Re: Nba 2005/2006
That's the issue here...The team showed great character throughout the season and that is what was expected at the end too. Captains don't abandon the ship when it is sinking. That doesn't say much about the captain or his class.
Re: Nba 2005/2006
Its funny how the Lakers are still on peoples mind after the series is over.
Was Kobe a little cavalier in his approach during Game 7, you goddamn right he was. But I will still give him the benefit of the doubt. My understanding is that the game plan was to get the team mates involved, just like he did in Game 3 and won despite everybody criticizing him for not scoring enough. He takes too many shots, people criticize him and call him selfish, he takes too little, people criticize him.
Re: Nba 2005/2006
Haters are funny
- Kobe shoots his team out of a game, he has an agenda
- Kobe passes his team out of a game, he has an agenda
- Kobe wins his team the game by shooting, too many shots
- Kobe loses his team the game by shooting, too many shots
- Kobe wins his team the game by passing, he didn’t have anything to do with the win
- Kobe loses his team the game by passing, he didn’t shoot enough
Conclusion: Kobe can’t do anything right.
Re: Nba 2005/2006
I dont agree with everything this columnist says, but he has some good points.
T.J Simers.
Bryant Just Quit, and the Suns and Clippers Play On
May 9, 2006
PHOENIX — Great news here, of course, for the Clippers who began round two of the playoffs without **Kobe Bryant**.
How awful would it have been for the Clippers to have signed the guy, finally make the playoffs — only then to learn Bryant is liable to tank it at any time?
he fact is, after the Lakers’ last performance, the best scorer in the game can no longer be trusted.
In the seventh game of a playoff series, a game in which Bryant scored 23 points in the first half, Bryant returned to the floor with the Lakers down by 15 to take three shots and score one point.
What if he had taken the same approach a few years back when the Lakers found themselves down by 15 *in the fourth quarter *only to rally, win and eventually claim an NBA title?
Amazingly, the media in L.A. gave Bryant nothing but a free ride after the Lakers went dead against the Suns.
HEY, THE GREATEST CLOSER IN THE GAME TOOK THREE SHOTS IN THE SECOND HALF OF THE SEVENTH GAME OF A PLAYOFF SERIES AND SCORED ONE POINT!
That’s a shocking story!
Something had to be said at halftime inside the Laker locker room to irritate Bryant, igniting the immaturity that apparently still rests deep inside, thereby throwing him into a full-blown pout. And we’ve seen that before. Sacramento a few years back immediately comes to mind.
I guess we’ll have to wait for Phil Jackson’s next book to learn what really happened behind closed doors.
SOME PEOPLE liken Bryant to Michael Jordan, but help me here, can anyone point to a moment in Jordan’s career when he tanked it with the season on the line?
It’s one thing to shoot and miss and lose the big game, they have both done that. But to shut it down, only pass the ball — and finish with one assist, Bryant cheated every Laker fan who sat there telling his friends, “You watch, Kobe will bring us back.”
Forget about the score, the inept play of Bryant’s inconsistent teammates, the Lakers’ chances to eventually win that game. It’s all irrelevant.
There is nothing short of knowing that his leg has been sawed off to think Bryant, the “Love me or hate me” and “Just do it!” competitor that everyone has known him to be, would be limited to three shots in the second half of a seventh game of a playoff series.
One of the assistant coaches in this building for the Clipper-Sun playoff game said he had lost all respect for Bryant after witnessing him quit Saturday night, and if memory serves, this guy was one of Bryant’s biggest promoters.
NBA Commissioner David Stern spoke to the media before the Clipper playoff opener with the Suns, and while he was here to give Steve Nash the most-valuable-player trophy, I asked him whether he thought Bryant had tanked it against the Suns.
“No,” Stern said. “I take Phil and Kobe at what they said, that they were trying to get the front court more involved,” which was good news, because knowing right away that he wasn’t going to be straight with everyone, there was no reason to hang around for the rest of his “everything is good in the NBA” interview.
“I’ve missed L.A. writers,” a sarcastic Stern said, and here I’ve always thought he had the power to fix that, but I’m guessing even the NBA commissioner has no idea which Kobe Bryant is going to show up to work these days.
STERN SAID, “It’s great to see the Clippers in the playoffs,” but I had my doubts, and asked him, "Are you really happy to have the Clippers in the playoffs?‘’
“I can’t say that,” he said, while contradicting himself, “but once every 30 years” is good.
I guess we know who he would have been pulling for in the Hallway Series.
THE NBA is going to have to rely on the Clippers to keep the Los Angeles market interested in the playoffs. And that would be Elton Brand’s cue to show the country why he should have received considerable MVP attention.
Brand, playing in front of Duke **Coach K**, who will be working again with Brand in preparation for the Olympics, put up Bryant-like numbers *playing hard the entire game. *Can you imagine Brand ever tanking it?
“It’s too late in the season to take positives from losses,” said Brand, who had 40 points, a Clipper-playoff record, and isn’t everything the Clippers do these days, a Clipper-playoff record?
ONE THING to consider with this NBA fad of passing out matching T-shirts to the hometown crowd. They did that in Miami, and with the Heat getting whipped, the crowd — all dressed in white — looked as if they were collectively waving the white towel of surrender.
…
Re: Nba 2005/2006
SOME PEOPLE liken Bryant to **Michael Jordan, but help me here, can anyone point to a moment in Jordan's career when he tanked it with the season on the line? **
Thank you. It's not about the number of shots he took or didn't take. It's the attitude he brought to the game. People who compare him to Jordan are not only insulting MJ but also the game itself. Looking forward to Phil's book. I rest my case.
Moving on! :-D I don't expect the same attitude from Shaq..we'll see about that against the Piston in Eastern conference finals. (unless Carter & Kidd show something extraordinary, the Nets will get pounded in the paint).
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Hmm people who compare Kobe to MJ are mostly media, and most media sportwriters are stupid. Just look at how NBA MVP goes. Puhlease.
Re: Nba 2005/2006
I agree with post #65 ... and the bold text that he quoted.
someone needs to take the responsibility of the meltdown in game 7 ; as a captain of the ship, kobe has gotta take the heat. I concur with the belief that he was pissed from the game 6 critisim after taking too many shots (purely in team's interest though) and he wasn't smart enough to not give ppl a chance to discuss that.
Talha, I guess u r rite, he is gonna be hated outside of LA and he does get the short end of the stick, but at the end of the day, there are or atleast were issues with him (atleast per mr. jackson).
Abt the playoffs, if Spurs get through Dallas, its gonna make the finals very interesting. I think Pistons have got the most complete team and it seems like they gonna cruise through, but the playoff experience of Spurs, TD, Parker and Big shot Bob are things that even Pistons prolly got on their mind... nonetheless, it will be good series.
Re: Nba 2005/2006
Why you are mentioning Phil over and over? I don't get it - If Phil really had issues with Kobe, you really think he would have come back again to coach him?
Spurs have been banged up this season - but so has Dallas been. This is Mavs year to beat Spurs and go to first ever NBA finals in franchise's history. This is their best chance.
Re: Nba 2005/2006
There is only one MVP of the league this year, and his name is Dirk Nowitzki. All these mismatches and lineup adjustments are because of him. It's not unheard of to start two lighting quick point guard together, but when you have a 7'0 power forward with unreal range, it opens up the middle, forces your big man out, or forces you to put a small forward on him and a power forward on a small forward, or to change your starting lineup altogether.
I've always said that the Spurs are a reflection of Tim Duncan. Quiet yet dominant, humble, well-rounded, consistent and so on. That's still true. It has been a testament to Tim Duncan's greatness that his fingerprints are all over the Spurs success in his career. It's him providing that foundation.
Well the Mavericks are a matchup nightmare, and that's ultimately a reflection of Dirk Nowitzki. He has become the foundation of this team. He is the only reason it works.
If the Mavericks go on to the finals this year, Dirk Nowitzki should be sitting at the top of everyone's best players in the league list. This season has defined greatness for him as an individual player. How he didn't get MVP in the regular season is beyond me, and he is proving in these playoffs that giving it to anyone outside of him was a mistake.
Re: Nba 2005/2006
wat playoffs this year.. WHOA ... hats off to all the teams for the thrills provided.
These Cavs have really given the pistons some grief, especially after the 'guaranSHEEDy' comments ; GOD, if they manage to win.... oh my ... can't even go there... it will be something.
Spurs and Dallas series.... who is thinking game 7?
Re: Nba 2005/2006
The Cavs aren't winning based on their offense, they're winning with defense and James being enough to proper the offense just past a struggling Detroit team.
Detroit is slumping on offense, but part of it is because Cleveland has them off-balance. The defense they're playing isn't lockdown, but it is harrassing and active and the Pistons aren't handling it well. Sometimes, a team just gets thrown off their stride and can't regain it. That's what seems to be happening here. Some of it is Detroit, but plenty of it is Cleveland.
I'm sure Detroit expected to come in and roll offensively against a weak, disorganized defense. The first game reinforced that, though rather deceptively as the big win was fueled by unconscious three-point shooting.
The Cavaliers have made defensive adjustments and are actually playing hard and committed defense. Detroit wasn't ready for it and may not be able to adjust to it mentally in time.
I expect Dallas to close out at home on Friday. All games in Dallas-San Antonio series have come down to last possession of the ball game - expect Game 2 where Dallas blew out Spurs. Mavs have outplayed Spurs and Game 6 be the end of it. Pressure should be on Dallas.
Onto Inside the NBA, Kevin Garnett special was sad. ****ing Jim Hubert could make anything sound so emotional. Kobe tonight probably ruined a few perceptions people had of his personality, like how they'd heard that he's supposedly always cold, distant, and full of himself, sitting on his own personal throne. And they chose to believe it.
Kobe's been one of the more lively yet self-effacing guests that they've had on. He did a great job analyzing the games and he was very much in the flow with Ernie, Kenny, and Charles.
But I suppose Kobe was just being fake and it was all a big PR move, eh? :p
Re: Nba 2005/2006
Talha did u hear what Kobe said to Kenny when he asked "between you and Mj, who is better" ?
I think Kobe looked very professional. He is a smart player whether on the court or off the court analyzing the game, unlike Reggie Miller. But he still has ways to go before he can reach the standard that Magic Johnson brings to Inside the NBA.
Re: Nba 2005/2006
Two different people. PERIOD. He said that if people compare him to Michael - it’s on the basis of comeptitiveness.
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yup "if there is anything common between me and him its our competitiveness on both ends of the court", and that he is more of a ball-handler than MJ was.
OK, thats it. I dun wanna hear Kobe and MJ mentioned in the same sentence by anyone. You guys can compare Lebron to MJ all day long. I dun care.
Re: Nba 2005/2006
why be so defensive of a player guys? Kobe is a public figure and people have a right to praise/criticize/compare him ; Its disturbing to see that you guys act pure opposite to the people who put down EVERY move by him... the competitveness is quite evident and that translates in many other aspects of the game. Since Kobe is the latter, i think that he has studied MJ a lot and that shows in his game and now even his interviews.
Man, the Kevin Garnett thing was sad indeed; Charles made every effort to convince McHale to trade Garnett... i wish this happens ... he deserves much better. I wonder if Lakers gonna go for him this offseason.
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Offensively LeBron is 3 times better than I thought 2 years ago - even better than MJ and Kobe. He’s stronger than when MJ and Kobe used to be 21. But at the end of the day, I think LeBron’s career will be compare with Oscar Robertson than MJ.
Re: Nba 2005/2006
Clip of TNT crew with Kobe where he talks about Game 7, changing his jersey number and other things.
Re: Nba 2005/2006
who thinks the cavaliers are going to the finals? I have a strong suspicion they will be :( But im keeping my fingers crossed
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^^ rationally NO
but then again, they weren't suppose to be 3-2 over the mighty pistons...
Re: Nba 2005/2006
noo..the pistons will win insha-Allah. i'm too nervous to even watch the game :D
but even if the pistons win, the heat will have an upper hand in the conference finals.