Just Kobe being Kobe - Part II

[Joe Public]

I feel it's only fair to update this in its own thread because Kobe was just on sports radio in L.A. (am 570, they say they'll have a podcast up of the whole thing soon), and it's hard for me to say I don't have more respect for Kobe than I did a day ago.

Kobe was on and, though he started off by sort of throwing the team under the bus, he gradually turned and he was incredibly honest. Now, it's his side of the story, but according to him the front office there is "a mess," a fact which is backed up by the way the front office personnel have been going on the radio in the past couple of days sniping at each other.

He also said that the organization told him one thing to get him signed then told Phil Jackson a completely different thing so he would leave and they could save money.

He also said that for the past few years he's been fielding phone calls from the likes of Baron Davis, Carlos Boozer, and others who've wanted to come to L.A., only to turn to the G.M. and get nothing but a steady stream of excuses as to why the Lakers aren't persuing them.

It came off like a shockingly candid interview. At this point, after hearing it and hearing Kobe wonder openly if he can even trust the Lakers any more, I may be a huge sucker, but I now really think Kobe might not be back with the Lakers next year.

 

[B.A.R.]

hmmmmmm

 

[Gorgolon Lives]

Sounds like a similar breakdown Iverson had. I don't totally knock these "stars" for not wanting to stay with a stupid organization.

I see them getting Jermaine O'Neal. And I see that move not working out b/c of his injuries. But they better do SOMETHING this season. Carter, Kidd, O'Neal, KG are just a few names of superstars that are available. One thing is for sure, they will NEED to get rid of Bynum in any deal.

 

[Joe Public]

I was really surprised at how genuine he sounded. He started off sounding like typical Kobe, but eventually he just seemed genuinely hurt that, in his view, the organization is hanging him out to dry.

He feels like he carried the weight on being blamed for Shaq the first time, and now people inside the organization are trying to sell him out again--when it was the very people inside the organization who specifically told him that what they were going to do with Shaq would have nothing to do with how they tried to sign him.

He also said that today was the first time he'd ever spoken to Phil Jackson about the way Jackson left the team--and he seemed pissed that Jackson said he was told by the team that they were going young and getting under the cap with a long-term plan whereas they never mentioned any of that to Kobe and instead expressly told him they were going to try to rebuild immediately after Shaq left, not on some long-term plan.

They asked him if this was something that could be repaired, totally giving Kobe an out, and he didn't take it. Twice. Both times he said he didn't know because now he has "trust issues" with the team.

 

[Gorgolon Lives]

He probably got high and finally found THE TRUTH.

 

[Sammy Meatballs]

Believe how ya doing today Bud?

 

[Gorgolon Lives]

Believe how ya doing today Bud?

Whats up? Better. :cheers:

 

[Sammy Meatballs]

A little less than one month and let the Pig Skin betting begin, its the start of the CFL season, which has been absolute money for years.

 

[Gorgolon Lives]

Im waiting for NFL. Im deciding if I should put the effort into it this season.

 

[Sammy Meatballs]

There's only 8 teams in the CFl so what happens is there is no parity there is teams that are much better than others. Vegas sets soft lines on the games, because they don't take into consideration injuries to Qb's and players. There is little depth so an injury to a QB means a team is in big trouble becuase the CFL is a passing league.

 

[Joe Public]

He may have, B. (and I'm glad to hear you're doing better today, hope your ankle's healing).

Thing is, for some reason what your post made me think of was I wonder what Kobe's publicist thought of this interview.

Maybe I'm a cynic, but I think of these things, and I think one reason I felt this thing was genuine is because it didn't sound like it was run by anybody first. I don't think his publicist or his people saw this coming.

And, were I his publicist, I would have at first lost my s**t. But the truth is, it was a great interview for the guy. He alternated back and forth between the team and talking about his kids (one of the hosts of the show also has little girls), so it ended up being a very humanizing kind of thing.

That's always been his problem (as it was Jordan's before him), that he comes off as less a person than a thing, be it a marketing campaign or this poster child for what the league says it is, or whatever. But you listened to this interview and he just seemed like a frustrated almost regular guy.

 

[Gorgolon Lives]

There's only 8 teams in the CFl so what happens is there is no parity there is teams that are much better than others. Vegas sets soft lines on the games, because they don't take into consideration injuries to Qb's and players. There is little depth so an injury to a QB means a team is in big trouble becuase the CFL is a passing league.

I dont have the motivation to learn an entirely new league. Thats why I bailed out of reading up on WNBA. I've been following NBA and NFL so long now. I can run off team rosters like nothing. It's just a matter of adjusting to coaches and free agent moves.

 

[Gorgolon Lives]

He may have, B. (and I'm glad to hear you're doing better today, hope your ankle's healing).

Thing is, for some reason what your post made me think of was I wonder what Kobe's publicist thought of this interview.

Maybe I'm a cynic, but I think of these things, and I think one reason I felt this thing was genuine is because it didn't sound like it was run by anybody first. I don't think his publicist or his people saw this coming.

And, were I his publicist, I would have at first lost my s**t. But the truth is, it was a great interview for the guy. He alternated back and forth between the team and talking about his kids (one of the hosts of the show also has little girls), so it ended up being a very humanizing kind of thing.

That's always been his problem (as it was Jordan's before him), that he comes off as less a person than a thing, be it a marketing campaign or this poster child for what the league says it is, or whatever. But you listened to this interview and he just seemed like a frustrated almost regular guy.

Kobe is pretty well-educated, especially compared to the rest of the league. I think he can pretty much determine what he wants to say. If I were his publisist, I've give him plenty of freedom, and I'd be confident he wouldn't fuck up.

 

[Sammy Meatballs]

I will give you my picks Believe, I've known this league for over 20 years and will give everyone here winners.

 

[Joe Public]

If I were his publisist, I've give him plenty of freedom, and I'd be confident he wouldn't fuck up.

Not I, said the fly. When you're mad or upset you can get baited. Now, he may have told his people he wanted to be interviewed and they may have said, as long as it's on the Lakers' flagship station. That way they'd know the guys weren't going to really drill him on anything--and they didn't. They even gave him outs.

So maybe they just pointed him in the right direction. But I'd have wanted to hear what he was thinking about saying before he got on there today. He's got enough image issues without creating new ones.