Did Lebron bust a Kobe?

[TheNextGen]

Was yesterday's game pretty much like Kobe's game 7 in 2006? Or was he just trying to get his teammates involved?

Discuss.

[RsxPiimp]

Pretty much

[Allanon]

Lakers in 2006 weren't going anywhere and down 20 points.

Cavs in 2010 are the favorites to win a championship and were leading in that game.

ps. RSXpimp, I still owe you on that bet if you ever want to collect. :lol

[The Franchise]

Lakers in 2006 weren't going anywhere and down 20 points.

Cavs in 2010 are the favorites to win a championship and were leading in that game.

ps. RSXpimp, I still owe you on that bet if you ever want to collect. :lol

Doesn't matter whether they were going anywhere or not folding is folding and they were both guilty. Now I will admit Lebron's is worse because of team expectations.

[Allanon]

Doesn't matter whether they were going anywhere or not folding is folding and they were both guilty. Now I will admit Lebron's is worse because of team excpectations.

I'm not disagreeing that Kobe folded, he did...but it wasn't until the game was out of reach.

It's also understandable when you're getting a 20 point beatdown and to come back you need Smush Parker, Luke Walton and Kwamay to step up.

Kobe had 24 points and shot 50%...Kobe didn't quit until after his team was down big late in the 3rd quarter.

That Lakers team was under-powered, they weren't going anywhere that year and Kobe knew it.

Should he have fought to lose by 15 points instead of 30?

[Killakobe81]

I'm not disagreeing that Kobe folded, he did...but it wasn't until the game was out of reach.

It's also understandable when you're getting a 20 point beatdown and to come back you need Smush Parker, Luke Walton and Kwamay to step up.

Kobe had 24 points and shot 50%...Kobe didn't quit until after his team was down big late in the 3rd quarter.

That Lakers team was under-powered, they weren't going anywhere that year and Kobe knew it.

Should he have fought to lose by 15 points instead of 30?

i say yes ..he should of fought regardless ... but Lakers were undermanned.

Cavs were prohibitive favorites the past 2 years ...

[ChrisRichards]

Kobe folded on a game they have a chance of winning. Its game 7, they could've reached the WCF at least had Kobe came out with a blaze of glory, but he chose to prove a point which cost his team.


Lebron can still potentially win the series for the Cavs. If Cleveland ends up losing this Thursday then yes, Id say this is worst than Kobe's throw out game in 2006 for the reason that Cleveland is a 60 win team who has enough talent to at least reach the ECF.

[JamStone]

I think there's a possibility LeBron tanked it, was frustrated in some way that he wasn't getting more help. But I don't think last night was close to what Kobe did.

LeBron in the second half last night: 10 FGA, 2 assists, 2 FTA
Kobe in the second half of that game 7 v. Phoenix: 3 FGA, 0 assists, 0 FTA

I can see how someone might argue that LeBron tanked it, wasn't the same aggressive LeBron we're used to seeing. But in that second half of game 7 against Phoenix in the first round of the 2006 playoffs, Kobe did something way beyond that, something on a completely different level of unjustifiable defiance.

If you want to compare what LeBron did last night to Kobe, if you were to scale it and if LeBron in fact tanked it, how he did it was like 1/1000th of the magnitude that Kobe did it.

Plus, Kobe did it in an elimination game that ended his team's season. LeBron can redeem himself by playing balls out in game 6, and in game 7 if the Cavs can win game 6.

[Killakobe81]

I think there's a possibility LeBron tanked it, was frustrated in some way that he wasn't getting more help. But I don't think last night was close to what Kobe did.

LeBron in the second half last night: 10 FGA, 2 assists, 2 FTA
Kobe in the second half of that game 7 v. Phoenix: 3 FGA, 0 assists, 0 FTA

I can see how someone might argue that LeBron tanked it, wasn't the same aggressive LeBron we're used to seeing. But in that second half of game 7 against Phoenix in the first round of the 2006 playoffs, Kobe did something way beyond that, something on a completely different level of unjustifiable defiance.

If you want to compare what LeBron did last night to Kobe, if you were to scale it and if LeBron in fact tanked it, how he did it was like 1/1000th of the magnitude that Kobe did it.

Plus, Kobe did it in an elimination game that ended his team's season. LeBron can redeem himself by playing balls out in game 6, and in game 7 if the Cavs can win game 6.

Good post, but I disagree about it being only 1/1000th of what happened with Kobe...

Last night was at home, team with HCA throughout the playoffs and from the best player in the NBA on the prohibitive favorites ...

Kobe was close but NOT the best player in the NBA when Game 7 happened IMHO (duncan was) but it still was a bitch-made move by Kobe no doubt about it and why he is 2nd on my all-time laker list to Magic.

I think both were bad but if Cavs are out thursday... people will look far more harshly on Lebron's Game 5 than Kobe's game 7

there are NO EXCUSES For either ...
BUT Lebron ripped a city's heart out...last night.
And i personally think they are being TOO harsh on Lebron....but the outcry from last night is far worse than kobe ever got.

Look at Tait's posts from today ...yes some Lakers fans were pissed about kobe and still hold that against him, but nothing like the meltdown I see online or in the news today ...from CAVS fans!!!

i think Lebron will eventually win him some titles but it just not maybe as many as Jordan or even kobe ...no shame in that.

[TheMACHINE]

It was pretty much the same. But like said above...in a way, Lebrons was worst cuz of expectations. If Kobe proved a point, its "hey Kwame Brown sucks ass...do something already." Kobe took a crappy team to Game 7. If Lebron wanted to prove the same thing, its a bit selfish since he has an opportunity to actually leave the team the following season and the Cavs owner did everything to he can to satisfy Lebron. Keep in mind, it was only 2-2 at home....not the best time to prove a point if that was his goal.

[JamStone]

Perhaps 1/1000th was too strong. 1/100th maybe?

I still question LeBron tanked it. I mean, he could have. It's definitely a possibility. But he might have just had a really bad night. I don't think there's any question that Kobe tanked it.

As for how Kobe is viewed, I think it's easier to say now that Laker fans aren't pissed at Kobe to the level Cavs fans are at LeBron. Kobe had already helped win three titles and subsequently one more, so of course Laker fans weren't and aren't still pissed at Kobe to the same level. While Cleveland fans haven't won titles with LeBron and are also feeling the anguish of LeBron possibly leaving the Cavs for greener pastures. Hard to compare the perception of each fanbase because there are way more factors and consequences other than the two players tanking playoff games.

[TheMACHINE]

As for how Kobe is viewed, I think it's easier to say now that Laker fans aren't pissed at Kobe to the level Cavs fans are at LeBron. Kobe had already helped win three titles and subsequently one more, so of course Laker fans weren't and aren't still pissed at Kobe to the same level. While Cleveland fans haven't won titles with LeBron and are also feeling the anguish of LeBron possibly leaving the Cavs for greener pastures. Hard to compare the perception of each fanbase because there are way more factors and consequences other than the two players tanking playoff games.

bingo! Expectations....lakers fans just happy they we're there after missing the playoffs the year before.

[Allanon]

Lebron can still potentially win the series for the Cavs. If Cleveland ends up losing this Thursday then yes, Id say this is worst than Kobe's throw out game in 2006 for the reason that Cleveland is a 60 win team who has enough talent to at least reach the ECF.

I do agree that the outcome of Game 6(or 7) will either confirm or dismiss LeBron's "tanking" this game.

Win and this will be forgotten, lose and LeTank may be his next nickname.

[picc84]

Lebron was pulling a Kobe, then realized that he was pulling a Kobe and everyone was going to give him shit about it, then proceeded to shoot a few bullshit shots to make it look like he was trying.

But he wasn't.

[himat]

Part of me feels like he did, but another part of me feels like that maybe for once he had a bad game.

I think he had a bad game. I think the Cavs have worked too hard for LBJ to give up now. We'll see if he's a quitter 1 minute into tomorrow's game. We'll be able to tell that fast.

[Giuseppe]

Only Kobe can pull "A Kobe." James has no compulsion to pull "A Kobe." He ain't been "Smushed", or, aggravated, nor ignored for a single second, like Kobe has.

Supposedly James got a shot on Sunday in that arm, and can't get another one for 10 days.

[TD 21]

I always thought he'd stay in Cleveland...until last night. Now, I'm not so sure. He looks like he's trying to sabotage their season. It wasn't just the struggling with his shot and lack of aggression, but his mannerisms and the way he's acting in general, like he doesn't care and isn't that into it. It's almost like he's trying to prove that if he doesn't play like the clear cut best player in the world, like they're not a championship caliber team, which gives him a built in excuse to leave. He could rationalize it by saying flat out, the team wasn't good enough. I'm not saying I agree with this necessarily, but I'm starting to think that's what he's doing. Before, I thought all his hints and leaving the door open was for attention (as if he needs more), public consumption, etc. Now, it looks like he's legitimately plotting his exit strategy.

But he's got to realize that Russell, Johnson, Bird, Jordan, O'Neal, Duncan, Bryant, etc. stuck it out with their original team (save for O'Neal, but he left for off the court reasons, not because the Lakers were in a better position at the time to win a championship than the Magic. Bryant, I know the Lakers weren't his original team technically, but the team he first played for) and won a championship with them. If he wants to someday be in that class, he's not going to do it by putting up video game numbers, winning regular season games, winning regular season MVPs or by becoming a "global icon", he'll only do that by doing what they did. And no more excuses about his team not being good enough. They're not perfect and lack a true second best player on a championship caliber team (still), but they should be good enough at this point to win a championship and if they don't, if falls on him, among others (Brown, Williams).