How many superstars are left in the game deserving of that cap money? I think outside of a very small handful of players we may be approaching parity more due to a dearth of talent than a spreading out of talent.I wonder what the team will do with all the cap space.
I mean...
It's finally over. One of the best, finishing one of the worst runs since Jordan tried to be a Wizard. IMO, the last good Bryant year was when he won a title and finals MVP in the repeat year of 2010. The man willed that ring.
He never managed to find it again. But, unwilling to relent, he spent 6 years trying to get it back. He never came close.
Here's a good article discussing the true end of the legend's great run.
TrueHoop Presents: The last true days of Kobe Bryant
Anyway, I never liked him. I thought he was arrogant, a jerk, and a ball hog.
his refusal to sign with the team (hornets) that drafted him was a wise decision
(1) He raped a women and paid her off
(2) His selfish attitude made him a pariah. He couldn't get along with the majority of teammates, he was often times a chilling presence on his teams. See Shaq, Karl Malone, Smush Parker, Robert Horry, etc..
(3) Most other superstars did not want to deal with his diva-esh attitude and declined to play for the Lakers.
(4) He was never fully embraced by the Black community. It is hard to relate when you are raised in Italy.
(5) Potential O.J Simpson type life after sports? Wouldn't surprise me.
How many superstars are left in the game deserving of that cap money? I think outside of a very small handful of players we may be approaching parity more due to a dearth of talent than a spreading out of talent.
Kobie was one of the greatest players in the history of the game. In their prime, I would have loved to see him and Jordan go one on one.
The problem with fewer superstars is that you will still end up paying max money for mid range talent...which means when the next crop of superstars comes along there will be another upward price adjustment.I was mostly referencing his bloated salary that at a certain point in his career was problematic for the team when they wanted to bring in more talent.
Anyway, I'm actually fine with less superstars in sports. In my opinion they imbalance competition and make things too predictable. In tennis for example you can guess who will win a champion by just sticking to two or three players, while for a few years there in the NBA it was all about who Lebron was playing for.
The problem with fewer superstars is that you will still end up paying max money for mid range talent...which means when the next crop of superstars comes along there will be another upward price adjustment.
Baseball has already gone that direction. NBA too...guys who pretty much suck, like Dwight Howard, making max money.
Not sure there is much else to say about Kobe Bryant other than it is time. Bye!
Kobie Bryant was a great player and serious injuries over his past few years crippled his abilities to the extent that he was a shadow of his former self. He proved that he could win an NBA title, almost by himself, by doing so after Shaq left.
The NBA is a league where a team can soar with one superstar. It doesn't always happen, but it did with Kobie Bryant.
As for his personal life, if I spent my time only watching sports played by stellar individuals, I wouldn't spend much time watching sports. If you can give a President a pass for receiving a blow job from an intern in the Oval Office, you can give a pass to guy who always gave his best when the ball was tipped off.
It is a team sport and Kobie was never much of a team player so by definition he was not a great player. He was fun to watch, he was entertaining, he had some great moves, but he was not a great player.
If you can give a President a pass for receiving a blow job from an intern in the Oval Office, you can give a pass to guy who always gave his best when the ball was tipped off.
He'll be a first ballot hall of famer and is one of the highest scorers in league history - by definition, he's a great player and will be remembered that way.
Why does one need to like people that are assholes CJ?
He's got a good point though. Kobie played the game much of the time as if he was the only guy on the floor and would hold onto the ball regardless if someone was open or not. Hell, I remember watching him in his prime take on two defenders, while a guy was on the three point line waving his arms. Did he pass the ball? No, he kept at it until he took a bad shot and missed.
The LA offense was designed primarily around Kobe running and owning the ball.
I will, however, grant you that this year, his last year, Kobe should have allowed the younger players to take more control of the offense so they could gain experience and confidence going forward.
Kobie didn't play for the showtime Lakers where they went 8-9 players deep that could have been starters. He had talent...just not high quality talent around him. A lot of time he was option A, B, and C out of necessity.He's got a good point though. Kobie played the game much of the time as if he was the only guy on the floor and would hold onto the ball regardless if someone was open or not. Hell, I remember watching him in his prime take on two defenders, while a guy was on the three point line waving his arms. Did he pass the ball? No, he kept at it until he took a bad shot and missed.
Also, if you look at his minutes played and amount of time with the ball his points should have been higher and his assists should have been considerably higher than 4.1 a game.
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