Kobe Bryant Rips Teammate After Ugly Loss

[LakerHater]

Kobe Bryant blames Pau Gasol for Lakers' Game 4 collapse against Thunder

LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Lakers trudged off the Staples Center floor late Saturday, a single loss now separating them from season's end, another fourth-quarter collapse once again causing their undoing. They didn't show much poise in the locker room, either, with Kobe Bryant and Andrew Bynum pointing blame at others for allowing the Oklahoma City Thunder to steal their second victory in three games.
Bryant missed eight of his 10 shots in the final quarter, but shrugged off his struggles by saying his teammates' lack of aggressiveness "forced" him to take tough shots. He also left no question which teammate deserved the most blame for the 103-100 loss in Game 4.
Pau Gasol.
Bryant faulted Gasol for not playing aggressive enough. It was also Gasol's turnover that led to Kevin Durant making the winning 3-pointer with 13.7 seconds left.
"Pau's got to be more assertive," Bryant said. "He's the guy they're leaving [open]. When he's catching the ball, he's looking to pass. He's got to be aggressive. He's got to shoot the ball or drive the ball to the basket. He will be next game."
Bryant has periodically targeted Gasol with his public criticism, hoping to motivate him to lift his performance. But with the Lakers now down 3-1 in the series and facing Game 5 on Monday in Oklahoma City, Bryant's patience has been exhausted. Gasol's inconsistency has been a problem for the Lakers throughout the season, and he never seemed to recover after the team tried to trade him in December to the Houston Rockets in a deal with the New Orleans Hornets for Chris Paul. NBA commissioner David Stern blocked the trade, and Gasol has admitted his tenuous status with the franchise has bothered him.
Gasol totaled just 10 points and five rebounds in Game 4. Most recently, Bryant criticized both Gasol and Andrew Bynum after a listless performance in a Game 6 loss to the Denver Nuggets in the first round. Gasol responded with 23 points and 17 rebounds in the Lakers' clinching Game 7 victory.

After a dominant first half by Andrew Bynum on Saturday, the Thunder began fronting the Lakers' center with Kendrick Perkins. Bryant thought Gasol didn't attack enough when Serge Ibaka left him to help Perkins.
"He's looking to swing the ball too much," Bryant said. "He's got to take his shot."

http://l1.yimg.com/dh/ap/ap/default/120520/kobe_uni.jpg

That was the case on the game's most critical possession. After a steal by Steve Blake, Gasol tried to pass to Metta World Peace only to have Durant knock the ball away with 33.9 seconds left. Durant followed with the 3-pointer.
"Just a bad read on Pau's part," Bryant said.
"It's one play, one mistake," Gasol said. "There were a lot of mistakes in that fourth quarter, a lot of mistakes throughout the game. So, obviously, if I could have gone back, maybe I could have shot it and I would have. It's one play, obviously, at a critical time, but I don't feel like we lost the game because of one turnover."
Indeed, Bynum faulted the Lakers from going away from what was working. He had 14 points and seven rebounds as L.A. built a 10-point lead at halftime. With the Thunder increasingly fronting him, Bynum took just four shots in the second half, two in the fourth quarter when the Thunder erased a 13-point deficit over the final eight minutes.
"I didn't touch the ball, so the game started speeding up, speeding up, speeding up, speeding up," Bynum said. "They beat us in transition at the end.

The Lakers, Bynum said, never successfully countered the Thunder's defense.
"You have to be smart," Bynum said. "When a team fronts you, that means you're hurting them. So they make an adjustment and you can't keep running the same offense. You have to make them pay for that, whether you use a ball fake and come back to the same side or readjust. Reading that situation is a problem for us."
Had the Lakers showed more poise in end-of-game situations, they – not the Thunder – would be one victory away from reaching the Western Conference finals. Bryant was primarily responsible for the Lakers coughing up a nine-point lead in the final 2:08 of Game 2.
Team Harmony these Lakers are not. They've allowed their season to dangerously slip away, and now head to OKC looking for answers.
"Every single one of us played a part [in the losses]," World Peace said. "Every single one of us needs to go to OKC and get back on track."

[ElNono]

Blame game begins after the Lakers' deflating loss to the Thunder (http://www.latimes.com/sports/basketball/nba/lakers/la-sp-plaschke-lakers-20120520,0,4732388.column)

By Bill Plaschke

May 20, 2012, 12:10 a.m.
After spending a season fighting age, battling immaturity, struggling with old habits and jabbing with a new coach, the Lakers have ended up where we pretty much thought they would.

Out of breath and on the ropes.

Their veteran star is exhausted and annoyed. Their kid center is angry and distant. Their power forward is uncertain and embattled. And their season is officially on the brink after they blew a 13-point lead in a 103-100 loss to Oklahoma City on Saturday in the fourth and perhaps deciding game of their first-round playoff series.

[Venti Quattro]

Plaschke is a fucking hack who deserves to die. He doesn't even know that the Lakers are playing in the second round.

[Fabbs]

:cry Where are Stern and the refs to deliver another *Kobe Championship*? :cry

[Reck]

Its never Kobe's fault. :cry

[HarlemHeat37]

As I've been saying the last few years, his legacy is going to take a hit, as he ages, while team players like Duncan, KG and Nowitzki will gain credit for their unselfishness, tbh..

Kobe's hasn't grown, on or off the court..

[Fabbs]

Leave Kobe Alone!
http://files.sharenator.com/britney_alone_88u3_Who_is_the_most_emotional_Girls _or_guys-s300x218-83182-580.jpg

[mavs>spurs]

lmao it's pretty retarded for kobe to blame anyone with his performances thus far. kobe bryant is a real life narcissist, the dumbass is probably honestly incapable of realizing that he shares the biggest part of the blame. chucking at a 12-28 clip instead of giving it to bynum who was dominant in the first half.

[Frenzy]

Tbf he has always needed a big man to give him a ring. No surprises when he rips on one for not giving it to him.

[Mugen]

He's the reason they're not up 3-1 instead of being down 3-1.

Takes a special kind of selfishness to blame others when he's choked harder this series than any star in recent memory.

[ALVAREZ6]

Its never Kobe's fault. :cry

This.


Kobe is the ultimate hypocrite. He is always dishing the blame on others in the media and that doesn't help his cause at all, just talk to your teammates behind the cameras and figure it out. This just further proves how much of an egomaniac the guy is, he would rather pay the price of completely ruining team chemistry by calling people out in the media just to make his case to the rest of the world that it was not his fault his team lost, nothing to do with him, because he is the epitome of clutch.

Shoots 1/8 in the 4th? I think I heard that somewhere. 12/28 overall :lmao.

What a whore Kobe is. I respect his talent, but he is the ultimate douche bag.

[DPG21920]

As I've been saying the last few years, his legacy is going to take a hit, as he ages, while team players like Duncan, KG and Nowitzki will gain credit for their unselfishness, tbh..

Kobe's hasn't grown, on or off the court..

100% true. He was a fringe top 10 player going into this year. He's massively choked on both ends and under performed with a stacked team. He's dropped his all time ranking to the 11-15 range for sure.

[DMC]

The Kobe System

1. Get Kobe the ball.

2. Get defenders away from Kobe.

3. Rebound Kobe's missed shots.

4. All losses are "rest of team" losses.

5. All wins are "Kobe" wins.

6. Always pass to Kobe in transition.

7. Don't take last minute shots to win, leave that to Kobe.

8. If Kobe misses last minute shots, you should have taken them and not deferred.

9. Don't share hotel rooms with Kobe in Denver.

[ChrisRichards]

Kobe can do no wrong anymore at this point. In a few years no one will even talk about Nowitzki and KG. Duncan and Kobe will still be in the conversation among the greatest players of their generation along with Shaq.


The media will be more appreciative of Kobe when he retires. No one will bring this game or any prior games after his 5th championship. They will actually give credit to the fact that Kobe showed class by sitting out the last game of the season to giving the scoring record to Kevin Durant.

[ALVAREZ6]

Without his big daddys to bring him rings, Kobe is nothing more than an Allen Iverson with a longer career and less debt :lol, and I don't recall AI continuously trashing his teammates after losses.

[JRHernandez88]

Kobe's such a leader.

[DMC]

This.


Kobe is the ultimate hypocrite. He is always dishing the blame on others in the media and that doesn't help his cause at all, just talk to your teammates behind the cameras and figure it out. This just further proves how much of an egomaniac the guy is, he would rather pay the price of completely ruining team chemistry by calling people out in the media just to make his case to the rest of the world that it was not his fault his team lost, nothing to do with him, because he is the epitome of clutch.

Shoots 1/8 in the 4th? I think I heard that somewhere. 12/28 overall :lmao.

What a whore Kobe is. I respect his talent, but he is the ultimate douche bag.


To be fair, Kobe often blames himself for losses even when somebody else fucks it up.

[ChrisRichards]

I don't recall AI continuously trashing his teammates after losses.
You know so little in life and basketball.

Tbh.

[DMC]

Kobe can do no wrong anymore at this point. In a few years no one will even talk about Nowitzki and KG. Duncan and Kobe will still be in the conversation among the greatest players of their generation along with Shaq.


The media will be more appreciative of Kobe when he retires. No one will bring this game or any prior games after his 5th championship. They will actually give credit to the fact that Kobe showed class by sitting out the last game of the season to giving the scoring record to Kevin Durant.

Kobe will be remembered as a rapist.

[ALVAREZ6]

Whatever, my main point is it's stupid to call teammates out in the media. There's no reason you shouldn't be able to handle that behind closed doors. You simply can't deny that Kobe is an egomaniac, he doesn't want people talking about him shooting 1/8 in the 4th.

[DMC]

Whatever, my main point is it's stupid to call teammates out in the media. There's no reason you shouldn't be able to handle that behind closed doors. You simply can't deny that Kobe is an egomaniac, he doesn't want people talking about him shooting 1/8 in the 4th.
Kobe does it for two reasons:

1. Mike Brown won't.

2. It defers blame from Kobe's last 7 or 8 missed chucks.

In game 2, Kobe was mad because he didn't get the last shot. In game 4, Kobe was mad because he did.

[Venti Quattro]

Kobe is a bitch for playing blame game on the media but nothing that he said is untrue -- especially with how 90% of Los Angeles still wants to murder Pau after passing up an open shot and how Bynum got outworked for position in the fourth quarter.

[ALVAREZ6]

"It's one play, one mistake," Gasol said. "There were a lot of mistakes in that fourth quarter, a lot of mistakes throughout the game. So, obviously, if I could have gone back, maybe I could have shot it and I would have. It's one play, obviously, at a critical time, but I don't feel like we lost the game because of one turnover."
According to my sources at ESPN, Kobe had a similar costly turnover at the end of Game 2 and instead of taking blame, he credited Durant on his athletic play, taking a gamble and making a great steal. Well, interestingly enough that's exactly the same thing Durant did on Pau's pass.

It was a bad read on Pau's part :lmao

[Venti Quattro]

And it's not like he ripped the team into shreds. He put his criticisms in a constructive manner, and there were Bynum and Pau quotes as well.

[ChrisRichards]

Kobe will be remembered as a rapist.
Doubt it. No one even brings this up anymore.

America sees Kobe as a basketball player. With a few cameos in movies after his retirement, people will keep enjoying Kobe Bryant the celebrity, dude will be mainstream for a long time.

[ChrisRichards]

And it's not like he ripped the team into shreds. He put his criticisms in a constructive manner, and there were Bynum and Pau quotes as well.
Agree. He ended his sentence by instilling belief in Gasol.

[Jt.ONE]

perhaps deciding game of their first-round playoff series.


:lmao:lmao

[ElNono]

“I don’t give a [fuck] what you say,” Bryant told Yahoo! Sports late Friday. “If I go out there and miss game winners, and people say, 'Kobe choked, or Kobe is seven for whatever in pressure situations.' Well, [fuck] you.

Meltdown

[ElNono]

:lmao:lmao

Bill Plaschke :lol

[ChrisRichards]

I wish Lebron had the same mentality tbh^ Miami wouldve been the defending champs this season tbh.

[ALVAREZ6]

Kobe does it for two reasons:

1. Mike Brown won't.

2. It defers blame from Kobe's last 7 or 8 missed chucks.

In game 2, Kobe was mad because he didn't get the last shot. In game 4, Kobe was mad because he did.

You don't know that. Just because he hasn't in the media doesn't mean he doesn't talk to his players about what they need to do. We often think we know these NBA guys much more than we do, and we really don't know what goes on in the locker room, we just don't. I have trouble believing an NBA coach in the playoffs on the brink of elimination doesn't tell his players what they need to do, what they did poorly in the previous loss.

[ElNono]

You don't know that. Just because he hasn't in the media doesn't mean he doesn't talk to his players about what they need to do. We often think we know these NBA guys much more than we do, and we really don't know what goes on in the locker room, we just don't. I have trouble believing an NBA coach in the playoffs on the brink of elimination doesn't tell his players what they need to do, what they did poorly in the previous loss.

We see it on the floor though... words mean shit if you end up running the same play 20x in a row, even when it stopped working. And that's what happened last night. It wasn't Kobe bringing the ball up, it was his teammates running the same shit over and over (with the exception of *one* play where they looked for Bynum)

[Venti Quattro]

Bill Plaschke :lol

Yes, that idiot still has a job. At LA Times nevertheless. That guy is the Rummpd of the LAT.

[ChrisRichards]

You don't know that. Just because he hasn't in the media doesn't mean he doesn't talk to his players about what they need to do. We often think we know these NBA guys much more than we do, and we really don't know what goes on in the locker room, we just don't. I have trouble believing an NBA coach in the playoffs on the brink of elimination doesn't tell his players what they need to do, what they did poorly in the previous loss.
You don't know Mike Brown. He's nice guy, but its been well known that his players walks over him. He's surrounded by players with championship experience. they ain't gonna listen to Mike Brown after having Phil Jackson as their coach.

[Darkwaters]

Kobe Bryant is living proof that you don't have to be a quality human being in order to be a quality basketball player.

[DJB]

Blame game begins after the Lakers' deflating loss to the Thunder (http://www.latimes.com/sports/basketball/nba/lakers/la-sp-plaschke-lakers-20120520,0,4732388.column)

By Bill Plaschke

May 20, 2012, 12:10 a.m.
After spending a season fighting age, battling immaturity, struggling with old habits and jabbing with a new coach, the Lakers have ended up where we pretty much thought they would.



:lol

[Jt.ONE]

I have trouble believing an NBA coach in the playoffs on the brink of elimination doesn't tell his players what they need to do, what they did poorly in the previous loss.


"you guys gotta play harder, grab the rebounds, fight for the loose balls, make your free throws, play physical, oh and play harder"

this is not coaching, its merely stating the obvious

[Venti Quattro]

"you guys gotta play harder, grab the rebounds, fight for the loose balls, make your free throws, play physical, oh and play harder"

this is not coaching, its merely stating the obvious

Can we hire Captain Obvious as our coach? It shall be done! He will definitely figure out the obvious better than Mike Brown, such as giving more time to Ebanks than Barnes, playing Goudelock, and not bringing in Blake and Sessions on the floor at the same time.

[ALVAREZ6]

We see it on the floor though... words mean shit if you end up running the same play 20x in a row, even when it stopped working. And that's what happened last night. It wasn't Kobe bringing the ball up, it was his teammates running the same shit over and over (with the exception of *one* play where they looked for Bynum)

I didn't watch the game but I didn't have to to know that Mike Brown is an incompetent coach. Everyone knows LeBron was his entire Cavaliers team.

[pass1st]

It's hard to keep hope in the team when Kobe just destroyed moral

I hope this has the opposite effect and lights a fire under them.

[Venti Quattro]

It's hard to keep hope in the team when Kobe just destroyed moral

I hope this has the opposite effect and lights a fire under them.

Last round, he called both bigs out in Game 6 and they acted like somebodies in Game 7. Let's cross our fingers.

[ALVAREZ6]

Kobe Bryant is living proof that you don't have to be a quality human being in order to be a quality basketball player.

Well, tbh 95% of the NBA is that proof. Kobe Bryant, despite being a media douche bag and egomaniac, is probably one of the higher quality human beings of the NBA. (I still don't believe he rapedPERIOD).

gilbert :lol
JR Smith :lol
Birdman :lol
most NBA players (outside the Spurs of course, they don't hire shitheads) :lol


Funny how within 5-10 years of retiring, a significant percentage of NBA players go bankrupt :lol.

[pass1st]

Last round, he called both bigs out in Game 6 and they acted like somebodies in Game 7. Let's cross our fingers.

OKC only outplayed us in game 1 with flukey shooting, lost two more because the defense gives up once they are up in the 4th. If they can just maintain effort, I believe the series can be won.

Although, chances are that OKC will have another flukey shooting night.

[cobbler]

You guys read way too much into all this. You Kobe hate and the media trolls you constantly. Nothing he said was wrong. If you watched the interview Kobe prefaced the Gasol comments with that he took difficult shots and missed them and he had to do better. They asked what else needs to be done and he said his teammates need to be more aggressive and in particular Pau needs to be and get his shot more instead of looking to pass so much. He never used the word blame. That was the media to create a story and you guys fall for it every time. Pau was 4-10 and had 5 rebounds. He played meek again. Was anything he said innacurate? No.

It’s not like Kobe called a press conference to lambast his teammates. He knows damn well he was a major cause in the game 2 and 4 loses and what he needs to do himself and said so. He was asked what they all need to do to right the ship and he was spot on. Unfortunately Pau needs to be motivated by others. It’s the very reason why he never won a playoff game in Memphis.

While Kobe has to shoulder a lot of the blame for his shot selection no doubt and is often a direct result of his hero mode type mentality, there is a lot of truth in that nobody else on the Lakers has the balls to step up at crunch time and they often stand around and fail to be in proper basketball position. Sadly, after watching the replay this morning, you can even see Pau coming out of the timeout telling Kobe to look to dish it to him if he gets doubled. He does and Pau puckers up and chose 1) not to attack the basket, 2) not to take the wide open 10 footer, and 3) not to toss it up to Drew who was directly at the front of the rim but instead panicked and dished a cross court pass to Metta at the 3 over Durants head.

And now everyone is all Kobe hating simply because he points it out? He never used the blame word and in fact was suggesting that Pau is better than that by saying he needs to be more aggressive and will be the next game. And I bet he will be…

[Reck]

Proffessor x sighting.

[Goran Dragic]

I actually agree with cobbler here, I really don't see Kobe saying anything wrong or trying to point the finger. Gasol deciding not to attack when it was the obvious thing to do was a key play that led to them losing. When they had Phil Jackson he knew the right buttons to push with Gasol and when they needed to be pushed, Mike Brown hasn't done shit to address Gasol's tendency to be complacent. Kobe has every right to be frustrated over that.

[ChrisRichards]

Proffessor x sighting.
OK. I'm

:rollin:rollin:rollin:rollin:rollin:rollin:rollin: rollin

[Reck]

I actually agree with cobbler here, I really don't see Kobe saying anything wrong or trying to point the finger. Gasol deciding not to attack when it was the obvious thing to do was a key play that led to them losing. When they had Phil Jackson he knew the right buttons to push with Gasol and when they needed to be pushed, Mike Brown hasn't done shit to address Gasol's tendency to be complacent. Kobe has every right to be frustrated over that.

No he does not.

Gasol fucked up once or twice to Kobe's 0 for whatver in the quarter.

He doesn't get to fault his other teammates when he was the one who choked most.

That's some weak copout shit mainnn

[Goran Dragic]

No he does not.

Gasol fucked up once or twice to Kobe's 0 for whatver in the quarter.

He doesn't get to fault his other teammates when he was the one who choked most.

That's some weak copout shit mainnn
He didn't cop out, he discussed the fact that he needs to do better. He mentioned the fact Gasol needs to be more aggressive. It was one of the several things he said. He wasn't trying to point the finger at Gasol or attribute his bad shooting to Gasol. You're reading way too much into it because he's Kobe.

If several years ago Steve Nash said this about Amare Stoudemire after Nash had several turnovers and missed shots that led to a playoff defeat, every Spurs fan in this site would be singing Nash's praises for holding Amare accountable.

[Koolaid_Man]

Last round, he called both bigs out in Game 6 and they acted like somebodies in Game 7. Let's cross our fingers.

Kobe was more than right for calling out Gasol...the blinders that most people where is rooted in jealousy...

Round 1 - Gasol gets fucking MANHANDLED and outplayed by the fucking rookie Faried...Round 2 - Pau literally stays away from the painted area and runs from Ibaka.

On the other hand Kobe plays hard and hustles for an entire game until his legs give out...you want to really know the difference in Kobe vs Gasol and Bynum - really look at the effort in comparison..in general Kobe is guarding players 10 yrs his junior....against Denver his main opponent was the talented Afflalo...and because Sessions and Blake couldn't stay in front of Ty Lawson they had to switch Kobe on him to slow him down and it actually worked... now again Kobe has to guard Harding who's 10 yrs younger and faster and is a stud...and yet because Sessions and Blake can't stay in front of Westbrook he has to guard Westbrook as well...they even put Durant on Kobe when Kobe lost his legs...and yet Kobe still has to score for us to remain competitive against a top defender in Shefalosa...they come at Kobe in waves and where are his teammates..I will tell they're waiting for him to be super human...they're even running Fisher at Kobe...they're running every got dam body at Kobe and just where in the fuck is Pau...

Bynum is down low getting fronted and because he's too slow can't work his way around it..or make the appropriate pass...Gasol isn't even looking at the rim..I think he's afraid of Ibaka and Perkins...Gasol only wants to shoot jumpers and score on the occasional put back..his behavior is pretty egregious...especially since they're purposely leaving him open...he won't shoot instead he force feed it to Kobe and then Kobe's forced to shoot the bailout shot with time winding down...I give Kobe credit he treated Pau with Kids gloves for most of Pau's time in LA because he didn't want people to compare how he treated Pau with how he treated Shaq but he didn't cut Pau's throat like he should have early on and it's come back to hurt us...

My solution find a way to get Odom back, trade Gasol for D-Will, and see if Dwight had a change of heart...but at the end of the day Gasol better not be in a Laker uni next year..we need glue players even a Jason Terry type...

Now looking foward I'm forced to root for OKC against the Spurs...Spurs haven't been tested at all and no way they stay in front in OKC's young backcourt...Harding will embarass Manu...OKC should win it all this year

[Reck]

He didn't cop out, he discussed the fact that he needs to do better. He mentioned the fact Gasol needs to be more aggressive. It was one of the several things he said. He wasn't trying to point the finger at Gasol or attribute his bad shooting to Gasol. You're reading way too much into it because he's Kobe.

If several years ago Steve Nash said this about Amare Stoudemire after Nash had several turnovers and missed shots that led to a playoff defeat, every Spurs fan in this site would be singing Nash's praises for holding Amare accountable.

He was pointing the finger at Gasol and in doing so detered attention from himself and his poor shooting at the end.

By talking about Gasol and how he needed to shoot it instead of passing the ball, Bryant its baiting the media and us all into thinking it was all on Gasol and not his.

Sounds like a cop out to me.

[Goran Dragic]

He was pointing the finger at Gasol and in doing so detered attention from himself and his poor shooting at the end.

By talking about Gasol and how he needed to shoot it instead of passing the ball, Bryant its baiting the media and us all into thinking it was all on Gasol and not his.

Sounds like a cop out to me.
:lol if you say so

It's amazing how GNSF has the ability to decipher whether or not Kobe's statements have ulterior motives and if so what they are specifically. There's no way he was simply answering a follow up question asked AFTER he just said he needed to do better, he was baiting teh media!

[Reck]

:cry I'm a gnsf :cry

Must be wrong, at all cost. :lol

[Will Hunting]

Cobbler is some wicked sissy cuckold who putts from the rough

[Goran Dragic]

:cry I'm a gnsf :cry

Must be wrong, at all cost. :lol
:cry Kobe's a classless meanie :cry

Must be throwing his teammate under the bus! Not simply answering a question. :lol

[Axe Murderer]

Kobe's forced to go into chuck mode because the Laker bigs have turned into cuckolds. Anyone who disagrees isn't actually watching the series.

As much as I've bashed Perkins and called him overrated, he's set up a tent inside Bynum's head. Pushing him way off the block and forcing him into weak shots whenever he does get it. And Gasol has turned into a more turnover prone Jordan Hill. At this point Hill is outplaying Gasol. Doing the exact same thing Pau is doing minus the turnovers.

[baseline bum]

LOL @ Magic right now. "I like Mike Brown, but" and then he basically calls Brown a complete moron for not being able to get the ball to Bynum. Then he blames Brown for Cleveland losing to Orlando, and then to the Spurs. :lmao

[Reck]

:cry Kobe's a classless meanie :cry

Must be throwing his teammate under the bus! Not simply answering a question. :lol

Oh now I called Kobe classless? :lol

This its about him singling a teammate and basically pitting the blame solely on Gasol for the loss.

I didn't hear Kobe stepped up and say I messed up big time, I turned the ball over a bunch of time. Instead he goes the route of "I had to shoot the ball alot because this and that teammate didn't shoot it well" :cry

What questions need answering? Article and what Kobe had to say about the loss speak for themselves.

[Trill Clinton]

He didn't cop out, he discussed the fact that he needs to do better. He mentioned the fact Gasol needs to be more aggressive. It was one of the several things he said. He wasn't trying to point the finger at Gasol or attribute his bad shooting to Gasol. You're reading way too much into it because he's Kobe.

If several years ago Steve Nash said this about Amare Stoudemire after Nash had several turnovers and missed shots that led to a playoff defeat, every Spurs fan in this site would be singing Nash's praises for holding Amare accountable.

hate to say it but white boy Goran is right. I don't think Kobe is trying to cop out, he was asked a question and he was just being honest. why lie? Pau is a pussy.

[BRHornet45]

Sons Kobe Bryant's career is best summed up in two words .... smoke and mirrors.

Kobe has never truly earned anything in his NBA career and has been handed nearly everything on a silver platter. Most knowledgeable basketball fans have always been able to see past the smoke and mirrors that is the media's Kobe Bryant agenda, but many are just now starting to see thru it as he gets older and people realize just how overrated of a player he has always been.

[ElNono]

LOL @ Magic right now. "I like Mike Brown, but" and then he basically calls Brown a complete moron for not being able to get the ball to Bynum. Then he blames Brown for Cleveland losing to Orlando, and then to the Spurs. :lmao

Mik:lol Br:lolwn

[pass1st]

Sons Kobe Bryant's career is best summed up in two words .... smoke and mirrors.

Kobe has never truly earned anything in his NBA career and has been handed nearly everything on a silver platter. Most knowledgeable basketball fans have always been able to see past the smoke and mirrors that is the media's Kobe Bryant agenda, but many are just now starting to see thru it as he gets older and people realize just how overrated of a player he has always been.

Son, is it because Kobe demanded a trade from the hornets?

[Brazil]

Kobe was more than right for calling out Gasol...the blinders that most people where is rooted in jealousy...

Round 1 - Gasol gets fucking MANHANDLED and outplayed by the fucking rookie Faried...Round 2 - Pau literally stays away from the painted area and runs from Ibaka.

On the other hand Kobe plays hard and hustles for an entire game until his legs give out...you want to really know the difference in Kobe vs Gasol and Bynum - really look at the effort in comparison..in general Kobe is guarding players 10 yrs his junior....against Denver his main opponent was the talented Afflalo...and because Sessions and Blake couldn't stay in front of Ty Lawson they had to switch Kobe on him to slow him down and it actually worked... now again Kobe has to guard Harding who's 10 yrs younger and faster and is a stud...and yet because Sessions and Blake can't stay in front of Westbrook he has to guard Westbrook as well...they even put Durant on Kobe when Kobe lost his legs...and yet Kobe still has to score for us to remain competitive against a top defender in Shefalosa...they come at Kobe in waves and where are his teammates..I will tell they're waiting for him to be super human...they're even running Fisher at Kobe...they're running every got dam body at Kobe and just where in the fuck is Pau...

Bynum is down low getting fronted and because he's too slow can't work his way around it..or make the appropriate pass...Gasol isn't even looking at the rim..I think he's afraid of Ibaka and Perkins...Gasol only wants to shoot jumpers and score on the occasional put back..his behavior is pretty egregious...especially since they're purposely leaving him open...he won't shoot instead he force feed it to Kobe and then Kobe's forced to shoot the bailout shot with time winding down...I give Kobe credit he treated Pau with Kids gloves for most of Pau's time in LA because he didn't want people to compare how he treated Pau with how he treated Shaq but he didn't cut Pau's throat like he should have early on and it's come back to hurt us...

My solution find a way to get Odom back, trade Gasol for D-Will, and see if Dwight had a change of heart...but at the end of the day Gasol better not be in a Laker uni next year..we need glue players even a Jason Terry type...

Now looking foward I'm forced to root for OKC against the Spurs...Spurs haven't been tested at all and no way they stay in front in OKC's young backcourt...Harding will embarass Manu...OKC should win it all this year

didn't read :lol

[BRHornet45]

Kobe was more than right for calling out Gasol...the blinders that most people where is rooted in jealousy...

Round 1 - Gasol gets fucking MANHANDLED and outplayed by the fucking rookie Faried...Round 2 - Pau literally stays away from the painted area and runs from Ibaka.

On the other hand Kobe plays hard and hustles for an entire game until his legs give out...you want to really know the difference in Kobe vs Gasol and Bynum - really look at the effort in comparison..in general Kobe is guarding players 10 yrs his junior....against Denver his main opponent was the talented Afflalo...and because Sessions and Blake couldn't stay in front of Ty Lawson they had to switch Kobe on him to slow him down and it actually worked... now again Kobe has to guard Harding who's 10 yrs younger and faster and is a stud...and yet because Sessions and Blake can't stay in front of Westbrook he has to guard Westbrook as well...they even put Durant on Kobe when Kobe lost his legs...and yet Kobe still has to score for us to remain competitive against a top defender in Shefalosa...they come at Kobe in waves and where are his teammates..I will tell they're waiting for him to be super human...they're even running Fisher at Kobe...they're running every got dam body at Kobe and just where in the fuck is Pau...

Bynum is down low getting fronted and because he's too slow can't work his way around it..or make the appropriate pass...Gasol isn't even looking at the rim..I think he's afraid of Ibaka and Perkins...Gasol only wants to shoot jumpers and score on the occasional put back..his behavior is pretty egregious...especially since they're purposely leaving him open...he won't shoot instead he force feed it to Kobe and then Kobe's forced to shoot the bailout shot with time winding down...I give Kobe credit he treated Pau with Kids gloves for most of Pau's time in LA because he didn't want people to compare how he treated Pau with how he treated Shaq but he didn't cut Pau's throat like he should have early on and it's come back to hurt us...

My solution find a way to get Odom back, trade Gasol for D-Will, and see if Dwight had a change of heart...but at the end of the day Gasol better not be in a Laker uni next year..we need glue players even a Jason Terry type...

Now looking foward I'm forced to root for OKC against the Spurs...Spurs haven't been tested at all and no way they stay in front in OKC's young backcourt...Harding will embarass Manu...OKC should win it all this year


http://41.imagebam.com/download/4ZPCWOxRiwngviIWfRvsCQ/19131/191301483/mikegundydance_didntreadlol.gif

[#41 Shoot Em Up]

Kobe was more than right for calling out Gasol...the blinders that most people where is rooted in jealousy...

Round 1 - Gasol gets fucking MANHANDLED and outplayed by the fucking rookie Faried...Round 2 - Pau literally stays away from the painted area and runs from Ibaka.

On the other hand Kobe plays hard and hustles for an entire game until his legs give out...you want to really know the difference in Kobe vs Gasol and Bynum - really look at the effort in comparison..in general Kobe is guarding players 10 yrs his junior....against Denver his main opponent was the talented Afflalo...and because Sessions and Blake couldn't stay in front of Ty Lawson they had to switch Kobe on him to slow him down and it actually worked... now again Kobe has to guard Harding who's 10 yrs younger and faster and is a stud...and yet because Sessions and Blake can't stay in front of Westbrook he has to guard Westbrook as well...they even put Durant on Kobe when Kobe lost his legs...and yet Kobe still has to score for us to remain competitive against a top defender in Shefalosa...they come at Kobe in waves and where are his teammates..I will tell they're waiting for him to be super human...they're even running Fisher at Kobe...they're running every got dam body at Kobe and just where in the fuck is Pau...

Bynum is down low getting fronted and because he's too slow can't work his way around it..or make the appropriate pass...Gasol isn't even looking at the rim..I think he's afraid of Ibaka and Perkins...Gasol only wants to shoot jumpers and score on the occasional put back..his behavior is pretty egregious...especially since they're purposely leaving him open...he won't shoot instead he force feed it to Kobe and then Kobe's forced to shoot the bailout shot with time winding down...I give Kobe credit he treated Pau with Kids gloves for most of Pau's time in LA because he didn't want people to compare how he treated Pau with how he treated Shaq but he didn't cut Pau's throat like he should have early on and it's come back to hurt us...

My solution find a way to get Odom back, trade Gasol for D-Will, and see if Dwight had a change of heart...but at the end of the day Gasol better not be in a Laker uni next year..we need glue players even a Jason Terry type...

Now looking foward I'm forced to root for OKC against the Spurs...Spurs haven't been tested at all and no way they stay in front in OKC's young backcourt...Harding will embarass Manu...OKC should win it all this year

Very well written King Kool. And you speaking the truth:toast

[Capt Bringdown]

There's a place for team leaders to challenge teammates to perform better: behind closed doors.
Calling out teammates in the media is despicable.

[Bynum's grey hair]

There's a place for team leaders to challenge teammates to perform better: behind closed doors.
Calling out teammates in the media is despicable.
I agree. As if Drew givin up double cheeseburgers and Big Macs weren't stressful enough..:bang

[namlook]

According to my sources at ESPN, Kobe had a similar costly turnover at the end of Game 2 and instead of taking blame, he credited Durant on his athletic play, taking a gamble and making a great steal. Well, interestingly enough that's exactly the same thing Durant did on Pau's pass.

It was a bad read on Pau's part :lmao

This is pretty much clueless "analysis". MB and Pau both also stated it was a bad decision by Pau. MB had also criticized Pau's offensive aggressiveness in his post game comments before Kobe made any of his own comments along the same lines.

[Cry Havoc]

Without Pau, the Lakers are fishing after the Denver series.