SO, does Kobe Bryant want the Los Angeles Lakers to trade him or not?
Almost as if he’s channeling Hamlet (”Kobe or not Kobe?” heh), Kobe first pleaded with the LA Lakers to trade him, then apparently changed his mind, and then… well, does anybody really know what he’s thinking now?
Anyway, this near-meltdown in public has a bunch of NBA teams dreaming of what it would be like to have Kobe suit up for them, but do you think he’s worth it? Or will he turn out to be a nightmare for whichever team gets him?
OK, as a disclaimer, I’ve never been a fan of Kobe (it’s Air Jordan all the way, baby) but that doesn’t mean I won’t give him his due. Kobe’s one of the best players in the league today; heck, some say he’s numero uno. But what about his attitude?
It’s bad enough the LA Lakers dynasty ended because of his differences with Shaq. Here’s an interesting article by Todd Boyd for ESPN that talks about how Kobe must feel about year after year without a championship ring:
If you’re Kobe Bean Bryant, how does it feel to sit at home with the NBA Finals going on and for the third straight year you are not a part of the festivities? It must be the loneliest feeling in the world. For anyone who comes across as self-important as Kobe has over the 11 years that he has been in the NBA, this must be something akin to dying a slow, tedious death. Life has to be pretty miserable for Black Mamba right now.
It was bad enough that he had to watch his former nemesis, Shaq, and his T-Mobile sidekick, D-Wade, take the crown a year ago. This year Kobe has had to witness — no pun intended — the crowning of King James, the true heir apparent to the Jordan throne and a cat whose Nike contract just so happens to dwarf that of his own. As a wise man once said, it’s hard out here for a pimp. No doubt.
Kobe’s self-indulgence was on full display recently when he publicly flip-flopped all over the place, demanding a trade, then recanting, only to end up making even less sense than when he first started this attention-grabbing stunt. Too bad Dr. Melfi is about to be off the air. This man needs professional help. Or at least a hug.
Meanwhile, here’s Mike Sielski weighing in for phillyBurbs.com on “Just what does Kobe deserve?”
In his public pleas last week for the Los Angeles Lakers to trade him, to send him to another team where he’ll be surrounded by better talent, Kobe Bryant fell back into a familiar posture for so many superstar athletes. Bryant, Allen Iverson, Barry Sanders - they all think they’re entitled to championships, when they’re not.
Look, Bryant is the best basketball player on the planet. No one in the NBA possesses the same combination of offensive skills and defensive ability, though LeBron James is getting awfully close. But if Bryant’s first concern had been adding to the Lakers’ three straight titles from 2000-02, instead of stepping out of Shaquille O’Neal’s shadow, he wouldn’t have contributed to the chaos that ultimately destroyed a dynasty.
How about you, what do you think should Kobe do?
And what should the LA Lakers do?
June 10th, 2007 at 9:17 am
The Lakers dont need Kobe in the team. He is arrogant, boastful, and likes to dominant everybody!! Better for Lakers to release this ‘ mayabang na player ‘ !!!! I agre w/ one of the comments, ” he is NOT worth to see playing in the NBA ” . He feels he owns the LAKERS TEAM !! Remember, were it not for his money, he could have been in jail fo a serious crime of RAPE !!!!
June 7th, 2007 at 10:38 pm
In basketball, you can’t just bench a player with a caliber like Kobe’s, but in Italian football it is possible. Poor Roberto Baggio!
June 6th, 2007 at 6:15 pm
[...] Meanwhile, we take a look at the unfolding Kobe Bryant telenovela in this Sports Aficionado entry: [...]
June 6th, 2007 at 7:33 am
There is no comparison to James and Kobe as of the moment. James is still in the process of getting his first ring. While Kobe, has three rings in his possession if ever James, can get more than three rings we can say most likely he will be the heir apparent to Jordan’s success. To make things clearly it will be impossible to think that there will be another Jordan because there is only one Air Jordan. We can only say that there is another symbol of greatness that is about to unfold into our eyes. Kobe & James are the present and future of the NBA. I just hope I can see them both in a championship series boy that will be a blast.
June 6th, 2007 at 2:47 am
The Lakers will bench Kobe until the end of his contract and then no other NBA teams will hire him. He is not worth to see playing in the NBA.