Lakers: NBA's active leader in rings weighs in on his cold-blooded career

[Arnold Toht]

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/nba...#ixzz2hxNymnaU



Highlights:

"I have self-doubt," Bryant says. "I have insecurity. I have fear of failure. I have nights when I show up at the arena and I'm like, 'My back hurts, my feet hurt, my knees hurt. I don't have it. I just want to chill.' We all have self-doubt. You don't deny it, but you also don't capitulate to it. You embrace it. You rise above it. ... I don't know how I'm going to come back from this injury. I don't know. Maybe I'll be horses---." He pauses, as if envisioning himself as an eighth man. "Then again, maybe I won't, because no matter what, my belief is that I'm going to figure it out. Maybe not this year or even next year, but I'm going to stay with it until I figure it out."

Summer of 2004 and news breaks that O'Neal has been traded to Miami. This is great! Bryant thinks, the end of a tumultuous year in which he feuded with O'Neal, nearly signed with the Clippers and made court appearances in Colorado for a sexual assault civil case that was later settled. "Then everything sinks in, and it's like, Oh, no, now you better win or your whole career is basically bulls---," Bryant says. "Those last three championships you won will be meaningless."

Winter of 2010 and Bryant is preoccupied with the arthritic knuckle on his right index finger. He's constantly looking at it, talking about it, tweaking his shot because of it. "Why are you making such a big deal of this?" Vitti asks. Bryant silently stares him down. "Thank you," he finally says. "I needed that." He never speaks of the finger again. The Lakers win the second of their consecutive championships. Bryant, whom Vitti describes as "a McDonald's addict," celebrates by adopting a diet in which he eliminates junk food.

'I don't know how I'm going to come back from this injury. ... Maybe I'll be horses---.'

[Clipper Nation]

^ That's not Derek Fisher....

[Arnold Toht]

^ Nor will it ever be a Clipper.

[Clipper Nation]

^ Certainly won't be a 1-timer such as yourself....

[ElNono]

Snitching on Shaq was pretty cold-blooded, tbh

[Buddy Mignon]

^ Nor will it ever be a Clipper.

Gotdamn...

[ambchang]

Tl:dr

1996 to 2004: coattailed
2005 to 2007: "led" team to lottery and first round exits.
2008 to 2012: coattailed some more
2013 onwards: irrelevance.

[ambchang]

Tl:dr

1996 to 2004: coattailed
2005 to 2007: "led" team to lottery and first round exits.
2008 to 2012: coattailed some more
2013 onwards: irrelevance.

[Michael Jordan.]

Snitching on Shaq was pretty cold-blooded, tbh

And snitching on Pau to Vanessa.

[Clipper Nation]

Gotdamn...

http://www.spurstalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=175871

Gotdamn...

[Leetonidas]

Thought this topic was about Derek Fisher tbh

[Medvedenko]

Where's the Spurs players cover story?

[Juggity]

Where's the Spurs players cover story?

They had one last spring/early summer. Tim Duncan had one last year.

[ElNono]

Where's the Spurs players cover story?

If it's like this cover story, I don't want it...

[RD2191]

[Medvedenko]

Fresh reference bro!

[Arnold Toht]

Where's the Spurs players cover story?

[Juggity]

If it's like this cover story, I don't want it...

SI was right. I've never had more fun watching the Lakers than I did last season.

[Rogue]

The pic of Kobe in the OP reminds me of this:

[DMC]

"Maybe not this year or even next year, but I'm going to stay with it until I figure it out."

Kobe already setting up his excuse and exit strategy for the up coming season. What he means is that once the Lakers acquire dominant talent, he'll have it figured out again. at least he learned something from Phil Jackson; don't play unless you've got the best assets money can buy. Quit otherwise and come back when the smoke clears.

[Katherine Robinson]

"Maybe not this year or even next year, but I'm going to stay with it until I figure it out."

Kobe already setting up his excuse and exit strategy for the up coming season. What he means is that once the Lakers acquire dominant talent, he'll have it figured out again. at least he learned something from Phil Jackson; don't play unless you've got the best assets money can buy. Quit otherwise and come back when the smoke clears.

A better philosophy than sitting out your best player when one stop is all that's needed to win a ring.

[UZER]

"Maybe not this year or even next year, but I'm going to stay with it until I figure it out."

Kobe already setting up his excuse and exit strategy for the up coming season. What he means is that once the Lakers acquire dominant talent, he'll have it figured out again. at least he learned something from Phil Jackson; don't play unless you've got the best assets money can buy. Quit otherwise and come back when the smoke clears.

Wow, this Kobe quote is a little eye opening. Yes, its a strategically placed "excuse" quote, but it kinda reveals even he has doubts about his ability to come back to who he was before.

[DMC]

A better philosophy than sitting out your best player when one stop is all that's needed to win a ring.

They got the one stop. They just didn't get the rebound. They lost in overtime anyhow, and had another full game to win the ring (seems everyone forgets about that).

[Katherine Robinson]

They got the one stop. They just didn't get the rebound. They lost in overtime anyhow, and had another full game to win the ring (seems everyone forgets about that).

You're ignoring the fact that their best player and one or the best defensive players in the game was sitting out the final possession. It doesn't matter if it didn't immediately cost them the game, it matters that it cost them the whole shabang. Perhaps one of the worst coaching mistakes ever made.

[DMC]

You're ignoring the fact that their best player and one or the best defensive players in the game was sitting out the final possession. It doesn't matter if it didn't immediately cost them the game, it matters that it cost them the whole shabang. Perhaps one of the worst coaching mistakes ever made.

That best defensive player had overtime and another 48 minutes. Like any other game, you can break it down to single play and say the game hinged on it, but there were plenty of reasons the Spurs lost, and many of those reasons were decisions by players and coaches, not just shooting percentages.