL NEVER WIN ANOTHER RING. AND I HOPE BYNUM KBIATCH YOU AS SOON AS YOU DRIVE TO THE BASKET IN PRACTICE."
No laker fan would wish Kobe never wins another ring. Dude get your hate together.
Posted by: bob | October 02, 2007 at 07:04 PM
Gunner,
>>>IT'S A FACT THAT KG SPOKE TO KOBIATCH AND HE WAS SENT PACKING TO
>>>THE CELTICS. CASE CLOSED. KOBE IS A LOSER. AND ANYONE WHO FOLLOWS
>>>HIM IS RUNNING DOWN THE SAME LINE.
No. It's not. If it is, instead of just repeating it over and over and over here, please
provide a link to an article which supports it. If you don't, it merely proves that you
are flat out lying and have no documented proof to support your lie.
You have the burden of proof here, since you are stating something as fact.
So provide some proof, or your failure to do so proves you a liar.
Posted by: Long Time Laker Fan | October 02, 2007 at 07:20 PM
bob,
No laker fan would wish Kobe never wins another ring. Dude get your hate together.
KOBIATCH IS THE REASON WHY WE STOPPED WINNING RINGS. HE CHASED SHAQ OUT OF HERE AND SO, IF STOPPED ALL TRUE LAKERS FANS FROM EXPERIENCING MORE RINGS, WHY THE HELL DO WE NEED HIM HERE? HIS LEGACY IS DONE. HIS RINGS ARE DONE. AND HIS LEADERSHIP NEVER STARTED.
I'M AN EX-SEASON TICKET HOLDER AND I WILL CONTINUE TO BE AN EX-SEASON TICKET HOLDER UNTIL KOBIATCH IS GONE!
YOU AINT NO MICHAEL JORDAN
YOU AINT NO DOMINIQUE WILKINS
YOU'RE NOTHING MORE THAN THE 21ST CENTURY PENNY HARDAWAY!
YOU MIGHT AS WELL COME OUT WITH YOUR PENNY DOLL, "LIL BIATCH!"
Posted by: Gunner24 | October 02, 2007 at 07:31 PM
HAB,
>>>"I do have a place in L.A. L.A is L.A. I can’t, you know, knowing the Kobe
>>>situation is up in the air;"
>>>http://www.nba.com/garnett_presser_transcript_070731.html
Thank you HAB, for the actual quote and link. I think this is the quote on which pretty
much everyone is basing their descriptions of events.
>>>You can splice it, you can dice it, but KEVIN GARNETT said he decided against
>>>the Lakers because of Kobe.
What that statement by KG says is that he doesn't know whether Kobe will be
staying in LA or not, and you are correct that that was one reason why he decided
against going to the Lakers. Note that in the same paragraph he speaks to why he
didn't choose Phoenix and did choose Boston:
"but when you speak on basketball, and when you speak on fans, and how they feel about their sports here. I mean it’s a no-brainer. There was no way I was going to be able to go to another team in this league, have two caliber players that I have, Doc, I mean the staff, no way, there was no way I was going to be able to duplicate that in anything."
So going to a team with TWO FUTURE HALL OF FAMERS could not be matched by
any of the other teams he was being shopped to. Note that Los Angeles didn't have
two future hall of famers. So there's MORE THAN ONE reason why he didn't choose
Los Angeles.
Here are some things that were claimed here as facts which ARE NOT stated by
KG in that statement or anywhere else:
1. That he ever spoke to Kobe on the phone. In fact, that quote seems to imply that
he didn't speak with Kobe. if he had spoken to Kobe on the phone, then the situation
would not be "up in the air", as he would know exactly what was going on with Kobe.
2. That Kobe told KG about some "situation" that made KG decide not to go to the
Lakers. KG and Kobe did not speak on the phone, so Kobe couldn't have told KG
anything. KG's "Kobe situation" is clearly referring to the big media tirade where
he was asking to be traded.
3. That the "Kobe situation" was the ONLY thing that made him decide not to go to
the Lakers. As I said, later in the quote he said that he couldn't get two caliber
players like he got in Boston.
I'm not disputing that Kobe's actions had something to do with Kevin Garnett going
to Boston. I think his media tirade definitely influenced KG's decision.
But when people like Mike T and Gunner make up a whole falsified story
surrounding the situation and state it as fact, it can mislead other readers here into
believing that Kobe did things he didn't do. I feel that it's unfair to Kobe for people
to create lies about someone and repeat them over and over and then state that they
are fact, when they are not.
If Mike T or Gunner had said something like KG didn't come to the Lakers because of
Kobe, then I would just let it go. But they invariably want to fill in a fabricated story
to make Kobe look as bad as possible.
Specifically, they're trying to promote as fact the idea that Kobe told KG not to come
to Los Angeles because the management sucks and he would be out of here as
soon as he could. They have no basis for such statements other than their own
imaginations. If they had proof that Kobe and KG spoke on the phone, they would
provide it.
By the way, note that in the original trade proposed with Boston, Kevin Garnett
specifically told Boston that he would opt out if he was traded there. That was
before they traded for Ray Allen. Then Garnett specifically mentioned that having
Allen made a difference for him, and I quote "There was no way I was going to be
able to go to another team in this league, have two caliber players that I have".
In other words, Los Angeles doesn't have two players of the caliber of Ray Allen
and Paul Pierce.
Posted by: Long Time Laker Fan | October 02, 2007 at 07:52 PM
TaosHum,
>>>Hello Dad, I'm in JAIL! I like it here, it's NICE
Say hi to MOM for me... from JAIL..JAIL. I'm in JAIL now.
I love that song.
Posted by: Long Time Laker Fan | October 02, 2007 at 07:56 PM
Gunner24 stop lying. You have never owned Laker season tickets a day in your hater life. You just some douche who sits at home, getting off on saying bad stuff about other people.
If you were any kind of laker fan you would wish every season kobe wears a laker jersey is the season he wins his next ring.
Just because you say something over and over again doesn't make it true. Just because you write in CAPS doesn't make your post true. Just because you come on this blog every day and post bad stuff about Kobe does make any of the words you write true.
Why don't you go make up a hater blog of your own and leave the real laker fans a lone. If you don't have the brains to set one up i'll do it for you. That way you can talk to other haters all day long and you can combine all your hate to once again bring down another Laker season.
Posted by: bob | October 02, 2007 at 08:19 PM
BK,
No value for second rounder
Tell that to Ginobli, Vanexel, Walton, Howard and lately for the Lakers how we got Evans via 2nd round draft pick trade many more. During draft, all these players are vying for position from 1 to 60, you can only be assured on the first 10 but all of them are rookies for the matter many of them like are questionable. I don't look at numbers, I look at the players abilities. We have seen Sun Yue workouts in the Summer League, in the exhibition games of China in Europe, boy, he can play defense with good marksmanship better than going for no-name NBDL Turner or Patterson. Based on your statement: "If there's no room on a roster for a second rounder, why bring in someone that you're almost certain to cut? " Under this premise, surely and absolutely Patterson & Turner will be certainly cut.
We have another 2nd rd draft, Marc Gasol, a tall player who helped Team Spain capture the Fiba last year without the services of his brother. We need power forwards and Centers that have good shooting hand, why are we going to let them rot in Euro League for the next three years. I can't bel;ieve you have no faith on 2nd rd draft picks.
Posted by: Edwin Gueco | October 02, 2007 at 09:34 PM
New Rule:
No more crying over spilled Boston Celtic milk! We didn't get KG...GET OVER IT! I DID!
We can continue to biichnmoan (KL, Gunner) about how Kobe did/did not screw up getting KG or JO or Santa Claus or we can go on with our lives and look forward to our upcoming season.
Ain't no sense in laboring over the past or what shoulda coulda been. It's time to unite NOW!
You ain't gotta like 24 as a person...but you have to respect him . He IS the best player on our team. Yeah, he may be PART OF the problem with the Lakers. But even y'all are smart enough to know that Kobe isn't the entire problem...
...the problem wears a sorry ass shag haircut, spends too much time sipping margaritas and answers to the name "Son".
Mamba, please start and make me the first member of the "Demote Jim Buss to President of the LA Sparks" Bandwagon!
Posted by: utzworld - THE BANNER HOLDER | October 02, 2007 at 10:46 PM
Edwin-
Okay, where to start? First of all, I didn't actually say that second rounders can't have value or turn into good players, only that second round picks don't have much value as trade chips around the league, especially anything after the first few picks in the second round. 40s? 50s? Not much, and if you think somehow two picks in the 30s or 40s equals one in the 20s, you're totally fooling yourself. Players like Walton, Arenas, Van Exel are the exception, not the rule. And there are a couple problems with your list- I assume you mean Josh Howard, who was actually a first round pick. And with Ginobili, he was drafted in 99 and didn't make his debut until three years later, I believe. Thus San Antonio did exactly what the Lakers are doing. They drafted guys they liked, and kept them overseas until they were ready to contribute to the team.
I don't know what you were watching, but Yue struggled playing for China this summer. He had some good moments, but the consensus was he wasn't ready. Gasol is also not considered an NBA ready prospect. But he's a big, and if he develops, the Lakers will have a nice player to add to the roster. If you're in such a hurry to bring them over, who do you cut? Which players go to make room for Gasol and Yue? Who goes? Are those guys actually going to be able to make an NBA level contribution, more than the guys you're cutting?
"Under this premise, surely and absolutely Patterson & Turner will be certainly cut." Yes, they will. As will Elton Brown, and all the other dudes around the league brought in as training camp filler. It would take an almost superhuman effort for one of them to stick. You can chide me for lack of faith or whatever you'd like. I think some of the guys who were available in the second round this year might have been able to help, but if you look through the years at the history of second rounders, it's not strong. Rarely do they step in on a decent team and immediately contribute.
So beyond the mischaracterization of what I actually wrote, you're off on both your assesment of how well Gasol and Yue are currently able to contribute on the NBA level, and totally ignoring the impact keeping them over here would have on the roster.
BK
Posted by: Brian Kamenetzky | October 02, 2007 at 11:17 PM
Actually my thought on Kobe warning Garnett was a good thing for the Lakers.
mike
Posted by: Michael Teniente | October 03, 2007 at 12:06 AM
Hey AK and BK..I sent a post addressed to Mike T on this thread yesterday and it doesn't seem to have made it....any ideas?
BK re the text message and lies.I think Kobe just gets used to telling the media what he feels they need to hear.Everything he does is raked over (in a way that is often no win for him) that I dont begrudge him spinning a few yarns.I accept a lot of what these guys say is BS and I can also see exactly why it would be.
This text message thing is either really good or really bad in the sense that it either matters so little that nobody has really thought about it...or absolutely nothing has been done and nobody knows where they are at with it.I'm guessing the former...if it is/ever had been a big deal SOMEBODY would have done something...but in the context of personal relationships three months is a long time to get over something especially if your relationship is largely professional.My guess is the media are the only ones who see this as important.
Posted by: Kiwi | October 03, 2007 at 03:09 AM
Hey AK and BK..I sent a post addressed to Mike T on this thread yesterday and it doesn't seem to have made it....any ideas?
BK re the text message and lies.I think Kobe just gets used to telling the media what he feels they need to hear.Everything he does is raked over (in a way that is often no win for him) that I dont begrudge him spinning a few yarns.I accept a lot of what these guys say is BS and I can also see exactly why it would be.
This text message thing is either really good or really bad in the sense that it either matters so little that nobody has really thought about it...or absolutely nothing has been done and nobody knows where they are at with it.I'm guessing the former...if it is/ever had been a big deal SOMEBODY would have done something...but in the context of personal relationships three months is a long time to get over something especially if your relationship is largely professional.My guess is the media are the only ones who see this as important.
Posted by: Kiwi | October 03, 2007 at 03:10 AM
It's like who cares about the what Kobe said, Bynum said. Who cares how Bynum feels?
It just does not matter.
We as fans need a TITLE.
THat's all that matters.
I agree with Jay Jay's tone in that I'm excited cause I love seeing that purple and gold but they will have to show me something I HAVE NEVER SEEN OUT OF THIS GROUP.
Until then, I'll enjoy the last season of Kobe's gifts.
Posted by: LakerBake | October 03, 2007 at 07:45 AM
I love lamar odom.. gifted player, tall, long arms and athletic.. but shawn marion is an allstar player, y not get marion for lamar? I think both players can make both teams better.. lamar along side amare and nash? marion is a bit shorter than lamar for PF but i think it will work.. I know kupchak is doing everything to make the team better but signing coby karl, turner and patterson? what the hell? If lakers will not do well from the start of the season? im sure kobe will demand for another trade in february.. Lakers need to win now, and not later.. it's about taking risk!!
Posted by: Jed Yuste | October 03, 2007 at 08:00 AM
BK,
Remember two names in '04 & '05 Summer League: They were not even 2nd rounders but got accepted. Tierre Brown & Smush Parker. Don't underestimate this Front Office when you said that Turner, Patterson and Elton Brown have no chance. If they could ship Shaq and get Brian Grant & Chris Mihm, shipped Caron Butler and get Kwame....anything is possible that Sun Yue is better than Sasha Vujacic and Marc Gasol is better than Brian Cook.
The best way to test a theory is to review the past events or phenomena. We have a tendency of overanalyzing the decision capacity of this F/O.
Posted by: Edwin Gueco | October 03, 2007 at 11:36 AM
Edwin,
Who will they replace on the roster, though? I don't see any of them being better than any of Odom, Mihm, Vlad, Brown, Bynum, Cook, or Turiaf; do you? If they have a good camp, they might be considered for short-term contracts in the case of injury, or if a trade is made where the Lakers give up more players than they receive. But, barring injury or trade, even if they have a great camp they are not going to be picked ahead of one of those others.
Posted by: exhelodrvr | October 03, 2007 at 11:47 AM
EX,
Frankly, I have not seen them play except at Summer Pro League. However, I go with the observations of Ramon Fernandez and LakerTom who were impressed of Sun Yue & Marc Gasol from the recent FIBA Tournament.
The players you mentioned were irreplaceable however when we get down to Sasha and Cook, we don't know who would be better until we see them compete side by side with Yue and Gasol. If these Turner, Patterson, Brown are mere fillers why don't we put these two kids in the preseason or bring them to NBDL or D'Fenders if they don't pan out? Keep an eye on them closely than let them develop in Europe as if America is always the basketball model. If you leave them in the Euro League and the cost of Euro now is $1.44, EX, these guys could change their mind in playing in the NBA. We don't really have the command as if we were in the nineties, we're 45% short.
Posted by: Edwin Gueco | October 03, 2007 at 01:26 PM
Edwin,
The problem is that most of these players just are not that good; there is a reason that they don't get picked in the first round. And teams only have so many slots they can realistically fill. Only so much coaching time and court time that they have available. Spending time and effort on a mid-late second round pick is time and effort that can't be spent on the rest of the roster.
Posted by: exhelodrvr | October 03, 2007 at 08:58 PM
Edwin-
It's not as simple as bringing them to camp to see if they can compete with the Cooks and Sasha's of the world (though in this case, the latter is a moot point since neither plays Sasha's position). If they bring Yue or Gasol over and they're not ready and can't be kept on the roster, than the Lakers can lose their rights over them. Due respect to Ramon Fernandez and Laker Tom, I'm not sure I'd take their word that these two guys are NBA ready, or even close. The scouts who do this for a living seem to disagree.
There is a huge difference between the FIBA tournament and the NBA.
BK
Posted by: Brian Kamenetzky | October 03, 2007 at 09:13 PM
Hey Lamar I love you too! But, here is the deal. You have been in LA for four years and nothing is happening. I think you need a change of scenery. Why don't you go to the SUNS and maybe perhaps reignite your career. Sometimes its not the lack of talent or passion. In this case, it is clearly a chemistry problem for you and the Lakers. If we don't make a change we will likely have more of the same this year. If we reformulate the probability of becoming a better team is so much higher.
Posted by: jiggy24 | October 05, 2007 at 01:01 AM
Lamar you one unconsistant sorry ass player!Go back to D-League or just stop playin ball.All the $ your getting,we could use that to get a solid player who will contribute night in and night out.Your a waste to the Lakers.You aint good at all son!At 6'10 anyone could get 10 rebounds a game....
Posted by: Z | October 08, 2008 at 10:49 AM