Originally posted on 11/29/2016:

KVB very eloquent responses.

Funny thing is I haven't thought about this in years until this Kobe post of yours. I remember we were down a point with not much time left 5-6 secs and we designed an isolation play against coach. He was roughly 10 years my senior and the best player on the other team. I hadn't been stopped all game, double digit rebounds, steals, assists, 40 some points anyway I took it to the hole and when I pulled up he decided to flop and the ref blew the whistle against me (very minimal contact). Shot still went in iirc and obviously still irrelevant and we lost the game. I wasn't angry at the ref though and I wouldn't have felt really any better or worse today even if it had gone my way. It wouldn't have made me money or made me more popular in school it was just a recreational church league. I just played my best.

If the ref had told me prior to that game that he was going to make sure I had the best chance to succeed and to just go out and be free, then who knows the heights I might've reached or the goals I could've accomplished. Instead we live in a world where people want to watch you fail, people want to see you struggle, people want to maintain power, and people want to maintain control. What the ref should've done after that game is told me why he made that call and that he appreciated my efforts and my talent regardless of the outcome.

The part of it all that I do regret is that I made memories there and due to my lack of appreciation for the education that was in front of me (I liked sports of any kind immensely more than books) and also partly due to a terrible home life, I walked away from those memories and made new ones. I did my best everywhere I went but having to reprove oneself to new audiences over and over again is unrealistic.

It's one thing I can appreciate about Kobe Bryant is that he stayed a Laker, and even through the good and bad the fans there supported him for his talents on the court. If he went 2-30 FG's in the final game what would that matter? Would it have made non Laker fans happy to see him leave the court in that manner? He has poured blood sweat and tears into the league and others that have/are playing the game should respect that. Two decades!! I hope the refs and the kings did tell him prior to that game that they would help him succeed in anyway possible and to play free because when it's there turn they would want the same treatment.

Anthony Davis is a young gun and the Pelicano's need something to make headlines. I am not saying it wasn't a more impressive performance and I know people see the game differently but AD still has a road ahead and youth on his side.

I am not even a Laker fan, my favorite player was Charles Barkley (Knick slayer Melo now) but I still thought the performance was amazing. I hate the Blue Jays but I thought their performance against Rangers was amazing as well. Nothing like being a fan watching 40 bluejay homeruns in the series, fukkn sucked watching that but I still love MLB.

I respect your view KVB and we will just have to agree to disagree here.