Article: Selfish Kobe Should Just Go Away

Selfish Kobe should just go away

"Is it me, or has Kobe Bryant completely lost his mind?


At this point, the damage he is doing to his image is so great that no lawyer will be able to defend him in the court of public opinion. Johnny Cochran would have to find a rhyme for "megalomaniacal." Clarence Darrow would consider him a lost cause.


Listen, I don't know what happened in that hotel room any more than you do. Frankly, I don't expect we will ever find out. I have absolutely zero confidence in the American criminal-justice system when the defendant is a celebrity. I think it highly possible that Kobe could be innocent and found guilty, or vice-versa."

Full Story:

http://espn.go.com/page2/s/greenberg/031104.html

 

Would does "he should just go away" mean? Go to another team or retire?

This will always be with Kobe. He screwed himself, his family, his fans, his team. And I agree with one thing, I have no faith in our judicial system when their is a celeb as the defendent.

 

I echo Rudzeey's statement. Kobe has screwed himself and everyone around him. It sounds weird but the Lakers are much better off without him. They already have 3 future-HOF'ers on the team. If he continues to be selfish and take all of the shots he'll piss off his teammates. That will start a war and the Lakers will slip down the standings. He either needs to shape up or leave. He's only hurting the Lakers right now.

 

A few good points there, but at the same time it's a bit over the top. No one knows what Kobe's going through, and I'm willing to bet that being out there and playing basketball is his refuge, his way of getting his mind away from the trial. If he's guilty then fine, chuck him in jail, but I don't agree with the notion that he should stand out of basketball until it's all over. Innocent until proven guilty, and he's still paid to play basketball. If he gets selfish and takes too many shots then he might be hurting the Lakers, but that's an entirely different issue to the fact that he's on trial.

 

Yup, I agree. He should just take a season off first to fix his life. The author made a good point, what if Kobe suddenly have to leave come postseason? A big adjustment should take place and that's not a good idea during the postseason.

The Lakers are better off without him this season. I'd hate to have a player who's not sure if he can play this or that game. It'll mess up the system.

 

I really don't think the Lakers are a better team without him. He is All-NBA first team. Could the Lakers win the West w/o Kobe, probably. He has brought so much to that team that is irreplacable, not all of it positve.

 

This article is ridiculous. None of us are in position to say whether or not kobe should play this season. Only kobe knows if its right for him to play. If he wants to play, then he SHOULD play.

It's not fair to him if we say "since you are accused of a crime, so you must hault your life completely until everything is resolved." That's BS..

Kobe wants to play, his teammates want him to play, who cares what everyone else thinks, especially this writer or that other fool Charlie Rosen.

 

I know this is going to be shocking coming from my mouth but I dont think Kobe is that selfish.

Just ask yourself this, out of the Lakers team now, who would you want to take a final shot?

 

The Lakers are better off without him even when he scores 31 points, leads em in scoring huh? Or how bout the 3 clutch free throws he hit the other night. Seriously people, with Kobe there, it gives them another dimension of a player. It gives them another player to worry about, the opponent that is. And, it also gives them the best clutch player in the game today. So, if you don't want that on your team, than sure, you're better off without him. But, if you're like me, you think that, without him, you're not better off. You're better with him. The Lakers know this. That's why they're playing him. And plus, look at the record and tell me that they'd be undefeated if it wasn't for his clutch free throws agains...whoever it was, don't remember, or if they'd have won without him last night.

 

i can never deny that Kobe is important to the team...as long as he can commit himself to playing if the team needs him...then go ahead...and as long as he keeps himself in shape (body and mind) for the playoffs...then go ahead...and as long as he can keep his mouth shut and stop feuding with Shaq...then go ahead...

 

You people really like to look at all the negatives about him. Never looking at the positive. All you people seem to worry about is what his off the court problems are. I.E. feuding with Shaq and the rape case. Quite frankly, the only people who really care about all this Shaq feuding and rape case crap is the media. What you should be worried about is what he does on the court. That's what matters when you're talking about a player. He can feud with Shaq all he wants off the court, but, it's what they do together on the court. They're still a great duo and probably the best duo in the league. So, stop paying attention to what he does off the court right now. You people who say he's hurting the Lakers are crazy. The only way he could hurt them is by not playing. When he's on the court, well, yea, I explained all this in my last post. But, he's doing them no harm right now so just leave it be.

 

I'd go along with the assertion that Kobe should sit out only if Kobe showed signs of being non-committed. The fact is that there is no such sign. So there is no way that I could support the assertion that Kobe should sit out.

In his two games, he has been leading the team in scoring, making the defense exponentially stronger, and making key shots. I see absolutely no reason as to why he should sit out.

 

<div class="quote_poster">Quoting InNETSweTrust:</div><div class="quote_post">and as long as he can keep his mouth shut and stop feuding with Shaq...then go ahead...</div>


I personally agree with his rant against Shaq. Everything he said seemed to have truth behind it. I think Shaq got what he deserved. He has been talking <font color="DarkSlateBlue">*No masking - Wave*</font> about Kobe and the rest of the team for years. I don't think that it should have happened the way that it did happen, but, because of the way Kobe exploded, I could understand why it did happen.

(All the direct quotes from that argument can be found here: http://www.ericmcerlain.com/offwingopinion...ives/002579.php )

 

Kobe spoke his mind about shaq.. everything he said was the truth.. That was the first time kobe lashed back about shaq.. im glad someone had the balls to do it.. Shaq took it like a man, and now the lakers are playing well!!! yall can hate on kobe all you want, but if he was the starting 2 guard on your team, hed be the best player in the nba!!

 

you guys don't get my point...as i've said...i don't care if he'll play the whole season...as long as he can commit himself to being fully ready (physically and mentally) every game...and if he can commit to being there for the playoffs...just imagine if he'll play the regular season and then suddenly had to leave during the playoffs where it really matters...

i have nothing against his words against Shaq...but the thing is...LA Management already told them not to comment any further on the issue...what did he do? he lashed at Shaq with the whole world to hear

 

<div class="quote_poster">Quoting InNETSweTrust:</div><div class="quote_post">you guys don't get my point...as i've said...i don't care if he'll play the whole season...as long as he can commit himself to being fully ready (physically and mentally) every game...and if he can commit to being there for the playoffs...just imagine if he'll play the regular season and then suddenly had to leave during the playoffs where it really matters...
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I think that's a risk you have to take. I think the Lakers have a responsiblity to their fans as an organisation to put the best team possible on the floor and give the organisation every chance to win a championship. I don't think you can sit Kobe out just cos there's a chance he might not play playoffs, I think you have to assume that he will play and if he doesn't, you deal with that at the time. The Lakers have an experienced team and I don't think they'd have a hard time making the appropriate adjustments. As for being physically and mentally fit for everygame, I don't think that's a problem for Kobe

 

<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Sir Desmond:</div><div class="quote_post">I think that's a risk you have to take. I think the Lakers have a responsiblity to their fans as an organisation to put the best team possible on the floor and give the organisation every chance to win a championship. I don't think you can sit Kobe out just cos there's a chance he might not play playoffs, I think you have to assume that he will play and if he doesn't, you deal with that at the time. The Lakers have an experienced team and I don't think they'd have a hard time making the appropriate adjustments. As for being physically and mentally fit for everygame, I don't think that's a problem for Kobe</div>

oh come on...just imagine yourself being trialed for rape...can you be mentally fit?

 

<div class="quote_poster">Quoting InNETSweTrust:</div><div class="quote_post">oh come on...just imagine yourself being trialed for rape...can you be mentally fit?</div>

Probably not, but I'm not Kobe. It should be 100% down to him and he's made it clear he intends to play the whole season.

 

and i don't see anyone being ready physically if you have to fly back and forth for hearings and stuffs...

 

You can talk all you want about GP and Malone, but the Lakers will only go as far as Kobe and Shaq take them... I think they proved that in their game against the Spurs. GP scored 19, Malone scored 15- that's about the best that you can expect out of either of them on this Lakers team. In the end, however, you know that Kobe is going to take the big shot and make the clutch plays down the stretch. The Lakers wouldn't be anywhere as good as they are this year without Kobe- ask any GM or head coach in the league.