Rummpd
12-02-2004, 07:14 PM
Kobe shows he's no Michael
December 2, 2004
BY GREG COUCH SUN-TIMES COLUMNIST
Kobe Bryant made a three-pointer, and held his fingers to his lips. Shhh, he was telling Bulls fans at the United Center, mocking them. Bryant was taking over the game Wednesday night for the Lakers. He was going to come back, shut up the crowd and beat the Bulls all by himself, the way he likes it. In trouble, his teammates had asked him to do it, he said.
"I responded,'' Bryant said. "I got it back to a two-point game. Just couldn't close it off.''
What? He responded, but couldn't what? The Bulls beat the Lakers 92-84, and Bryant did have 28 points. But if Michael Jordan had been in Bryant's shoes, he would have won the game. And if he didn't, he wouldn't have said he responded, but couldn't close it off. In MJ speak, responding meant closing it off.
Bryant has always walked like a Jordan, talked like a Jordan, flown like a Jordan.
But he ain't Jordan. Truth is, Kobe isn't even Kobe anymore. He's some unlikable guy who scores points on a non-descript team.
"I'll take the criticism and whatever for losses,'' he said. "I want my teammates relaxed and able to play freely.''
Teammates? It's "supporting cast,'' Kobe. Supporting cast!
You should have heard the reaction from the upper deck when they introduced him. Actually, you couldn't have heard it because the deck was half-empty. The boos must have been coming from below. They weren't the passionate boos for an arch enemy, but rather the kind from fans doing it out of duty.
Usually, when we point out open seats or unhappy fans at Bulls games, it is a condemnation of the local dynasty lost. This disinterest was pointed directly at Bryant, a superstar who threw himself away. It's not even an event when he's here anymore.
Well, this is what he always wanted, a team to call his own. And by that, I mean a team with no one stealing his light. It's his ball, his game and he sent everyone else home. He won a power play over Shaquille O'Neal and Phil Jackson, and now he leads the league in scoring.
And the Lakers are 9-7. With a loss to the Bulls.
"It's not the end of the world,'' said Lakers coach Rudy Tomjanovich, Jackson's replacement.
In Lamar Odom, Bryant has his Scottie Pippen. He has his supporting cast. Now, it's time to see if he is who he thinks he is.
"He has wanted to be in this situation and he has prepared himself for it,'' said Laker Brian Cook, the former Illini player. "He's working with us more than he used to, just being more involved with all he guys. Hanging out with the guys more.
"He's been a great leader. Now we're start to mesh.''
What a strange thing to hear the Lakers talk about starting to mesh. Bryant has thrown this thing away all by himself, through selfishness and paranoia.
Obsessed with himself
Excerpts from Jackson's new book ran in SI.com recently, and showed Bryant's obsession with himself and with Shaq. Jackson pinned their feud on Bryant.
Jackson wrote that Kobe didn't return his calls after a woman in Colorado accused Bryant of rape. Eventually, charges were dropped, but Bryant spent last season playing under the pressure of the charges and notoriety. The Lakers decided to pay for Bryant's private flights to Colorado for his court dates, but, Jackson wrote, "Kobe was unhappy with the type of plane that was selected; he wanted one with higher status.''
When Bryant finally did talk to Jackson, he said "I'm not going to take any [deleted] from Shaq this year. If he starts saying things in the press, I'll fire back. I'm not afraid to go up against him. I've had it.''
Eventually, Jackson knew he couldn't coach Bryant anymore, and Bryant said he wouldn't play with Shaq anymore.
Back to ground zero
Bryant has to prove himself all over again. He has to figure out how to include teammates, though he's shooting way too much now. He has to figure out how to get his supporting cast playing hard, and not letting them loaf, as they did against the Bulls.
If he can do it, he is who he thinks he is. If not, it's because Shaq isn't there.
My money's on the second one.
We used to wonder which one made the Lakers go, Shaq or Kobe. Truth is, it was two great players coming together and producing more than they could have separately. Foreign in today's sportsworld, it's called teamwork. And at that level, teamwork was magic.
In the final two minutes, Bryant missed a three-pointer, and then committed an over-and-back violation, giving the Bulls the ball and the win.
He couldn't close it off. But at least he responded.
Letters to our sports columnists appear Sunday. Send e-mail to [email protected]. Include your full name, hometown and a daytime phone number.
http://www.suntimes.com/output/couch/cst-spt-greg021.html
Let this speak for itself. As hard as I have been on Kobe/Lakers, this one may have been overboard for a eclectic force in the league still = thoughts?
MadDoc :smokin
December 2, 2004
BY GREG COUCH SUN-TIMES COLUMNIST
Kobe Bryant made a three-pointer, and held his fingers to his lips. Shhh, he was telling Bulls fans at the United Center, mocking them. Bryant was taking over the game Wednesday night for the Lakers. He was going to come back, shut up the crowd and beat the Bulls all by himself, the way he likes it. In trouble, his teammates had asked him to do it, he said.
"I responded,'' Bryant said. "I got it back to a two-point game. Just couldn't close it off.''
What? He responded, but couldn't what? The Bulls beat the Lakers 92-84, and Bryant did have 28 points. But if Michael Jordan had been in Bryant's shoes, he would have won the game. And if he didn't, he wouldn't have said he responded, but couldn't close it off. In MJ speak, responding meant closing it off.
Bryant has always walked like a Jordan, talked like a Jordan, flown like a Jordan.
But he ain't Jordan. Truth is, Kobe isn't even Kobe anymore. He's some unlikable guy who scores points on a non-descript team.
"I'll take the criticism and whatever for losses,'' he said. "I want my teammates relaxed and able to play freely.''
Teammates? It's "supporting cast,'' Kobe. Supporting cast!
You should have heard the reaction from the upper deck when they introduced him. Actually, you couldn't have heard it because the deck was half-empty. The boos must have been coming from below. They weren't the passionate boos for an arch enemy, but rather the kind from fans doing it out of duty.
Usually, when we point out open seats or unhappy fans at Bulls games, it is a condemnation of the local dynasty lost. This disinterest was pointed directly at Bryant, a superstar who threw himself away. It's not even an event when he's here anymore.
Well, this is what he always wanted, a team to call his own. And by that, I mean a team with no one stealing his light. It's his ball, his game and he sent everyone else home. He won a power play over Shaquille O'Neal and Phil Jackson, and now he leads the league in scoring.
And the Lakers are 9-7. With a loss to the Bulls.
"It's not the end of the world,'' said Lakers coach Rudy Tomjanovich, Jackson's replacement.
In Lamar Odom, Bryant has his Scottie Pippen. He has his supporting cast. Now, it's time to see if he is who he thinks he is.
"He has wanted to be in this situation and he has prepared himself for it,'' said Laker Brian Cook, the former Illini player. "He's working with us more than he used to, just being more involved with all he guys. Hanging out with the guys more.
"He's been a great leader. Now we're start to mesh.''
What a strange thing to hear the Lakers talk about starting to mesh. Bryant has thrown this thing away all by himself, through selfishness and paranoia.
Obsessed with himself
Excerpts from Jackson's new book ran in SI.com recently, and showed Bryant's obsession with himself and with Shaq. Jackson pinned their feud on Bryant.
Jackson wrote that Kobe didn't return his calls after a woman in Colorado accused Bryant of rape. Eventually, charges were dropped, but Bryant spent last season playing under the pressure of the charges and notoriety. The Lakers decided to pay for Bryant's private flights to Colorado for his court dates, but, Jackson wrote, "Kobe was unhappy with the type of plane that was selected; he wanted one with higher status.''
When Bryant finally did talk to Jackson, he said "I'm not going to take any [deleted] from Shaq this year. If he starts saying things in the press, I'll fire back. I'm not afraid to go up against him. I've had it.''
Eventually, Jackson knew he couldn't coach Bryant anymore, and Bryant said he wouldn't play with Shaq anymore.
Back to ground zero
Bryant has to prove himself all over again. He has to figure out how to include teammates, though he's shooting way too much now. He has to figure out how to get his supporting cast playing hard, and not letting them loaf, as they did against the Bulls.
If he can do it, he is who he thinks he is. If not, it's because Shaq isn't there.
My money's on the second one.
We used to wonder which one made the Lakers go, Shaq or Kobe. Truth is, it was two great players coming together and producing more than they could have separately. Foreign in today's sportsworld, it's called teamwork. And at that level, teamwork was magic.
In the final two minutes, Bryant missed a three-pointer, and then committed an over-and-back violation, giving the Bulls the ball and the win.
He couldn't close it off. But at least he responded.
Letters to our sports columnists appear Sunday. Send e-mail to [email protected]. Include your full name, hometown and a daytime phone number.
http://www.suntimes.com/output/couch/cst-spt-greg021.html
Let this speak for itself. As hard as I have been on Kobe/Lakers, this one may have been overboard for a eclectic force in the league still = thoughts?
MadDoc :smokin