ok i'm convinced

 

hahaha...

 

i made this post to help commemorate Kobe's dramatic 81pt performance not to do Player A >>> Player B or C or D comparo, but inevitably, anytime sports accomplishments are made or great players are mentioned, it always sparks debates.

(i won't comment on Wilt, because he played in a totally different era and was a far different player than MJ and Kobe)

while I have always been a die-hard Jordan fan and consider him to be the GOAT--greatest of all time, when comparing him to Kobe, many people fail to recognize.......

--Jordan had 2 years of college ball + expert tutelage under Dean Smith while at UNC
--Jordan has always been the 1st, 2nd,......& last option ever since he entered the NBA. Jordan came into the League as a heralded rookie and got to start right away on weak Bulls teams. Conversely, Kobe came in as a high schooler to one of the most storied teams in NBA history, the Lakers. At the time, the Lakers weren't the powerhouse that they were used to being, but they still had a bunch of capable veterans on the roster ahead of Kobe. Thus, Kobe didn't even get to start his first couple of years & was a 2nd option to Shaq on offense even when his game blossomed, & he started. Playing limited time on the floor & other scoring options, including SHAQ, of course Kobe's scoring opportunities & scoring averages are significantly lower than Jordan's. With Kobe finally getting to be the first option on offense for 2 seasons...the current one and last season, his scoring avg has jumped dramatically.

On a related note, Kobe brought most of it upon himself, but he's had more baggage to deal with than MJ. But for the first half of the season before Kobe's bonehead move in Colorado, Kobe was in the best shape of his life and on his way to having an awesome season. Many fans, incl myself wonder what could have been had he not slipped up, but he did, and Kobe had to spend a long time battling to get his head and game back in shape. Undoubtedly, he's still got some issues to work through, and I don't know if he'll ever be at peace w/himself, but his game definitely is coming around to where everyone knew it could go.

MJ was a scoring machine & dominated the ball for much of his career too. It wasn't until the Bulls had a decent supporting cast that MJ matured, learned to trust his teammates, and then truly developed into one of, if not THE greatest.

Once the Lakers get a few more competent bodies out there w/Kobe, I'm confident that he can make the same strides and transition into greatness as MJ. Until then, sit back and enjoy the KOBE SHOW.....I know I will!

 

I concour captain! F-em!

 

one thing i do notice is that only kobe fans are truly excited about this.

i do not doubt his talent as one of the greatest players to ever step foot onto a basketball court. he may even be the best evAr. thats fine. good for him. the problem with kobe is what is already mentioned: his attitude and maturity, much like a lot of the NBA right now. he presents no positive sportsmanship on the court or off the court, complains a whole lot, and is an alleged rapist. three traits which i do not support in an athlete or any normal person. what makes him stick out like a sore thumb is that he is the best player in the league. i dont hate kobe, thats not the point here. i really do think he is the best player in the league at this point. so, with that success comes the responsibility of representing the game and his team, since he is being scrutinized in such a huge public forum. the fact that he doesnt recognize this tells me that he is still immature and selfish.

i cant just come out and say kobe's a biAtch, cuz that would just be unfounded, but he is. its just like artest, TO, bonds. they are all great players, but i just see them as *****es of their respective sports.

but you know what, i love watching kobe, artest, TO, and bonds play ball at their level. theres no beating that.

 

22 wins 19 losses

 

Many non-Kobe fans, incl. ones in here, have given props for Kobe's 81pt game. Not everyone has the desire to post lengthy commentary, but, yeah, Kobe + Laker fans are the ones most juiced about the event......not very surprising at all to those that have followed previous NBA threads on here. Most are not Lake Show or Kobe fans.

As for Kobe's character flaws. No doubt he is a bit immature and struggling w/some issues, but, at 27, he is still relatively young and has time to mature.

Don't forget, MJ, who always wanted & strived to be the "media darling" & loved by the people, but he wasn't exactly a saint. Jordan was one of the League's most notorious trashtalkers, constantly intimidated, berated and even physically fought teammates, complained to refs (more than Kobe), AND was also an admitted adulterer......btw, don't forget his gambling problem. Needless to say, MJ & Kobe actually have more in common than just their athletic prowess.

And as far as Kobe not recognizing he's being scrutinized on this huge public forum, is understandable. After all, WTH would he be here........he drives waaaaaaaay nicer ride$!!

 

^ i hear what youre saying. as a sports fan, to not give props would be retarded... and by 'public forum', i meant the entire sports world: media and fans. but i can see how that connotation was lost considering we are on an online forum

 

ya.. no warrior love in this thread. Go WARRIORS!

Tim

 

oh yeah... but he's still a biAtch . now i'm hatin argh!!






dont kill me.

 

LOL, i knew what you meant. it's uncharacteristic of me, but I was just being a wisea$#.

seriously, kobe is definitely aware of his public image & the way he is portrayed in the media. he had to take a step back after his shameful stunt in Colorado. NO amount of PR or damage control was going to save/improve his image after that.

now that things have blown over a bit and his game is coming around, he & his handlers are starting to work on getting him back in the spotlight and repairing his persona in public eye. The movement started off small w/appearances at local social + charity events in SoCal and is slowly building up from there. Nike started putting Kobe in some of their print & online ads last summer, and he has some tv spots & his signature shoe that's going to debut during next week's All Star Game. He also committed to play for the US World Championship Hoops team (to qualify for Olympics), which should give him some valuable brownie points w/the public & media.

I still don't think Kobe will ever have the appeal he once did, and he certainly won't be as loved+regarded as MJ (one of Jordan's greatest traits was being able to work the fans+media). But as long as Kobe continues to mature on and off the court, he'll be fine.

 

As long as the W's have B-Diddy, I'll stick w/em.

really though, i've always been pulling from them.....not vociferously but in my heart ever since the JoJo White, World Free, Purvis Short, + Bernard King days. They don't make it easy though, especially w/all the roster blunders courtesy of thier hapless management--GARY ST JEAN......even Mullin, who I've always respected. I still can't believe he threw away all that $$$$$ on Murphy & Dunleavy?!





btw, some writer predicted Kobe will break 100 against the W's Fri nite!

 

dunleavy = trash

i dont know why mullin loves to suck his member.