Isaac
Years ago

Kobe: destroying the Lakers from within

Bet this article is getting some page views...

KOBE - He is arguably the greatest player in the history of the Lakers' franchise. He is also destroying it from within.
It would seem that the only connection fans have to the Lakers' title tradition is Bryant, the man who helped make the franchise one of the most popular brands in sports. Now 36, he's a lock to have his statue outside Staples Center someday. He's the reason celebrities line up 10 deep inside. He's also, say sources both in and around the Lakers' organization, the primary reason the team has fallen so mightily.

For years the Lakers lived by the Mamba. This is the story of how they're dying by him.
Full article

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Bobby Tables  
Years ago

'arguably the greatest player in the history of the Lakers franchise'

Magic Johnson says hi.

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SVD  
Years ago

Kareem says hi

Reply #499104 | Report this post


hooked  
Years ago

Kobe is NOT the reason the lakers get the stars to the game!

Reply #499106 | Report this post


SVD  
Years ago

Vitriol from Lakers fans starts in 3 ... 2 ... 1 ...

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Darryl  
Years ago

Will see the Lakers at lottery draw in May

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Anonymous  
Years ago

No surprises I'll never forget Kobe tanking the 2004 NBA Finals and then broke up the team.

Phil Jackson quit and wrote a book calling Kobe 'uncoachable' (PJ then came back a year later when the Lakers offered him $12m a year).

Kobe was a free-agent and demanded they trade Shaq or he would sign elsewhere. Kobe re-signed with the Lakers the day after he was traded to Miami.

Gary Payton was also given the flick (he told Kobe one too many home-truths in practice) and Karl Malone considered retirement and then mid-season decided to play on and announced he was going to re-sign with the Lakers, before it could happen a story comes out that Malone tried to hit on Kobe's wife at a recent game so Malone does a 180 and retires.

Not a bad off-season's work: Phil Jackson, Shaq, Malone & Payton.

Kobe wasn't done though the new coach Rudy Tomjanovic signed a 5 year deal but quit halfway through the first season when he started drinking again, Kobe jacked up a million shots and the Lakers didn't come close to making the playoffs.

Don't forget Colorado either.

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Anonymous  
Years ago

I have been a Lakers fan for years and have been to at least 50 games - even paid $350 to sit right at the top of the stands for Lakers vs. Heat - Christmas day - It is true that Kobe is one of the fan favourites - the line to get his shoe Christmas day goes for miles outside the Staples Centre.

In my opinion the Lakers are a franchise that entertain no matter who plays and nearly everyone I know who goes to LA (Lakers Fan or not) goes to a game.. I think Kobe should of retired 2 years ago, but has earned the right to leave on his own terms. The problem is when he leaves what sort of team will be left behind and that is the problem. When players like Magic left the Lakers had a bit of a dip before they where back to themselves.

I think there would be plenty of teams that would sacrifice their future to be as successful as the Lakers over the years and the reason that these dip stands out is because of the success they have had

I have no doubt that Kobe has been good for the Lakers, lets hope he goes out on the high note he deserves

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Isaac  
Years ago

If the situation is as painted in the article, then the problem is entirely Kobe and can be quickly rectified the season he retires without being dragged out. LA is still LA and the Lakers still have buckets of money.

The comments that I saw on r/NBA about the article are in general disbelief, whichever team the fan supported. They don't like the writer and don't put stock in the sources.

I think there'd have to be a fair bit of fire given all the smoke.

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Ingles13  
Years ago

Isaac how dare you expose the truth about Kobe on here!

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Anonymous  
Years ago

Dan Feldman certainly thinks Abbott's article is credible.

http://probasketballtalk.nbcsports.com/2014/10/20/has-kobe-bryant-cost-the-lakers-dwight-howard-carmelo-anthony-paul-george-and-others/

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Mick  
Years ago

This franchise is simply not in terrible shape. There have been some bad front office decisions but they only have short term implications.

Henry Abbott and the rest of the Truehoop staff have long had a systematic campaign of discrediting Kobe Bryant as a ball player, this is nothing new...

I wouldn't read too much into it.

The problem is they paid him way too much money to build a contender around his massive contract, which is the front office's fault. Most guys are going to take that money if it's put on the table in front of them.

Dwight Howard left because he is -- for lack of a better word -- a big baby, and doesn't like being held accountable, and doesn't like being told what he doesn't want to hear. He's never going to win a championship, so it's better for the Lakers long-term that he's gone.

Jimmy Buss and the front office are the bigger problems here: they have hired lemons as coaches since Jerry Buss died and the idiot son rose to power. Then overpaying Kobe Bryant by nearly double what he is worth ensured they would not be competitive until he retires / re-signs for less once this contract is up.

Getting Steve Nash was dumb then and it looks dumber now. Ditto for hiring Mike Brown (put a pushover in charge of several of the biggest egos in the league, yeah great idea Jimmy). Hiring Mike D'Antoni over Phil Jackson was maybe the dumbest hire in the history of sports in terms of opportunity cost. Then hiring Byron Scott was a low-risk / low-reward kinda dumb. Dumb, dumb, dumb. All front office stuff.

BUT THEN at the same time, they're going to have a lot of financial flexibility with the rising cap and all those expiring contracts, so don't expect them to stay down for long at all. I think they knew they weren't going to be competitive so they just said, "Hey, let's give Kobe a massive deal and surround him with expiring contracts while we watch him try to go for 40 every night while he does his retirement victory lap, then we'll rebuild when he's gone."

Julius Randle is going to be a good, tough player as well. They have Houston's first round draft pick next year, which kinda makes up for the first rounder the stupidly traded away for Steve Nash's decaying corpse (but not really, because their pick to Phx will be higher, which again is Kupchack/Buss's fault, not Kobe's). However, the pick to Phx is top 5 protected next year, so it's in LA's best interest to lose a tonne of games this year so they get to keep it. They might end up actually keeping that pick, so they'll have two first rounders next year.

This franchise won't stay irrelevant for long, and when you look at what they're going to have going forward, it's not a bad situation at all. Financial flexibility, a massive market, and deep pockets.

This isn't the Brooklyn Nets we're talking about here...

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Benno  
Years ago

Don't see how people are viewing orlando or utah as the worst team. Lakers have 1 player..

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Mick  
Years ago

The Lakers have more vets who will get them more wins.

Utah is just freaking terrible and don't really have any guys that look like they're going to be able to build around, while Orlando has some good young players but are still a while away.

Don't get me wrong: the Lakers will suck, but I think they'll be better than most think.

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Jake  
Years ago

Mick.......Utah is terrible? They have a great young list. Favours is a great centre, Burke and Burks will come of age this year and Hayward would have to be in the top tier of 3 men in the league. Trey Burke is extremely under rated,

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Mick  
Years ago

Favours isn't starting on a finals team, which is what I would consider being able to "build around".

Hayward showed last season that he is a third or fourth option at best.

Burke and Burks are solid and will be good, solid pros, but you could take or leave both guys.

Enes Kanter is a bust when you consider how high he was drafted.

Exum could very well end up as a bust.

They are overvaluing their guys I think.

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sixtiesrockstar  
Years ago

A good article that makes a lot of sense. Since Bynum left the Lakers, a lot of money has been thrown at free agents to lure them. Money usually talks, especially money and being in the town of money. But the players won't bite. The question is why??? Bryant??? Where there is smoke...... A lot of the players the Lakers have tried to get have played with Kobe for the US team so they know what they would be in for. Being a Lakers fan I always hope it's not Kobe causing bad lemons, but history says the Lakers never struggle to sign who they want and for the last 3years their big signings are .........

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Daneo  
Years ago

Nick.. What land are you living on?
You ripped on the coaches but provide no better alternatives. A team takes years to rebuild, once you get rid of Kobe that's the start and will take some. Take Kobe out of that team and Utah actually smokes them in skill and potential. Bit early to be calling Kanter a bust having played on 3 year and only now getting a decent chance. Kobe was never payed too much, he will go down as a HOF and deserved Mac.

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Daneo  
Years ago

*mick

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Mick  
Years ago

Asking me to name better coaching alternatives to Mike Brown and Mike D'Antoni is like saying name some things you'd rather eat for breakfast than a turd sandwich. Just pick anyone.

Kanter is a bust when you consider how high he was drafted (no. 3 ahead of guys like Kawhi Leonard, Kemba Walker, Klay Thompson, Kenneth Faried, Chanlder Parsons, Jimmy Butler; the list of superior players taken below him is very long, I could go on all day). If he was drafted at the end of the lottery he wouldn't be considered as such.

And I actually agree with the rest of the stuff you said.

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sixtiesrockstar  
Years ago

The author of the article sees Kobe as the problem, and does well to leave the future events to finish the article for him. This will all be played out in time. When Kobe is gone, and the Lakers sign 2-3 star players to build around, Kobe's legacy and influence within an organisation will be obvious. Especially if they manage to sign someone they have previously been chasing. Very interesting times for the Lakers.

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Anonymous  
Years ago

As a Lakers fan since 1979 I have a few opinions

1. Kobe may or may not be the greatest Laker, but he's sure as hell in the top 5. (Magic is my personal choice as greatest player ever, not just greatest Laker)
2. No other player mentioned in that sour grapes article has offered the franchise the sustained excellence that Kobe brought. If they've fallen out of favour and wanted out it's far too simple to blame Kobe without a bit of looking in the mirror as well.
3.I have no problem with Kobe being looked after in this last contract to ensure he has a 20 year career with this great franchise. If it's meant a few years of less than stellar results then I can deal with that, over the past 35 years I've enjoyed plenty of fantastic seasons and been spoiled with success. Nothing's surer than that the Lakers will be back doing what they do best, playing for Rings, in the not too distant future

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Anonymous  
Years ago

Kobe is just getting the money he deserves after a stellar career.
The Lakers have played in 17 of the last 20 Christmas Day games because of one player.

The Lakers have a history of looking after their legends. In 1981 magic signed a 25 year $25,000,000 contract with the Lakers, when he was diagnosed in 1991 the contract was void. Dr Buss gave Magic a $14,000,000 annual salary in 1992 when he wasn't even playing, then after his last stint in 1996 playing 32 games before finally retiring, dr Buss sold magic 4% of the Lakers for $10,000,000.

Now that is a bargain.

Kobe is one of the goats, even haters know it.

Remember guys like Luke Walton, sasha vugacic, Jordan farmar, Andrew Bynum, josh Powell, Lamar odom, Ron artest, Adam Morrison, Matt Barnes. Etc etc
What have they done before or after being on Kobes team?

That's right, sweet FA

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Isaac  
Years ago

Remember guys like Luke Walton, sasha vugacic, Jordan farmar, Andrew Bynum, josh Powell, Lamar odom, Ron artest, Adam Morrison, Matt Barnes. Etc etc
What have they done before or after being on Kobes team?

That's right, sweet FA
I really hope you're not seriously making this an argument. Odom's career scoring highs were with the Clippers and Heat. He averaged 16.6 PPG as a rookie with LAC. Ron Artest averaged 24.6 PPG with the Pacers and was solid in 12 seasons before becoming a role player with the Lakers. Matt Barnes' best scoring seasons have been with Phoenix and LAC. Adam Morrison averaged 11.8 PPG as a rookie, then 1.3 PPG as a Laker and generally fizzled out.

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Anonymous  
Years ago

How many rings do they have Isaac?

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Libertine  
Years ago

Great article. Haters gonna hate. This is what makes the NBA always interesting, even in offseason - great writing!

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Anonymous  
Years ago

"How many rings do they have Isaac?"

Roughly the same amount Kobe would have if Shaq never signed with the Lakers.

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Isaac  
Years ago

How many rings do they have Isaac?
You could play that game with role players and almost any championship team.

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Anonymous  
Years ago

Kobe probably should retire but the ego says no. He is damaging his own legacy.

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