I don't know if any of you caught that interview on Foxsports a few minutes ago, but it really does sound like this was all blown up from some bs. Phil Jackson asked Kobe to get the players involved and distribute the ball, and that IS what he did. He was not claimed to be a selfish player by teammtes, and like I've been saying for days there is no proof of this. that unidentified player comment I posted earlier, as I said earlier might be BS. Kobe asked all of his teammates face to face if anyone had said this or anything like it, and no one stepped forward. This seems like it's just another blown up story by the media, that really is screwing things up.
Whether or not Phil asked him to "share" the ball or told him he was being selfish, Kobe still went out there with the intent of proving a point, "If I don't shoot, we won't win." Sure he can distribute the ball but that doesn't mean taking one shot in the first half, especially when your team down by 20 at the half. A true great player knows when to turn it on and when to be passive.
Everyone blames Kobe if he takes too many shots, and they still blame him if he passes too much. Actually there has been much more criticism when he passes than shoots, so shoot away Kobe! It's not easy to go from a big time scorer to a distributer by game, just because the coach feels like you should. Phil asks him to do too many roles IMO, how many superstar big scorers are asked to do something different every other game?
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Seven months into a joyless ride, the Lakers still don't understand Kobe Bryant, no longer trust him, and are nervously twitching with the realization that their championship hopes rest on him. Bryant was on the court, but he wasn't, in a 102-85 loss to the Kings that probably robbed the Lakers of home-court advantage after the first playoff round. In a game the Lakers desperately needed to win, they instead wondered if they had lost their young star forever, Bryant's finally being swallowed whole by his voracious ego. In the most vacant 42 minutes of his career, Bryant didn't shoot, didn't penetrate, didn't create ? Didn't care? That's what it looked like. Although nobody in the organization will say it publicly, it appeared Bryant, hurt by recent comments about his selfishness, was tanking the game to prove that the Lakers cannot win without him.</div> Full Story (Worth the read) <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">I think he could of taken more shots in the game, but I dont think he was trying to prove a point</div> From what I saw, it looked like he was trying to prove a point. He only had one field goal attempt by halftime, which is out of character.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Q Rich3:</div><div class="quote_post">I think he could of taken more shots in the game, but I dont think he was trying to prove a point</div>But taking one shot in the half is pretty amazing. All I am saying is that you could see that he wasn't even attempting to try and score. If he wasn't trying to prove a point than maybe he just doesn't know when to take over a game and I just give him too much credit.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Phreeze:</div><div class="quote_post">Everyone blames Kobe if he takes too many shots, and they still blame him if he passes too much. Actually there has been much more criticism when he passes than shoots, so shoot away Kobe! It's not easy to go from a big time scorer to a distributer by game, just because the coach feels like you should. Phil asks him to do too many roles IMO, how many superstar big scorers are asked to do something different every other game?</div> And there is obviously not any middle ground, right? You either take 35 shots or none at all?
Thius wasn't blown out of proportion at all. The main thing is, all Laker fans know and freakin' realize that Kobe Bryant never takes one single shot in the first half of a game. I don't care whether they throw the entire defense on the guy. He will find a way to collapse defenses and still find a way to beat you when it counts. This has already been beaten like a dead horse, but fans here really have to understand Kobe was selfish, and he single-handedly prevented us from taking the #2 seed. People may say it was a team efort by the loss at Sacramento, but Kobe's statistics really stood out from everybody elses.
Kobe is being wrongly blamed for his performence in the game he had a great defender in doug christie on him and was constintly being double teamed by chris webber that was always leaving an open man weather it had been rush or fisher and they did not make the shots if they had been making shots it would have openned up oppurtunities for kobe because the kings would have realised that if they double teamed kobe some one else was gona hit the open shot but that didnt happen in my opinion kobe needs to prove nothing because although he was shooting many shots other games the lakers where winning but since he has stopped shooting as much the lakers have gone 2-3 in there last 5 games after an 11 game win streak
Geeeee,the bottom line is Kobe would of shot the ball ,the reason why he didnt is understandable,maybe because of Phil or whatever.BUT IT IS definatley not because he couldnt because of Christie,that is the biggest BS ever.The point that is proven wheater he wanted to prove it or not is that if he doesnt score Lakers are going no where.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Laker_Fever_834:</div><div class="quote_post">Thius wasn't blown out of proportion at all. The main thing is, all Laker fans know and freakin' realize that Kobe Bryant never takes one single shot in the first half of a game. I don't care whether they throw the entire defense on the guy. He will find a way to collapse defenses and still find a way to beat you when it counts. This has already been beaten like a dead horse, but fans here really have to understand Kobe was selfish, and he single-handedly prevented us from taking the #2 seed. People may say it was a team efort by the loss at Sacramento, but Kobe's statistics really stood out from everybody elses.</div> Actually in many games this year and last we've seen Kobe start off games passing the ball and not even shoot it in the 1st quarter. I thought it was going to be that kind of night again, since that was what Phil had asked him. Although it was obvious that he wasn't trying his hardest to get shots off, the double really was pretty tough because they were doing a real good job of running big guys at him, sometimes it was even a tripple team. With big guys like Chris Webber and Paja along with Christie are on you, it is tough to get going that late. In all, I know he wasn't trying everything he could do to get shots off, but he does have those "don't shoot in the first quarter" kind of things more often than anyone seems to realize. Seems like when Phil asks him to be a "facilitator" before the game he never shoots in the 1st.
