Kobe wants Jerry West to return as Lakers GM or he wants out of L.A.

Go back and read some of the things that Kobe and Shaq said about each other around the time of the trade. Listen to the ESPN interview with Shaq after the deal, the one in which he refused to even refer to Kobe by name. Then tell me that the whole thing was just a money issue between Shaq and Buss. Anybody who was around the Lakers back then knows that's not the case, regardless of how Kobe and Shaq want to spin it now.

 

Indeed, there is no way one can interpret Shaq's Kobe hating as him being pissed that the franchise so clearly chose against him in that moment of truth.

Sure, there was animosity. And in 1999, when Shaq engineered the ill-fated rebuilding that brought Glen Rice and Dennis Rodman, it was clear he had a lot of say. But that is so easily forgotten in the rush to blame Kobe and only Kobe.

 

Let's watch. I want to see Kobe bring the New York Knicks--or any other team--back to prominence.

This whole shootin' match is a farce.

 

Wait, you're using second- and third-hand information, but how dare anyone not back up what they say?

As for, "What NBA player has stated they DON'T want to play in L.A. with Kobe?" ... well, a lot. I'm sure the league isn't on the record for having a desire to play for Kobe and the Lakers. Some players do take pride in their own team. Like Tim Duncan or LeBron James or Rasheed Wallace would prefer to play with Kobe and the Lakers as opposed to winning titles.

 

Well, I had to state the obvious. Not everyone in the NBA is chomping at the bit to play in L.A., even though Lakers fans would love for everyone to believe otherwise.

 

Incorrect. Of course, LA and the Lakers are a more desireable destination than most NBA cities, indisputably.

Still waiting for you (or anyone else, for that matter) to back up the following statement, which is expressed every time there's a Kobe thread:

"As for, "What NBA player has stated they DON'T want to play in L.A. with Kobe?" ... well, a lot."

I'll start.

Ray Allen.

Name another. A GOOD player.

 

Yes, Ray Allen was the only one I could come up with when I through that question out there. Maybe Shaq, though after his comments today, now I'm not so sure.

 

You're taking my argument and twisting it to suit your needs. Of course there are a ton of players out there who are very comfortable in their situations and wouldn't welcome a trade to L.A. (you neglect to mention that the examples you gave probably wouldn't welcome a trade ANYWHERE because they are currently experiencing success).
Maybe a better question would be, if Kobe were to be dealt to San Antonio, Cleveland or Detroit, would those players say: No, I don't want to play with Kobe Bryant? Like Norrin Radd said, the only player that we can think of is Ray Allen.

By the way, LeBron might not be a great example. He's on record as saying Bryant is his idol and, during a game against Cleveland a couple of years ago, Bryant suffered a badly sprained ankle. LeBron waited around after the game and stayed with Bryant while he was getting treatment. Apparently the two are pretty tight. Sometimes, it's surprising to find out what players get along. I was surprised to recently learn that Bryant and Jermaine O'Neal were such great friends.

 

Well, according to all the trade simulators, if the Cavs sent Larry Hughes and Eric Snow to the Lakers for Kobe Bryant, the trade works. : :

 

I agree with broadway joe here.

Buss might very well have called Kobe to the hotel 4 years ago and said "I'm cutting costs, etc...Not going to re-sign Shaq," but that doesn't mean that he made that decision based on the Shaq-Kobe acrimony. Both things (and other variations) can be true. What, Kobe's held it all in these 4 years or so and now - after getting bounced in the 1st round again and with Durant and Oden on their way to the western conference - he just 'decides' to vent? Give me a break.

Shaq still doesn't like that Buss picked Kobe over him, so Shaq is only too happy to hear and agree with Kobe's (likely true) story about the hotel meeting between him and Buss. For Shaq, it's more info that he can use for his own ends. Shaq won the Kobe Feud, so he has no reason to keep the fire burning on that front.

Kobe's frustrated, the western conference is getting tougher and it doesn't look like the Lakers are in great shape to get an impact player, and LeBron is in the conference finals. So we get the Kobe Tour, part whatever. And as much as I've ridden Bucher on SJ, real nice of Kobe to throw him under the bus when you KNOW Buch wouldn't be making stuff up (unless he was told to do so by Kobe).

The Kobe Radio Tour yesterday was like "Sybil" come to talk radio. He was all over the place. Wants traded, not sure, doesn't want traded, fire the 'insider,' etc.

Who else but Kobe does things like this? Even Kobe defenders like Tomm Looney of FSR Radio was complaining about Kobe's sighing and breathing in his interviews. The guy is like a walking Murphy's Law when it comes to PR stuff.

Be interesting to see what today brings in the saga.

 

Heh. There's the shocker of the century.

 

Now that's better, because while a lot of players might want to play with Kobe, not everyone would want to leave a team built for long postseason runs to do it. Kobe is the attraction, not the Lakers.