Kobe glad he wasn't traded, is 'happy' with Lakers

[Capt Bringdown]

Who the said it wasn't an entirely subjective judgment?

LOL, uh you did, which is why you've been called out for the foolish nonsense you've posted on this thread.

-Claiming you can "kind of" read minds because you watch thousands of hours of television.
-Citing an anecdote about Pat Riley holding his breath as proof that KG and Kobe are the dog's bollocks when it comes to determination. In your words, "by far," LOL.
-Boasting that your claims are "widely, widely known," and then trying to weasel out of that claim by whimpering that it's only your opinion when you got challenged to produce a smidgen of proof. Of course you don't want to argue about it-you can't.
-(this is my favorite) You've got leaguepass! Gotdamn, we got ourselves an NBA authority here sportsfans!

OK, we all get the idea that you're a big KG and Kobe fan. Just don't be such a twit about it OK? Making wild unjustifiable claims and then trying to weasel out of them isn't a very compelling take.

[balli]

uh you did, which is why you've been called out for the foolish nonsense you've posted on this thread.

Okay you ing pussy, then find where I said my side of the argument was a rock-solid factual one and put it in quote marks.

-Claiming you can "kind of" read minds because you watch thousands of hours of television.

Dude, don't be the ing got that takes one thing somebody says and then disregards the very next sentence. I said we all can, in a way.

Learn to read between the lines . I'm not claiming ESP or some . I'm claiming that I'm not autistic like you appear to be. See most of us are human beings who posses an observable nature. Us normal people are able to see emotions in others and understand facts about them and their actions in a way that allows us to glean some insight and information into their capacities and traits as other human beings. ing idiot.

--Citing an anecdote about Pat Riley holding his breath as proof that KG and Kobe are the dog's bollocks when it comes to determination. In your words, "by far,".

Again, who the said it was proof, clown? Don't put words in my mouth. I related the well known story as a metaphorical example of desire. I wasn't trying to prove anything by that. I was trying to convey the concept I was thinking, through an allegorical reference. Learn basic tenets of argumentation before you spout out of your too big mouth again.

Boasting that your claims are "widely, widely known," and then trying to weasel out of that claim by whimpering that it's only your opinion when you got challenged to produce a smidgen of proof.

What the kind of proof do you want me to produce. I tried twice by citing a teamate of both of them, although this time I won't repeat what he said. You should've learned to read by now. OF COURSE IT'S MAINLY BASED ON PERSONAL OPINION.

Again, what the do you think message boards are for? I'm damn sure not here to post stats that we can all sit around and admire while saying, "oh yeah, that proof is solid. We sure can all agree on that." It's a ing message board asshole.

Of course you don't want to argue about it-you can't.

I'm more than happy to argue about it. What I don't want is some stupid mother er like yourself interjecting himself into my conversation, twisting my words around and telling me to come up with some sort of quan ative analysis for measuring a players' passion.

Let me clue you in er, this conversation about passion is taking place. Your whole laughable premise seems to be that as fans we shouldn't even have the audacity to try and judge something so subjective as desire. Probably cause you're to ing stupid to do so yourself. What the do you think being a fan is? Sitting around while NOT making judgments about players?

You've got leaguepass! Gotdamn, we got ourselves an NBA authority here sportsfans!

Listen you hillbilly ... I only said I have league pass after you said I knew nothing about the NBA except for what the media fed me. Obviously, I'm not going to let someone as brazenly idiotoc as yourself mischaracterize me as such. Therefore I refuted your stupidity with the notion that I actually watch basketball and the players I'm talking about.

By the way, did you have anything to say about basketball yourself in this entire thread, or are you just busy distorting my words, quoting half my ideas and ing about how I may or may not come by my information about the NBA?

OK, we all get the idea that you're a big KG and Kobe fan.

Again, I never even said I was a fan of these guys. I said I thought they wanted to win the most. That's about it. In fact, I really don't root for Kobe or LA at all. I routinely root for them to lose against like 20 other teams in the league. As far as KG goes I like him no more or no less than a lot of superstars in this league. (although admittedly, I'm happy to finally see him in a good situation for once) I've never seen such a as yourself attribute so many ideas and claims to someone when they were never made in the first place.

Captain bringdown? The only thing you've ever brought down is your pants, so your gay ass boyfriend could ream you in the ass. Now off asshole.

[AFBlue]

le should be...

Kobe glad his team isn't losing too often, is 'happy' with Lakers...for now

[ManuTim_best of Fwiendz]

Kobe is such a fairweather

[Gordionot]

Pat Riley once put a large bucket of ice water in front of him and told his team: "If you want to win a championship, you have to want it…"

Just a bucket? Pffff. Check this out:

"And though Nash may be getting better and better as a player, his body doesn’t recover from exertion as fast. Nash’s preferred method of treating his sore muscles and swollen joints is to lever himself into a 53-degree ice bath, wearing thermal socks to keep the frostbite out of his toes.

“I can’t even pull a beer out of water that cold,” says the Suns’ assistant coach Alvin Gentry."

Both Manu and Nash and strike me as "wanting it" significantly more than Kobe and KG. KG often becomes a shrinking violet during clutch moments, while Kobe often just stops trying, as he did during the last game of the Suns series a couple years ago.

It's impossible to tell who really wants it the most, as others have pointed out. Some people (like Duncan) don't wear their hearts on their sleeves. I don't think winning is Kobe's primary motivation; his foremost concern is self-aggrandizement. People like Duncan and Nash will forgo personal glory in favor of team success.

[balli]

Just a bucket? Pffff. Check this out:

"And though Nash may be getting better and better as a player, his body doesn’t recover from exertion as fast. Nash’s preferred method of treating his sore muscles and swollen joints is to lever himself into a 53-degree ice bath, wearing thermal socks to keep the frostbite out of his toes.

“I can’t even pull a beer out of water that cold,” says the Suns’ assistant coach Alvin Gentry."

Has anyone else ever done that ? Seriously, it makes your body feel like a million bucks when you get out. It doesn't hurt too bad except where the water line get's your exposed skin. Everything underwater just goes numb. Alvin Gentry's funny.

Both Manu and Nash and strike me as "wanting it" significantly more than Kobe and KG. KG often becomes a shrinking violet during clutch moments, while Kobe often just stops trying, as he did during the last game of the Suns series a couple years ago.

Cool. I can dig it. My opinion just differs that's all. People got bent about it though. You're right. It is impossible to really know who wants it most. But for me, based on what I see and observe I've reached the conclusions I have, as you did as well. I mean nobody is "right" here. I just think it's funny how much people got bent with my opinion on the subject.

And Kobe did straight quit for the second half of that Suns game. Like I said there's a lot of Kobe Bryant I'm not a fan of, but he did for 6.5 games bust his ass and play better than just about 99.5% of athletes out there.

Seriously, there was no need for that asshole, capt. broughtdown, to call me simpleminded for having my opinion on the matter and then to say that we shouldn't even have opinions to begin with.

[Gordionot]

Has anyone else ever done that ? Seriously, it makes your body feel like a million bucks when you get out. It doesn't hurt too bad except where the water line get's your exposed skin. Everything underwater just goes numb. Alvin Gentry's funny.

I grew up swimming in very cold water, rivers coming down from the rocky mountains. Not quite ice water. It's definitely painful until your body adjusts to the temperature. Just ask anyone who's ever done the polar bear swim and jumped out screaming. And yes it does feel great once you're out.

[Capt Bringdown]

Seriously, there was no need for that asshole, capt. broughtdown, to call me simpleminded for having my opinion on the matter and then to say that we shouldn't even have opinions to begin with.

LOL, you only said it was your opinion after you got called out, by several on this thread, not only me. Claiming that you're in the know because you can read minds and because you have leaguepass is indeed simpleminded. Nobody got "bent" over your opinion, just the way you stated it as if it were an assertion of fact.

You seem really fragile and defensive. No one agrees with your take, get over it. Are you going to throw another fit and call me a bunch of names now? Give it your best shot, LOL.

I think desire is over-rated, and to try to rank a given player's desire over another's is just silly fanboy talk.

[ambchang]

LOL at people gauging somebody's level of "wanting it" by how animated they get on the court.

[bostonguy]

Again thank you John Paxson for being a dumb son of a . Thank you for overrating Deng/Gordon. We have our big 3 partly because of your stupidity. Cant wait to see Noah become the man either.

[LakeShow]

Sam Smith
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
On Pro Basketball
Soar spot
After months of turmoil, Kobe Bryant is happy and the Lakers are flying high

December 18, 2007


Finally, Kobe Bryant playing on the United Center floor.

Not, though, as many here had hoped and many in the media had forecast. Bryant, in Chicago to play the Bulls on Tuesday night, remains in the Lakers' purple and gold. And while almost everybody was figuring out trade scenarios for Bryant and the Bulls, the Lakers have quietly started to become one of the Western Conference's better teams.


Look, no one among the Bulls ever said they didn't want Bryant. There was a distinction: It became clear they couldn't get him.

It was never about not trading Luol Deng. It was about not trading Deng, Kirk Hinrich, Ben Wallace, Joakim Noah and draft picks, or trading Ben Gordon and Tyrus Thomas to get an All-Star once the Lakers started telling teams they'd need at least one All-Star in any deal. And the receiving team would have to take back some bad contracts, like Vladimir Radmanovic's.

And then, assuming Bryant would have dropped his no-trade and opt-out clauses, which was doubtful, the Bulls would have offered him a two-year, $55 million extension that kicked in when he was 33. And then Bryant would have to be satisfied playing with Aaron Gray, Viktor Khryapa, Chris Duhon and Thabo Sefolosha?

The Lakers are 14-9 and 2 ½ games out of first place in the Pacific Division. They seem to have stumbled into being a team that can finish in the top four in the Western Conference and perhaps make a run at a championship.

One could argue the Bulls don't have two players to rival 20-year-old Lakers center Andrew Bynum, averaging a double-double with 11.1 points adn 10.0 rebounds, plus 2.1 blocks per game, and Lamar Odom, averaging a double-double this month. There's also coaching stability with Phil Jackson agreeing to a two-year extension.

Suddenly it's the Lakers who seem to be the well-grounded team. The Bulls are among the early disappointments, joining the Cavs, Heat, Nets and Rockets. Each of those teams is either overrated, enmeshed in internal difficulties that will be revealed later or just off to a slow start and will recover.

What's intriguing is that can also be said of the Mavericks and Suns, who have good records but don't seem to be championship contenders, perhaps because of internal issues. The window of opportunity seems to have closed on them.

No team in the West other than the Spurs appears strong and certain. The Jazz and the Nuggets, both with major defensive deficiencies, are also sliding.

One of the supposed reasons for a Bryant trade to the Bulls was the state of the East. After the Cavaliers reached the Finals last season, there was widespread belief that Bryant and any four men under 50 and not in wheelchairs could get there.

Now that has changed as well.

With off-season deals bringing players like Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and Zach Randolph to the East, the margin between East and West is just 69-65 for Western Conference teams this season after being nearly 2-1 for the previous few years.

And the balance of power could rest with Jason Kidd.

Though both teams continue to deny it vehemently, a rival general manager said last week he's still hearing talk of a Nets-Mavs deal involving Kidd.

It's not hard to believe, with the Nets an ongoing mess. They had the most pathetic excuse of the year Saturday, complaining about fatigue after a loss to the Knicks in the second game of a back-to-back. They played Friday night at home, about 8 miles from Madison Square Garden. The Knicks had played in Chicago.

Kidd is said to be upset that Vince Carter and Richard Jefferson have better contracts than he does.

Dallas remains Kidd's most likely destination, but the Lakers are frequently mentioned. The Lakers' refusal to give up Bynum for Kidd last winter now looks awfully smart. The Lakers have Kwame Brown's $9 million expiring contract and some young pieces and draft picks that might make sense for the Nets. And, the Mavs have plenty in reserve to make a deal as well.

Dallas certainly is not the same team despite a little surge recently, and Dirk Nowitzki is at eight-year lows in scoring and rebounding. He could use some help. It seems he and the team need a shakeup after consecutive playoff shockers. Same goes for the Suns after getting close for three playoffs. Steve Nash was uncharacteristically upset after a loss in New Orleans on Saturday.

"I wish I could come up with a way to make sure each guy is ready to play," Nash said. "What do you do? Have an interview with each guy before each game to make sure he understands?

"When we play with energy defensively, we're one of the best defensive teams. When we don't, which is quite frequently, we're one of the worst."

The Suns have been arguing on the court and on the bench, and there has been outspoken criticism of Boris Diaw, who seems a likely trade possibility. Ron Artest remains with a Sacramento team going nowhere and with an opt-out. He has long been on the Lakers' radar. Maybe somebody latches onto Andre Miller for young players and cap relief from the rebuilding 76ers.

And so coming east again are the Lakers: harmonious, confident, controversy-free, playing well and with possibilities.

Just Kobe and his happy band of brothers. Ain't NBA life grand?

[email protected]

[SpursDynasty]

Kobe SHOULD be happy. He owes the Lakers his life after he got SHAQ traded.

Kobe and Shaq being traded from L.A. in the same decade? Not happening, Kobe.

Let's see how happy he is at the All-Star break when L.A. is barely sitting at .500

[LakeShow]

Kobe SHOULD be happy. He owes the Lakers his life after he got SHAQ traded.

Kobe and Shaq being traded from L.A. in the same decade? Not happening, Kobe.

Let's see how happy he is at the All-Star break when L.A. is barely sitting at .500

I doubt that very seriously. The lakers are deepest team in the league. They are better off this season in case of injuries. The Lakers are for real and they will only get better!

[unforeseen]

Lakers' fans are something else. I live in Laker land and all of them seem to think that every team in the league exists to solely help the Lakers win a championship.

They always feel that Lakers are in the running for any major star in the league via trade. Currently, Lakers are "willing" to give Kwame Brown, Radmanovic, Walton, and 2 draft picks for Jason Kidd.

Garbage players for Jason Kidd. Incredible.

[LakeShow]

Lakers' fans are something else. I live in Laker land and all of them seem to think that every team in the league exists to solely help the Lakers win a championship.

They always feel that Lakers are in the running for any major star in the league via trade. Currently, Lakers are "willing" to give Kwame Brown, Radmanovic, Walton, and 2 draft picks for Jason Kidd.

Garbage players for Jason Kidd. Incredible.

I was kind of against trading for Jason Kidd, I feel like our guards have been solid but wow, I havent heard that. THe lakers would have to pull the trigger on that trade.

[Purple & Gold]

Lakers' fans are something else. I live in Laker land and all of them seem to think that every team in the league exists to solely help the Lakers win a championship.

They always feel that Lakers are in the running for any major star in the league via trade. Currently, Lakers are "willing" to give Kwame Brown, Radmanovic, Walton, and 2 draft picks for Jason Kidd.

Garbage players for Jason Kidd. Incredible.

Actually Farmar is included in that trade and it's either Radmanovic or Walton and filler. Still a garbage trade for Nets, but much better than that other one.


But who cares what the Nets get.