<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>Kobe Bryant, the greatest basketball player on Earth, is unwanted by a certain segment of Chicago's population for the following reasons, as far as I can tell: •He shoots too much. •He isn't a good guy. •He isn't a team guy. •They shouldn't "gut" the whole Bulls team to get him. Wow. What a bunch of bull. I have heard a lot of nonsense in my days, but this ranks among the most nonsensical. Yeah, how could you possibly want a 29-year-old nine-time NBA All-Star, three-time NBA champion, two-time NBA scoring champion and seven-time NBA All-Defensive Team member on your basketball team? There has been no deal and "there's not going to be one," Bulls general manager John Paxson stated flatly Thursday, declaring the case closed. These are sad words indeed. With the 0-1 Bulls about to make their home debut Friday night against the Philadelphia 76ers, there are people here vehemently opposed to a trade that would bring the Lakers great to Chicago. Oh, brother. <font size="5"> Kobe Bryant would be the best Bull for the next five to 10 years if he plays in one shoe. To say a basketball team would be better off without Kobe Bryant is like saying a golf tournament would be better off without Tiger Woods.</font></p> </p> <h2 class="subhead">Bull shot No. 1: Bryant shoots too much</h2> Man, who shot more than Michael Jordan did? Jordan's 49 shots against Orlando on Jan. 16, 1993, is still the NBA record for shots in a game. Four of the top 10 highs for field-goal attempts in a game belong to Jordan. Twenty-one of the 64 highs belong to Jordan. Wow, how can one man shoot so much? I guess that Jordan must have killed the Bulls when he played for them, shooting so much the way he did. <font size="5"> Jordan shot a lot for the same reason Bryant shoots a lot.</font> <font size="5"> Because they make 'em.</font></p> <h2 class="subhead">Bull shot No. 2: Bryant isn't a good guy</h2> Yes, all of our Bulls heroes have been squeaky clean. None ever has made a mistake. That includes Jordan (gambling habit, sued by a lover); Scottie Pippen (arrested for gun possession, refused to go into a game); Dennis Rodman (head-butted a ref, kicked a TV cameraman); Scott Skiles (drug possession and DUI in college, did time in jail); Ben Gordon (arrested in college for assault of a female student). Oh, and Lonny Baxter (fired a gun near the White House, sentenced to jail for illegal firearms shipments); Ron Artest (went into the stands to punch a fan; arrested for domestic abuse); Antonio Davis (went into the stands after a fan); Quintin Dailey (accused of sexual assault).</p> Nah, no member of the Bulls organization ever has had a character issue. Bryant did commit adultery. A woman who accused him of assault would not testify against him in court. Bryant has not been convicted of a crime. He is no saint, but the Bulls have had plenty of sinners.</p> <h2 class="subhead">Bull shot No. 3: Bryant isn't a team guy</h2> Sure, that's why the Lakers won three NBA championships with him. Shaquille O'Neal did not win those trophies by himself. Kobe helped. Kobe passed. Kobe rebounded. Kobe guarded his man. Kobe gave teammates pats on the back. Kobe took a lot of shots in the final minutes because Shaq can't shoot. You ask why Kobe can't win a championship without Shaq? For the same reason Jordan couldn't win one with the Washington Wizards. Because he needs help.</p> <h2 class="subhead">Bull shot No. 4: Don't 'gut' this team</h2> Gut what? Is this a championship team? No. Is this a team that won its division last season? No, it placed third out of five teams. Do the Bulls have a go-to guy when a game is on the line? No. (As they demonstrated yet again in Wednesday night's season opener.) Do they need to trade Luol Deng <em class="i">and[/i] Ben Wallace <em class="i">and [/i]Kirk Hinrich <em class="i">and [/i]Ben Gordon <em class="i">and[/i] Tyrus Thomas <em class="i">and[/i] Joakim Noah <em class="i">and[/i] Joe Smith <em class="i">and [/i]Andres Nocioni <em class="i">and[/i] Aaron Gray <em class="i">and [/i]Thabo Sefolosha <em class="i">and[/i] Chris Duhon to get Bryant? No, most of them would stay. Would these Bulls win the NBA in two or three years when Wallace is 35 or 36? No, they need to win right away … or use him right away in a trade for a bigger star. You don't want Kobe Bryant? Are you nuts?</p> </div></p> Source: Chicago Tribune</p> I had to share this with Laker/Kobe fans. Great stuff.</p>
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Sweetness)</div><div class='quotemain'> excellent read shape. i did'nt even know MJ held the record for shots taken.</p></div> </p> Who else would outdo him?
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (YourNewChef)</div><div class='quotemain'><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Sweetness)</div><div class='quotemain'></p> excellent read shape. i did'nt even know MJ held the record for shots taken.</p> </div></p> </p> Who else would outdo him?</div></p> hehe, i always thought wilt held that record along with the other crazy records he has.</p>
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>For the same reason Jordan couldn't win one with the Washington Wizards.</div></p> </p> Correction: Because he was too old.</p> </p> Also, correction to a segment of Chicagoans, more-so of the mass-majority type.</p> </p> People here in Chicago tend to not want Bryant simply because we don't want to f*** up the current roster. Deal out too much really - lose the core group of players in the meaning. The thing is, Bryant doesn't want this franchiseto lose much either. Personally, I don't think he's a ballhogger or a problematic player per-say on the court, I've defended his game enough. However, he's extremely selfish off the court (actually in our favor, so I can't complain) and an egomaniacal freak to the extent of captain jackass, A-Rod.</p> </p> As much as there is interestinthis prospectively better team with Bryant there is an issue, that's really it: aprobable better team. It isn't a sure bet and we'll never know unless it happens. Same thing if we keep the core we have now. I'd prefer to take the road we're on now, sign what we have and make due with hard work and dedication. However, if a deal were to happen and Bryant does come to the Windy City, as long as Hinrich is still leading this roster and we don't lose that much I'm ok with it.</p>
