ESPN just reported it. This is crazy. This could either be very good or very bad. I don't know what to make of it yet.
I think kobe needs to stfu. This is gettiing pathetic. No-one on the franchise knows how to handle the media. You see Jim and jeanie calling out the other in the media. You see Kurt rambis doing the same. Then you see kobe making demands which are unreal.It'd be good if they could all stfu.
Yeah, there are two ways to look at this if you're a Lakers fan. You can relate with Kobe. When he resigned the FO promised to build a title contender around him in a hurry. They didn't and they've passed on countless trades, abandoning the present (and Kobe's prime) for the future.You can get pissed off at Kobe. Shaq did this to us 4 years ago and it was devastating. Other players have had to deal with this for a lot longer than him, and for him to go out and publicly say this could F*ck this franchise over. I'm overwhelmed right now. This is unbelievable.
This isn't really breaking news....heard he wanted Jerry West to come back on the radio a few days ago. Another thing to think about though, BSPN always blows things out of proportion. Don't take everything they say TOO seriously. Kobe does want West back but did he really threaten to demand a trade? Anyway, getting Jerry West is very possible. He already said he wants to come back but he said he's waiting for Jerry Buss to call him. (He said it on radio AM 570 Los Angeles)
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>Kobe Bryant isn't happy with the Lakers' direction and wants Jerry West back in Los Angeles to fix things.Bryant told ESPN The Magazine's Ric Bucher that he wants the Lakers to bring West back to the organization and give him full authority. If the Lakers don't want to do that, Bryant said he wants to be traded.Bryant is frustrated that the team has not made any significant moves since it re-signed him."I want to see us get to a contending level," he told The Los Angeles Times. "I want to see us become a championship contender. It's been a frustrating process for me and I'm sure it's been a frustrating process for all Laker fans. I'm just hoping we can get to that level. I'm still frustrated. I'm waiting for them to make some changes."Mitch Kupchak is the current Lakers general manager.West, who spent five seasons in Memphis, will leave his post as the Grizzlies' director of basketball operations July 1 at the end of his contract. West helped build the Lakers' dynasty in the '80s and engineered their rebirth in the '90s, overseeing seven NBA championship teams -- including back-to-back champions in 1987-1988 and three consecutive crowns from 2000-2002.In Memphis, West never had the advantages he enjoyed in the large market of Los Angeles, where he signed Shaquille O'Neal and traded Vlade Divac for Bryant.Bryant averaged 31.6 points per game in 2007 as the Lakers qualified for the seventh seed in the Western Conference with a 42-40 record. Los Angeles lost in five games to the Suns, however, and the Lakers haven't won a championship since O'Neal was traded to the Heat.</div>
I can't believe this is happening. I just can't believe it. There's so many things to worry about and I don't know what side I should be on. Why did he have to do this publicly?
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Melo061 @ May 27 2007, 03:14 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Man, this is excatly like shaq just different motives. If kobe gets traded then he'll be dead to me.</div>Hey, if Kobe ends up getting traded....F*ck him. Laker fan first, Kobe fan second. I love Kobe but if he truly gives up his loyalty to this Franchise, The Los Angeles Lakers. I could seriously care less about him. I won't hate or boo him like many haters, but I am not going to cheer for him either. I will not be like many of the Sixer fans that suddenly became Nugget fans once Iverson was traded. That's just not me.
I am a big Kobe Bryant supporter, he's one of my favorite players and has been for a long time, and he's the best player in the world. But this is all pretty funny to me, because he couldn't get along with Shaq (yes, Shaq handled it just as immaturely) and he wanted to be "the man." Now that he is "the man," he wants another star on the team with him or he threatened to demand a trade. If he handled maturely in the first place, he and Shaq could have 4, maybe 5 rings by now.Now, I know the Laker management hasn't done a great job, and I understand that they promised Kobe a championship team (believe me, I've been there... see: Paul Pierce extension, same promise), but it's ironic because of what went on between he and Shaq.I don't know if I see Kobe demanding a trade though. I think it was nothing more than a threat, just to get the organization feeling like they are on the hot seat.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (ChuckTheD @ May 28 2007, 08:17 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>I can't believe this is happening. I just can't believe it. There's so many things to worry about and I don't know what side I should be on. Why did he have to do this publicly?</div>He learnt it from Phil and Shaq.
I bet ESPN is over-doing this like somebody said, but I would not be very surprised if he did demand a trade. Tons of GMs have done this to players and the players have been falling for it every time. Paul Pierce fell for it, Kevin Garnett fell for it, Allen Iverson fell for it and so is Kobe. But Kobe has actually come out and complained publically unlike the others. I think it's a bad idea because it hurts his trade value as well as other players on his team IMO. Now because management is on the hot seat teams are gonna offer even less value to try and steal him or others as the Lakers panic.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (LakersFan247 @ May 27 2007, 03:18 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Hey, if Kobe ends up getting traded....F*ck him. Laker fan first, Kobe fan second. I love Kobe but if he truly gives up his loyalty to this Franchise, The Los Angeles Lakers. I could seriously care less about him. I won't hate or boo him like many haters, but I am not going to cheer for him either. I will not be like many of the Sixer fans that suddenly became Nugget fans once Iverson was traded. That's just not me.</div>Since when does Serge count as many people He's really the only active member here who clearly likes the Nuggets better now.
I'm kinda with austingriz on this one. It's not that I don't believe he wants to be traded, but I think he'll turn out and say that he doesn't. That's just my opinion.
Kobe is essentially demanding his GM be fired. What I don't get is, Jerry West won't make miracles happen, the Lakers are essentially stuck because they have 2 big contracts and very little talent outside Andrew Bynum, making trades tough. Does Kobe not understand that?
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (BrewCityBuck @ May 27 2007, 05:28 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Kobe is essentially demanding his GM be fired. What I don't get is, Jerry West won't make miracles happen, the Lakers are essentially stuck because they have 2 big contracts and very little talent outside Andrew Bynum, making trades tough. Does Kobe not understand that?</div>There are a lot of things to take into consideration here. Kobe could be using this as a ploy to get himself traded whilst looking like he still wants the team to succeed. I don't know what theory to go with yet. In the next few weeks this should resolve itself.
Hey Celticsballa doesn't Jermain Oneal look good in the Laker jersey on Lakerfan247's sig LOL!!!!Anyway even I'm saying this is a little out of hand. I mean come on West isn't going to come back and even if he does what's so spcial about him? What can he do in the front office that the guy we have now can't. What does Kobe expect to happen.flashback to 2004Shaq:If Jerry West was still there he would of talked me out of wanting to be traded. Fast forward 2007 West returns to lakers Live in Miami Florda Shaq is in his mantion watching ESPN and he see Jerry West shaking hands with Phil Jackson and Kobe Bryant with the words West returns to LA at the bottem of the screen. Shaq drops Pepsi can he was dropping letting it spill all over the floor and yells out WHAT!!!!!!! a week later Shaq marches into the Heat front office and yells out I want out! But...But...butI said I want out now trade me!!!Fast forward to a week or 2 laterunkowing of what just happend Kobe walks in to the first pratice of the 2007-2008 season to see Shaq standing on the pratice court in laker practice uniform talking to Coach Phil Jackson. The End
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (BrewCityBuck @ May 27 2007, 08:28 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Kobe is essentially demanding his GM be fired. What I don't get is, Jerry West won't make miracles happen, the Lakers are essentially stuck because they have 2 big contracts and very little talent outside Andrew Bynum, making trades tough. Does Kobe not understand that?</div>Yeah, good point. LA really doesn't have a lot to work with, they don't have a lot of trading chips at all. They have 2 solid young players in Bynum/Farmar, but they don't blow your mind. The rest is mediocre veterans, other than Luke Walton, who is a solid all-around player. Radmanovic? Cook? Turiaf? Mihm? Evans? Vujacic? Parker? An injured Brown? They are all average role players at best and they don't have much trade value at ALL. Bynum has some, but other than him, they don't have anything that makes a GM say "I want him."I agree, Jerry West won't be able to make any trades that current management can't. The Lakers simply don't have a great package to offer.
