Kobe

[RayTdropout]

What an attention seeker we all knew he was going to retire after the year most selfish basketball player ever trying to get as much attention as he can get before he retires. he was good I'll give him his props but he was always just A wannabe Jordan

[HemisfairArena]

,,,,good riddance,,,

[Kool Bob Love]

http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/2817947/billbored.gif

[ElNono]

He's still playing?

[SPURt]

is no Tim Duncan

[RayTdropout]

I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of teams do what they did for Derek Jeter last year. Its sad cause i no it wont be that way with duncan.

[daledondale]

http://media.tumblr.com/ae346b6f91dbaa6fbb6d525add48e3c5/tumblr_inline_mqsjcgLDzL1qz4rgp.gif

[RayTdropout]

She looks hot there

[Kikoluna]

A great player in his prime. All timer. A little sad to see the villain go away. ...a world without the joker, captain hook.

[Embedded]

I have always been anti-Kobe. But when Dwight Coward intentionally took himself out of a playoff game against us in 2013 by getting himself ejected (I KNEW he would) when Kobe was injured, I had great respect for Kobe when, as a show of leadership, he came and sat with the Lakers players the moment Dwight Coward left the floor.

But seeing a game the other day when Kobe was playing - man, it was painful to watch. Say hat you want about him, but e gave this game everything he had. Now, it looks like the New Jersey Generals whenever the Lakers play. Dude is iconic for NBA basketball, and right now looks like Muhammad Ali in the early stages of Parkinson's Disease boxing Larry Holmes. Yeah, THAT bad.

I wish Kobe could just hang it up today. You would never see Tim Duncan announce it in November -he wouldn't want the distraction.

[gospursgojas]

Attention seeker, pre-Madonna, whatever you call him, can't deny he's an all time great.

[aal04]

OPs a Liar.


Kobe retired 4 years ago.

[skulls138]

What an attention seeker we all knew he was going to retire after the year most selfish basketball player ever trying to get as much attention as he can get before he retires. he was good I'll give him his props but he was always just A wannabe JordanHes a wannabe to Jordan like Aerosmith are a wannabe to the Rolling Stones, both are great.

[RD2191]

2-15 :lol

[lefty]

He really shat on the Spurs during his prime

[CubanMustGo]

2-15 :lol

2-17

[jag]

Attention seeker, pre-Madonna, whatever you call him, can't deny he's an all time great.

Definitely came after Madonna

[ajh18]

Kobe is in many ways the stereotypical representation of what a lot of people think American athletics has become (fairly or not).

Supremely talented and athletic. Arrogant and self-promoting (remember his rap album??). Consumed by materialism and making money. A winner. A bad teammate. Scandal-ridden (particularly when the scandal involves sexual violence). Big city, bright lights, takes a helicopter to work. Traditional "alpha competitor."

It's one of the reasons I love Tim Duncan and other members of the Spurs, past and present. They are so much of what athletics could be, and for me, should be.

[Kikoluna]

I forgot. ...here's to a great opponent:bobo

[BillMc]

Kobe's done....and Timmy just pulled down 18 boards.

'Nuff Said.

[RayTdropout]

let the ass kissing began watching Kobe on sports center right now just great

[HemisfairArena]

He really shat on the Spurs during his prime

he really shat on the lakers the last 4 years,,,,

[Duncanforthree]

A great player in his prime. All timer. A little sad to see the villain go away. ...a world without the joker, captain hook.


This.

Who is the villain of the NBA now? Lebron? Hating on him has gotten stale,plus he's a really great teammate.

Howard? Meh.

Harden. .not really enticing.

Everyone loves the Warriors so you can't paint them in a negative light.

It may be awhile before the league finds another player as polarizing as Kobe.

He can enjoy his farewell tour. All controversy aside,I fully expect him to get deserving ovations in every city he plays in for the final time.

Even here.

[BillMc]

This.

Who is the villain of the NBA now? Lebron? Hating on him has gotten stale,plus he's a really great teammate.

Howard? Meh.

Harden. .not really enticing.

Everyone loves the Warriors so you can't paint them in a negative light.

It may be awhile before the league finds another player as polarizing as Kobe.

He can enjoy his farewell tour. All controversy aside,I fully expect him to get deserving ovations in every city he plays in for the final time.

Even here.

Half of the Clippers would make good villains. Jason Terry is still in the league? Mark Cuban?

But your point is well-taken.

[tmtcsc]

Kobe in his prime was a cold-blooded killer on the basketball court. I haven't watched one game of him playing this year but I've seen the stats and they are brutal. He should retire now and end the sideshow.

[BillMc]

Kobe ran off the best player he ever played with (Shaq) and constantly belittled the second best (Pau) and even in his old, and supposedly wiser age couldn't even make peace with Dwight Howard. He's ending his career as king of an irrelevant team. Which is exactly what he deserves.

The Satanic Principle from Milton's Paradise Lost.

It's better to rule in Hell, then serve in Heaven.

Fits Kobe pretty well.

[RayTdropout]

KOBECENTER

[HemisfairArena]

http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/2817947/billbored.gif

[HarlemHeat37]

Definitely came after Madonna

:lol

[BatManu20]

Prepare for the Jeter-like ass-kissing that's about to take place the rest of the season.

[BatManu20]

Definitely came after Madonna

:lol

[BatManu20]

671209234386821120

[TE]

Never was a fan of his persona, character, or the selfish way he played the game. Kobe was however one of the most talented and fierce competitors to ever play, why lie. I always enjoyed the games between the Spurs and Lakers growing up. Shit man, we're talking about these games that began in the late 90's. Not gonna lie I got the feels when the announcement was on twitter. Part of my childhood growing up watching this beautiful game gone right there.

I can't imagine how it'll feel when one of the big three and/or Pop retire. It'll be 1,000,000,000,000x worse.

[BatManu20]

670430522305302528

[lilbthebasedgod]

People always feel the need to bring him down. I get that kiddies try to paint him as the second coming so its obvious there would be reactionaries, but he was pretty great back in the day.

[BatManu20]

Never was a fan of his persona, character, or the selfish way he played the game. Kobe was however one of the most talented and fierce competitors to ever play, why lie. I always enjoyed the games between the Spurs and Lakers growing up. Shit man, we're talking about these games that began in the late 90's. Not gonna lie I got the feels when the announcement was on twitter. Part of my childhood growing up watching this beautiful game gone right there.

I can't imagine how it'll feel when one of the big three and/or Pop retire. It'll be 1,000,000,000,000x worse.


There will be a dark cloud over the city of San Antonio for a long time, the likes of which hasn't been seen.

[jehawk81]

he really shat on the lakers the last 4 years,,,,

BOOM:lol:lol/thread

[cjw]

Let's see what all these teams give him as a parting gift.

Spurs should dress Bowen and let him guard Kobe. If not, matching Kawhi's minutes to his should suffice. Would love nothing more than an 0-for shooting night.

[LarryDavid]

Attention seeker, pre-Madonna...

Would you say Duncan is a post-Madonna?

[cd98]

No lead ever felt large enough when he was on the other team. It was scarey what he could do in his prime.

[ajh18]

I would pay good money to have gotten to see Kawhi guard prime Kobe. I don't think anyone Kobe faced in his career had the combination of gifts Leonard does (not even Artest or Bowen in their primes), and I don't think Kawhi has ever faced someone as gifted offensively as prime Kobe was.

Another fun one would have been Kawhi against prime Manu. Although then one would have to be on another team, which isn't cool...

[Mugen]

:lol fat losers crawling into this sub kissing his ass now....you were probably the stumpy niggas wearing his jersey in the SBC Center during the Shaq/Pau coattailing days.

Hopefully you guys can attend his last games in SA when Kawhi makes this nigga retire 2 months early tbh.

[Fireball]

Glad he is gone ... his battles with George Hill were epic though

[daslicer]

Never liked him or respected him. Will never forget him disrespecting Duncan when he won those two mvps by saying they should have been his. He ran his mouth '02 about Tim winning the MVP and then the same in '03. That's was part of the reason why winning in '03 was too sweet just to see him in tears. I will give him this easily the most hate able player in NBA history. There is no player I have enjoyed seeing lose more than Kobe so I will say Kobe you were the greatest NBA villain of all time.

[BatManu20]

671235609009111040

[pookenstein]

I would have loved for him to drag the Lakers franchise down a few more years. Hope he puts a few good games together at the end of the season and decides to cash in the 24M next year.

[boutons_deux]

so now he's on his look-at-me Farewell Tour?

[Fireball]

so now he's on his look-at-me-shooting-bricks Farewell Tour?

fixed

[MilesTeg]

GOAT attention whore. In terms of basketball though, he barely cracks the top 10 of his own contemporaries (I'd take Duncan, Dirk, Lebron, Durant, Curry, Nash, Garnett over him... can you imagine what any of them would've accomplished paired with Shaq? Oh and Shaq too of course).

[BillMc]

GOAT attention whore. In terms of basketball though, he barely cracks the top 10 of his own contemporaries (I'd take Duncan, Dirk, Lebron, Durant, Curry, Nash, Garnett over him... can you imagine what any of them would've accomplished paired with Shaq? Oh and Shaq too of course).


so now he's on his look-at-me Farewell Tour?


Never liked him or respected him. Will never forget him disrespecting Duncan when he won those two mvps by saying they should have been his. He ran his mouth '02 about Tim winning the MVP and then the same in '03. That's was part of the reason why winning in '03 was too sweet just to see him in tears. I will give him this easily the most hate able player in NBA history. There is no player I have enjoyed seeing lose more than Kobe so I will say Kobe you were the greatest NBA villain of all time.

These.

[BillMc]

670430522305302528

Kind of surprise Bird and Oscar aren't on this list.

[Mel_13]

Kind of surprise Bird and Oscar aren't on this list.

Well, that guy is a troll and always has some axe to grind. Basketball reference doesn't track individual game assist and rebound totals before 1985. Even so, Bird had 76 such games and Magic had 35 in the second halves of their careers. Oscar, Kareem, and Wilt all had multiple seasons where they averaged those numbers.

[Bender]

But seeing a game the other day when Kobe was playing - man, it was painful to watch. Say hat you want about him, but e gave this game everything he had. Now, it looks like the New Jersey Generals whenever the Lakers play. Dude is iconic for NBA basketball, and right now looks like Muhammad Ali in the early stages of Parkinson's Disease boxing Larry Holmes. Yeah, THAT bad.
I usually don't watch any non-Spurs NBA games, but I watched part of the GS/Lakers game maybe a week or so ago, mostly because I wanted to see how the Warriors play. Kobe was unbelievably bad, I could not believe it.

[BillMc]

Well, that guy is a troll and always has some axe to grind. Basketball reference doesn't track individual game assist and rebound totals before 1985. Even so, Bird had 76 such games and Magic had 35 in the second halves of their careers. Oscar, Kareem, and Wilt all had multiple seasons where they averaged those numbers.

Cheers!:toast Thanks for alerting me to the errors and troll-isms. I try not to follow the later, so never know who is on the up-and-up.

[Obstructed_View]

Second-best second banana of all time? Greatest volume chucker of all time? Longest-tenured team cancer of all time? What Allen Iverson would have been if he were six inches taller and didn't make his teammates better? Lucky to have played in a town where style beats substance?

Seriously, there will never be another player like Kobe, mainly because he's the only person who ever practiced fallaway 28-foot shots with a defender in his face.

I'll miss Kobe going 5-18 for a game and Sportcenter showing all five makes in the highlights.

[BillMc]

Kobe going 5-18 for a game and Sportcenter showing all five makes in the highlights.

This is the essence of the Kobe myth.

[Mr Bones]

Kobe is in many ways the stereotypical representation of what a lot of people think American athletics has become (fairly or not).

Supremely talented and athletic. Arrogant and self-promoting (remember his rap album??). Consumed by materialism and making money. A winner. A bad teammate. Scandal-ridden (particularly when the scandal involves sexual violence). Big city, bright lights, takes a helicopter to work. Traditional "alpha competitor."


It's one of the reasons I love Tim Duncan and other members of the Spurs, past and present. They are so much of what athletics could be, and for me, should be.

:bobo In the first finals match up with Miami, someone asked D Wade after a game if Kawhi ever talked trash on the court. Wade answered, "Talk trash? No, he doesn't talk at all. I don't even know what his voice sounds like."

[Mel_13]

The Nets, Knicks, Heat, Magic, and Mavs are the lucky winners here. Kobe has already played his last game in their arenas. The other 24 teams have to participate in the Kobe Farewell Tour and endure the horde of Kobestans in their buildings.

[tmtcsc]

I just heard parts of Kobe's post game press conference. "I'm at peace with my decision. I just don't want to do this anymore." Don't want to do what? Embarrass yourself? Go through the week listening to people tell you to give it up? When you play like shit and can't help yourself from being a total dog on the court, it's time to hang it up.

He couldn't bring himself to just say "I CAN'T do this anymore". It didn't take meditation or soul searching, it took about 5 games to realize he wasn't worthy of playing in the D-League. Man up, admit the years of wear and tear have taken their toll and step aside. The rings and stats will speak for themselves. Having to listen to that drivel and the nonsense that is to come on ESPN is tiresome.

[Mr.Bottomtooth]

:cry:cry:cry GOAT

[bigfan]

I've got nothing against the guy, he was fun to watch and was one of the greats. He also ruined the Lakers with his prima donna attitude (and that's a good thing since I'm a Spurs fan.)

[SpursforSix]

I've got nothing against the guy, he was fun to watch and was one of the greats. He also ruined the Lakers with his prima donna attitude (and that's a good thing since I'm a Spurs fan.)

I guess from the standpoint of hating a rival, he was a good foil. Those Laker/Spurs matchups were so good.

Amazing though how my friends that are Laker fans once were so high on Kobe. And now almost all of them can't stand the guy.

[Cane]

I love how Nashty the Lakers have been

[Othyus Lalanne]

I would have loved for him to drag the Lakers franchise down a few more years. Hope he puts a few good games together at the end of the season and decides to cash in the 24M next year.

I think he realized the fans might turn on him.

[NameLess Scrub]

I think it's fair that he gets some farewell. He's an all time player, talent and success wise.

With that said, always disliked the guy, as most people here.

If he and the team really wanted to keep winning, they should have managed that salary better.
He should've been a better teammate, specially when his stardom stopped being enough to go and play with him.
He also should've taken better care of his body. Playing with an injured ankle until unable to walk at ~34 years old is not a good idea.

[ceperez]

A great player in his prime. All timer. A little sad to see the villain go away. ...a world without the joker, captain hook.

I agree.

[houston spurs fan]

Kobe's narcissistic quest to be the man was one of the greatest things to happen to the Spurs. He drove Shaq out, then we won titles. They may have won six in a row if they had stuck together. Similar to Jordan leaving to play baseball...For this alone we should applaud Kobe.

[Obstructed_View]

"I'm at peace with my decision. I just don't want to do this anymore." Don't want to do what?

Not be the center of attention.

[NameLess Scrub]

This.

Who is the villain of the NBA now? Lebron? Hating on him has gotten stale,plus he's a really great teammate.

Howard? Meh.

Harden. .not really enticing.

Everyone loves the Warriors so you can't paint them in a negative light.

It may be awhile before the league finds another player as polarizing as Kobe.

He can enjoy his farewell tour. All controversy aside,I fully expect him to get deserving ovations in every city he plays in for the final time.

Even here.


For me Lebron has been the villain over Kobe for a while.
Absolutely loved the Magic in '09, Mavs in '11, and Spurs in '14.
Hated '12, but mostly '13.

It might be getting old, like in any case.. maybe more because he has lost 2 consecutive Finals.. but he's still up there.

[BatManu20]

671380980406419457

[r0drig0lac]

Kobe is a legend

[Obstructed_View]

Kobe is a legend

Like Paul Bunyan.

[lefty]

:lol fat losers crawling into this sub kissing his ass now....you were probably the stumpy niggas wearing his jersey in the SBC Center during the Shaq/Pau coattailing days.

Hopefully you guys can attend his last games in SA when Kawhi makes this nigga retire 2 months early tbh.

[lefty]

Kobe is a legend
that's because he wasn't real

[Seventyniner]

There will be a dark cloud over the city of San Antonio for a long time, the likes of which hasn't been seen.

Nah. Tim/Tony/Manu (yes, even Tony) are unselfish enough to pass the torch along and take a secondary role while the team keeps kicking ass.

[bic50]

Kobe has barely even played the last 3 seasons, so it won't make a huge difference once he retires anyway. But he used to kick our ass though. Made for some great moments.

[ribcage6foot6]

Lower the casket and shovel the dirt.

[pgardn]

So Kobe decides to take center stage for this crappy team now without even realizing he has played a major role in making the Lakers crappy.

Its just pitiful.

"I have no more to give.... My body won't allow me to get up 30 shots a game."

The sacrifice, the pain and misery.

[Ice009]

Kobe's narcissistic quest to be the man was one of the greatest things to happen to the Spurs. He drove Shaq out, then we won titles. They may have won six in a row if they had stuck together. Similar to Jordan leaving to play baseball...For this alone we should applaud Kobe.

Huh? How could they have won 6 in a row? Spurs beat them in 2003 and Pistons beat them in 2004. Are you saying they could have won 6 in a row after that? If so, that is delusional.

[whitemamba]

Kobe single handedly stopped the Spurs of getting a few more rings. That feels good.

[skulls138]

Kobe single handedly stopped the Spurs of getting a few more rings. That feels good.Mmmm, ever hear of Shaquille O'Neal? How bout Phil Jackson, ever hear of Phil Jackson?

[DieHardSpursFan1537]

No doubt he's a pre-Madonna, whiner, and bitchy player. However, still one of the best of all time. This season will just be a farewell tour with exquisite gifts and ass-kissing. Nothing to see.

[whitemamba]

Mmmm, ever hear of Shaquille O'Neal? How bout Phil Jackson, ever hear of Phil Jackson?

Phil Jackson suited up with Kobe and they ran pick a roll together , how could I forget ??

[DMC]

What an attention seeker we all knew he was going to retire after the year most selfish basketball player ever trying to get as much attention as he can get before he retires. he was good I'll give him his props but he was always just A wannabe Jordan
I think if you start a few threads about him that will show everyone that Kobe didn't get the attention he was seeking.

[DMC]

Kobe single handedly stopped the Spurs of getting a few more rings. That feels good.
Why does it feel good? Do you get a ring?

[Russo21]

And here is one of the biggest differences between 2 of the most talented and successful players of their generation, and of all time. Both have 5 rings, Duncan has 2 MVP’s and 3 Finals MVPS, Kobe has 1 MVP and 2 finals MVP’s. The accolades for the two of them go on forever.

Just one month into the season Kobe has announced he is retiring at years end and there will be an entire season circus farewelling Kobe Bryant. He’ll probably be honoured and get standing ovations in every arena he plays in for the last time, take his 30 shots per game and he and the media will soak up every second of it.

Tim Duncan would never announce a retirement this early into a season and have a farewell tour throughout the country. He’s not like that, he wouldn’t want that, in fact he’d probably hate it. This could also be the great Tim Duncan’s final season. But there will be no early announcement, no farewell tour, no media circus following him around. The difference is Tim’s team is competing for a Championship and not competing for the lottery.

Whether it be the end of this season, or next (hopefully never) there will be a time when the Godfather of today’s NBA will hang ‘em up and happily sail off into the sunset. No farewell tour, no media circus, one day he will just be gone. As a Spur fan I miss him already knowing this could be his last year or second last year, whatever, you know it is on the horizon and there will be no swan song and season long circus about it. He may rock up to training camp next year, he may not, who knows. It’ll be a quiet, dignified retirement and not a circus (like Jordan multiple times, shaq playing for half the teams in the NBA his last years, and Kobe’s early announcement) And the NBA will never be the same without him. Spurs fans know that, unfortunately the rest of the NBA won’t realize it until he’s gone.

[Spurtacular]

Kobe is in many ways the stereotypical representation of what a lot of people think American athletics has become (fairly or not).

Supremely talented and athletic. Arrogant and self-promoting (remember his rap album??). Consumed by materialism and making money. A winner. A bad teammate. Scandal-ridden (particularly when the scandal involves sexual violence). Big city, bright lights, takes a helicopter to work. Traditional "alpha competitor."

It's one of the reasons I love Tim Duncan and other members of the Spurs, past and present. They are so much of what athletics could be, and for me, should be.

Good write-up.

As good as Kobe was; he was over-hyped as well. He was never gonna be in the discussion for GOAT. But that didn't suit the media's need for a star, I guess. Sad part is that plenty of idiots bought into that all.

[whitemamba]

Why does it feel good? Do you get a ring?
yes

[Obstructed_View]

Kobe single handedly stopped the Spurs of getting a few more rings. That feels good.

There's only one team that Kobe singlehandedly stopped from getting more rings, and it ain't in Texas. :lmao

[whitemamba]

There's only one team that Kobe singlehandedly stopped from getting more rings, and it ain't in Texas. :lmao

2:lol:lol8

[RayTdropout]

for someone who is always on espn.com nba.com watching ESPN this is going to be hard to take there is so much Kobe dEik sucking going on right now and it's just beginning

[RayTdropout]

please San Antonio wHen kobe is in town on the 11th no Kobe chants. he's not one of our own. Hes an la feg.

[ajh18]

Watching the Kobe interview on TNT right now. So indicative of the core problems that Kobe had throughout his career.

Asked who the greatest competitors he ever faced were, he said Jordan and Iverson. Now don't get me wrong, both WERE great competitors... but they viewed competition the same way Kobe does. It was about winning, but only AS the star. Neither could ever put their ego aside.

In the very next breath, Kobe started talking about how knowing "how to relate to others" is the most important skill a player can have. But he doesn't get - and never has - how those two outlooks on life are in many ways contradictory. You can't TRULY relate to your teammates, as least fully, unless you're willing to acknowledge that they may have to be the main scorer/rebounder/star on the team at times. And Kobe, Iverson, and even Jordan never had that ability.