Purple Reign: Lakers win NBA title, Kobe Bryant gets Finals MVP
Kobe Bryant (photo. Orlando Sentinel)
It wouldn’t have even made sense for Kobe Bryant to put the finishing touches on the (so far) defining championship of his NBA career without having his own Jordan-esque moment. Midway through the third quarter of the Lakers’ Game 5 blowout in Orlando, Kobe took off on the right side of the lane, glided to the left side, and along the way threw some mid-air shakes on Dwight Howard and banked in a fallaway jumper over the big man’s outstretched fingers before hitting the ground on his backside and sliding into immortality. Just too smooth, and ranking just ahead of the baseline tomahawk dunk in the first half as the play from Kobe’s fourth championship that you’ll see replayed over and over and over again. Kobe dropped 30 points (10-23 FG, 8-8 FT), six boards, five assists, two steals and four blocks in the clincher, but it was really a total L.A. team effort. In the game’s decisive stretch — the Lakers’ 16-0 run in the second quarter, after which they were never really challenged — they were at their best when Kobe was passing the ball and everybody was getting theirs. Trevor Ariza (15 pts, 2 stls) knocked down a couple of threes, Derek Fisher got buckets on the drive and beyond the arc, Lamar Odom was all over the place, and Pau Gasol (14 pts, 15 pts, 4 blks) held it down in the paint … The Lakers led by 10 at halftime, and in the third quarter, that Kobe fallaway in the lane followed by a Kobe dime to Fisher for a baseline jumper put them up 13 and was the real dagger. After that it was just a matter of time. (Ariza tried punctuating the win with a spectacular dunk in traffic in the fourth quarter, but he missed.) … Up until that second-quarter run, Orlando looked like they had a good chance to extend the series. The Magic led at the end of the first quarter, and were up nine in the second before L.A. found its rhythm. Courtney Lee was the one who got the ball rolling, scoring eight points in the first quarter and not being shy about pulling shots in Kobe’s face. That’s why they say rookies aren’t rookies anymore once they get that far into the postseason; and that’s why some people we’re gonna give CL Smooth the “He’s just a rookie!” excuse for missing that layup in Game 2 … Aside from a last-gasp run in the fourth, the Magic just didn’t have much of a pulse in the second half. It was like they conceded the game at some point in the third, and after that just wanted to make it respectable. In the fourth, the crowd started booing after Luke Walton strolled through the lane twirling a cane for an uncontested layup … As always, L.A. succeeded when Odom (17 pts, 10 rebs) played up to his potential. His and-one reverse layup in the second quarter capped the 16-0 run, and in the second half he hit a couple huge threes. From time to time, it was like L.O. and Rashard Lewis (18 pts, 10 rebs, 6-19 FG) switched roles. Odom was the outside threat, while Rashard (coming off that awful Game 4) didn’t trust his jumper as much and put the ball on the floor more than usual … Dwight (11 pts, 10 rebs, 3 blks) was quiet, even with ABC replaying his little shimmy-into-hook shot move about 38 times. True, it was one of the most polished post moves we’ve ever seen from Dwight, but it wasn’t exactly the Dream Shake. At least he’s trying, though …
M-V-P (photo. L.A. Times)
Going into the game, we wondered if Kobe would come out trying to put up a huge number in the clincher, but he was almost passive compared to Andrew Bynum. Dude was going for his, jacking up 11 shots in the first half but only hitting three. Bynum finished with his now-customary six points, five boards and five fouls in 16 minutes. Lakers fans and front office aren’t worried about anything right now in their championship euphoria, but by the time next season rolls around, they’re gonna want to see a LOT more from Bynum with all the money he’s making … Do you think Magic Johnson was hoping for a Lakers win? He brought out a metallic gold suit for Game 5; it was so bright he could have stuck the Larry O’Brien trophy on his lapel and walked right out of the arena without anyone noticing. Magic looked like a half-open Twix. He got that suit from the 1999 Diddy Collection … Funny moment when Dale Davis was walking through the crowd behind the Lakers bench and nobody would look him directly in the eye. The announcers were right; Dale looks like he could still dole out some harsh flagrant fouls in the League … No-brainer that Kobe got the Finals MVP, averaging 32.4 points, 5.6 boards and 7.4 assists for the series. In the fourth quarter Jeff Van Gundy said Kobe is “Machiavellian” because he wants to win “by any means necessary.” And that wasn’t even the worst of the Kobe steamfest that started in the fourth quarter and continued throughout the night. (Tim Legler entered Emergency Restraining Order territory on “NBA Fastbreak” after the game.) Mark Jackson said Kobe “has no flaws” as a player, and stood behind Odom’s statement that Kobe could be the best point guard in the NBA if he wanted to be. In the last five minutes of the game, it was like the announcers were having a contest to see who could deliver that one killer line that’s gonna anchor the Lakers 2009 championship DVD … In other news, talk has heated up about a Shaq-to-Cleveland trade. It’s not like Diesel would be any slower than Zydrunas Ilgauskas, but he can’t stretch the floor like Z with those corner/baseline jumpers. If you’re the Cavs, do you make a move to get Shaq? No matter what he says on Twitter, he’s gotta be ultra-focused on getting that 5th ring to put himself ahead of Kobe — he might actually get in shape this summer in pursuit of that ‘chip … We’re out like The Centaur …
June 15th, 2009 at 2:50 am
bdk23 says:
1ssssstttt bitches
June 15th, 2009 at 3:01 am
Duke says:
I wonder if both Ariza and Odom will be back next year.
June 15th, 2009 at 3:01 am
JHov says:
LAKESHOW..because anything else would be uncivilized!!!! Congrats to the Lakers and to KB24 finally got that seven foot 300+pound monkey off his back(Shaq)..wish I could be in La-La Land on Wednesday! gonna be crazy!!
June 15th, 2009 at 3:18 am
RICK773 says:
Congrats to the Lakers….They deserve to win but I find it disappointing that the Playoffs started off so well and ended on a dud.
June 15th, 2009 at 3:28 am
the cynic says:
Lakers were the best team all season and they were hungery tonight. Sorry to see the season end already; I think Van Gundy’s insertion of Nelson did a huge disservice to this series cause I know the Magic were a better team then how they finished. Lakers will no doubt be contending again next year with or without Odom/Ariza
June 15th, 2009 at 3:31 am
the_don_mega (representin' the 3 stars and a sun) says:
props to kobe… he finally did it… props to phil as well for gettin’ his 10th title…
June 15th, 2009 at 3:39 am
ponky_alolor says:
first, giving props to kobe’s line on close-out game 5:
30 points, 6 boards, 5 dimes, 2 steals, 4 swats = Finals MVP.
Now they got to re-sign that Ariza-Odom combo in order to think of dynasty.
props also to Magic for representing East. They’ll be back soon.
As a Cavs fan, i’m not really convinced Shaq is the answer. Him and LBJ bricking free throws would be brutal.
June 15th, 2009 at 3:54 am
BMW says:
Yo Dime why u gotta add another Jordan comparison in Kobe’s play… It’s about time we appreciate Kobe for being Kobe not for the fact that he’s like MJ. So these Jordanesque comments gotta stop.
June 15th, 2009 at 4:20 am
Sweet English says:
And all this because nobody fouled Derek Fisher 3 days ago.
Strange how after hours and hours and hours of basketball, not fouling a mediocre shooter in the last few seconds of game 4 was the difference between going home, and going home champions.
June 15th, 2009 at 4:21 am
BRUCE says:
Ring #4. Now we can say Kobe is on par with the best players from his era, Shaq and Timmy. One more por favor?
June 15th, 2009 at 4:25 am
dk says:
I told you so…
June 15th, 2009 at 4:52 am
JuiceMode says:
congrats laker fans
June 15th, 2009 at 4:56 am
smoove chips says:
“I fuck around and throw three in yo chest,flee to my rest
im older n smarter,this is me at my best” - Big L
Spanked that ass.Long time coming too.that Kobe move on Howard was fluckin’ sweet !!
And yeah Mark Jackson,”he has no flaws” really maflackaa !Slurp.Beyotch.Now we can kill those shaq comversations.Now can Kobe win without fisher?that’s the 64 million dollar question.
I was shocked too when D12 pulled that shimmy.If he gets a coupla more post moves maan.Got mad respect for that man though.I think we just created a monster lol !!
Odom,gasol, what they gon say now huh??
Bynum,seriously player??
June 15th, 2009 at 5:38 am
M Intellect says:
A half open twix. Classic.
June 15th, 2009 at 6:07 am
K Dizzle(lovin the silence as haters hide like vampires seein sunlight) says:
“And all this because nobody fouled Derek Fisher 3 days ago.”(No. All this cuz the better team executed their gameplan and won the series)
“Strange how after hours and hours and hours of basketball, not fouling a mediocre shooter in the last few seconds of game 4 was the difference between going home, and going home champions.”
and the hate continues…
Series was 4-1 and Orlando wasn’t winnin in LA. Fish shot like 44% from the 3 these finals.Mediocre shooter? Ridic…
Props to Fish - all the hate dude caught all year, heads quittin on him, sayin he was done, sayin he was the worst point in the playoffs. Who’s on top now? Congrats are overdue. 52%fg, 44% tp% in the finals. 4 Rings. You can keep your 20pt, 8 as point guard. I’ll take a winner.Habitually! lol
Props to Gasol - we ain’t lost 3 in a row since dude showed up. Toughness no longer a question. Dude took his and gave it out double. Basically outplayed Orlando bigs after givin it to Denver’s bigs.
Props to LO - The X factor. Hated on all year, even some Laker “fans” wanted dude traded. I been sayin all year “Wait till the Finals.” Dude won’t disappoint…and he didn’t.
Big ups to Ariza - all spark, all energy, alllll the time. Kid showed that maybe he woulda helped us last year if that foot wasn’t busted. About to get paid this summer and deserves every penny.
Props to Phil, Shaw, Rambis, Tex, Hamblem - dudes strategized the shit outta orlando and just stopped everything they wanted to do and did against Cleveland.
From now on, we can just refer to Phil as “10″
All respect to Kobe - the haters are done. They got nuthin left. “Can’t win without Shaq. Selfish. Arrogant. Yeah, he’s a good player, but he did that ish in Colorado” sssshhhhhhhhhh. It’s done. 24 can retire right now and he top 10 all-time. No comparisons to Mike. You can have Lebron. Kobe still the best and he ain’t even done. We turnin the tap off. Done with the water torture.
Props to the bench. We expect more from Bynum, Sasha, etc, but the future is bright. Even DJ got a block and JP hit shots in limited minutes.
Finally, props to the Magic. It hurts but everybody goes thru it. Last year around now, laker fans were damn near suicidal. Gotta keep your guys together and build on this. Dwight’s gonna be a beast and Jameer gonna bring it when that wing is good. Keep Hedo. And apart from the last couple games, that Shard signin don’t look so bad. Dude is a matchup nightmare. CL Smooth only gonna get better and Pietrus on the cusp. No shame in defeat.
Skip and Meer need to settle that tho.
This party gonna go on for a while. Been too long in comin. Pasadena, stand up!!!
Lakers all day
peace
June 15th, 2009 at 6:18 am
Spliff 2 My Lou says:
I didn’t watch the entire post game celebration. Did the Magic ever shake hands with the Lakers?
I have mad respect for Kobe. He is now officially 1/6 the legend that MJ is and that’s saying a lot. His first 3 titles were as star role player status on par with Scottie Pippen.
Shaq at this point is not the answer for Cleveland. They would be better off going after Amare or Chris Bosh. More production, younger bodies, and same or less money. But if you’re the Cleveland front office I’m sure if Lebron wants, Lebron gets.
@QQ
Magic in 9?…
June 15th, 2009 at 6:26 am
hmm says:
would kobe still be psycho-like determined in the coming seasons?
June 15th, 2009 at 7:03 am
datdood says:
at least adam morrison has a ring now
June 15th, 2009 at 7:08 am
Dagomar says:
Been in Europe for a while so I haven’t had a chance to watch much basketball, BUT . . . huge props to Kobe and crew for taking care of business against the Magic. Kobe’s team is remarkably good when focused and the Lakers have to be considered the favourites next year as well. Gasol has really grown into his own, and has become one of the best all-around big men in the league. He outplayed Dwight in this series; how many people would have expected that going in? As for Kobe . . . one step closer to immortality for the best player of his generation. He showed he’s become a player who can win it all as the centrepiece.
June 15th, 2009 at 7:17 am
JuiceMode says:
@16
…with LeBron breathing in his neck as the best player in the planet, MJ’s 6 titles within reach, the Lakers’ 15 chips closing in on the Celts’ 17, and a chance at basketball immortality motivation enough for Kobe? LOL
June 15th, 2009 at 7:24 am
bakedbeing says:
Ha Luke Walton cane-twirling into the lane.
June 15th, 2009 at 7:26 am
mcw88 says:
“Magic looked like a half-open Twix” LMAO
June 15th, 2009 at 7:48 am
Rafa23 says:
@ spliff
while i agree with the fact that shaq was the man on the lakers, kobe didn’t win his rings like scottie pippen. did you ever see pippen take over in crunch time?
during those deep playoff runs, the lakers went to kobe when it got close in the 4th quarter. i mean, he averaged like 30 during one run.
June 15th, 2009 at 7:52 am
rangerjohn says:
well congrats to the lakers. would have enjoyed a little more resistnace from the magic but hey thats the way it goes.
the sad thing is we will have to listen to all the lakers fans for the next 5 yrs on this one LMFAO! oh and whats up with all the “i hope we can resign odom” BS, up until about 2 weeks ago or so those same people where like “screw odom he is worthless”
June 15th, 2009 at 8:12 am
MattinVA says:
Kobe Bryant = Floyd Landis
June 15th, 2009 at 8:15 am
jzsmoove says:
Kudos to the Lakers 2009 Champs.
Surprisingly I am not as mad that they won and celebrating with the trophy. I aint as mad seeing Kobe hoisting the trophy either. Now its done its ho-hum. I guess it was more I dont wanna see them win. Now I have to make my congratulatory phone calls to my siblings and family in Cali representing West Covina, Chino Hills and Pasadena. Well they dont have to know I was repping O-town.
Interesting thing I saw right after the buzzer and game end and it was the start of the Lakers’ celebration. Everybody else was hugging each other and chest-thumping. Gasol was running towards Kobe and I thought chest-thump afoot. But no, the first guy thumping with Kobe was none other than Mbenga as Kobe passed by the others.
Brave effort by the Magic. Only thing I wouldve changed was that they should have shot more. Its like they afraid to shoot their normal shots even when open.
And oh yeah, Congats to Phil Jackson as well. Dude has 10 rings, 10 !!!!! I love Jordan to death but the only other dude to be considered best basketball figure (not just player) ever should be Bill Russell. In Zo’s immortalized words, ” Mr. Russell has more rings than fingers”. Thats crazy ish. And speaking of which, I wonder why Kareem (former Laker) didnt award Kobe the MVP trophy instead of Russell (former Celtic)? If anything might have something to do with them rings.
PS. PJ’s hat was dope, and spotting Kobe rocking an Adidas cap (albeit 2009 champ cap) should not make Nike happy. Cameras should have had stayed to Kobe’s right side only. So who is Adidas’ puppet now?
June 15th, 2009 at 8:51 am
soccerkimchi says:
@jzsmoove finals mvp trophy is named after bill russell
June 15th, 2009 at 8:56 am
that's whats up says:
I can hate no more.
Congratulations to the Lakers for taking the title this year.
They played their best when it counted and deserve the trophy.
I still don’t like them but I respect them.
June 15th, 2009 at 8:59 am
fallinup says:
“LMFAO! oh and whats up with all the “i hope we can resign odom” BS, up until about 2 weeks ago or so those same people where like “screw odom he is worthless””
@ rangerjohn
Haha!!! Fer real!
I’d still re-sign then trade Odom. His stock has never been higher. He finally puts it together for the playoffs and now his butter to the Lakers bread again. Hilarious.
June 15th, 2009 at 9:02 am
Kermit the Washington says:
Finally!
Kobe and Phil finally get that Shaq-Monkey off their back. But of course, nothing can happen in LA without Shaq coming up in the conversation. He must have been cracking up at home, laughing at how many times his name was said during and after the game. He’s most CERTAINLY going to end up in Cleveland and will try to get the 5th.
June 15th, 2009 at 9:04 am
BERN BROGDEN aka BINO BROWN STR8 UP N DOWN says:
Kobe got that monkey off his back!
That’s what’s up!
Phil got that 10th joint!
That’s what’s up!
Gasol is officially NOT soft anymore!
That’s what’s up!
Props to the LA organization :
Good to see LO ate his jellybeans before the game.
Ariza made sure Hedo was livin’ in perpetual hell anytime he was near him. AB did his best find a spot on the best shortly after the game starts. Fish, what more can the brother do. On the low, Fish’s mid-range joint was poppin’ this WHOLE series, he took some hard fouls - some didn’t even get called or he got called for blocking - but he still stuck his nose in there, couldn’t keep up with Skip for the most part but D’d him up nicely whenever Skip had to stay put. And we know what he did to Jameer — TWICE, in the most critical game, he produced the 2 most memorable highlights.
Luke, Shannon, Sasha, Josh, Mbenga…props to y’all.
Adam freakin’ Morrison is an NBA CHAMPION.
That’s what’s up! LOL
And props to the Magic - the best team in the Eastern Conference - represented well. I’m sure there’s tons of plays and decisions that will be second guessed.
But look - y’all were facing a better squad, and better coached squad, and probably most importantly…you were facing a VERY focused KOBE BRYANT. That alone would spell disaster for most, anyway.
June 15th, 2009 at 9:04 am
no j mayo says:
@25…cuz the finals mvp trophy is called the “bill russell trophy” not the kareem trophy.
btw, what would mj have done if the hats and tees for the bulls chips had the adidas logo? yall remember the infamous flag draping over the reebok logo in 92. something tells me mike would’ve made sure that shit wasn’t showing on him.
June 15th, 2009 at 9:12 am
mules says:
@ #17,
that made me throw up in my mouth a little…I can’t imagine how guys like Mailman and Barkley feel about that.
June 15th, 2009 at 9:27 am
dk says:
Whatever, Shaq can make his little pit stop in Cleavland next season. I wish he wouldnt because I would rather see the Lakers beat Boston in the Finals next season. But if we have to take out Shaq and Bron, so be it. shaq, Gasol, Odum, Bynum, Bryant and Fisher are a lock in 2011, book it. That Celtic chip shits almost out the window and all will be right int he world come about 2013. The Lakers need to get their asses back in the gym because this victory didnt mean shit. Orlando had no shot to win it to begin with. Well, unless of course they shot 76% and they had the refs with their whistles taped to there fucking mouths. It was nice to see the refs and Stern let the boys handle shit mano o mano last night, and you see O - Town looked like a bunch of kids that were getting their ass beat by their older brothers…lol
June 15th, 2009 at 9:30 am
s.bucketz says:
i thought ariza should have got the finals mvp…kobe kept em in games and put up crazy numbers but without ariza steppin up all those games would have been down to the wire…look back at all the games…once ariza gets on his lil runs thas when the lakers took over and dominated the rest of the way….
or maybe thas jus my knicks bias commin back out again
or my hatred for kobe
June 15th, 2009 at 9:31 am
Posterboy333 says:
At the end of the game when the time was counting down and they had the camera on kobe did anyone else realize know one came to hug him they all kinda avoided him
June 15th, 2009 at 9:31 am
ERIC says:
an NBA.com author wrote an article about Kobe and his legacy.
During the Lakers 3-peat, Kobe was the second best player in the league! He was an All-Star, 1st Team All-NBA, 1st Team All-Defense..
Everyone thought this was going to be a longer dynasty bc they had the two best players in the league.
It was like Magic/Kareem or Bird/McHale/Parish. Kobe was part of a great team, he was the unquestioned 4th quarter leader of that team.
June 15th, 2009 at 9:34 am
ponky_alolor says:
just realized how kobe’s year went:
olympic gold medal + all star co-mvp + 4th chip + 1st finals mvp = REDEMPTION
June 15th, 2009 at 9:35 am
the_don_mega (representin' the 3 stars and a sun) says:
yeah… i forgot ’bout that… ‘STACHE is now an NBA champion!
June 15th, 2009 at 9:45 am
Celts Fan says:
Nothing but boring ass baseball now til football starts up. Weak…
June 15th, 2009 at 9:57 am
Dukesman2000 says:
Orlando could not gather themselves after that bone-headed play by Jameer Nelson in game 4, allowing Fisher to hit the three. He is the dumbest basketball player, EVER!!!!
June 15th, 2009 at 10:01 am
Booga says:
Nuth’n but luv 4 tha LakeSho, I’m a Suns fan at heart but got mad respect for both teams, tha Magics were defitnely under-rated all season and now they got haters tak’n notice that their a team 2b messed with. Lakers……KB24……ZenMaster…..ain’t nuth’n else 2 say but thanks 4 bringing back sum of that JordanEra flavor 4 us G.O.A.T fans. 2wo4our defitnely deserves this, especially all that ish he got himself n2 and how he had 2bust his a$$ 2 get back 2 where he is now. Out like Lebrons puppet…………..
June 15th, 2009 at 10:11 am
karizmatic says:
If I was Cleveland I’d take a shot at Shaq, why not. They have nothing to lose. Congrats to my boys the Lakers, great championship run….and no Kobe does not belong in the convo with Jordan now.
June 15th, 2009 at 10:19 am
Celts Fan says:
@Eric, that guy is just plain dumb, he forgot Timmy. 2 of the top 3 players is still pretty solid
June 15th, 2009 at 10:26 am
Ian says:
congrats to the laker fans well not all except 2 crazy one that post here.
a couple of things maybe it wasn’t because shaq left that the lakers hadn’t won maybe it was because fisher left (you like that dizzle hehehe), lets call him the luis soho of basketball from now on. pau is a top 15 player in the nba not how underrated is he? and how overrated is howard? (sorry QQ but congrats on the season you guys had).
heres my only problem with the laker win
ewing , miller , gervin , Malone , Stockton , barkley and many more superstars don’t have a ring and there is this dude self called the machine that just won one.
eric
celts fan is right the lakers did have 2 of the top 3 but not the best 2.
June 15th, 2009 at 10:31 am
Marques says:
I don’t see a lot of the Lakers returning. My opinion, Phil Jackson, Lamar Odom, Trevor Ariza, Jordan Farmar, Derrick Fisher, all will be gone.
June 15th, 2009 at 10:32 am
sweetv0mit says:
so how about jj redick last night? svg should hav given him more minutes. this is probably the first time this is going to be said but redick actually played well on both offense and defense last night. maybe if he plays like that all the time he’ll get more minutes
June 15th, 2009 at 10:46 am
Rafa23 says:
@ian
well, vujacic didn’t give himslef that nickname, but i get your point. for me its at least ok if an annoying guy like him gets a chip where you at least know he works hard and loves basketball. but how about guys like antoine walker or glenn robinson getting a chip. those guys who dont really work hard and dont seem to care, just winning because of hall of famers.
thats really hard to accept when you see malone or barkley, ewing, stockton.
June 15th, 2009 at 10:47 am
Kermit the Washington says:
@ Rafa23:
Vujacic most certainly DID give himself that nickname…
June 15th, 2009 at 10:49 am
dk says:
@44 Stick to having your uneducated opinions that are worthless then ant shit…
June 15th, 2009 at 10:49 am
ToAn says:
@44….no way all the people you mention leave…fisher stays definitely as well as one of the odom/ ariza combo, maybe both if they are willing to get less money…as for jackson it all depends on his health, if he’s healthy he will come back, this group respects him totally, kobe is now even more convinces that he is the best option for him as a coach AND they will pay him 12 Mio (i think) per year, so why not come back?? and farmar, well, he can leave when somebody wants him which i’m not so sure
June 15th, 2009 at 11:20 am
Chris Wallace says:
Whooo Hoooo!!! I finally got that championship I’ve been waiting for!!!
June 15th, 2009 at 11:37 am
Rafa23 says:
sry kermit, but it was given to him by the lakers announcers. vujacic even said once that he wants evrybody to know it wasn’t his idea…
June 15th, 2009 at 11:39 am
Deacon says:
They weren’t booing, that was all the Laker fans saying “LUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUKE!”
On Congrats to the Lakers! I knew my boys would do it!
June 15th, 2009 at 11:49 am
LakeShow84 says:
Should i be gracious considering everything and all the shit everyone has talked for the last few years??
Yeah ill be better than that.. All i have to say NO ONE has shit to say to the Laker Nation no more.. No more Kobe is ball hog, no more talk about us being soft, NOTHING.. Just bite your lip and turn the other way when you see the purple & gold step onto the court.. The second time around is always harder so if we proved ANYTHING we proved we probably the HARDEST team in the NBA RIGHT NOW and will be as long as Kobe is manning the reins..
The up fakes on that banker were plain disgusting.. dude faked THREE times in mid air and hit the banker.. thats shit you practice BY YOURSELF, not against the DPOY..
Also (dont think i wasnt going to go there).. can all this Lebron/Kobe talk END RIGHT HERE?? Kobe’s game is basketball SKILL at its highest level.. Pure fundamentals combined with pure talent combined with pure competitiveness.. and for a 6′6 SHOOTING GUARD he threw in the 4 blocks and 2 steals..
@ Kermit - a lakers announcer gave Sasha the nickname.. if he came up with it i doubt it would stick.. especially considering his game this year..
June 15th, 2009 at 11:52 am
lifep says:
He got that suit from the 1999 Diddy Collection
June 15th, 2009 at 11:59 am
LakeShow84 says:
Lol @ 1/6 Jordans Legacy..
What a joke.. look at this tidbit..
“During the Lakers 3-peat, Kobe was the second best player in the league! He was an All-Star, 1st Team All-NBA, 1st Team All-Defense..”
Sorry to steal from whoever posted that but that shit was dead on.. and also dont forget Kobe did ALL THIS when he was just 20-24 YEARS OLD.. and you dont earn 1st team honors just because of a HOF post presence DIPS..
So F the second fiddle talk.. it was 1and1 not 1and2.. And you’ll see it again next year when we rip it from Boston..
Like i said the Dynasty has returned..
June 15th, 2009 at 12:08 pm
Celts Fan says:
Kobe was 3rd (maybe 4th, JKidd?) best player in the League during that 3peat. Damn impressive, but he clearly wasn’t ahead of Shaq or Timmy. either way, still d@mn impressive…
June 15th, 2009 at 12:19 pm
QQ says:
All I can say is…
CONGRATS TO THE CHAMPS.
Yall deserve it.
Yeah, it hurts to see my team lose, but I can say, that I am more than happy to experience the Finals. Of course, I belived we can win it, as a fan, I won’t back down.
But to see the chip won by a very deserving and hungry team, I can say I appreciate battling with yall.
To Lakeshow, K-Dizzle, dk and all other LA fans…
YALL PARTY CAUSE YALL DESERVE IT! CONGRATS!
June 15th, 2009 at 12:34 pm
Bron42 aka Known as the king but nah I aint lebron says:
@Rafa and Lakeshow, actually its been said millions of times that sasha gave himself the nickname during practice cuz the way he shoots and tryin to get his workouts like kobe. It started off as a joke and stuck once everyone found out because it was so funny.
@Dk, even after the seasons over u still find away to make no sense. impressive
@lakeshow, no one said kobe couldn’t play back then, but he def wasn’t the team leader is all were saying. He was a team full of vets and shaq was the face of the franchise. Kobe could take over from time to time but he wasn’ drop 81 on you kobe. But who cares, he got his ring now so hes startin a new chapter. Now if they could just get rid of bynum they might have a chance to repeat lol.
I knew we shoulda never did that ariza for brian cook trade…damn the lakers and their crafty 1 sided trades.
June 15th, 2009 at 12:38 pm
LakeShow84 says:
Right on QQ..
bigups to ur squad for makin it in the first place.. like i said Magic fans have something to take from this cuz ya’all is where we were last year with a young team.. you learn and come back HUNGRIER.. experience matters..
Plus the Magic made it past Boston and Cleveland which was kinda like a newsflash for the rest of the East.. i like the Magic better than all those other east squads anyways.. Lebrons preferred treatment kills me and Boston is a dirty team.. Rondo anyone?
Yes i said it.. Boston is dirty and im salivating to think that we can get you guys next year in the Finals.. but if Magic come back better with a better/older Howard i expect to see the Magic..
June 15th, 2009 at 12:43 pm
fallinup says:
I’ve seen the Kobe talk, the Phil talk, and the LA, we are the best talk. But c’mon now…
Gasol deserves some major props for sticking Dwight all series, getting his on the offensive end, and being a damn good last line of defense all series long.
If not for Pau. I don’t think LA could have rolled to the chip. Give the Spaniard his props.
June 15th, 2009 at 12:44 pm
doc says:
LA the champs.Aint shit nobody can say now.I see yall Dizzle and Lakeshow.I got fucked up last night too.Just make sure we get yall next b-ball prodigy from LA to play for the Sixers like yall took our golden child.But last night I seen Orlando get chumped.They soft side rose up to the surface when the chips was down.Rashard Lewis treated these last 2 games like he bumped his head and thought he was somebody playing for the Atlanta Dream.When LO and PAU is chumping your squad yall in trouble.But LA and KOBE the best this year aint no more debate about that.
June 15th, 2009 at 12:45 pm
Celts Fan says:
@Lakeshow, you can’t really talk about dirty teams without mentioning Kobe throwing bows. Hopefully KG stays healthy next year (and no Danny, Tyreke Evans ain’t worth Ray Allen!!!) and we can settle this in the Finals. I’m sure you’d love round 2 just as much as we would…
June 15th, 2009 at 12:46 pm
LakeShow84 says:
@ BRON
Still hating on my boy?! lol its good.. he aint done nothin this post season to really justify his place amongst us Laker fans so i feel the outside fans “WTF?!” lol
And thats funny cuz i was talkin to my boy about the Magic trading Ariza and not even having the 2 players they traded him for.. You know that fueled a WEEBIT of Arizas fire..
June 15th, 2009 at 12:47 pm
LakeShow84 says:
@ CeltsFan
Like i said.. Im drooling like a rabid dog for it..
And oh yeah Kobe is dirty lol
June 15th, 2009 at 12:52 pm
LakeShow84 says:
But Rondo is what Dave Chapelle referred to ghonnorea as and Perkins is all brawn with little brain..
And i would love to see Ariza make Allen obsolete.. frickin Allen waited all playoffs long to wake up in the Finals..
June 15th, 2009 at 12:53 pm
Celts Fan says:
haha fair enough, certainly wasn’t defending Rondo. It was a nice clothesline though. Vince McMahon woulda been proud.
Congrats Laker fans.
Question: now that Kobe’s won his “without Shaq” ring and gotten his rep back (aka, people are done mentioning the BS from Colorado,) can we stop being force-fed shots of him kissing his daughters after every single game? We get it, you’re close. I don’t need to see it after every single Lakers game on TV. Can we get ABC on board w/ this? Please??? Wouldn’t it be much more entertaining to see The Machine go hug his collection of hair ties or see Adam Morrison go cry in the corner because he has no one and smells like Funyons? I can’t be the only one thinking this, right? …Right?
June 15th, 2009 at 12:54 pm
Celts Fan says:
@LakeShow - you right about Perk. Dude talks like the guy from Sling Blade.
June 15th, 2009 at 12:55 pm
doc says:
@celtsfan-He is getting ridiculous with the PR with his daughters.They dont give 2 shits how the game is going down.
June 15th, 2009 at 12:55 pm
doc says:
At least he aint bring em to the bench Eddie House style.
June 15th, 2009 at 12:57 pm
fallinup says:
@ Celts Fan
Haha…so agreed. I pondered a similar question on authenticity of Kobe jumping up and down ala MJ during his 1st title. I just felt it was a little too scripted for a guy winning his 4th.
But hey, Kobe’s been on an image crusade since the Colorado thing.
June 15th, 2009 at 12:58 pm
fallinup says:
Also, I loved the girls reaction when Kobe tried to show them the trophy…they were all…”Okay, what is this thing?”
June 15th, 2009 at 1:03 pm
Celts Fan says:
haha I know. I don’t even mind that he did it, and understand completely. I’m just hoping it’s done (at least as a must-show part of every telecast)
@Doc - Eddie’s kid was a ball-boy.
Like I said, I don’t have a problem with it, just don’t need to see it every single time they’re on TV.
June 15th, 2009 at 1:04 pm
LakeShow84 says:
@ DOC
Right on for the props mayne.. And usually karma works like that so you guys might steal OUR golden child next..
“or see Adam Morrison go cry in the corner because he has no one and smells like Funyons”
funniest shit i heard all day lol
Yeah the daughter thing is getting played but who knows? maybe he ACTUALLY wants them there with him.. not too many like Kobe (shit i dont even think his wife like him lol)..
And after all the shit everyone been talking post-Shaq he jumped up like that cuz he had the monkey off his back.. That is HIS title.. PERIOD..
June 15th, 2009 at 1:19 pm
jzsmoove says:
longtime nba fan here wearing a “Stupid” Tshirt with the arrow pointing up. i didnt even know that the MVP trophy was named for Mr Russell. my bad!!
June 15th, 2009 at 1:23 pm
doc says:
I think they just did that jzsmoove u good.@Lakeshow-All I can do is call it like I see it pimp.I seen it so now I gotta call it.If im just gonna be hating to be hating on here the player gotta be a Sixer.
June 15th, 2009 at 1:27 pm
doc says:
What would be funny to see woulda been DJ Mbenga trying to bring his kids on the court while Stern gets security to kick they ass.
June 15th, 2009 at 1:34 pm
doug says:
Our team, Our year…it aint over yet…we’re just getting started…let’s civilize the celebration out laker fans..damn i can’t even hit fig..cats burning tree branches as make shift torches…smashing cop cars…robbing shoe stores…Rodney King didn’t just get beat…the Lakers just won…cats can’t even celebrate right…i might just have a get together at my spot…anyone who hits downtown without a riot shield,gas mask and heater is stupid. Never the less,we bumping”to live in die in L.A. it’s the place to be you got to be there to know it everybody want to see”Pac said it best. Kobe best dude doing till you prove him wrong, fall back Bron supporters, he will win two more before he retires the #24 & #8 jersey.
June 15th, 2009 at 1:35 pm
LakeShow84 says:
LMAO @ 76
Thats cold DOC..
June 15th, 2009 at 1:37 pm
doug says:
yeah i feel u doc, I’m the biggest Laker and Kobe fan but i definitely thought dude was over doing with his kids, be easy giving em a kiss and send back to they mama. Kobe was ridiculous with that.
June 15th, 2009 at 1:57 pm
M Intellect says:
In my OPINION, I feel Kobe is now better then MJ.
1. He’s got more rings then MJ at the same age and the first three rings were as Shaq’s equal, not as his side-kick. Don’t forget Pippen was about for ALL of MJ’s titles too people and Kobe’s #2, Pau Gasol is not even a top 20 player.
2. He played the greatest game in NBA history (81 vs. Raptors: Wilt was playing in 1865, his 100 was FORCED as well.
3. As a player he is the best offensive guard ever (Has more range and more moves then MJ) and is as good a defender as MJ.
4. He is playing in a lopsided league where the majority of the league’s talent and premier teams are in his conference so he has a harder route to get to A. The Play-Offs and when he is there, B. The Finals.
5. To keep in line with the theory of evolution, I’m pretty sure the league is tougher now then it was 10-15 years ago. Dudes are taller, faster, stronger and generally better then back then. I reckon a 2nd tier guard now ala Joe Johnson, would be a superstar back in the day.
Let the barrage begin.
June 15th, 2009 at 2:16 pm
LakeShow84 says:
@ M Intellect
Ill wait and see if Kobe gets 2 more before i touch that.. We view MJ’s whole body of work, which can be unfair, but even so we have to wait and see Kobe’s whole body of work in the end..
Dont forget he got 4-5 more years of being a bad mofo and his game isnt neccessarily athletically driven so he can possibly play at a top 5 level until hes 35-36..
Im just glad the man is a Laker..
June 15th, 2009 at 2:22 pm
fallinup says:
Alright M Intellect, some respectful retorts.
1. Pau is a top 20 player. He was only a franchise player 2 years removed. MJ dominated….DOMINATED all six of those rings. And it would be more rings hadn’t he wanted to go play baseball.
2. I can’t dispute his 81 point assault on a shitty Raptors defense. But you also can’t forget the countless, COUNTLESS spectacular games by MJ. Kobe’s got the 81…but what else…just off the top of my head I can think of “The Flu Game, The Shot, 63 in Boston, The Double Nickel”…some if not all, against teams WAAAAAY better than those Raptors.
3. Once again. A valid argument. But I will add, Kobe took a little time to dominate. MJ, was putting up points since day 1.
4 and 5. The talent may be better today. But there were fewer teams back then, and WAAAAAY tougher rules. They played WAAAAAY more physical…it was a much different game. In my opinion, the competition was tougher for MJ in his career by a mile.
But in all. We shouldn’t even have this discussion because there are too many what if’s and maybe so’s….Kobe is the best in the game right now no doubt. Best player ever will always be disputed. It’s forever going to be an endless discussion.
June 15th, 2009 at 2:42 pm
dmitry of jersey says:
i duno if anyone is still reading this, but to all teh Kobe/Lakers lovers i disagreed with… you were right.
June 15th, 2009 at 2:43 pm
LakeShow84 says:
oh yeah i see u Dmitry..
Thanks.. We will be looking for apologies and congrats all day..
June 15th, 2009 at 2:51 pm
doug says:
I agree blog 82 but I also concur with blog#83 I think people are viewing an unfinished body of work when Kobe hangs it up than we can make a more educated and informed arguement for him being better than J,from a skill set stand point I do think he is better than MJ, he’s a more complete player and more potent offensively MJ got way more whistles than Kobe, people always talk about MJ shooting 50% from fg but you would too if you shot 20 free-throws a game.I’ve said it for the longest Kobe gets the least calls out of MJ,Bron or D-Wade. He’s been getting slighted ever since the denver situation but it’s cool I think Kobe has fought through all the adversity and to me he is in top 5 all time if he were to retire today, this cats done it all…won it all…gold medals,mvp(and even the biggest haters no that kobe should have atleast 3 league MVP’s, Nash winning it two years in a row no way that’s justifiable)finals mvp,scoring records all-league defense,nba first teams numerous times,all-star mvps…and he’s only 30 years of age.
June 15th, 2009 at 2:55 pm
Ian says:
rafa you are right shit and i think it was the spurs that gave big dog a ring
June 15th, 2009 at 2:59 pm
Ian says:
“people always talk about MJ shooting 50% from fg but you would too if you shot 20 free-throws a game” jordan took only 0.5 more free throws per game than kobe and still managed to put up 3 more shots per game than kobe the bigger the sample the more difficult it is to shot 50% KOBE IS NOT MORE POTENT ON OFFENSE back the stuff up with some stats.
June 15th, 2009 at 3:01 pm
Ian says:
hell i was looking at all the other great sgs and gervin also shot 50% with around the same attempts that kobe takes 19 and the same free throw amount kobe takes 7.5 so again what makes kobe more potent on offense than the other sgs? west is more or less around kobes shooting numbers.
June 15th, 2009 at 3:10 pm
Ian says:
m intellect you can say miss piggy is better than jordan as long as you back it up with something but who cares how many titles they had at what age with this win kobe cracks the top ten not the top 5 where jordan is. pau gasol not top 20?????????? WRONG he is top 20 EASY. did you see him outplay all his opponents during the playoffs??
doug im not bashing you kobe statement of whos more potent on offense i want to know with what you back it up and congrats for the laker win.
June 15th, 2009 at 3:14 pm
Ian says:
shit sorry about all the posts
fallinup you made good points but kobe went up against better sgs and sfs than jordan you said jordan won in a league that had tuffer rulers true but the competition wasnt as good in the 90s for the bulls as it was for the lakers with the kings and spurs in the early 00s imo. now jordan was the undisputable leader true thats why he is and should be ranked higher.
ps i dont think the bulls win in 95 vs the rockets
June 15th, 2009 at 3:42 pm
doug says:
c’mon ian stop hating man! yall ain seen the last of dude we gotta young squad man. I don’t know where your pulling them stats from about J but everybody knows J got calls like no other. I gotta double check your stat reservoir man, you probably copy and pasting from a spurs fan base.
June 15th, 2009 at 3:42 pm
Celts Fan says:
It had to start eventually. Here’s the list:
Undisputedly better than Kobe (in no order):
MJ (GOAT)
Oscar
Magic
Wilt
Russell (11 chips - 2 as the coach, 2 NCAA titles, and a gold medal. The greatest winner in American sports history, period.)
Kareem (best college player ever, all time leading scorer, 6 chips, a bit of a ninny, sure, but respect given where it’s due.)
Duncan (he’s the best player of this era. All NBA Defense and Offense the first decade of his career. Best player on 4 title teams.)
Better in my opinion, but I can understand arguing either way:
Bird (3 straight MVPs, 3 chips as the best player on his team - a team regarded as one of the 3 best ever, one of the best/most clutch shooters of all time, an under-rated team defender. Best 3 of all time - at least for the next decade til Bron wraps up and may’ve stolen that title)
Shaq (he was the best player on those 3peat teams. Kobe was close, but the Big Fella was that guy. MDE. Don’t let what he’s become make you forget his decade of OWNING the paint.)
So Kobe’s top 9 of all time to me. That’s an AMAZING accomplishment, but he gotta put in A LOT MORE work to pass some of the legends above him. The bar’s just that high…
June 15th, 2009 at 3:44 pm
doug says:
anyway man no kill joys for your boy, we won this thing! Kobe is that dude,like I said everyone else fall in line, Olympic team couldn’t win the gold until Kobe went and he won another with out shaq, what else does he have to prove, he’s done it all.
June 15th, 2009 at 3:58 pm
doug says:
Celts fan your words mean nothing…Tim Duncan over Kobe hell I’m willing to call out Oscar Robertson being over Kobe. How many ships has that cat won?If your arguement is individual statitics we can go pound for pound with Kobe and Oscar. Kobe has outlandish records just like Oscar and Kobe is playing against stiffer competition.And you put Shaq ahead of Kobe.Kobe won his fourth as “The dude”finals MVP Shaq won his fourth as a third wheel.Celts fan not a credible list and the worst part about it is your comparing Kobe at 30 who still has quality years left before he hangs it up to guys who are done and guys who are pretty much done with there career.
June 15th, 2009 at 4:07 pm
M Intellect says:
Fallinup - RE - Amazing Performances: 81, 62-in-3, How Many Straight 40 Games, This year’s 40-8-8, Like 10 50-point games in ‘06, 12 3’s in a game. That is straight off the top!
RE - Better Younger: Remember Kobe came in the league 17 years old! MJ was a grown-ass man.
RE - Is Pau a Top 20 player: He was the man in Memphis - Not on the 1990 Pistons! Pau is good but Scottie Pippen was Top 5 in the league, don’t ever forget that.
CLEARLY BETTER
CP3, Kobe, Lebron, KG, Dwight, Deron Williams, B-Roy, Carmelo, Dirk, TD, D-Wade, Paul Pierce, Yao, Elton Brand, Amare, CB4, Gilbert Arenas, Caron Butler, Derrick Rose, Chauncey, Kevin Durant.
PERSONAL PREFERENCES & MAYBE’S
T-Mac, Vince, Ray Ray, TP, Rip, Derrick Rose, Manu, Joe Johnson, Al Jefferson, Ron Artest, Flip Murray, David West, Steve Nash, Danny Granger.
June 15th, 2009 at 4:11 pm
LakeShow84 says:
Jordan AINT never seen a Zone Defense in his prime..
NUFF SAID..
June 15th, 2009 at 4:13 pm
M Intellect says:
RE: “Larry Bird - Under-rated Team Defender” - LOL.
I threw my piece of shit in my post too. See if you can spot it.
June 15th, 2009 at 4:23 pm
LakeShow84 says:
@ CeltsFan
Ill put Magic and Jordan from that list into the convo.. Wilt, Oscar and Russell all played in a, AHEM, scrubby era.. Sorry but there werent the beasts they had in 80’s and up.. Shit pistol Pete nowadays wouldve been a POOR mans Steve Nash with way more TO’s..
Russell and Wilt only really had THEMSELVES to worry about..
Oscar needed Alcindor to win his ring.. but otherwise won 1 MVP and was just plain bigger than everybody..
June 15th, 2009 at 4:24 pm
LakeShow84 says:
Funny how no one mentions Jordan having a top 50 all time player by his side..
June 15th, 2009 at 4:25 pm
Celts Fan says:
Never said that Kobe was done, but as of today, that’s how I see it.
You can’t say its ridiculous that Shaq had his 4th with Miami. He was almost as important to that team as Kobe was to those 3peat teams.
And how many Finals MVPs is that for Kobe now? That’s right, ONE, cuz Shaq was the better player on that team. That’s why he’s higher.
Kobe got plenty of time to pass some of those guys, but as of right now, that’s how I see it.
June 15th, 2009 at 4:42 pm
fallinup says:
Sigh…once again. What if’s and maybe so’s…lemme just say this and be done with this discussion.
MJ in his prime would destroy Kobe in his prime. Haha…dispute that.
June 15th, 2009 at 5:00 pm
Ian says:
doug how is calling kobe top ten ever and sayin he faces tougher sgs and sfs than jordan hating??? damn. i just pointed out that offensively he isnt more effective than TWO sgs all time just TWO. damnnnn.
lakeshow i mention that shit all the time
but you also have intellect there tryin to say gasol isnt a top 20 implying kobe carried scrubs goh with that. look at that list
“CP3, Kobe, Lebron, KG, Dwight, Deron Williams, B-Roy, Carmelo, Dirk, TD, D-Wade, Paul Pierce, Yao, Elton Brand, Amare, CB4, Gilbert Arenas, Caron Butler, Derrick Rose, Chauncey, Kevin Durant.”
get brand , amare , cb4 , arenas HAHAHAHAHA , butler , rose , durant out of there they arent better than pau and you have howard there pleaseeeeee did you see him vs pau? you can add parker in the conversation of whos better.
personal reference
“T-Mac, Vince, Ray Ray, TP, Rip, Derrick Rose, Manu, Joe Johnson, Al Jefferson, Ron Artest, Flip Murray, David West, Steve Nash, Danny Granger” when i got to flip murray i stopped reading but of the names i got to see tmac , vince , rose , johnson , jefferson , artest arent better than gasol , rose will prob be.
June 15th, 2009 at 5:03 pm
Ian says:
alltime
ahead of kobe imo
in no order
magic
bird
td
shaq
kareem
wilt
oscar
russell
so kobe cracks the top ten now i wouldnt take russell to start a team over kobe and i would take a couple of dudes over kobe in the top 25 that should be ranked lower because this is a career list not whos better in their primes list.
June 15th, 2009 at 5:14 pm
doug says:
Duncan (he’s the best player of this era. All NBA Defense and Offense the first decade of his career. Best player on 4 title teams.)ridiculous last I checked didn’t tony parker win finals MVP on the fourth championship and he’s not the best player of this era Celts Fan, your sheer hatred for the Lakers won’t allow you to call it like it is. We won,all yall fall back. Celts yall got beat in your house by Orlando in a game seven, real disrespectful and by the way even if yall would’ve had a healthy 35,36 year old KG yall still would’ve lost to us in the final this year. You have a team full of retirees…we’re young,loaded with talent and have the best player in the L….and we’re just getting started.
June 15th, 2009 at 5:16 pm
doug says:
Ian i’m sorry you can’t put Tim Duncan ahead of Kobe at no time has this guy been called the best player in the L.Most Fundamental yes, Great player Yes but dude is on his way out and you know that. You guys are grading Kobe like this was his last game, theres finality to every guy on your list accept Kobe, Kobe is in the best shape of his life and he’s only 30.
June 15th, 2009 at 5:23 pm
doug says:
“You can’t say its ridiculous that Shaq had his 4th with Miami. He was almost as important to that team as Kobe was to those 3peat teams”Celts fan Shaq wasn’t even the best player on the Heat that won it,Alonzo had a better series than dude, are you sayin he meant as much to the heat as Kobe did to the Lakers. Kobe just took a team full of quote unquote”softees,underachievers and trade in throw aways” to the top. Yall are getting ridiculous with the hatred. Miami won that with D.Wade and the Refs that championship got absolutely no respect amongst most of the nba players, it was like no one wanted to comment on it because they all saw how D.Wade was average like 20 free-throw attempts a game in the finals on some real phantom calls. Kobe gets the nod he got absolutely no respect from the refs, notable game 4 and 5 of the finals, gaurantee if that was Bron or Wade they would’ve shot 15-20 free-throws but we did it our way, damn giving us respect we took it, made you respect us.
June 15th, 2009 at 5:25 pm
Jon says:
kobe must be the most un-dominating finals MVP ever.
He choked away gm 3 all by himself.
Choked by getting blocked on the game winner attempt in game 2 and letting Courtney Lee even get free on a 0.6 sec attempt.
Choked in gm 4’s 2nd half with super poor shooting and key turnovers. Without Ariza’s push and Fish’s shots, kobe would’ve failed again.
The other guys were the difference. kobe didn’t play any better than last yr when he choked against the celtics. The difference is Pau Gasol, the other guys stepping up and the Magic are not the celtics of last yr.
June 15th, 2009 at 5:32 pm
doc says:
@M-intellect-U cant throw Elton Brand in there without getting a WHAT THE FUCK U LOOKING AT from a Sixer fan.About Kobe and Mike.Kobe gotta finish first before we know who’s better.As far as offensive skill….if u know or play ball u would know dam well Kobe do shit out there Mike didnt do.But he also hasnt mastered the game like Mike did to make it easy as it can be for him.Like when Mike was a oldhead he averaged 20 points off one shot.The shoulder shimmy from the left block.But if Kobe go get 7 rings doing what he do he BETTER than yall favorite superhero.And enough with the old ballers.They were good for they time but that shit dont stand up today.Did yall see black Magic?The Celtics was the ONLY team without a dam 2 black on the floor at home 3 on the road rule and people steady calling this a great era because they had a little bit of teams.Check yall history.Of course Bill Russel average 30 boards and got 11 chips when its 200 other top talented black dudes playing playground ball or for the Globetrotters.Did yall ever see a photo or game from back then and really peep the comp.Did yall?Because if yall did u would know Kobe,Bron-Bron and would humiliate them oldtimers.I could throw Josh Howard back in those days and we would be talking about how he averaged 45.
June 15th, 2009 at 5:34 pm
doug says:
“kobe must be the most un-dominating finals MVP ever”see this is the kind of stuff i’m talkin about.How is this cat? What are you taling about man? We just won the ship and Kobe is one of only two player to average 30 plus ppg,5 assist plus and 5 rebounds plus in a finals the other is the GOAT”for now”MJ.Jon I don’t know where you came from but they’re rioting out here cuz we just won the ship, instead of making torches out of trees they would be burning you if you were out here Laker fans would smash you for that ignorance.
June 15th, 2009 at 5:35 pm
doc says:
Kobe Shaq and Tim all top 10 players of all time.Get over it people.
June 15th, 2009 at 5:39 pm
Ian says:
doug
you dont need to apologize to make your pic but you need to make some sense you said bash duncan cuz he didnt win the last mvp and kobe only has one?????????? that duncan was never called the best player?? where did you hide???
dude you can rank them like you want but back it up with facts ask all laker fans here who has had the better career.
is not even debatable
duncan owns kobe in every single award and accomplishment in the nba again this isnt debateable facts are facts. both of them age 22 kobe goes second on that draft you wont admit it but you know it.
June 15th, 2009 at 5:40 pm
doug says:
very well put DOC. See that’s what i’m talking about. No disrespect to the old timers but athletes are far superior to those cats limited african americans in the L and Bill Russell was a beast at 6′8 during that time. Cats had part-time jobs besides basketball during those days it’s not comparable. And definitely agree I don’t know why people are putting kobe on all these all-time list he’s not even done playing.
June 15th, 2009 at 5:42 pm
Ian says:
doug you see how you backed up those argument about the kobe mvp thing with some facts now try explaining how kobe ranks ahead of duncan that same way.
June 15th, 2009 at 5:42 pm
LakeShow84 says:
Ill take #112 for now..
Holla at us in about 3 years..
June 15th, 2009 at 5:52 pm
doug says:
ian you won’t admit that you guys run is over. I think Tim is a hell of a player, Kobe is better though, he’s younger,he’s got more basketball left in him and we have a young and really good team that just won a ship.I’m sorry I don’t see any spurs team in the near future bouncing back from losing to the MAVS to beat us in the play-offs anytime soon we will be in the finals atleast 3 out the 5 next years.Kobe will walk away with atleast 6 rings. I don’t think that will be said about TIM Duncan. I wouldn’t be suprised if that cat retired a year from now, especially how old and stale they look now. I know it’s hard for yall to see Kobe doing it this way, on his terms it’s easier to get by a docile and boring Tim Duncan but Kobe makes you respect him. As far as individual statistics Kobes name is all through out the record books, if you make it a dual of accolades your only arguement would be Tim’s has 2 more finals mvp’s and one more MVP than kobe but I think Kobe will settle that arguement by the time he retires
June 15th, 2009 at 5:54 pm
doug says:
exactly Lakeshow blog#116, hollar at us in 3 years. Yall are taking the cake out of the oven way to early. These are kobe prime years still.
June 15th, 2009 at 5:58 pm
Ian says:
doug whos talking about runs and whos in his prime now??? dude its an alltime list?? you only talked about future things for kobe if he does it fine you have your thing but you are sayin hes over duncan right now and thats wrong.
June 15th, 2009 at 6:02 pm
Spliff 2 My Lou says:
Too much comments to read them all so this might’ve been said already but…
MJ had 6 finals appearances, 6 MVP’s and 6 rings. Kobe can’t fuck with that YET. He’s on his way though. He just picked up his FIRST MVP in 4 titles. In the NBA a player’s greatness will always be measured by rings and MVP’s.
And so you know, I like and respect Kobe as a player. I’m no hater.
June 15th, 2009 at 6:07 pm
doug says:
it’s right Ian.Tim Duncan is not better than Kobe today on 6/15/09. Kobe is that dude. That arguement could’ve been made on 6/13/09. Kobe has done everything people said he couldn’t and don’t think he will stop here. I think the competition we faced even coming out of the west this year was second to none. Kobe is in the top 5 of all-time like BJ Armstrong and Mark Jackson said. There list was Wilt,MJ,Bird,Magic,Kareem and Kobe. Bill Russell was the winningest win the league had like 3 black players,8 teams and the avg.height was like 6′3.
June 15th, 2009 at 6:15 pm
Spliff 2 My Lou says:
It’s extremely difficult to win a championship without the presence of a great big man. Look who Kobe has won with: Shaq (perhaps most dominate big man of all-time), Gasol, Bynum, and Odom. The best big man MJ ever had was Rodman or Horace Grant depending on your opinion. Rodman was never an offensive force and not really a true big man for that matter. And I think it’s safe to say that anybody would choose Gasol, Bynum, or Odom over Horace Grant so therefore the weakest of the best Laker’s big men is better than the best of the Bulls big men during MJ’s title run.
June 15th, 2009 at 6:15 pm
Ian says:
ok doug since you failed to explain why kobe is ranked higher TODAY than duncan on the alltime list lets leave it at that later.
btw got tiger woods today dont know if you play that let me know.
June 15th, 2009 at 6:23 pm
doc says:
My Top 10 FOR NOW(I think Kobe can move up i a few and Bron can bumrush the show in about a dime)1Mike 2Magic 3Kareem 4Kobe 5Shaq 6Bird 7Timmy 8Dream 9Big O 10Wilt and Russell If u dont like it I dont give a fuck.
June 15th, 2009 at 6:23 pm
doug says:
but i do agree with you Ian that Pujols is the best player in baseball
June 15th, 2009 at 6:25 pm
doug says:
I agree with that list Doc blog#124.
June 15th, 2009 at 6:30 pm
Pierce Hibma says:
Anybody else watch the games with their wife? http://HSSSblog.com
June 15th, 2009 at 6:34 pm
Ian says:
doc i have a lil diff order hehehe
wilt
magic
jordan
kareem
td
shaq
bird
oscar
kobe
russell
bron will prob kick russell out of MY list and kobe would move oscar down for sure and maybe some of the others
June 15th, 2009 at 6:34 pm
Tbest says:
I agree the stuff with his daughter’s was a bit much. But at least he is there for his daughter’s. With so many illegitimate fathers in the league, it’s nice to see someone there with his family. But i would like to see it toned down a notch. Seeing the fam in the hallway at every halftime is too much. And i’m one of the biggest Kobe fans around. Although there were a lot of other wives/women on stage as well. I know D Fish’s lady was right there.
June 15th, 2009 at 6:43 pm
Celts Fan says:
@doug - the point is that, on the all time great list, Duncan is over Kobe right now. Both still have a few chapters left to write, definitely possible for Kobe to grab 1 or 2 more, but on that list now, Duncan’s at #7 and Kobe’s around #9. Kobe’s a better player right now, but give me Tim’s career over Kobe’s at this point. We’ll see how it wraps up down the line.
BTW, to me, in the 01-06 years, there were definitely times that Duncan was the best in the league (too lazy to look over the stats & figure out which years were his MVP, 28 &10 years)
June 15th, 2009 at 6:47 pm
Tbest says:
Is that supposed to be 28 pts for Duncan? He’s avg over 25 once and over 23 twice. Career avg PPG for Duncan 21.4pts.
June 15th, 2009 at 6:52 pm
Celts Fan says:
I did just say I was too lazy to look up specifics. Point is that he was a BEAST
June 15th, 2009 at 6:57 pm
Celts Fan says:
By the way, there were just 3 guys on ESPNews giving their top 10s. All 3 had Kobe over Duncan, but Kobe was 8th, 10th, and not listed (which seemed assanine, much as I like Dr. J, he aint better than Kobe,) so maybe we’re all wrong…
June 15th, 2009 at 6:59 pm
doug says:
yeah ian we know your list and it’s getting no respect.I’ll go with the cat that’s played Div.1 ball.Docs list just carries more validity because he’s played at a higher level than island H-O-R-S-E games.
June 15th, 2009 at 7:00 pm
doug says:
who were the 3 espn guys Celts fan and it better not include Jon Barry or Legler cats that got spat upon in the L.
June 15th, 2009 at 7:02 pm
Austin Burton says:
@doug — I didn’t see the segment Celts Fan is talking about, but my guess is that Legler wasn’t there. He was the worst TV person I saw last night in terms of going over the top with praising Kobe. If Legler did a Top 10 list right now, he might put Kobe at #1.
June 15th, 2009 at 7:05 pm
doug says:
Celts time has never avg.28 ppg’s you have no credibility. You would take TD’s years over Kobe your a celtic fan that’s what yall do. Hey check this out Celtic Great(your dude)Bird says kobe is in his top 5 greatest of all time and says Kobe has been the best player in the league for the past 9 years. That’s coming from your dude. See that’s what yall don’t understand stop telling what jon barry and leglers top 10 list are…they get no respect. Isaiah Thomas,Magic,Drexler,Jordan, Bird all these cats have went on record as saying Kobe has been the greatest player of the post Jordan era…saying he is this era’s Jordan. Not tim duncan,not shaq,not bron,not d-wade..KOBE these are the mount rushmores of the league,the forefathers.
June 15th, 2009 at 7:07 pm
Austin Burton says:
Oh, and Duncan has had a better career than Kobe. He’s the MVP of the decade. (1999-2009)
June 15th, 2009 at 7:08 pm
Tbest says:
Yea, but Celtsfan didn’t look up the stats, so it’s all good. I am too lazy to look up the stats, but remember those 50 and 12 yrs by Kobe.
June 15th, 2009 at 7:09 pm
doug says:
Austin he grew those feelings overnight…he’s been bashing kobe and the lakers this whole playoffs ever since last year he’s picked against the lakers and said bron is better than Kobe…Legler had to take it like a man holding back tears and pride to even get to that point but he realized what alot of haters in this forum won’t fess up and do which is come to the realization that Kobe is that dude…it’s hard,especially if you hate someone that’s that good but Legler did it I give him credit for that.Just know he just did that after they won I’ve watched dude all this season and last season on NBA fastbreak and dude just changed his tune with his opinion on Kobe.
June 15th, 2009 at 7:11 pm
doug says:
Austin your a fan, your opinion of who the best player of the decade means nothing to me, I listen to the greats who have played the game and all of them agree with me Kobe is the best player of this decade please refer to blog#137…please defend your opinion with a reputable pro-ball player like the one’s I have given you.
June 15th, 2009 at 7:11 pm
Celts Fan says:
It was a bunch of guys from different ESPN Radio stations across the country. And no, no Legs, pretty sure he’s still hiding in Kobe’s bushes.
Some common threads from their lists: MJ was #1 for all of them, Russell was #2, #4, and #9, Magic was top 3 on all of them, and Kareem was top 6 in all of them. Bird was alittle higher than I’d've thought (5 or 6 on all) and Oscar was a little lower than I’d've thought (6-9 range)
June 15th, 2009 at 7:18 pm
doug says:
Celts fan again you have evaded my questions of who gave these ranking if your talking about ESPN sportscasters and columnist who’ve never played a game of basketball in there life:Bucher,Broussard,Hollinger,Bill Simmons and the likes of such people it doesn’t mean anything. Give me certified professional ball players top 10 lists..these are the same cats that voted Nash MVP two years in a row putting him in the books of league history as one of only 8 players to win that award 2 years in a row…and the list of people on this list he doesn’t even to deserve to be on…so those cats don’t count they don’t know anything about the game…does anyone even know if Nash is still in the league..ridiculous.
June 15th, 2009 at 7:19 pm
doug says:
” bunch of guys from different ESPN Radio stations across the country”that the GWBush statement of the century….unfortunately bunch of guys from different ESPN Radio stations across the country doesn’t hold the weight that NBA hall famers do.
June 15th, 2009 at 7:19 pm
Tbest says:
Russell is the one i question the most still. I know with the 11 rings he has it always propels him to the top of these list, but the league was so much different back then. No Free agency, so few teams, etc. If he only had 6 rings would he still be #2 on the list? I have a lot of respect for Russell, but as a basketball player was he really as good as some of the other great big men. He’s a great champion, i just don’t know how great of a player he was. His career scoring avg is 15 pts and he never scored more than 19 a game. I think a lot of people are blinded by the shine on his rings, but I guess when you have 11 of them you can blind a lot of people. I hate too even sound disrespectful to Mr. Russell, as i feel he is a great man and wonderful ambassador to the league.
June 15th, 2009 at 7:28 pm
Ian says:
heres doug with the same thing he always post “ill take the opinion of this guy because he did this ” dude get you own damn opinion be a man and take decide something for yourself who gives a fuck if someone played somewhere its all opinion. funny thing is how u have selective memory ” idont recall anyone sayin duncan is the best” hahahahaha dude love how agree with doc when u said that kobe is the second best player ever a few months back talk about bs.
however says kobe is the greatest you agree with and know basketball i bet that if i said kobe is the man and someone else bashes him you would go oh i agree with ian because he went to mit or some bs.
June 15th, 2009 at 7:32 pm
Ian says:
austins opinion doesnt count you say because hes a fan and you??? what are you??? you must be on kobes payroll because this isnt normal for a grown man.
June 15th, 2009 at 7:39 pm
Celts Fan says:
@ian - its cool tho, cuz you know guys like Zeke, and MJ and Bird are great at evaluating talent, they’ve made such great GMs
June 15th, 2009 at 7:48 pm
Austin Burton says:
What you have to consider is the context in which these former players and other experts made their statements. Often I’ll see reporters ask a guy, “Do you think Kobe is one of the greatest players ever?” or “How does Kobe’s killer instinct rank next to somebody like Jordan?” or they’ll preface a question with, “I’m writing a story about Kobe,” then ask the question.
When you ask a guy something like that, his answer is usually going to be complimentary, ’cause athletes are conditioned to be diplomatic and sometimes even just say what they think you want to hear. Now if you just asked the guy an open-ended question like, “Who are the four greatest two-guards you’ve ever seen?” the answers may not be the same.
Something to think about.
June 16th, 2009 at 7:03 am
M Intellect says:
*Statistical Interview Techniques Vol. 1 by Austin Burton
June 17th, 2009 at 4:35 am
Sweet English says:
It might be a technique but unfortunately for you all, Austin is more qualified than 99% of the Cats in here when it comes to player comparison and especially when it comes to interviewing sports stars. It is his job, after all.
Doug you make some valid points but saying to Austin ‘Your just a fan, so your opinion means nothing’ is probably the dumbest thing you could have said for the following reasons.
#1 Austin is actually part of the Media surrounding basketball so has more resources, contact and unbiased opinions on the matter than anyone else in here, including YOU.
#2 If Austin is ‘Just a fan’ and he spends his entire day researching, writing and generally living and breathing Basketball, what does that make you? And henceforth, what validity do ANY of your past comments and opinions have?
#3 and not to contridict point #2, But if any person on this earth has the right to try and brand the greatest player on the Earth, it is the fans;
We are the ones who pay to watch these Men entertain us. If you are willing to craft your opinion on things that Larry Bird and Magic Jonhson have said, then your position as even ‘just a fan’ is questionable. I could have done exactly that and never watched a game in my life, how valid would my opinion be then?
A real fan will sit down, watch some ball, and in there own minds decide who they think has played the best basketball, has the most accolades, provided the most entertainment. For Austin, it was TD. And i can’t see a good reason why it shouldn’t be.