Over the last week and a half, my television has been bombarded with stories on Kobe Bryant. Each one espoused the terrific qualities he exhibited with regards to leadership, athletics, and values.
Pardon me for being the proverbial turd in the punch bowl on this one. I agree that Bryant is an amazingly talented player with scoring ability paralleled only by LeBron James in today’s game. But the idea that he is a leader of men on this team is laughable. And those that can give solid reasons as to how he exhibits positive values in his personal life should be viewed skeptically.
We all know Bryant’s resume on the court. He can score at will and takes games over when he is needed. He is an All-NBA first team offensive player and has been named to the All-NBA defensive team as well.
Watching the manner in which Phil Jackson has used him against the Celtics, I would also contend that he is one of the better help defenders in the league. Despite the impact that Kevin Garnett had on the Celtics, they were still, arguably, a playoff team with only Paul Pierce and Ray Allen.
The Lakers without Kobe would be the Clippers. His supporting cast has been awful. Lamar Odom has provided some value, but Bryant is the show. As he goes, so goes his team. Bryant is in my top-20 players of all-time and he is worth the price of admission to any game.
You just never know what you could see out of him. He has that potential to drop 50 or 60 points on any given night against any team in the league. Not one person can argue these points.
My problem comes in the other two pieces that ABC and ESPN are flashing on the screen at the audience at every chance. Every puff-piece brags about how Bryant is “one of the guys” and how he is an amazing leader on the court and in the locker room.
I do not see it. I see a guy that glares at his teammates when they miss a pass. I see a guy that stares people down when he does not touch the ball on a possession, regardless of whether or not the Lakers score.
Curt Schilling wrote in his blog that Bryant spent the better part of his time on the court yelling at and berating his teammates. Schilling’s right. You can see it in every single expression on Bryant’s face.
Bryant is in great spirits when things are going well, but takes no responsibility when the going gets tough. Rather than rally the troops, he makes sure they know that it is not his doing that the team is behind.
Stepping back further, do leaders ask for trades or threaten to skip training camp? Do leaders have their coaches write books that destroy their image? More recently, do leaders walk off the floor three seconds prior to the end of a game (game four of the finals)?
More egregious, though, are the continued reminders of Bryant’s family values. Time to examine this one. Bryant was accused of rape in Colorado. I stress, he was accused and not found guilty. The settlement was out of court and there was no admission on either side as a result of it. That said, in a best-case scenario, Bryant cheated on his wife if for nothing else than because he could.
I do not know of many people who have committed adultery that we call great family men or that we espouse their virtues. We certainly have not for Roger Clemens.
Additionally, whether or not he was joking, his comments following game four stated that he would drown his sorrows in “shots, maybe about 20 of ‘em.” Certainly, these are not the comments of a role model.
Kobe Bryant is a fantastic basketball player. He is one of the greatest the game has ever seen. But, when it comes to leadership, Bryant is not what he is being portrayed to be.
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3 months ago
Nice article. It is an interesting look into someone who is a great talent, but not a good person.
That always fascinates me that someone can be the best in the world at something like basketball, but just have no idea what it means to be a productive, normal member of society.
3 months ago
Man, I get so sick of people crapping on Kobe by saying that he's not a 'good human being' like they were Ghandi or somebody! Kobe is no different than the majority of America. How many people do we know that have cheated on their spouse, driven over the speed limit after leaving the bar or a arena, mouthed off at somebody at work? Talked junk about their boss? The problem with professional athletes is that their every move is scrutinized by the media and put on display for the world to see. Most of us don't have to endure that fishbowl life.
As for Kobe not being a good leader...when he decked Steve Kerr (six inches shorter and 40 lbs lighter) in his grill at practice?...when he told management to get rid of Doug Collins or get rid of him?...when he threatened to retire if the Bulls didn't resign Pippen and Jackson? (Oh yes and he delivered on that threat)...spent the night gambling at a casino during the playoffs...cheated on his wife (yes, documented in his wife divorce papers).
Kobe is not running for President of the U.S. he's trying to win basketball games. All this hate that's directed at him for his personality is simply 'haterade' disguised as self righteousness.
The fearless leader of the free world, George W. Bush, abused cocaine, finished with a 'C' average in college and used his daddy's clout to dodge going to war. But I guess he's considered a productive, normal member of society.
Puh-lease, give it a rest haters.
from 3 months ago
Jordan NEVER walked away from a game early, three seconds or not. Jordan NEVER threw teammates under the bus the way Kobe has. Jordan cheated, but was never accused of rape. Jordan gambled, then dropped 40. Jordan grandstanded as far as forcing those players to be re-signed or coaches to get fired (He was right), but it was NEVER because he didn't like being a sidekick. Kobe got rid of Shaq to prove a point, and he so far has failed. Last I checked, Shaq got a ring without Kobe, not the other way around. To paraphrase Lloyd Bentsen, "I watched Michael Jordan, I envied Michael Jordan, and Kobe Bryant is no Michael Jordan."
This isn't "haterade." This is a guy who rips his teammates publicly, sulks when things aren't going his way, and is being given a pass with every media piece that has been put out during these finals. It's insulting. And, I'd argue, he got lucky not having to face New Orleans in the conference finals. They can't defend Boston's pick and roll and Chris Paul runs it better.
You're right, we don't live in that fishbowl. But, as I said below, we aren't the face of a franchise.
from 3 months ago
I should hope that Kobe isn't like most people in America, we'd be in a lot of trouble if we were.
Kobe's alleged criminal activities aside, he isn't a good person. You can tell from the way his teammates react to him.
I don't see D-Wade or Kevin Durant pulling the kind of crap Kobe has, calling out teammates in public, and just berating them in the middle of a finals game.
Don't forget, Phil Jackson, the Zen master, coached both Jordan and Bryant, but guess which one he called uncoachable?
As far as your Jordan comparisons, Jordan doesn't sound like the best teammate either. But when you win as much as he does, people tend to gloss over that.
Believe me, if Jordan were playing in today's saturated media, we would all know why he retired suddenly, and his marital infidelitied and gambling would be front page news.
If I have a problem at work, I don't call out my co-workers on a public venue, I don't sit there and stare daggers at them, you deal with it like a man, and try and do whats best for your team (or office).
It sounds like you've been brainwashed with Kobe's PR more than anyone else I know. How many times can people look the other way just because they show him kissing his daughters on TV?
3 months ago
Man, I get so sick of people crapping on Kobe by saying that he's not a 'good human being' like they were Ghandi or somebody! Kobe is no different than the majority of America. How many people do we know that have cheated on their spouse, driven over the speed limit after leaving the bar or a arena, mouthed off at somebody at work? Talked junk about their boss? The problem with professional athletes is that their every move is scrutinized by the media and put on display for the world to see. Most of us don't have to endure that fishbowl life.
As for Kobe not being a good leader..Was Jordan a good leader when...when he decked Steve Kerr (six inches shorter and 40 lbs lighter) in his grill at practice?...when he told management to get rid of Doug Collins or get rid of him?...when he threatened to retire if the Bulls didn't resign Pippen and Jackson? (Oh yes and he delivered on that threat)...spent the night gambling at a casino during the playoffs...cheated on his wife (yes, documented in his wife divorce papers).
Kobe is not running for President of the U.S. he's trying to win basketball games. All this hate that's directed at him for his personality is simply 'haterade' disguised as self righteousness.
The fearless leader of the free world, George W. Bush, abused cocaine, finished with a 'C' average in college and used his daddy's clout to dodge going to war. But I guess he's considered a productive, normal member of society.
Puh-lease, give it a rest haters.
from 3 months ago
No Curly you didn't!!! Now I've got Kobe associated with GW in my head and that guys an arch-criminal (in my opinion). HaHa!!
I kind of land in the middle on this one. Let's put the Colorado thing to rest Okay? The girl had four different men's sperm in her panties for cripes sake. It wasn't rape, it was adultery, something that 1/3 of all men and 1/4 of all women admit to having over the course of a marraige. And these aren't sports superstars that are constintly on the road and having gorgeous young women throw themselves at them. I'm not saying I would have done it (as I believe fiercly in marital vows) but at some time MOST people would have.
I think we all agree that he's the best individual player in the game. Enough said.
As for Kobe's leadership, I've got to say that I've never been super impressed. No doubt to be Michael you have to be alpha like Michael, and that kind of dude is going to get on his teammates (and his management) from time to time. But Jordan's decision-making was better than Kobe's when it came to application of his alphadom. Doug Collins NEEDED to be fired (he was terrible). Jackson and Pippen NEEDED to stay, whereas Kobe seems unable to really evaluate the talents of his own teammates and tends to vent his frustrations directly to the media, before he even tries to tackle the problem personally. Jordan kept most of his affairs behind closed doors. For the most part, Jordan made it work with his teammates and wasn't affraid to trust them at crucial times because he understood THEIR skills as well as his own. I just don't think that Kobe has ever had that sophisticated an understanding of anybody else he's played with...other than himself.
I'm not a hater Curly. I've got a WHOLE lot of respect for the things he's done and the people he's proved wrong along the way. He is obviously an all-time elite player and a great success in life. He's a family man and his marriage seems sound. I just don't see him as an elite leader. Maybe one day he'll prove me wrong.
3 months ago
This article is about what Kobe is portrayed to be by the media. You gotta admit, the media is putting just as much work into repairing his image as Kobe is. That's precisely the problem.
Yes, every move they make is scrutinized by the media and put on display. But it's clear that the media and Kobe are trying to sway our perception. For every "Kobe blasting his teammates" scene we see, we are fed a "Kobe embracing his family" moment, as if we are going to forget that he's always been a world-class a-hole.
I find it hard to believe that anything has changed since Phil Jackson wrote his tell-all book depicting Kobe's "behind closed doors" side. Was anything in the book complete fiction and contested by anyone other than Kobe?
Maybe that's fine. Maybe he doesn't have to be this squeaky clean figure that we all expect. But the constant effort to fool us into thinking he's changed is the most condescending aspect of the NBA Finals thus far. Seeing Bryant all lovey dovey with his wife is more awkward than a Luke and Bill Walton Father's Day interview.
from 3 months ago
Thanks, this is exactly the point that I was trying to get across.
3 months ago
Curly, I couldn't have said it any better. I don't care if he cheated on his wife, got drunk, or whatever. I just don't care. He's a basketball player and his personal life does not include that basketball realm, or does it now? Plus you certainly do not have the right to assess his values towards HIS family. "Bryant is in great spirits when things are going well, but takes no responsibility when the going gets tough." I totally disagree on that comment, this year though. I agree with you all the other years his been around, he ain't a good leader at all, but this year he has grown into one. When the lakers faced that shocking defeat in game four, he kept his calm, to the media, to his coach, and most importantly in front of the younger supporting cast. He was surely mad, he may have yelled, but like Curly said, HE'S A HUMAN BEING, you're treating him like he's a sacred prophet or god...he's not! Understand that please!
from 3 months ago
The point of this article was assessing what we are being fed prior, and during, every game of the NBA Finals. Have you read or seen one piece by ESPN or ABC on the manner in which Kobe has been looked at negatively by his teammates? He ripped Pau Gasol for missing a pass, has given Jordan Farmar and Sasha Vujacic the look of death for turnovers or missed passes, and has openly yelled at teammates at every turn when things have gone poorly.
But instead of hearing how these actions have put L.A. in a 3-2 hole (in a series you can argue they should or could have lost all five games), we're fed puff pieces about how great he is and image repair. I'm not assessing the values toward his family, I'm saying we're being told it has nothing to do with his image. And as far as my comment regarding what he does when the going gets tough, remind me what happened prior to this season and through November of this year. I'm pretty sure he asked for a trade in the media, rescinded it publicly but not privately, threatened to miss training camp, and called his teammates, virtually, trash. This is a leader?
And I didn't see any reaction about his walking off the court early. The Sportscenter world KILLED Randy Moss for doing this in a divisional playoff game. Kobe got a pass.
We all get angry with our bosses, but are well expected to be the leader and face of a franchise? As far as Bush, I'm not a fan of nepotism or winning elections by default, either. But that's another forum and another day.
from 3 months ago
Okay. This is the normal act for a leader, tryin to motivate them to do better. Have they complained? I didn't really anything about that, and I think they're not afraid too either. Of course he's great, because he's the only player compared to MJ. He has the right to say I want to be traded after being teammates with Kawme Brown and Smush Parker! They were horrible. Like I said, he has committed and said some crazy stuff, but this year it's all changing, he's grown as the team leader. What I stressed on was that all these years of "attempting to be a leader" have vanished, and this year starts it off. The media has every right to positively portray the best basketball player on the globe...you can't deny that.
3 months ago
Kobe is a great basketball player. We know of nothing he has done to hurt people. None of us are in postion to judge his realtionship with his family. He didn't hit his wife or rape anyone as far as we know. People need to get over their need to tear down and build up sports figures. He is great basketball player plan and simple. Is he better then Jordan? Of course not but not everyone saw Micheal, he is damn good, and some people just aren't very smart. Thats it
from 3 months ago
I'm not disputing his basketball skill. I'm disputing his leadership ability and the fact that around every corner of the Finals we've been told how amazing he is. Leaders don't walk off the court early. AGAIN, the world KILLED Randy Moss for this in a playoff game, but it's ok for Kobe?
from 3 months ago
you don't need to be FDR to be a leader on a basketball court and if the wolrd wants to build him up or tear him down b/c they think irrelevent factors have an impact on his court leadership it doesn't matter. Being your best when the lights go on and working hard as hell to get there are what matters. Kobe has had a heck of playoff run and has done so largely within the scope of the Lakers normal offensive- he has been a leader.
The media over reporting him giving out some watches and you responding by bringing his moral character and class into question are the same thing. The bottom line is the Celtic much like the Spurs are flat zoning the paint, the Lakers don't have the range shooters to stop them, and Kobe has had troulbe shooting over the top or keeping his dribble alive amougst the congestion. Its about basketball.
from 3 months ago
Isiah Thomas lead his whole team off the court. He was an a-hole for doing it and seems to be one in general but he was also a great leader of players. It terms of basketball it doesn't matter.
from 3 months ago
We'll have to agree to disagree on this one.
I don't think my bringing into question his ability to lead a team through more than his scoring ability is a problem. No more so than ABC and ESPN seemingly doing everything to avoid talking about anything negative regarding Bryant's on-court personality. You can take issue with bringing up his case in Colorado, and I respect that, but you can't deny that the manner in which he seems to attack teammates for missing passes or not giving him the ball is undeniably awful. I think the way he treats his teammates DOES impact his ability to lead on a court. There are great players that shut their mouths and just do their job. Tim Duncan is that kind of guy. Bryant doesn't do that - he mouths off. And, if Phil Jackson's book is even 50% correct, he is NO leader. Period.
And do we really want to compare Bryant taking his team off the court to the job Zeke has done in everything since he stopped playing?
As far as the Celtics zone, watch how many Lakers are clogging the paint and how many times they get called for defensive three seconds. Not that the Celts have been called for it either, just making the point.
from 3 months ago
The idea that Kobe only leads through scoring is preposterous. He leads through effort, will, preparation, defensive, example, work ethic, and imtimidation. Your making the guy sound like Vince Carter. Kobe is no Vince Carter.
As for Kobe's attitude: Guys not named Kobe get their touches on THIS laker team and have the opportunity to make plays. Thats all that matters. If Kobe kept them from getting there touches and then hauled off on them for taking and missing good shots or making a mistake after he'd denied them the ball over and over it would be a different story. That hasn't happen on this Laker team. You can dislike Kobe b/c he mouths off. You may find it annoying but in relation to basketball its irrelevent so long as he is willing to share the ball, stay with a gameplan, and look for his teammates. In these playoffs he's done pretty damn good job of that. Micheal mouthed off. So did Larry. Timmy doesn't- he whines. Anyway, its irrevelent in all cases. As for Zek I'm a Knick fan and have hated the guy pretty much from the start but he was a great basketball player and a great team leader as a player. He's failures since then and the fact that he seems to be a scumbag are once again irrevelent to those facts. Is Kobe the basketball player or on court leader any different for leaving? No. He may hurt his rep but thats it.
Basketball is a sport and sports should alway be judge based on weather or not you and your team reached their potential. Did you ever ask that question when writing about Kobe leadership this year? Its the only one that matters. The Lakers won the 1 seed in the West behide Kobe's leadership despite very significant injury issues and not being the most talent team to begin with IMO. They then smoked their Western Conf foes again despite not being the most talented team IMO. They now find themselve in a game 6 of the NBA finals. This is all behide Kobe leadership. He had to do alot more then just put it in the hole to lead this team this far. Now you can say that a lot of people picked his Lakers in these finals and it doesn't look like they are going to take it and thats true but I still think he had pretty damn good year as an on court leader and as a ball player.
from 3 months ago
Vince Carter? Not once have I questioned Bryant's ability. I never have implied that he tanked a season the way Vince Carter did. I'm questioning the way he "leads" a franchise. Yes, the Lakers were the number one seed. They earned that, but not until Gasol was added. I'd argue, again, that they lucked out not having to face New Orleans. But they won the games on their schedule, which is all you can ask. Bryant's on-court performance was largely the reason. But performance and leadership are very different things. You can be a superstar and not really a leader of your team. And you can be a leader without being a superstar.
His leadership this year. Ok. He was ready to quit on this team through November. Publicly angled for a trade (Yes, I know a LOT of players do this), has thrown teammates under the bus, and walked away from his teammates in the Finals. He berates them in plain vision of the camera and carries himself like he never does anything wrong on the court. Kobe the leader IS hurt by leaving the court. His on-court skill isn't diminished, but the view of him as a leader of the team should, and does, change. The Captain goes down with the ship, he doesn't escape on an early life boat.
from 3 months ago
I used Vince Carter as an example of a guy that leads only with scoring. Its never got him far and won't. Kobe does more then score. That said I agree with more things in your last post then any of the others.
I've never been a fan of guys demanding trades and throwing there teammates under the bus publicly. I do think Kobe had more reason to then most guys that do it. When he resigned he was told the Laker would try to get better now. Kobe reasonable felt they weren't totally honest with him. He also found out that the franchise prepetuated the rumor that he pushed Shaq's out the door through planned "leaks". Kobe felt that he had taken a lot of heat for that one without bringing management down with him and he probably could have. The fact that they used him put him over the edge. What he did was still wrong on all counts and not a respectable way to behave.
As for him being hard on his teammates and acting like he cant do anything wrong that BS. Kobe is hard and angry with himself everytime he makes a mistake. He's a pretty angry guy out there and I'm sure it does take some backbone to play with him but in a LONG season thats not all bad in anyway. I get your point about leaving early but really don't think it will effect the team or his place on the team. I said it will only (or mainly- i'll concide alittle) effect his rep. Well thats an important thing as a man too. Kobe should have had the class to wait it out.
I still he's think been a good leader this year. So we can disagree on that. The Shaq/Kobe Lakers could get 57 wins on talent alone. This team ran a beatiful offensive based on ball movement. Kobe was a big part of that. He was also the guy they turned to to when it broke down and up until now he had always steped up in those moments. He acted like a leader on both within the triangle and when it broke down. Leadership is about action and responsibility not image. Kobe had a lot of responsibility in his group and he usally took the action enchanced the groups chances to suceed. Thats leaderhip to me.
3 months ago
you make some excellent points
3 months ago
Kobe will never be Michael Jordan and personally, I do not think he wants to be compared to him. Kobe Bryant is the best player in the game, today...BAR NONE, but he has to realize basketball is a team game. Quite frankly, Mr. MVP has to be accountable for the Lakers' struggles against the Celtics. Should he be as accountable as Odom or Gasol? I would not say so, but his disappearing acts at random parts of the Finals are not exactly encouraging for his championship aspirations either....
3 months ago
I agree that the media takes it easy on Bryant. The weird thing is that if a player is popular, the worse people they are, it seems the more the media tries to sell them too us. Take Kobe, as you said. he is a weirdo and a jerk at best. But the media seems to spend half of their time writing about what a jerk he is and then half of the time trying to convince us he isn't a jerk.
I remember a couple years ago Dirk was trying to be a leader and he ripped into his players like Kobe did.. just once.. the media ripped him apart. And Dirk is a great guy by all accounts. But with Kobe now they totally ignore how he rips his teamamtes all game long. I guess because he's suppsoedly so good he can get away with it. It makes no sense to me. I don't even believe Kobe is that good when you take the superstar officiating away. So IMO the officials are trying to hype Kobe and so is the media.
3 months ago
Who are you to call out someone for not being a good human being. Are you perfect?
Kobe takes a lot of heat and deserves some of it. Earlier in his basketball career he was a selfish player with a bad attitude at times. That's when Phil wrote the book about him.
However, Phil wouldn't be the coach of the Lakers if he taught Bryant was uncoachable now. He's grown up. Which is evident by his play. He is more of a team players who is focused on winning and isn't all about stats, even though he still puts up good numbers. Anyone who has watched the NBA can tell he's changed.
Regarding the rape, anyone with a brain could tell from the facts that he didn't rape her. The women who accussed him decided not to participate in the trial. She dropped the criminal case because she knew he didn't do it. However, she continued with the civil case because unlike the criminal case she could recieve MONEY from Bryant. So she didn't want to put him in jail but she would gladly take his money. It was also said that she slept with another man after bryant and before she went to the police.
Also, he obvioulsy had to work on his marriage after that and give him some credit for not just getting a divorce.
He handled the whole trade me thing wrong but he admitted that too. How can you say he's not a good teamate. Just because he yells at teamates doesn't make him a bad teamate. Did you watch Kevin Durant at Texas. He yelled at teamates and i even remember him softly slapping a senior on the back of the head after he make a mental mistake in a big game. Jordan yelled at teamates too.
Jordan also cheated on his wife and has been divorced twice. He is also a gambler who did it while he was playing. Also, im sure he yelled at his teamates and gave a bad stare once in a while
from 3 months ago
Wow, where to begin...
I never claimed to be perfect. I'm tired of everyone in the media portraying Bryant as a perfect human being. We haven't heard one negative piece about the guy. Last year, he was a pariah. This year, he's the messiah. I don't buy it. I don't think leadership is the manner in which Bryant handles or conducts himself.
As I've stated in nearly every reply, leaders don't walk off the court before a game ends. Leaders don't throw teammates under the bus. Leaders don't demand a trade. Leaders don't tear apart teammates in plain view of cameras (like what he did with Pau Gasol after he missed a pass in game five). Leaders aren't called uncoachable and leaders don't have books like Jackson's written about them. I find it hard to believe that all that was true no more than two years ago and isn't true now.
I said Bryant was accused of rape. At BEST he's an adulterer. I don't believe we should envy people for that. And yes, that's me projecting my, and society's, values on him. Bryant's comments regarding binge drinking following game two are a poor reflection on a guy who is supposed to be the face of a franchise. Not one person in the media has torn him apart for these comments.
ABC and ESPN are doing everything they can to help repair a BROKEN image. I don't find how Bryant conducts himself on or off the court to be a definition of leadership. He's a FANTASTIC basketball player. But there are great people in every profession who aren't leaders. And there are people who perform more poorly that exhibit amazing leadership qualities.
3 months ago
kobe is a leader he led a young lakers squad to western confrence championship [ Very diffcult task]
but not with just his skills but his verbal commitemnt to help his young teammates and being more of teammate than ever before.
from 3 months ago
From TJ Simers in the LA Times today:
"Disagree, if you like, but much of it is Bryant's fault, his teammates and even his coach never quite knowing which Bryant they are going to get from quarter to quarter -- sometimes the facilitator, sometimes the scorer.
He can talk all he wants about being a leader and working better with his teammates, but he still lives in his own world..."
The first guy in the media to say anything like this in a month.
3 months ago
I agree. Kobe is not a leader at all. I have never seen Kobe Bryant being supported this much by the media before. The media he is saying he is a family man. He is NOT a family man if he cheated on his wife and is accused of rape. They also say he is as good or better than Michael Jordan. That is wrong. Michael Jordan was one of the best basketball players ever. I am not saying Bryant is a bad player, I am just saying that his skill wasnt as good as Jordans. The media goes in a cycle. They first trash on the big star with crimes he has done recently or in the past. The media lets go of him for a little then when his team is on the rise again they start bringing up "great" things about that star. The media just wants us to turn this player into the most liked or greatest player ever. The most recent example of this was when Kobe was going into the locker room at half-time. His wife and child are right there waiting for him. You cant tell me that was not set-up. The media is doing everything in there power to bring Kobe back up. The fact is he is not a leader nor a family man. So if you say yelling at your team mates when they aren't doing well is good leadership and cheating on your wife is a symbol of a good family man then you might trust the media a little too much.
3 months ago
Finally! And now the MJ-Kobe comparisons can be put to rest, there is no second MJ. However, as I have commented somewhere else, I do feel bad for Kobe. Sure, I fully believe Kobe started this whole "Kobe is the greatest" debate when he openly copied and challenged Jordan. His arrogance got the best of him. But he was a young kid at the time. Now, at the age of 30, it seems like he truly does want to forge his own path while trying to become the best. If you look at it in that sense, you truly cannot fault him. Get annoyed like hell by him, yes. But everybody copied and wanted to be like Jordan when they were younger, it is just that some, like Kobe, had half decent skills to fool some people into buying it. And as he got older, I feel Kobe suddenly realized how childish he looked trying to cling onto a childhood dream at the age of 30, and felt that it was time to place his name as the greatest in his own way. Sure, he may never live up to his aspirations, but again, who can fault him for trying. Everybody wants to be remembered as the best. The only thing I will say about him is that his ego causes him to make very wrong decisions, such as throwing his team under the bus. But I really do feel that we should stop debating about him now. We should stop talking about his affair. We should stop talking about how great he is. We should stop saying he is the next Jordan. He is the product of what we say he is. Even if he started this, I think we feed his ego and his drive to be "better than Jordan" by constantly saying he is or is not. We give him something to work for or against, only making it that much more painful for both sides of the debate to watch.
3 months ago
Oh yeah, I forgot, but the reason why I feel bad for him is because he has been placed under a microscope ever since he was a young kid. To have that burden for 12 years must be driving him insane by now. On one hand he is arrogant and has an ego case. However, he is human and, well, as another human being, I can only feel bad for someone under that much pressure to be something he is not.
3 months ago
Ok Boston Fanatic, i understand why you don't like Kobe, and by your name its obvious. You said the media flips flops because they trashed him when he commited a crime and then say how great he is now.
Well obvioulsy the media or anyone else for that matter isn't going to praise a guy when he is being accussed of rape. When he messed up people will ridicule him and when he does something good people will praise him. That is just common sense. Also, anyone with a brain could look at the facts and the whole situation and know that he didn't rape her. All she wanted was money and im not even a Kobe fan.
I agree, having an affair is not being a family man. However, it doesn't mean he can't change his life around and become a devoted husband and father. Give the man some credit (and his wife) for not getting a divorce (like 50% of this country does) and working through it. And as far as any of us know he is a very good father.
Have you ever played sports? Yelling at your teamates happens all the time? Where have you been? I've seen Jordan do it, Kobe does it, Garnett does it (especiallly with Timberwolves), I say Durant do it at Texas. If you are the most talented player of the team (not to mention the hardest worker) you have a right to yell at teamates. Hell, Lindsey Hunter called out Rasheed Wallace in the Conference finals. That is a prime example of being a leader. Who yells the most in any sport? The coach does and he is paid to be a leader. Tom (i never do anything wrong) Brady yells at teamates and so does Peyton Manning.
Are you so sensitive that you can't take being yelled at? Not to mention he is playing with a bunch of guys who have never been to the final (other than fisher).
Regarding MJ, its true he isn't on MJ level but he is the closest thing we've seen since him. I will say one thing though, he is a better shooter than MJ and i've heard a lot of analyst say the same thing.
Give him some credit for growing up though. Just a few years ago he was a ball hog taking 30 to 40 shots a game. Now he has realized he can't do that and has involved his teamates more and played team basketball.
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