So Shaqs Jersey is going up in Staples

[Giuseppe]

I got nothin' against Daddy.

Kobe vanquished him. That's all I wanted for Kobe. Made me no diff.

[NewcastleKEG]

I got nothin' against Daddy.

Kobe vanquished him. That's all I wanted for Kobe. Made me no diff.

LOL @ robin vanquishing batman

[Giuseppe]

LOL @ robin vanquishing batman

I don't qualify 'em. I just tote up the cyphers:::

Kobe: 2

Daddy: 1|for eternity

[BlackSwordsMan]

Daddy has 3
Kobe has 2
tee, hee forever more

[Giuseppe]

Daddy has 3
Kobe has 2
tee, hee forever more

No.

Kobe: 5

Daddy: 4|for eternity

[BlackSwordsMan]

Wrong again my thick headed chap.

Kobe : 5
MJ: 6
Bets unpaid : 1 -- ChrisRichards, teehee.

[TheMACHINE]

We had a summer long of whining about management and talking about getting traded...

First, Bryant said on 1050 ESPN Radio in New York: "I would like to be traded, yeah. Tough as it is to come to that conclusion there's no other alternative, you know?"

"[The Lakers] obviously want to move in a different direction in terms of rebuilding," Bryant said, adding he could have opted to sign with the Los Angeles Clippers or Chicago Bulls instead. "Three years ago when I was re-signing they should have told me they wanted to rebuild."

Speaking at 8:27 p.m. ET, according to the Times, he said: "Nothing's changed. It's just a matter of I don't want to go no place else. I don't have much of a choice. When things like this go down, you just sit back. What can I do? It's like a broken record."

The Times asked Bryant if he still wanted to be traded.

"Yes," he said.

"They said nothing to me about a long-term plan. Absolutely nothing," Bryant said. "They told [Lakers coach] Phil [Jackson] one thing and they told me another. Actions speak louder than words."

Lakerfan has short memory...

And where in there does he talk ?

[Venti Quattro]

And where in there does he talk ?

Maybe nono thought that andrew bynum was the franchise, so talking about him meant talking about the Lakers...

[ElNono]

And where in there does he talk ?

crofl, really?

"They said nothing to me about a long-term plan. Absolutely nothing," Bryant said. "They told [Lakers coach] Phil [Jackson] one thing and they told me another. Actions speak louder than words."

That's not talking ? lol

that , Machine...

Maybe nono thought that andrew bynum was the franchise, so talking about him meant talking about the Lakers...

Meh, no. Notice how I conveniently didn't mention talking about teammates. As somebody else already pointed out, Magic got his coach fired, and that didn't (and shouldn't) matter as far as having your jersey retired.

[Venti Quattro]

Kobe didn't get anyone fired. If anything, he lit a fire under the whole team. The bench was stellar that year (lol sasha's contract year), and Mitch worked his ass to land Pau Gasol.

[ElNono]

Kobe didn't get anyone fired. If anything, he lit a fire under the whole team. The bench was stellar that year (lol sasha's contract year), and Mitch worked his ass to land Pau Gasol.

It was all about talking to get Mitch to do . I still remember the media throwing Mitch under the bus until he pulled the great Gasol. After that, Wilbon and co couldn't stop fellating him.

[crc21209]

i dont like it...

Although i remember the 3 championships he gave us, Ill also remember Shaq...for dissing Dr. Buss...for clowning the Lakers fans....for talking trash about the Lakers and Kobe....for joining our most hated rival, the Celtics, to specifically match up against the Lakers. I'm not as forgiving as you guys. Imo, to be up in the rafters, you need to be a true, respectful "Lakers" player....and Shaq isn't one.

Lakers Front Office are pussies.

If you don't think Shaq's jersey should be up there then go take down the 3 championship banners he won for the Lakers....

[024]

i don't think any gm in the NBA would pass up trading kwame for gasol. lol at kobe lighting a fire under mitch.

[TheMACHINE]

crofl, really?

"They said nothing to me about a long-term plan. Absolutely nothing," Bryant said. "They told [Lakers coach] Phil [Jackson] one thing and they told me another. Actions speak louder than words."

That's not talking ? lol

that , Machine...

Thats it? LOL...you are comparing THAT to what Shaq has said in the past 7 years?

[TheMACHINE]

If you don't think Shaq's jersey should be up there then go take down the 3 championship banners he won for the Lakers....

lol thinking championships are the only reasons why someone should be on the rafters.

[NewcastleKEG]

Kobe didn't get anyone fired. If anything, he lit a fire under the whole team. The bench was stellar that year (lol sasha's contract year), and Mitch worked his ass to land Pau Gasol.

He showed he wouldn't coexist with Shaq in the Detroit series. He was willing to shoot LA out of it instead of having O'neal get another MVP

[Giuseppe]

He showed he wouldn't coexist with Shaq in the Detroit series.

& he was proven right. Bryant went on to win 2 NBA les after the divorce. Daddy only 1.

[NewcastleKEG]

& he was proven right. Bryant went on to win 2 NBA les after the divorce. Daddy only 1.

They would have won atleast 2 together. It's why I don't understand why Laker fans get bitter at Phil's feelings towards Kobe. In Phil's perspective he didn't nor should he care about Kobe's legacy. He'll never view Kobe in the same light since he cost him 2 les (04 & 08) AND who knows how many if he accepted Pippen role for another 2 seasons

[Thompson]

So does Kareem's jersey get yanked because he ed about a statue?

They should have Shaq and Kareem unveil the new statues on the same day; Shaq pulls the drape off of his statue and Kareem pulls the drape off of Horry's. Kareem's expression would be priceless.

[TheManFromAcme]

old wounds for me as a die hard fan
I hated to see Shaq go

how do you "not" retire his number?

controversial dude, no doubt, but he was still the foundation to those championships. when the Lakers picked him up, Shaq was the centerpiece of the franchise. nobody else.

glad to see #34 back home where he belongs.
When I think back to all that joy and how great it felt to get that 3-peat, yeah,....i forget about all the other stuff.

[Giuseppe]

They would have won atleast 2 together. It's why I don't understand why Laker fans get bitter at Phil's feelings towards Kobe. In Phil's perspective he didn't nor should he care about Kobe's legacy. He'll never view Kobe in the same light since he cost him 2 les (04 & 08) AND who knows how many if he accepted Pippen role for another 2 seasons

& once again Kobe was proven right. It was Phil who came back, hat-in-hand, beggin' for his job back. & Kobe signed off on his return, quietly, unobtrusively. It was very gracious of Kobe. Phil learned his lessons there. Kobe the teacher.

[hater]

the 2000-2002 3 peat is 80% or more thanks to Shaq. It's the least they could do.

[ElNono]

Thats it? LOL...you are comparing THAT to what Shaq has said in the past 7 years?

He wasn't in the team by then... They ed kicked him out of the backdoor, what do you think he would say?

Thanks for the memories

[ambchang]

And where in there does he talk ?

Here: http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2909549

[ambchang]

Kobe didn't get anyone fired. If anything, he lit a fire under the whole team. The bench was stellar that year (lol sasha's contract year), and Mitch worked his ass to land Pau Gasol.

You mean Jerry West worked his ass to land Pau Gasol. But then, why does it matter? Gasol is this soft euro who can't ball. Kobe won despite him, n'est pas?