hi everyone, im obviously new to the board, just wanted to introduce myself...im from los angeles and have been a laker fan for 12 years and counting. i have a theory, there is some sort of ego problem within all the superpowers the lakers have...that being kobe shaq and phil. All of them think they are more important to the team then each other, they all believe that they are the key to the championships. Well in Kobe's case, i think the only reason he is stirring the pot with all this opting out nonsense is to give a sign to the laker organization that hey, shaq is getting old, i still havent hit my prime, if im going to resign with you guys, this better be MY TEAM. And it makes total sense, hes always been in the shadow of shaq, so he has a reason to opt out, he wants to be the leader of his team. Its definately not the money considering la could pay him the most. Simply for the reason of kobe scaring the organization enough that they defer to his needs....and like i said, that would be the best thing for LA at this point considering shaq is a superstar in his final years of greatness, its obviousl for past two seasons that shaq is not the same dominant force he once was and I would definately state that he would struggle more now without kobe then kobe would without shaq...especially in the future, that will be more of a fact as shaq gets more old and fat and kobe just continues to mature as a player. If the lakers were smart, they would fill ALL THE NEEDS KOBE WANTS...or we could lose our whole team and be stuck back in the dark mid 90's ages.
I agree with your theory about egos, but Kobe has to remember who butters his bread so to speak. All you need to do is check the numbers: Lakers are 40-10 w/Shaq & w/o Kobe. = 80%. Conversely, the Lakers only win at a 55% clip without Shaq. I can't find the exact number of games, but they've definately played many more games with Kobe and without Shaq than vice/versa. Personally, I think Kobe is being somewhat selfish in this situation. When Magic came into the league it was understood that Cap (Kareem) was the leader of the team, Magic said it repeatedly and would never challenge that fact. Shaq has made the finals without Kobe and he can do it again. Kobe needs to realize that he's only 25 years old and within the next five seasons Shaq will be out of the picture. If he's smart, he'll bide his time, re-sign with the Lakers and wait his turn. By the time Shaq leaves Kobe will be in his prime, he can then assume the role of team leader. If he decides he can't wait that long, oh well. I'm not going to cry for Kobe. I want him here, don't get me wrong. But if he's going to have a me-first, at the expense of the team's progress attitude, then he should go elsewhere.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting OgShowtime:</div><div class="quote_post">When Magic came into the league it was understood that Cap (Kareem) was the leader of the team, Magic said it repeatedly and would never challenge that fact. Shaq has made the finals without Kobe and he can do it again. Kobe needs to realize that he's only 25 years old and within the next five seasons Shaq will be out of the picture. </div> Can you imagine what Magic was thinking throughout his career when Kareem was there..."When is this old guy gunna retire already, geez" While I'm for satisfying Kobe's demands, I think you bring up a good arguement... :thumbsup:
you have a very valid point, but might i add that shaq isnt the same shaq that could single handedly take your team to the finals. He has deteriorated and will soon be in the likes of oblivious. This is the facts, everyone in the league knows that shaq isnt the same, when was the last time shaq scored 40 on a consistent basis? or grabbed over 15 rebounds? or dished out 5 or 6 assists, blocked the ball 4 times, played defense for crying out loud. No to discredit shaq, he was unbelievable in their 3 title runs, but look, the truth is, if shaq had gotten surgery over the summer last season, he would have been healthy, and with the way kobe was playing, which was the best of his career, and shaq being healthy, NO WAY IN HELL THEY WOULD LOSE. but the the laker organization will NEVER point that out, because shaq is the present leader of the team. BUT, dont you think the lakers are thinking about their future? kobe has deferred to shaq in the last 8 years, he is an unbelievable player who could do unbelievable things if given the chance too....the organization needs to understand that kobe is FUTURE, think about the future, shaq is not the future, shaq claims he will leave when phil leaves...so regardless, they need atleast one of these guys to stay, and who better then the leagues most pop player as opposed to a ONCE dominant big man
just a lil advice to the new guy...you make some good points, just try to write in paragraphs, its easier to read...
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting notMuchgame:</div><div class="quote_post">just a lil advice to the new guy...you make some good points, just try to write in paragraphs, its easier to read...</div> lol sorry, ill remember that for next time
I agree with you to some extent Krazygreen, but you have to realize that Kobe is not going to succeed without a big man like Shaq. If he went to the Clippers or Spurs he would probably win because of Elton Brand and Tim Duncan. But if he thinks he can win without a dominant force on the inside he's going to end up just like T-Mac, a great player on a bad team being forced to do it all by himself. In addition, Shaq is not going to fade into oblivion, I think that's a little overly dramatic. Shaq is obviously not the player he was five years ago, but he's still a dominant force in this league. As for his numbers being slightly diminished, he's third in the league in rebounding and still putting up 21 ppg. The Lakers also have added two future hall of famers who have a combined average of 31 ppg this season, of course Shaq's scoring is going to be down slightly. Look, the guy is still only 32 years old, don't throw dirt on him just yet. Shaq is not going to end up like Olajuwon or Ewing, hobbling up and down the court for a handful of minutes just because he can't face the fact that his career is over. He'll continue to put up 20 + and 10 + every game, which will continue to be comparable to the top centers in the league. I don't always agree with his comments and sometimes I wish he would just shut up and play, but the fact is Shaq is the man. He's the hub in the Laker wheel, and if he goes, so do the Lakers (and Kobe's) chances of winning another championship any time soon.
