On revisionism
With the Lakers on the verge of clinching the number one seed in the Western Conference, the odds of Kobe Bryant sewing up the first MVP award of his future HOF career are increasing. As they should. If I had a vote, which I don't (as I've written before, I'm surprised anyone would let me vote in even a conventional election), 24 would get it, followed by Chris Paul and LeBron James. Kobe continued what he started over the first 40 games of last season, when he elevated his and his teammates' play... before the Lakers roster was punched with more holes than my resume. The 2007-2008 season has been an exercise in excellence, both in leadership and on court performance. I'm not sure what an endorsement from me is worth, if anything, but whatever value it has goes to Kobe.
But (you felt the "but" coming, didn't you?) with his outstanding play and the surprising success of the Lakers, there is the temptation to look back on The Summer of Kobe with a degree of revisionism, as Hoopsworld.com's Travis Heath does in this piece, one we linked to Extra! a few days ago.
Heath begins with a recap of the action, talking about the palpable tension in training camp and at media day (Does anyone remember how some worried that Kobe was, what, 20 minutes late arriving?), and how it was clear early in the season that Kobe, while keeping quiet on the issue, wasn't a happy camper.
As the season progressed, though, a funny thing happened: Bryant started playing the best all-around basketball of his career. In the past, he likely would have reacted to such adversity by trying to score his way out of it. This time around he chose a different path. He embraced the team concept and in doing so achieved an almost perfect sense of balance with regard to looking for his own offense and setting up teammates. The results have been nothing short of remarkable.
Some pundits have pointed to Pau Gasol as the reason the Lakers have been so much better this season. While Gasol has certainly helped, he's only been a member of the team for a couple of months. Others pointed to Andrew Bynum as being the key, but like Gasol, Bynum was only a factor for part of the season due to injury. The one constant this season has been Bryant, and it's his play that has been most instrumental in helping the Lakers ascend to the status of championship contender once again.
Here, Heath hits it, more or less, right on the nose. I'd argue that his play this year is actually an extension of what began last season, but it's a relatively minor point. From here, though, he starts to go off the rails:
When asked if Bryant's words ended up serving as motivation for his team, Jackson replied: "No. No I don't. I think he was anxious and maybe he spoke out of anger at some point. But no, I don't consider them good."
Jackson's sentiment seems to represent what most of the mainstream thinks about Kobe's comments. Most have characterized them as angry, divisive and even selfish. But if the end result is the Lakers evolving into one of the best teams in the Association, might it be reasonable to believe Bryant's tactics were successful?
"Sometimes when you're front and center in a situation you've got to shake some trees, and that's something I had to do," Bryant told HOOPSWORLD. "It seemed to work out pretty well."
Yes, Bryant upped the ante by calling out his team and took a substantial amount of heat for it this summer. Many, including your friendly neighborhood columnist, believed this was a move that essentially threw his teammates under the bus. But at the end of the day the NBA is a ruthless, results-oriented business. It's certainly not a league where much time is devoted to worrying about other's feelings. And while Bryant's words might have stung, they also motivated. The end result was many more victories for the Lakers and a team capable of competing for a title.
Based on the Lakers' success this season, might history re-frame the comments Bryant made this summer as motivating and necessary as opposed to selfish and divisive?
"Maybe," Bryant replied. "I think it worked out well. I think it put a lot pressure in places where we publicly needed it. It made us be a little bit more aggressive to do some things."
Huh?
What we have here is a classic case of confusing causation with correlation. Kobe very loudly and very publicly lobbied for more help. He lobbied to be traded to a winning team if one couldn't be built around him in LA, and he certainly didn't give any indication he was confident the latter could be done. He called out management and players. Did he have a valid point? Absolutely. The Lakers had struggled over the three previous seasons, and at the time management looked totally without direction. I don't blame the uber-competitive superstar for believing as things stood that he'd never have another real crack at the Larry O'Brien. I certainly had my doubts.
But it's a mistake to draw a straight line from Kobe's venting- what Heath mistakenly refers to as "tactics"- to the success the team has had this season. In point of fact, what Kobe did made it harder for the Lakers to do either one of the things he wanted- improve the team or trade him- because it made them appear desperate to make a move and put the organization at a serious competitive disadvantage. In reality, other than reportedly putting feelers out to the Bulls to find out what they could get in return, the Lakers essentially responded to Kobe by doing absolutely nothing. They didn't make snap decisions and bring in Jermaine O'Neal just to appease 24. They left J. Kidd in New Jersey. The Lakers tried to empty the vault for KG, but that had always been the plan.
Nope. They waited, and hoped that time and a little bit of success might bring down 24's blood pressure. Good thing, too, because it's only because they did nothing after the KRT that the Lakers were in position to make the move that will keep them in contention for the foreseeable future, bringing in Pau Gasol for stuff found under the couch cushions. Had they acted out of haste, the Lakers might have shipped Bynum and Lamar Odom out for a broken down O'Neal, or even given him away to Chicago for peanuts, among other moves not nearly as good as the one they eventually made. Unless you think the Lakers would have otherwise passed on that opportunity had Kobe not "gone public," so to speak, there's no reason to draw a line from this summer to the Gasol deal.
I was there while Heath asked his questions to Kobe, and honestly, was a little taken aback by what Bryant said. He did acknowledge (because I asked him) that it isn't like he had a master plan when he popped off, and that he'd do it differently if he could go back in time, something he's said repeatedly since it happened. Kobe should be careful, though, not to be drawn into talk about how his actions this summer put the Lakers in the position they're in now, how they lit a fire under the team, or any implication that what he did was calculated. Writers should avoid the temptation to link his superlative play this year with what happened in the offseason.
I don't think it's fair to penalize Kobe for how things went down, a line of thinking I've heard around the media room. He, when it comes down to it, freaked out, and has since gone on to apologize (more or less) and say he was wrong (more or less). And once the season began, even early when he wasn't yet happy, Kobe played excellent team ball. He said the right things, played the right way, and elevated his team in the manner befitting an MVP.
But as Jackson notes in the quote above, it wasn't a good thing, and it's a twisting of history to say that it was, just because things have turned out better than anyone could have imagined.
BK
Kobe interview on PTI.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=fEeI5pf4f1g
Posted by: rick | April 14, 2008 at 03:46 PM
Bzar,
What's baseball? Is that some kind of dish from the pacific?
Posted by: Charles | April 14, 2008 at 03:54 PM
I am not a Kobe lover. In truth, before we acquired Gasol, it was painful to watch the team. Although we did have a couple of exciting months with AB and Trevor.
The only question that I have is what ever happened to Baron Davis....Even though he wanted to come to Los Angeles, he ended up going to Golden State. Kobe wasn't lighting a fire under Mitch's behind and thus....we just continued rebuilding.
However, after the Kidd trade and the Garnett trade went through, Mitch, Buss and everyone else were promising the world. They were saying, "Yes, we are going to get something done." To me this shows an added level of incentive/ motivation. We should ask ourselves where that incentive/motivation came from?
What the revisionists want us to believe is that Mitch suddenly became the GM of the year.
He now has town hall meetings and the season ticket holders fawn all over him. Admitedly in the past I have bashed Mitch and now I find myself praising him. That is not to say however that he orchestrated this surprising turn of events on his own.
Whatever Kobe did, whether you believe it initally had a positive or negative effect, his actions did not occurr in a vaccuum.
MA
Posted by: Minu | April 14, 2008 at 03:57 PM
BK,
Kobe's public image is probably at it's highest since Colorado. If he has a publicist worth anything he will make sure Kobe doesn't come out and make his actions this summer seem like the main reason for the team's success this season.
I think Kobe really did want to be traded and had absolutely ZERO intention of making those statements in order to "motivate" people. If that was his plan he wouldn't have repeatedly said "trade me", "I'll play on Pluto" or anything like that.
He's fortunate that other people in the organization (Kupchak, Buss, and PJ) had the knowledge and fortitude to stick to their guns and prove him wrong.
But I will agree that this is the best Kobe has ever played and he's repeatedly exhibited leadership skills and a personality that I never thought existed.
Hell, he even sounds genuine in interviews these days.
Duck!! It's a pig!!!
Posted by: Andrew Z | April 14, 2008 at 04:01 PM
We also have to thank Kwame Brown for being Kwame. WIthout his expiring contract we would be barely making the playoffs with AB/Drew hurt. Kwame was a blessing to the Lakers this year. I salute Kwame and hopefully he'll be fine (i.e. he's not broke) because I don't think he'll get a lucrative contract anymore.
Go Lakers!!! World Champions 2008 and many more years to come!!!
Posted by: Laker Phil | April 14, 2008 at 04:03 PM
BK,
Excellent piece in regards to Kobe and the growing process of the Lakers. I agree with your rebuttal of Travis Heaths' piece, line of questioning and Kobe's response. Kobe should just continue to give credit to Mitch and the FO and keep the focus on how well the team has come together and how well they're playing like he did today on PTI on ESPN. Go Lakers!!!!
Posted by: Nemaia Faletogo | April 14, 2008 at 04:26 PM
Carmelo
DUI
Posted by: man | April 14, 2008 at 04:30 PM
That was a great Kobe interview on PTI. Revisionist or no revisionist, Kobe did take blame for his blow up this summer. We can all argue if it was a good move or not, which Kobe himself said it wasn't. But at this point, I could care less. We have a great chance to win the west. Kobe can finally get his MVP ( I wonder what this blog would be like if Kobe does not win it). I think there might be a riot in the whole country.
The honest truth is that we all felt the anger Kobe was feeling when this team was not winning. We all had this gut feeling that Kobe is the best player in the world, n we could not phantom why management could not surround Kobe with quality players. You could tell Kobe tried to contain himself during this period, by keeping everything in house, but he exploded like a cannon when he could not keep it.
All I know is that we are at this point, and I like our chances.
Posted by: wow | April 14, 2008 at 04:44 PM
well i wouldn't say that kobe's bizarre off-season had NO positive bearing on how the team has developed. As amazing as it is to watch Kobe play like there is nothing wrong with his pinky, it was something to watch him play as if his foot wasn't that far in his own mouth.
here is my interpretation of what happened:
Kobe created something of a negative image of himself with his pre-season demands to the point that he was marketing himself as something of a liability: someone with the audacity to lash out very publicly against his own organization.
To counteract this stigma (i believe he still wanted to be traded very early in the season) he showed that he can be a team player regardless, and in the beginning of the season he seemed to be out to prove that he could trust his teammates despite the fact that he couldn't trust his teammates.
the plan happily backfires on him as andrew bynum catapults himself into legit phenom status, sasha and rad become legit shooters, the bench forms its own identity, and the starting 5 in general begin to flow.
And only Kobe can do it like Kobe does. This season has already seen its share of disgruntled copycats as players like shaq, kidd and marion start publicly dissing their own organizations, but none were able to produce the same happy results (knock on wood). In a strange way it all just goes to show HOW GOOD Kobe really is.
Posted by: eddie brock | April 14, 2008 at 04:46 PM
BK,
I am also not down with Heath's post hoc ergo propter hoc fallacy. It completely devalues the actual hard work, will, shrewd moves, focus and skill that actually yielded the team's ascension.
Let's celebrate those things, not the desperate and wrongheaded but ultimately bygone actions of the league's best player.
Posted by: The D | April 14, 2008 at 04:46 PM
Hollinger doesn't really hate the Lakers... he just hates Kobe... what a tool!
Posted by: SamII | April 14, 2008 at 05:01 PM
:" John Hollinger: (4:56 PM ET ) I think next year's Lakers will be scary, scary good. If you're in the West, I'd strongly advise you to win it this year, because it might be your last good shot for a while" Posted by Xodus
I'm 110% on board with this even though most will frown because this ISNT the popular sentiment these days regarding the Lakers, I can see us getting to the finals THIS YEAR but I dont like our chances against that team in green without Drew and Trevor. Dont get it twisted!! I LOVE our team and watching Pau defend Timmy yesterday made me think.. hmmmmmmmmm can Pau handle a big with the movement, skillset and aggression of a KG? I dunno? but I do know a pre injured Drew was playing like a top 3 big in the league behind ONLY Yao and DHoward and even though he may be too green to handle KG at this stage in his young career, I think he'll be better than most think.
I guess my point is, like Hollinger, with a full training camp, hopefully, injury free and the entire team together for once, next seasons Lakers are going to be very very scary... very.. I just think people arent seeing the forest through the trees. We really need Drew, Mihm and Trevor back to hit "elite" status. Once that happens, this years east coast team in green will be a distant memory.
Posted by: complex brotha | April 14, 2008 at 05:03 PM
Congratulations to the following bloggers, members of the 55 win bandwagon since at least Oct. 18 2007
LakerTom
Mamba24
LongTimeLakerFan
JUNO
GENERIC_ONE
HobbitMage
Marty
David Whang
Roky
Keifo
Dice8up
HUBBIT
BD
JoninJapan
Alexinho17
Twoody
KIWI
FearlessWhackJob
DanDan
TALIQ
SLO GAL
Derek
Nik Kannan
Posted by: giantsquid | April 14, 2008 at 05:03 PM
BK
I believe that you have a bright future as a writer and reporter. But a mind reader you are not!
Your breakdown as well as this Heath fellow outside insight wreaks of borderline hack journalism.
With respect to Heath who at least asked Kobe what his reasons for outburst were, BK writes a spinoff from another writers interview which is not a crime if the final breakdown is based on one's own Q&A to the same person interviewed by the original writer!
That being said only Kobe can give the insight needed to put this issue into perspective. Other than that it's all speculative at best!
Posted by: chuck23 | April 14, 2008 at 05:17 PM
I'm just thrilled that things worked out for the Lakers and that the team has returned to prominence. This is a results business and the Lakers have gotten positive results thus far since all the controversy of the off-season.
Luck and serendipity certainly played a part in the Laker season. The tragedy that befell the Fisher family when little Tatum Fisher was diagnosed with a rare form of eye cancer was turned into a feel good story when her condition was treated and vastly improved. As a side benefit, her dad was able to return to his first professional home and has been a tremendous asset and catalyst towards the Laker resurgence. For two years, Kobe dealt with Smush as a running partner. In the 3rd quarter against the Spurs, Fish and Kobe switched roles...Kobe facilitated and Fish became the 2 guard. Fish was hot and basically won the game for the Lakers at that point. Their synergy is beautiful to watch and is indicative of real trust and basketball brotherhood. Fish and Kobe have been to the top of the league together and know what it takes to win it all.
Kwame goes down early in the year, clearing the path for an improved Andrew Bynum to put his emerging skills on display and help the team. When Baby went down, the FO was able to turn Kwame Brown into Pau Gasol. Kwame had become a pariah in LA and was being booed off the court. Being able to get rid of such a non-productive, injury plagued player like Kwame and replace him with a one time All Star entering the prime of his career was exceedingly fortunate. The fact that Pau fit in almost immediately into the Laker offense was an added benefit.
The pitfalls of any NBA season did not bypass the Lakers completely. They have had more than their share of injuries but have been able to overcome them and maintain a division, and possibly conference, winning pace.
Lamar Odom has been able to regain and maintain his health this year and it has shown up with him playing the best ball of his career. Lamar has emerged as the Laker "tough guy", a player willing to do all the dirty work.
Our Lakers have resurfaced as an NBA power and stand primed to make a strong playoff run. No matter what happens the rest of this year, I want to thank the entire team for their effort, professionalism and dedication to improvement and excellence.
Posted by: bronxlakerfan | April 14, 2008 at 05:34 PM
Chicken -- Egg.
Did Kobe start "trusting" his teammates, and they got better. Or did Kobe start "trusting" his teammates, because they're better.
Posted by: Faith | April 14, 2008 at 06:05 PM
couple things: 1) i think kobe this summer was reacting from extreme frustration--kind of the same he probably felt with shaq. it must be weird being someone with his drive to play alongside someone with those amazing physical tools and the work ethic of a slug. kobe had a great first half of last season, then the injuries came. this summer, there still had been little movement from the lakers to solve the problems. i think the big turnaround this year was 1) getting rid of smush and stabilizing the point with fish. admittedly, he's not going to make any all-star teams with this season but even when his shot isn't falling, he's still consistent, in some way. 2) bynum's emergence followed by the gasol trade. 3) the supporting cast maturing a year; radmanovich, farmar, vujacich have all had much better years than they did last year and while rony was great last year, too, he's been able to play his natural strong forward a lot more this year rather than being forced to play back-to-the-basket. the amazing thing about this team is what's going to happen when Bynum finally returns and Ariza--can you imagine this team with a strong defensive center and a lockdown 3-position player? it'll be amazing.
anyway, i think once kobe saw how everything was jelling, and how hard everyone else had worked in the off season, that turned his attitude around. he played hard at first, but once things started coming together, he played hard and with enthusiasm.
Posted by: FED | April 14, 2008 at 06:05 PM
chuck-
Your wordsmithing leaves me a little unsure of what you were trying to get at... but I was standing there for the same media time as he was when the quotes in his article were gathered, and he actually references something from a question I asked Kobe. Beyond that, as people who have been around the team since camp, we've been asking Kobe the question of what he was upset about and what he was thinking for, what, ten months? We're familiar with the story.
bzar-
In answer to your question... the guys at the baseball desk who pay us care! (haha)
BK
Posted by: Brian Kamenetzky | April 14, 2008 at 06:26 PM
With regards to kobe MVP thing, Kobe should thank KG for being injured for a while and boston still winning, if not ,even if LA gets the topseed KG will be runaway MVP.
KObe will win this one ( its a close one) bec. media has no more alibis to degarde kobe's effort
Posted by: manslayer | April 14, 2008 at 06:31 PM
Is it better to say nothing and just cash a check? What Kobe was guilty of was letting his emotions get the best of him and giving a number of rash interviews in a short period of time.
But if you think about it, doesn't the nature of his temper tantrum tell you that it was coming from the heart? If he really wanted out, there were much better ways to go about it.
As far as the Bynum video goes, he didn't exactly call a press conference to rip Bynum, he was secretly recorded.
Posted by: Jman449 | April 14, 2008 at 06:40 PM
Pretty sure Jason Kidd was in NJ when the trade was proposed.
Also, pretty sure Bynum has said Kobe's words DID motivate him. Not that this was the reason Kobe said what he did.
Posted by: B$ | April 14, 2008 at 02:41 PM
I think Bynum had the maturity to decide to improve himself before the parking lot tirade.
I also give Bynum for having the maturity to not let the tirade bother him.
I think the only words that really inspired the team were
"Hi, I'm Kobe Bryant and I want to win the Championship".
Posted by: JustaLakerFan | April 14, 2008 at 08:40 PM
Is it better to say nothing and just cash a check? What Kobe was guilty of was letting his emotions get the best of him and giving a number of rash interviews in a short period of time.
But if you think about it, doesn't the nature of his temper tantrum tell you that it was coming from the heart? If he really wanted out, there were much better ways to go about it.
As far as the Bynum video goes, he didn't exactly call a press conference to rip Bynum, he was secretly recorded.
Posted by: Jman449 | April 14, 2008 at 06:40 PM
I don't buy the secret video taping bit. A guy holding a cell phone up pointed at you is not secret taping. I'm sure Kobe saw the dude pointing the cell/camera at him.
Posted by: JustaLakerFan | April 14, 2008 at 09:43 PM
I don't buy the secret video taping bit. A guy holding a cell phone up pointed at you is not secret taping. I'm sure Kobe saw the dude pointing the cell/camera at him.
Posted by: JustaLakerFan | April 14, 2008 at 09:43 PM
Then why not just tell the press, he had plenty of chances. And how do you know if someone holding a cell phone is taping you? It didn't look like the guy taping the conversation was holding the phone up, it was shot from a low angle.
Posted by: Jman449 | April 14, 2008 at 10:31 PM
REVISIONISM... careful how you use the term BK... he who without revisionism, cast the first stone (oops you already did)....
Posted by: Franz Ellers | April 15, 2008 at 12:14 AM