Kobe's Swinging Door

by user Bobspoint [1]

In his continuous saga of he-loves-me-he-loves-me-not, Kobe Bryant is saying once again he wants off the Lakers. He said on his web site, "the Lakers and me just have two different visions for the future." First off, Kobe, it's, "the Lakers and I." Secondly, you were the one who wanted to be the only star on your team, so make up your mind. Now, I can go all day without mentioning Shaq because he just annoys me, but face it, because those two couldn't put their egos aside long enough to concentrate on a TEAM concept (see: Spurs) any longer, Kobe is the one who should be shouldering the blame. Yes, Bryant is a great player, but surely he's learned by now what LeBron James did in this year's Finals: you can't do it all by yourself. Bryant says all he wants to do is win, and he expects the Lakers management to surround him with the players who can make those wins happen. He feels the management has passed on many good prospects. Let's face it, there is no ego room on that team for any other high scoring player. Can you imagine Kobe and Kevin Garnett working in peace? Kobe and Amare Stoudamire? The thought of that makes my eyes roll into the back of my skull. Kobe and Vince Carter? Will there be contests on who can beat their chests harder? In 2004, Lakers boss Jerry Buss signed Bryant to a seven-year, $136.4 million contract. Tim Duncan made $17 million for the 2007 season. Bryant went fishing early, and Duncan just floated down the Riverwalk today with his fourth trophy. Where is the money being better spent? If Kobe really, really, really wants to win another championship, he needs to first get over himself. Secondly, he needs to pay attention to what wins a championship, and that's a team working together with a common goal. Look at the Spurs' Manu Ginobili. As great a player as he is, he relinquished his starting position because his coach wanted him to be a spark off the bench. Instead of bitching about it, he played his role, put the team first, and he floated down the Riverwalk today with a trophy.

Tony Parker's feelings were hurt when the Spurs courted Jason Kidd a couple of years ago. Instead of crying about it, he worked harder and wanted to prove he was the best man for the job. This year he was the Finals MVP, and floated down the Riverwalk today with his trophy, too.

I was greatly impressed with LeBron James in this past series, who didn't whine and moan about calls or make excuses. He took responsibility on himself. I'm sure his Finals experience against the best team in the NBA was a great learning experience. Kobe, it seems, has lost sight of what it really takes to win. So, Kobe, stop your bitching, make up your mind and shut up. I doubt that publicly tearing your team apart is the best route to take. I don't know how they feel about it in Los Angeles, but that kind of crap just wouldn't work in San Antonio.

And that's why the Spurs floated down the Riverwalk today with four trophies.

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