Kobe has singledhandedly destroyed the Lakers Orgazniation!!

[Menses]

With news coming out today of Kobe's extension, it is clear, he is not willing to make the sacrificed necessary to ensure the future survival of the team he claims to love...Buss has caved in once again to the demands of this diva in order to pacify the city and justify the enormous tv contract...the Lakers have just signed...but at what cost to the competitive level of the franchise?

Kobe told Dwight at the beginning of last season...that it was HIS team and he would be a third option..then later on during the season after Kobe froze Dwight and Pau out of the offense...Dwight called him out on it during a team meeting....and the two had to be physically...separated... what a disaster..!!!

Even when given a second chance to mend fences with Dwight at the end of the season when Laker fans and brass were begging Dwight to stay...Kobe mocked him during the sales pitch and indirectly called him a looser...That boneheaded selfish move eventually led to Dwight Howard's exit out of Hollywood...and cost the Lakers a legitimate shot at competing this season for a Title...

Kobe once again had the chance to make it right and take the necessary pay cut to ensure the right amount of cap space for TWO franchise signings next year..and he refused to do it....48 million over the next 2 years for aging shot jacker who has not played a minute of defense in 5 years...is highway robbery...and no owner in their right frame of mind would pass out that kind of money to a player in that position but Jim Buss in all his glory did it...most likely because he has given up on competing for a title anytime soon and is quite content to led Kobe shot jack his way to Kareem's records....while holding the team hostage until after the contract is up....this is the epitome of selfishness Folks!!!!! Laker Fans how do you feel about this? How can you stand by and watch this prima donna shot jacker continue to destroy this team every year for his own selfish gain?

Kobe Shame on you!!!!!!!

[sando]

You forget that this is also the guy who bought 5 NBA championship banners to this organisation in a decade, and please don't reply with the same bland b/s "oh well take Kobe out and insert any half decent off guard and the Lakers are still 3-peating".

I have never ever found anyone in all the kingdom of Laker haters who hates Kobe Bryant as much as you do Menses. Look you're a really sharp guy - there is no denying that - but are you also aware that your obsession with Kobe is borderline fanatical...?

[EmceeDusty]

LOL@ destroyed the Lakers, Wow you're a clown buddy, HE IS THE LAKERS.

[SteelRain]

You forget that this is also the guy who bought 5 NBA championship banners to this organisation in a decade

No. That would be shaq, phil jackson and the two 7 footer centres. Replace kobe with Lebron, give lebron the same opportunities and the Lakers would have 8 championships in a decade.

[BCC585]

[Menses]

You forget that this is also the guy who bought 5 NBA championship banners to this organisation in a decade, and please don't reply with the same bland b/s "oh well take Kobe out and insert any half decent off guard and the Lakers are still 3-peating".

I have never ever found anyone in all the kingdom of Laker haters who hates Kobe Bryant as much as you do Menses. Look you're a really sharp guy - there is no denying that - but are you also aware that your obsession with Kobe is borderline fanatical...?

Come come now Sando, lol....you knew this post was coming...if you want the opposite, gladly tune into ESPN LA...they are trying their best to spin it in the other direction and behave as if this is a good move for the organization. They behave as if this signing has absolutely no barring on their ability to sign two max players in next years free agency sweepstakes....and we KNOW THIS IS NOT THE CASE...

And you and I know fully well...Kobe rode Shaq and Gasol to those 5 championships....do you realize how efficient Gasol had to be with the limited number of touches he got during those playoff runs? Kobe could shoot 30 percent from the field and get away with it, Gasol gets crucified if he misses a basket
LOL....Remember, Kobe has played with the most dominant front courts of the last 15 years...and still could not get it done last year...and that is because Phil was missing..

Kobe is a man who claims to only want to win championships...and yet he refused to take a significant pay cut...Tim Duncan, Dirk, Lebron, Bosh etc.. all took pay cuts to make their teams better and look where they are now? Look at their teams...Spurs and Heat still class of the league and Dallas is clearly on the rebound....The CBA will prevent the Lakers from taking advantage of that TV deal...and force them into the luxary tax which will run very steep depending on who they sign...The team cannot truly go forward until the mamba's contract comes off the books...He is the reason they cannot compete this year because of his refusal to work with Dwight...and he is the reason they will not be able to max out two players next year..but hey from a business standpoint why not pay him the world ? He is the only game in town until Lakers can reload...might as well keep the ignorant fan base happy...

[sando]

I really should learn to stay out of these types of threads. I used to write for Bleacher report and two other sites, covering NBA and specifically the Pacific division. Man you wouldn't believe how much hostility I would cop if I dared to write a positive piece about Kobe and/or the Lakers in general..

[Menses]

I really should learn to stay out of these types of threads. I used to write for Bleacher report and two other sites, covering NBA and specifically the Pacific division. Man you wouldn't believe how much hostility I would cop if I dared to write a positive piece about Kobe and/or the Lakers in general..

Really? interesting website if this is so.......I have heard that it is quite the opposite at ESPN...as a reporter or writer you are not allowed to criticize Kobe or risk unemployment.... I mean look at Ramona Shelbourne....lovely girl but she is basically his mouthpiece....Right now, on ESPN...its bash Dwight Howard if he sneezes, and compliment Kobe Bryant no matter what......am i wrong?

[sando]

Really? interesting website if this is so.......I have heard that it is quite the opposite at ESPN...as a reporter or writer you are not allowed to criticize Kobe or risk unemployment.... I mean look at Ramona Shelbourne....lovely girl but she is basically his mouthpiece....Right now, on ESPN...its bash Dwight Howard if he sneezes, and compliment Kobe Bryant no matter what......am i wrong?

No you are spot on. I do think ESPN still has great value, you just have to have a strong radar to sift through the BS and find the solid info.

[scdutes88]

What I think menses and a lot of fans forget is that the nba is a business as much as it is a game. From the business standpoint the amount of money kobe brings the lakers organization per yer between ticket sales merchandise marketing nation tv contracts and numerous other ways they make money on him, 50 mil is fair markrt price. They stand to make a profit and at the end of the day In business that's all that matters.

[Menses]

What I think menses and a lot of fans forget is that the nba is a business as much as it is a game. From the business standpoint the amount of money kobe brings the lakers organization per yer between ticket sales merchandise marketing nation tv contracts and numerous other ways they make money on him, 50 mil is fair markrt price. They stand to make a profit and at the end of the day In business that's all that matters.

No arguments here...it makes absolute sense from a business standpoint...it is as they say a "No BRAINER" but more often than not in life, you can't have your Betty Crocker and eat it too.....Kobe says he wants to win a championship...right now....that is no longer a possibility with this new contract...the CBA will not allow them to circumvent the luxary tax and sign both Carmello and or Gay or Durant the following year....its either about the money or the rings....which one is it?

[Ratzz]

yep.. this all adds up...
"Cash is King" but that is not forever..
and people will only buy Kobe jerseys for so long..

look at the Yankees... Lakers are following in their footsteps..

when Kobe tanks upon his return.. shytt *is gonna hit the fan..
he seriously impacted his legacy with this move..

it is amazing to me that the Lakers went through with this move,
repeating the same mistakes that they made with Nash,
and with what happened to the Nets...

OLD and faded superstars do not get it done. **

i suspect Kobe will play poorly.. and the second he starts bricking shot after shot.. look for the limping and wincing (quite visible for the camera) to begin

[jsmithj88]

What I think menses and a lot of fans forget is that the nba is a business as much as it is a game. From the business standpoint the amount of money kobe brings the lakers organization per yer between ticket sales merchandise marketing nation tv contracts and numerous other ways they make money on him, 50 mil is fair markrt price. They stand to make a profit and at the end of the day In business that's all that matters.

we are not talking about market value for kobe, hes obviously going to be near the top
the point of this thread points out kobe values his ego and $$ over winning a title
it is what it is, he will be the big dog on his lakers team the next couple years
and he will get stomped out of the playoffs each time

[Ratzz]

i think last night's game pretty much proves that the title of this thread is true.

*Kobe chasing away other superstars.
Look at the team, without a team with 2-3 All-stars, you had better have Popovich coaching or forget it.

Kobe's Salary
completely screws them presently and in the next two years. Nobody great is coming..
and it looks like one great hand won't help, need more than one..*

no end in sight..

Lakers are going to start losing money.. fans will not watch this..

[Menses]

yep.. this all adds up...
"Cash is King" but that is not forever..
and people will only buy Kobe jerseys for so long..

look at the Yankees... Lakers are following in their footsteps..

when Kobe tanks upon his return.. shytt *is gonna hit the fan..
he seriously impacted his legacy with this move..

it is amazing to me that the Lakers went through with this move,
repeating the same mistakes that they made with Nash,
and with what happened to the Nets...

OLD and faded superstars do not get it done. **

i suspect Kobe will play poorly.. and the second he starts bricking shot after shot.. look for the limping and wincing (quite visible for the camera) to begin

I really need to check up on these threads more often...you actually nailed this one...this is exactly what happened after Kobe returned. The team after going 10-9 went 2 for 4....and this was after Kobe called out his team and said their 10-9 record was average...and so so....talk about a jerk.....this idiot is out with an Achilles injury for months...and the first thing he does is espouse disparaging remarks about a group of young men who were playing their hearts out while he was sidelined...then steps on the court and turns the ball over 34 times in 6 games.....lol....then injures himself trying to take one of the best perimeter defenders in the league in Tony Allen off the dribble..LOL...

And he did so because he was playing ISO ball in the 3rd quarter instead of trying to find the open man as would be required of a player fresh off an Achilles injury..Once again, Kobe refuses to play within the offense (7 seconds or less) and instead chooses to do too much on his own....and as a result now has to sit out another 2 months....just like Ratzz predicted...

[Menses]

i think last night's game pretty much proves that the title of this thread is true.

*Kobe chasing away other superstars.
Look at the team, without a team with 2-3 All-stars, you had better have Popovich coaching or forget it.

Kobe's Salary
completely screws them presently and in the next two years. Nobody great is coming..
and it looks like one great hand won't help, need more than one..*

no end in sight..

Lakers are going to start losing money.. fans will not watch this..

Absolutely...I encourage the public to look into the amount of points that have been scored on the Lakers in the Paint...it will astound you I assure you...and it is because Howard is no longer there to bail out Laker defenders who still refuse to play proper perimeter defense...mind you...defense is not talent...its just effort..Young and Meeks do not really put effort into defending on the perimeter and D'antoni does not stress it....and so the points are piling up. The roster they have is a direct result of Kobe decision to chase Dwight out of town...and his decision to undermine Phil's wish to return to coach the team. Kobe has not said one bad word about his buddy D'antoni....not one. He fought Phil tooth and nail even when they were winning championships. The team is worse than it has ever been and Kobe is silent on D'antoni's ability to coach defense, utilize Pau and manipulate team chemistry.....not a single word!!!!!!! If Phil is coaching...Dwight stays...defense remains steady...and they can easily build around him the following year...but alas all is now lost...with his departure

ESPN LA and the media are completely silent about this....but more than willing to throw Buss and only him under the bus....people really think Kobe had no say in whether Phil was hired....this is NAIVE!!! lol....Kobe had Shaq and Phil removed from the team in one summer...He had Mike Brown fired after 3 games....Kobe while rehabbing from a ruptured Achilles managed to get Buss to give him 50 million over 2 years at 35 years of age...on nothing more than FAITH...that Kobe could play at an elite level again...and yet we are to believe that Kobe could no insist on the presence of Phil Jackson in the Laker organization? hahahaha.......

Nonsense!!!!!! As the post clearly states...Kobe has singlehandedly destroyed the Laker Franchise while garnering himself an exit clause and perfect alibi. He is injured and thus won't be blamed for how bad they currently are. The narrative will be.."They'd be better with Kobe..." or "Kobe could get his sixth ring if it wasn't for his bad teammates".......lolol......Now he can collect money...watch it all unfold from the sideline...and pretend like he had nothing to do with it...its brilliant!!!!!!

[jsmithj88]

Not really surprising. Kobe is not much different than any normal dude out there. He chose his pockets and ego over winning a title.