Wade: Kobe won't win title without Shaq

[Mr.Bottomtooth]

Kobe won't win title without Shaq
By Larry Wade • June 15, 2008

Kobe Bryant desperately feels the need to win an NBA championship without Shaquille O’Neal.

The following comments were made in 2004 by then-Seattle Sonics guard Ray Allen, now a member of the Boston Celtics, after O’Neal signed with the Miami Heat.

“He’s going to be very selfish,” Allen said of Bryant. “And he feels like he needs to show this league and the people in this country that he is better without Shaq; (That) he can win championships without Shaq.”

The Los Angeles Lakers won’t win the title this year; they’ve dug themselves too deep a hole. And they won’t win it in the future, either – as long as Bryant is their main attraction.

Bryant simply isn’t good enough to carry a team without another bona fide superstar, and he hardly endears himself to his teammates.

One-man shows rarely play long enough to make it to the NBA Finals. And when they do…well, just recall the Cleveland Cavaliers’ cameo appearance last season.

The San Antonio Spurs, Miami Heat, Lakers (with Shaq) and Detroit Pistons and Chicago Bulls account for the last 10 NBA titles. Not a one-man team among them.

And when is the last time you heard one of Bryant’s teammates talk about winning one (or another one) for Kobe?

Publicly, Bryant’s teammates say all of the right things. And they WANT to win, but he NEEDS to.

Bryant’s teammates haven’t forgotten how he demanded a trade before the season, or how he publicly suggested the Lakers trade teammate Andrew Bynum.

Bryant isn’t afraid to point fingers at his teammates.

“I know at times Michael (Jordan) got on his teammates, too, and that’s what all the great ones do.” said Boston Celtics head coach Doc Rivers. “But when they do it and things don’t work, they’re usually the guy criticized for it.”

And Bryant is sure to hear it from a legion of critics soon after the Lakers go up in flames.

Before the season, Bryant’s teammates weren’t good enough for him; he wanted no part of them. Now, he has “all of the confidence in the world” in essentially the same group of players.

Please.

Players have long memories, and word quickly spreads around the league.

These Lakers have gotten as far as they have because they were the best team in the Western Conference. But they won’t win a championship anytime soon because Bryant isn’t good enough to carry a team by himself.

And his teammates resent how he treats them, which will make it difficult for the Lakers to attract the kind of player Bryant needs to help put him over the top.

What superstar is going to put up with Kobe’s whining and criticism?

Bryant won three NBA championship rings with O’Neal. He’d better enjoy them.

http://www.shreveporttimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080615/SPORTS04/80614019/1001/SPORTS

[Deuces88]

O'Neal won those 3 rings. Kobe just happened to be there at the time.

[O-Factor]

When I read the title I immediately thought Dwayne Wade had said "Kobe won't win a title without Shaq :lol

I thought, "neither will you Dwayne"

[O-Factor]

O'Neal won those 3 rings. Kobe just happened to be there at the time.

Kobe was a good role player for those teams.

[Deuces88]

When I read the title I immediately thought Dwayne Wade had said "Kobe won't win a title without Shaq :lol

I thought, "neither will you Dwayne"

You know, in the finals, Shaq was lacking and Wade basically put them on his back. Oh God, I've lit a match. Here comes the "Wade had ref's help" posts.

[lurker]

I thought you meant D Wade, too. It would've been funnier that way.

[O-Factor]

You know, in the finals, Shaq was lacking and Wade basically put them on his back. Oh God, I've lit a match. Here comes the "Wade had ref's help" posts.

Lol, yeah, you're right It was Shaq who was the role player on that team. Wade couldn't miss a bucket it seemed like in that series.

[DazedAndConfused]

Kobe may not win another title with Shaq, but he will certainly win one with Bynum. Get your cheap shots in now because you know the Lakeshow isn't going anywhere for the next 5 years.

The Spurs OTOH are due for a gradual decline into mediocrity and we all know it. No Scola, no Splitter, no backup PG, no draft picks, no FA wants to come to SA, only D-League talent being brought in next year, Manu/Duncan getting old, it's over.

[tlongII]

Kobe may not win another title with Shaq, but he will certainly win one with Bynum. Get your cheap shots in now because you know the Lakeshow isn't going anywhere for the next 5 years.

The Spurs OTOH are due for a gradual decline into mediocrity and we all know it. No Scola, no Splitter, no backup PG, no draft picks, no FA wants to come to SA, only D-League talent being brought in next year, Manu/Duncan getting old, it's over.

The Lakers aren't winning shit! It's all about the Blazers baby!

[Deuces88]

The Spurs lost to a game 4 fix. Furthermore, the players who were a detriment to the Spurs were the role players (mainly Horry, Finley, and Vaughn). They can be easily replaced. Parker is still young. Ginobili (if he gets back on the consistent highway) is still there and Duncan's play-style means he's not going to be withered by age until late 30s. Fundamentals and defense win games, not high jumping.

[Harry Callahan]

Kobe may not win another title with Shaq, but he will certainly win one with Bynum. Get your cheap shots in now because you know the Lakeshow isn't going anywhere for the next 5 years.

The Spurs OTOH are due for a gradual decline into mediocrity and we all know it. No Scola, no Splitter, no backup PG, no draft picks, no FA wants to come to SA, only D-League talent being brought in next year, Manu/Duncan getting old, it's over.

I saw this same comment somewhere else. You are repeating yourself now. Do you have a life outside of this ST board? Are you a shut in? Do you need mental health care? We would all be so sad if you did something drastic to yourself and you deprived us all of your immense basketball IQ :lol

[BlackSwordsMan]

I was like damnnnnnnnn dywane wade talking shit

[Lakers08Champs]

I garunteed the lakers will win a title before the spurs will.





and the BLAZERS??? hahah puh-leeessss :lol

[BlackSwordsMan]

I garunteed the lakers will win a title before the spurs will.





and the BLAZERS??? hahah puh-leeessss :lol
not this year

[Supergirl]

I garunteed the lakers will win a title before the spurs will.





and the BLAZERS??? hahah puh-leeessss :lol

Uh...what does this comment mean? The Spurs have won more recently than the Lakers. Lakers haven't won since 2002, and the Spurs have won 3 titles since then.

I agree with Wade's comments in the original post: Kobe isn't good enough to win a championship without a quality big man to help him, and Gasol is living up to his soft reputation. Bynum may turn out to be a quality big man, or he may never fully recover from his knee surgery. Or he may fully recover but turn out to be a lot more mediocre than a lot of Laker fans expect of him.

Lakers and Spurs will both be two of the top teams in the West for the forseeable future, but I wouldn't say either one is any closer to a championship next year. Spurs were kept from repeating because of Manu's injuries and their bench not coming through, both will be corrected next year. Lakers won't win this year because they don't play defense well enough and they lack a quality big man. We'll see if either is corrected next year.

[J.T.]

Why do only Lakers fans seem to think that Andrew Bynum is Shaq in his prime, David Robinson, and Hakeem rolled into one? He's not even close.

[DazedAndConfused]

No, the Spurs bench will NOT be corrected next year. No Splitter, no Scola, no backup PG, they developed NO young talent this year, and their best prospect coming into training camp next season is a D-League player. They also gave up their draft pick this season to get Kurt Thomas. They are losing their entire bench this season due to retirement, and with that goes all the EXPERIENCE and mental toughness that make the Spurs who they are.

The writing is on the fucking wall. Duncan is headed for decline, Manu's body can barely hold up to an 82 game season and that won't change next year, and the rest of the WC is getting significantly better next season. Lakers, Rockets, and Hornets will all be MUCH better next season. You can't say the same for the Spurs unless they pull a rabbit out of the hat and pick up a markee FA player in the offseason that can contribute right now.

The Spurs are DONE. The Laker bench is incredibly young and getting better and their core players are all under 30. They are bringing in a legit 13/10/2 player to man the C spot and they have a huge $14 million dollar expiring K to play with in the summer to shore up the SF spot if they decide to move Odom. They are far and away in a better place than the Spurs and considering they spanked them 4-1 with the roster they have now it will only be that much worse next season.

Lakers, Rockets, Hornets, Jazz.....Blazers 2 years from now. That's it. That's your cream of the crop for the next 5 years.

[Mr.Bottomtooth]

They also gave up their draft pick this season to get Kurt Thomas.

ROFL how many times must people get that wrong?

[Red Hawk #21]

You know, in the finals, Shaq was lacking and Wade basically put them on his back. Oh God, I've lit a match. Here comes the "Wade had ref's help" posts.

Hey I guess there's nothing wrong with one man shooting more Ft's than an entire team :rolleyes

[lefty]

Kobe was a good role player for those teams.

:lol

[lefty]

The Lakers aren't winning shit! It's all about the Blazers baby!

:lmao

[MONTENEGRINO]

When I read the title I immediately thought Dwayne Wade had said "Kobe won't win a title without Shaq :lol

I thought, "neither will you Dwayne"

Hahahahahahaha Me too :king:lol

[pauls931]

LA also needs to remember they're in a conference with up and rising teams. NO may be waiting for them next year. Also a suns team with their heads out of their asses may also be waiting. Surely the Spurs will be around too. They seem to think they'll just walk to the finals again. The west is changing...

[angelbelow]

lol nice title.

[ManuTim_best of Fwiendz]

:lmao Larry Wade

[ElNono]

No, the Spurs bench will NOT be corrected next year. No Splitter, no Scola, no backup PG, they developed NO young talent this year, and their best prospect coming into training camp next season is a D-League player. They also gave up their draft pick this season to get Kurt Thomas. They are losing their entire bench this season due to retirement, and with that goes all the EXPERIENCE and mental toughness that make the Spurs who they are.

The writing is on the fucking wall. Duncan is headed for decline, Manu's body can barely hold up to an 82 game season and that won't change next year, and the rest of the WC is getting significantly better next season. Lakers, Rockets, and Hornets will all be MUCH better next season. You can't say the same for the Spurs unless they pull a rabbit out of the hat and pick up a markee FA player in the offseason that can contribute right now.

The Spurs are DONE. The Laker bench is incredibly young and getting better and their core players are all under 30. They are bringing in a legit 13/10/2 player to man the C spot and they have a huge $14 million dollar expiring K to play with in the summer to shore up the SF spot if they decide to move Odom. They are far and away in a better place than the Spurs and considering they spanked them 4-1 with the roster they have now it will only be that much worse next season.

Lakers, Rockets, Hornets, Jazz.....Blazers 2 years from now. That's it. That's your cream of the crop for the next 5 years.

Is this like 'Shaq owns Duncan mentally'? Or the 'Spurs are old and done' from 2006? We heard all the bullshit before... that's why comments like yours carry no weight whatsoever...
The Lakers? They might need one more hand from Stern to get a third star for nothing, since it seems that other than Kobe, everyone else is pissing their pants out there...

[Spurtacus]

When I read the title I immediately thought Dwayne Wade had said "Kobe won't win a title without Shaq :lol

I thought, "neither will you Dwayne"

I thought the same thing. Deceptive title! :lol

[Gino]

Lakers, Rockets, Hornets, Jazz.....Blazers 2 years from now. That's it. That's your cream of the crop for the next 5 years.

Hornets, yes. Blazers? Probably.

The Lakers are bigger question mark. We know Lamar Odom is as good as gone after next year.

I'd say the Lakers got one more really good shot to win it next year. After that, they'll be forced to rely too much on the Waltons, Radmans and GaSofts.

[ShoogarBear]

The only reason this article was interesting was because everyone thought it was D-Wade at first.

[Mr.Bottomtooth]

The only reason this article was interesting was because everyone thought it was D-Wade at first.

Just as I planned. :hat

[MateoNeygro]

No, the Spurs bench will NOT be corrected next year. No Splitter, no Scola, no backup PG, they developed NO young talent this year, and their best prospect coming into training camp next season is a D-League player. They also gave up their draft pick this season to get Kurt Thomas. They are losing their entire bench this season due to retirement, and with that goes all the EXPERIENCE and mental toughness that make the Spurs who they are.

The writing is on the fucking wall. Duncan is headed for decline, Manu's body can barely hold up to an 82 game season and that won't change next year, and the rest of the WC is getting significantly better next season. Lakers, Rockets, and Hornets will all be MUCH better next season. You can't say the same for the Spurs unless they pull a rabbit out of the hat and pick up a markee FA player in the offseason that can contribute right now.

The Spurs are DONE. The Laker bench is incredibly young and getting better and their core players are all under 30. They are bringing in a legit 13/10/2 player to man the C spot and they have a huge $14 million dollar expiring K to play with in the summer to shore up the SF spot if they decide to move Odom. They are far and away in a better place than the Spurs and considering they spanked them 4-1 with the roster they have now it will only be that much worse next season.

Lakers, Rockets, Hornets, Jazz.....Blazers 2 years from now. That's it. That's your cream of the crop for the next 5 years.

HAHAH YAH YOU WISH MAN, SPURS WILL BE JUST FINE THEY'VE YET TO MISS THE PLAYOFFS IN THE PAST DECADE, AND THEY'VE DONE IT WITH DIFFERENT ROLE PLAYERS. (Devin Brown, Malik Rose, Stephen Jackson, Michael Finley, Avery Johnson etc. etc.) They have a great front office and gm so suck a nut. and enjoy 2nd place. cause this-->:lobt2: belongs to Boston this year

[z0sa]

I garunteed the lakers will win a title before the spurs will.


they've won three since the lakers won theirs.

Try again.

[z0sa]

HAHAH YAH YOU WISH MAN, SPURS WILL BE JUST FINE THEY'VE YET TO MISS THE PLAYOFFS IN THE PAST DECADE, AND THEY'VE DONE IT WITH DIFFERENT ROLE PLAYERS. (Devin Brown, Malik Rose, Stephen Jackson, Michael Finley, Avery Johnson etc. etc.) They have a great front office and gm so suck a nut. and enjoy 2nd place. cause this-->:lobt2: belongs to Boston this year


Don't feed the troll, friend. It's his way of letting out all of the anger of seeing his Lakers choke away yet another NBA championship; hearing about the last championship squad in '02 being given an NBA Finals berth; and knowing deep down inside, the spurs should have waxed their asses had health not been a factor.

His incessant denial that the spurs will continue on at a championship winning pace only proves that he fears they will be healthy and retake the west.

[J21]

Kobe may not win another title with Shaq, but he will certainly win one with Bynum. Get your cheap shots in now because you know the Lakeshow isn't going anywhere for the next 5 years.

The Spurs OTOH are due for a gradual decline into mediocrity and we all know it. No Scola, no Splitter, no backup PG, no draft picks, no FA wants to come to SA, only D-League talent being brought in next year, Manu/Duncan getting old, it's over.
i thought this thread was about kobe, not the spurs.