4 Potential Moves Los Angeles Lakers Must Make to Help Kobe Bryant
After another disappointing road loss, it’s time for the Lake Show to make a move. Point guard play has been by far the most inconsistent (or nonexistent) position for the Los Angeles Lakers this season, and they would do well to address such an issue before it’s too late.
Despite leading the NBA in scoring, Kobe Bryant has been largely unsuccessful in winning games for the Lakers. With a 3-9 away record, they simply have not been able to produce enough to take teams down in their own buildings.
On a night when Kobe became the NBA’s fifth all-time leading scorer, rest assured he would’ve liked to win the game. Acquiring a point guard may be just the thing that gets them a few more wins this season.
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The Curious Case of Kobe Bryant: Is the Los Angeles Lakers Star Playing Younger?
“It doesn’t matter. Father Time is undefeated,” Charles Barkley announced early in the season during halftime at a Lakers/Jazz game.
Chuck, of course, was referring to Kobe Bryant and the procedure he had performed in Germany on his knee during the offseason. Barkley was predictably predicting that Kobe would see a significant decline in his game and simply would not be able to compete at the highest levels any longer.
Is anyone else tired of this? How many times does Kobe have to prove everyone wrong before they stop doubting him?
After more than 20 games to start the season, we are seeing a Kobe that looks spryer than he’s looked in years and a player whose numbers are tremendously impressive. Admittedly, the season is unique in its density and format, but so far he is averaging statistics better than his career averages at 30.0 points, 5.4 assists, and 5.9 rebounds per game. He also just surpassed Shaquille O’Neal in total career points.
So show us the signs of aging you keep rambling on about, Chuck.
Look, the thing about Kobe is he scares people. The NBA can’t have anybody threaten the great Michael Jordan, and with Kobe on the precipice of matching his championship total in the next several years and on pace to eclipse his career scoring numbers, he’s building a solid case to challenge His Airness.
I’m not claiming Kobe is the “Greatest of All Time”—his career is incomplete and therefore cannot yet be evaluated. It would be a disservice to Kobe, like judging Michelangelo’s David when he was only three-fourths complete. So this is not a discussion about who the superior player is, though Jordan is an obvious reference point for Kobe and the comparisons are inevitable.
Except, apparently, when it comes to age.
Many NBA analysts and fans alike consider Jordan’s ’96 Bulls the greatest of his championship teams. Jordan was born Feb. 17, 1963, making him 33 years old when he won his fourth title in June of 1996.
Kobe Bean Bryant was born Aug. 23, 1978, making him exactly 33 years old for the rest of this NBA season.
So at this age Jordan had enough in the tank to put together the best performance and most impressive season of his career. He then had enough to go on and win two more championships over the next two years, winning his last at the apparently ancient age of 35. From the way Barkley and others talk about Kobe’s age it is shocking that Jordan did not need the aid of a walker when working the fast break in ’98.
While it is more than evident I am exaggerating, I’m not the only one prone to hyperbole. Barkley has been harping on Kobe’s inability to overcome his age for the last three seasons, yet he has managed to lead his team to two championships and has won the Finals MVP in both of those victories during that three-year span.
There is no question that age eventually catches up to everyone.
Not to point to Jordan again, but watching him return from retirement a second time was like watching a figure skater fall. He should have known when to leave good enough alone. His exit from the sport after his sixth championship was some of the most perfect timing we’ve seen from an athlete in any sport. His return to play for the Wizards, a team he had been part owner of, was ill-advised and showed the effects of time that Barkley is referring to.
But Kobe is not there yet. He looks spry and motivated. He has not had the kind of time off he had this last offseason since the last time there was a lockout in the NBA, giving his body the time it has needed in the past to heal. That time is something he has not previously had and yet he’s been able to overcome the bumps and bruises and wear and tear on his body and go to the Finals in three of the last four seasons. How dangerous might he be now that he’s had that time to heal?
The season is still relatively young and a lot could happen to alter the face of the league before this shortened season comes to an end. A lot could change before the March 15 trade deadline. It is too soon to know how it will end and who will be competing to raise the Larry O’Brien Trophy and a banner come summertime.
But c’mon, Chuck, let’s not count Kobe out yet. By your own admission, he’s one of the five greatest players of all time—doesn’t that win him any benefit of the doubt?
Father Time may be a worthy adversary and on a long enough timeline he is certainly, without exception, victorious. But undefeated? I think a few players have won a game or two, don’t you?
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Kobe Bryant: Passing Rival Shaq on NBA Scoring List Latest Sign of Royalty
Los Angeles Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant entered Monday night needing 24 points against the Philadelphia 76ers to pass Shaquille O’Neal for fifth place on the NBA‘s all-time scoring list.
Kobe didn’t waste any time. He got his 24th point of the game in the second quarter, thus passing his old friend-turned-archrival.
The NBA was kind enough to mark the occasion on Twitter:
Up next for Kobe is Wilt Chamberlain, who ended his career with 31,419 points. After him is Michael Jordan, who ended his career with 32,292 points.
All in good time, one supposes. Kobe is not as young as he once was, but he’s no geezer; he’s got a couple of good years left in him.
For now, all that really matters is that Kobe has passed Shaq. Without context, this would be a big enough deal. With context, it’s an even bigger deal.
It’s no secret that Kobe and Shaq had a falling out when they were both with the Lakers several years ago. Kobe got fed up with Shaq, Shaq got fed up with Kobe, and before long we had the whole “couldn’t do it without me” rap debacle.
Well, Kobe proved Shaq wrong by winning two titles on his own in 2009 and 2010, and now here he is looking down on Shaq on the NBA’s all-time scoring list, a kind of unofficial barometer of career success.
What say you now, Shaq?
I have no doubt we’ll hear from the big fella eventually. My guess is he’ll be humble without being too humble. He’s not going to let Kobe have his moment in the sun without giving him at least a little ribbing.
At the end of the day, though, even Shaq has to realize that Kobe’s latest accomplishment is just another exclamation point in a career that has seen quite a few of them. He already is one of the NBA’s all-time greats.
All he’s doing at this point is padding his legacy.
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Kobe Bryant: Shooting for the scoring leader record
Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers holds a number of records and is arguably one of the top players to ever play the game, but will he end up being the all-time scoring leader for the NBA? Kobe might be saying “Tell me how my ass tastes” as he passes Shaquille O’Neal on the All-Time scoring list as he continues his legacy. He is the youngest NBA player to score 28,500 points in a career and is currently now chasing Wilt Chamberlain for fourth all-time. While Kobe will arguably go down as one of the best players of all time averaging 25.4 points per game. The career scoring leader is currently former Lakers great, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Bryant still needs over 9,000 points to reach him, but don’t count him out just yet. Kobe Bryant scored 2,078 points last year and if he continues to do the same he will move up on the all-time list. Averaging 30 points per game he is on pace to score 1,800 points in a shortened season. If Kobe averages 70 games over the ne…
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Did Kobe Bryant Ruin The Los Angeles Lakers Chances To Acquire Dwight Howard?
One of the biggest reasons why many players have flocked to the Los Angeles Lakers is not only the opportunity to play on the biggest stage in the entire NBA, and a chance to win an NBA championship, but to play alongside one of the greatest players of all time, Kobe Bryant. Dwight Howard is no different, he wants to play in a big market, L.A has that, a chance to play for an NBA championship, the Lakers can give him that, but as for the last part of the equation, playing along Kobe Bryant, apparently Dwight Howard does not want that.
It was noted earlier in one of my posts, here, that Dwight Howard had informed the Magic that he no longer wantedto be traded to the Lakers. The reasoning behind that decision was unclear. The story, originally seen here, said that Howard was not interested in following in the huge footsteps of the great Shaquille O’Neal who also left the Magic and won three NBA titles with the Lakers. But that explanation seems to be a little odd and, at first, …
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NBA Rumors: Kobe Bryant Reportedly Scares Dwight Howard Away from LA
It appears as if Kobe Bryant‘s ego and desire to control the Los Angles Lakers may have taken the organization out of the running for Orlando Magic superstar and potential trade target Dwight Howard.
According to Jarrod Rudolph of RealGM.com, Kobe wanted Howard to come into L.A. and become the team’s third option behind himself and Pau Gasol.
Rudolph’s report states that Howard was “turned off” by the idea.
This seems to be just the latest setback in the Lakers quest to find another superstar to pair up with Bryant.
The irony of it is, it looks like Kobe was the one that botched this potential trade.
Not only that, but even if the Lakers were somehow able to finagle a deal for Howard after this, Rudolph’s report states that he wouldn’t sign long-term:
The feeling is so strong, in fact, that Howard’s representatives have informed the Lakers that Howard would not sign an extension if they trade for him this season, according to a source. The only two teams with a realistic chance at signing Howard long-term are the New Jersey Nets and Orlando Magic.
Oh Kobe, you really screwed up bad this time.
Even if he felt that deep down in his heart that he wanted Howard to be the No. 3 option for the Lakers, there is no way he should have ever come out and said that.
Are we talking about a NBA rookie or Kobe freaking Bryant right now?
His team needs help and he obviously is not able to win an NBA championship on his own anymore. Putting a guy like Howard on that roster would make the Lakers instant contenders for as long as both he and Bryant played, but he threw it all away for an ego trip.
Somebody please tell me when the “Black Mamba” became the general manager for the Los Angeles Lakers.
It’s funny how clutch one man can be on the court, but when it comes to the court of life and common sense—he just doesn’t have the “it factor”.
Lakers fans, one day when your watching Howard win an NBA title with some other team remember this article.
You’ll have Kobe Bryant to thank for that moment.
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Kobe Bryant in Celtics gear? (Pics)
Celtics fans and Lakers fans may want to avert their eyes because these photos may make them sick to their stomachs.
No, your eyes are not deceiving you. That is Kobe Bryant smiling and wearing the gear of the Lakers most bitter rival. The photos come from Bryant’s predraft workouts in 1996 (note the presence below of the late Dennis Johnson, who was then an assistant in Boston). This is a normal aspect of the entire draft process. Look hard and you’ll probably find Dirk Nowitzki in Kings gear or Dwyane Wade in Nuggets gear from their draft workouts.
Anyway, we all know Bryant was drafted by the Hornets at pick No. 13, traded to the Lakers and the rest is history. Who did the Celtics choose with at the fifth pick? Antoine Walker. Bummer. But don’t worry about passing on Kobe for Walker, Celtics. That’s not nearly as bad as the Warriors going with Todd Fuller.
[Pics via @BobbyOnealGibbs]
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Rubio talks trash with Bryant over Olympics
MINNEAPOLIS Last Sunday’s game between the Timberwolves and the Lakers featured two of the most exciting point guards in basketball, the elder already proven as the best in the game and the other heralded as one of the first greats in the NBA’s newest generation.
One, Kobe Bryant, has set an almost unattainable standard at the position. He’s stoic and tough, intimidating even in his friendliest moments. The other, Ricky Rubio, represents the future. A talented rookie, he’ll be flipping behind-the-back passes long after Bryant retires, but off the court, Rubio is as unassuming as Bryant is unapproachable.
But Rubio and Bryant do share one trait: an overwhelming confidence that’s become more overt in Bryant over the years but remains obscured in Rubio by his youth and thick accent. After Sunday’s 106-101 Timberwolves’ loss, though, Rubio’s easy self-assurance was on full display.
A video that Complex Magazine posted to its website captures a postgame exchange between the two point guards, in which Rubio has the audacity — or perhaps naivete — to talk a bit of trash with Bryant about the upcoming Olympics in London. Here’s what they (and Bryant’s teammate Pau Gasol) had to say:
Bryant, to Rubio and Pau Gasol: “You talking about London?”
Gasol: “Oh yeah.”
Rubio: “You’re gonna be there?”
Bryant: “Yeah.”
Rubio: “You know you’re getting the silver medal. You know that.”
Bryant: “****! I’m taking bets. If I win, I get the keys of Barcelona.”
Rubio: “I bet what you want.”
Bryant: “I’ll take it!”
With the U.S. team not yet decided but already limited to a 20-man roster that will be difficult to narrow to 12, Rubio’s challenge is a big one. But for the rookie point guard, the exchange was just a light-hearted joke.
“It’s just we talk about if he’s going to go to the Olympic games,” Rubio said. “You know, I always try to be the winner. It’s normal that we talk like that, but we’re just having fun, you know.”
Rubio played against Bryant in Beijing at the 2008 Olympics, where the Spanish team lost to the United States in the championship game and came away with silver medals. He’s also built a relationship with Bryant through his close friend Gasol, and the two point guards have been in contact through their work with Nike. To Rubio, Bryant isn’t a stranger or a celebrity; he’s just a talented older player, as approachable as any other opponent.
Bryant is likely a lock for one of the U.S. team’s 12 spots in 2012. Rubio’s teammate Kevin Love also is among the final 20 names in consideration and has a good shot of traveling to London. Love said that he heard about the exchange after it happened and was hardly surprised by it.
“That’s Ricky,” Love said. “He’s a confident kid. He likes to have fun with people on and off the court. He always keeps it light, so for him to talk trash to Kobe, that was pretty fun.”
That’s the thing — talking trash is normal, a part of every game for some players. Even on the court, it’s not mean-spirited, Rubio said, but just a way for players to express themselves and challenge each other. So of course Bryant did his best to get inside Rubio’s head throughout Sunday night’s game, and the rookie’s post-game challenge was just an extension of that conversation.
Follow Joan Niesen on Twitter.
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Ricky Rubio to Kobe Bryant: “You know you’re getting the silver medal” (Video)
Following the Lakers 106-101 victory over the Timberwolves on Sunday, Spanish national team teammates Pau Gasol and Ricky Rubio caught up for a quick chat. What were they talking about? El Clásico? The Olympics in London this summer? The declining value of the Euro? I don’t know exactly–they were speaking in Spanish. But that didn’t stop Kobe Bryant from butting in.
Complex has the transcript:
Bryant: “You talking about London?” [to Rubio and Pau Gasol]
Gasol: “Oh yeah.”
Rubio: “You’re gonna be there?”
Bryant: “Yeah.”
Rubio: “You know you’re getting the silver medal. You know that.”
Bryant: “Shiiiiiiit! I’m taking bets. If I win, I get the keys of Barcelona.”
Rubio: “I bet what you want.”
Bryant: “I’ll take it!”
Because when you’re playing for the Timberwolves, I guess all you really have to look forward to this year is the Olympics.
But yes, the US and Spain should be the main competition in London for Olympic basketball in late July and early August. You know Rubio and Gasol will…
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Video: Ricky Rubio talks trash to Kobe Bryant
After Sunday’s Minnesota Timberwolves/Los Angeles Lakers matchup, Timberwolves star Ricky Rubio had a run in with Lakers star Kobe Bryant.Apparently the two are thinking about the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, as Rubio will be on the Spain’s national basketball team and Bryant on the American national basketball team, which means there’s a chance of the two of them facing each other in the Olympics.As the two were leaving, Bryant asked both Pau Gasol and Rubio if they were heading to London. Gasol said yeah, but Rubio replied back asking Bryant if he was going, which Bryant said yeah. Rubio then told Bryant “You know you’re getting a sliver medal. You know that”. Bryant returned the joke by saying “******* I’m taking bets. If I win, I’ll get the keys of Barcelona”.HIGHLY UNLIKELY he’s getting the keys to the City of Barcelona if he wins gold at the Olympics.Rubio may want to keep quiet with what the U.S. is sending to London.
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