I thought Shaq said it. You sure it was Magic?

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-- source

They are an 8 seed with a worse record than the Bulls. Please don't bring up winning. Not this season. And I'll just go on repeat more I guess: it's impossible to dominate when you're giving up 80% of what you score on the other end. Kobe is a bad defensive player this season. The eye test and the metrics say the same thing. I'm just being objective. You're the one coming off as an overly defensive fan of his. I'm not saying anything new to the basketball community. You're trying to hold on to the old days as a Kobe fan. He's not anywhere near as dominant as Paul, Durant, or LeBron. And if you insist on pumping up a guy who only plays offense, Melo has had a better season also.

_________________
Fare you well, fare you well
I love you more than words can tell
Listen to the river sing sweet songs
To rock my soul

This is really laughable. The Lakers have the chance to make the playoffs ONLY because Kobe is on their team. There is NO STAT that says Kobe gives up 80% of what he scores. You're just making stuff up. Your eyes have clearly failed you OR you're trying desperately to hold onto to your statement that Kobe is no longer a top 10 player. He's averaging 27/6/6 and shooting 46% from the field. Melo doesn't even approach those numbers. It gets worse when you consider how hard Kobe has to work to score and age. There is just about nothing objective about any of your posts about Kobe. Your dislike of him is very clear. It would just be better to say that.

_________________
Be well

GO BEARS!!!

Why not? Look at the season he has had at 95 years old. It's unlikely we will ever see a player in his 17th season play at this level. It's unheard of. His production stacks up against every player in the league EXCEPT LeBron and Durant.

_________________
Be well

GO BEARS!!!

Yep.

Silvaddle even mentioned it.

Some fan you are...

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I'm making stuff up? You're like the last guy left on the planet claiming Kobe is a good defensive player.

I'll say one more time that I like Kobe. I don't think I'm coming off as someone who hates on him. I'm just saying what is considered common knowledge in NBA circles. You're the one coming off as trying to twist reality to serve the narrative the Kobe fan in you has created.

_________________
Fare you well, fare you well
I love you more than words can tell
Listen to the river sing sweet songs
To rock my soul

I meant tonight, man. I heard it during Bulls/Knickerbockers pre-game.

_________________
-- source

I don't know. Magic said it yesterday.

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Your article still says he is a good defensive player. NONE of my posts in this section yesterday had anything to do with his defense. You are the one who started making stuff up and making awful comparisons because you're trying to save face because of your terrible assessment of Kobe at the beginning of the year. You can't accept that you were WRONG so you're trying to hold onto anything you can. You've gone so far as to ignore the article you used to continue your Kobe bashing. "Durant is miles ahead of Kobe defensively and Carmelo has been better offensively."

_________________
Be well

GO BEARS!!!

They're late to the party. I've been saying it all along. Unfortunately if they make the playoffs the Thunder will sweep them.

_________________
Be well

GO BEARS!!!

There's no fucking way the Lakers could beat the Spurs in a 7-game series. No way.

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-- source

Spurs are old and they are hurting. Now that D'Antoni no longer coaches the Lakers I would pick the Lakers to win in 6 IF they happened to face them.

_________________
Be well

GO BEARS!!!

Maybe we can arrive at a small wager should the Lakers and Spurs face off in round one.

_________________
-- source

I guess you're reading what you want to read. I said Kobe is a bad defensive player now by choice. I specifically said you can't use the bullshit "he's old" excuse because he is willingly becoming a liability on defense through his own laziness/diva-ness. And since you're taking things out of context, here is the quotes from the article where he calls Kobe a good defender WHEN HE WANTS TO BE.



And here is another quote from the article purposely omitting Kobe from the good defender discussion



So, I was right when I said nobody thinks Kobe is a good defensive player anymore(except hopelessly biased fans like yourself). I never said he wasn't capable of good defense. I specifically said a few different times that it was because of his choices, not his age, that he has gone from an All World defender to a liability on defense in the average game. It's really sort of pathetic that he tried harder on defense in an exhibition game(the AS game against LeBron) than in any meaningful game this year. And while you might be right that Kobe is the sole reason the Lakers are battling for a playoff spot, I'd say he's also the main reason why they haven't yet secured one with three games left in the season.

_________________
Fare you well, fare you well
I love you more than words can tell
Listen to the river sing sweet songs
To rock my soul

Another absurd comment. This may be his best season ever offensively. In mid season he decided to become a completely different player. When you are placing blame on the season Kobe would be the last guy on the list in the entire organization. You continue to prove my point that you don't like Kobe despite what you say. I bumped this thread about Kobe having arguably the best individual game any player has had this season and you go on a rant and start making stuff up when he wasn't a liability on defense at any point in the Trailblazers game.

_________________
Be well

GO BEARS!!!

I don't know about this. Kobe filled up the stat sheet, but no one dominates a game defensively like LeBron can. Impenetrable defense doesn't always show up in the box score.

_________________
Successful calls:

Kyrie Irving will never win anything as a team's alpha: check
T.rubisky is a bust: check
Ben Simmons is a liability: check
The Fields Cult is dumb: double check

2013 CSFMB ROY

And you continue to show your bias towards Kobe with statements like this.

_________________
Fare you well, fare you well
I love you more than words can tell
Listen to the river sing sweet songs
To rock my soul

If the Spurs & Thunder finish tied, Oklahoma City gets the #1 seed regardless of who gets the #8 seed. That being said, neither the Lakers nor the Jazz get by whoever's the top seed out West.

That's why I used the word arguably. I'm not a fan of LeBron but he is without a doubt the best all around player in the game. It's not even close. Offensively there are better players but he's so much better than everyone else defensively. Reminds me of Scottie Pippen the way he takes the game over defensively whenever he wants to. He can guard all 5 positions but he's GREAT guarding 4 of them.

_________________
Be well

GO BEARS!!!

And you continue to show your bias towards Kobe with statements like this.[/quote]

Did you see any of that game? He wasn't getting beaten off the ball and while he did gamble a few times it actually paid off. IMO it was probably his most impressive performance this season. Better than his back to back games for 40 points and 12 assists and 8 rebounds. You're a Kobe hater! I've seen so many of them over the past 17 years that I can spot them a mile away. I'm not sure who was buying his jersey's because just about everyone I've come across does not like him. It's really weird too.

_________________
Be well

GO BEARS!!!

His troubles in 2003 didn't help things. On a much lesser scale, his smugness and megalomania are not what you'd call endearing qualities. I'll give him his due - he is one of the best ever, but I really don't care for him. He's just...there, and when he's gone, I probably won't notice.

_________________
Successful calls:

Kyrie Irving will never win anything as a team's alpha: check
T.rubisky is a bust: check
Ben Simmons is a liability: check
The Fields Cult is dumb: double check

2013 CSFMB ROY

Lakers win by two.

Free Throws
Lakers 50
Warriors 16

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Couldn't agree more vegan, top 12 player all time but a giant turd. Doesn't seem to have made any teammates better like other super stars did.

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I am not a Kobe fan, but hate to see that happen. I was looking forward to seeing him make a run in the playoffs with the Lakers

_________________
"He is a loathsome, offensive brute
--yet I can't look away."

Did you see any of that game? He wasn't getting beaten off the ball and while he did gamble a few times it actually paid off. IMO it was probably his most impressive performance this season. Better than his back to back games for 40 points and 12 assists and 8 rebounds. You're a Kobe hater! I've seen so many of them over the past 17 years that I can spot them a mile away. I'm not sure who was buying his jersey's because just about everyone I've come across does not like him. It's really weird too.[/quote]
Maybe it's not us that's the problem.

_________________
Fare you well, fare you well
I love you more than words can tell
Listen to the river sing sweet songs
To rock my soul

I wanted to see him in the playoffs, but otherwise, who really cares. im sure kobe will be ok even if he cant play again, while I will continue to struggle to pay my bills

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the world will always the world. your entire existence is defined by your response.

Do the Lakers amnesty Kobe if it will take him the entire year to recover? I imagine they would take a huge PR hit even though it would likely be the right business move. A lot of changes will be made in the off season. It is possible their big 4 could be gone next season.

_________________
Be well

GO BEARS!!!

I've heard about that option. They do want to be a player in LeBron sweepstakes II, as should any rational team, and jettisoning Kobe's salary would help tremendously. It will be fun to watch.

I'm not sure if they had a big four...more like a big three and a half since Nash is nearly done. Of the four, he's the least consequential. With Howard and a healthy Gasol as a trade chip, they've still got pieces to build around once Kobe leaves.

LA has had a Yankees-like run in attracting or acquiring premium talent to build around (Shaq, Kobe, Gasol, Howard), so I wouldn't be surprised if the interim period between Kobe's Lakers and the next potential dynasty turns out to be a short one.

_________________
Successful calls:

Kyrie Irving will never win anything as a team's alpha: check
T.rubisky is a bust: check
Ben Simmons is a liability: check
The Fields Cult is dumb: double check

2013 CSFMB ROY

The Ewing Theory would not apply to the Lakers but if they managed to have some success without Kobe I can see some people believing that using the amnesty clause on Kobe would be best. Jim Buss has been known to do very stupid things.

_________________
Be well

GO BEARS!!!