[Avalanche]

the lakers simply dont have the chips to make the trade happen IMO, Bynum is their absolute best trading chip and their draft picks arent ever going to be high enough to warrent giving up an MVP.
the very slight possibility that KG opts out and is willing to sign with a team for the MLE to get a ring is the only way i see him being a laker, in which case he would have every single team in the league to choose from so again its not likely.

i have reason to believe hes not going anywhere, even after this contract ends, thats not just fan bias either.

kobe demanding a trade from a team that got him 3 rings and is now trying to build around him, and is a plyoffs team would be pathetic IMO, i like the guy but i dont want to see that happen

[Dynasty Raider]

Originally Posted by Lynx

Clippers came pretty close to that.

That's what Dumbleavy would lead you to believe. But, everyone has learned from this season --- DTS calls the final shots. Until then --- it's all speculation. DTS told Dumbleavy, "Corey is going nowhere; in fact, I'm going to re-sign him when his contract is up." In other words, Dumbleavy has no pull. So, we don't know if that is true or not.

[Drewbs]

Originally Posted by Dynasty Raider

OK ... if you insist ... let's look at that another way.

* Each year since the Lakers became the LA KOBES, Mitch has gone out to get NBA players that wanted to play for the Lakers WITH Kobe. Thing is, there are no big name players that want to play for the Lakers like they once did, so Mitch took what pro ballers he could get with the little money left after paying Kobe. Just so happen those players NEEDED a job, so were desperate. Because they were NOT 'good' players, Kobe dogged them and killed whatever motivation they had coming in to play with him.

You like that better?

No I don't. What about Carlos Boozer who wanted to play with the Lakers? The trade that fell through after Jack Haley started blabbing his mouth? Or Jason Kidd who wanted to play for the Lakers, but never came because management refused to give up Andrew Bynum? Or even now, JO, who wants to go play for LA. Kobe was the reason Mitch traded an all star forward Caron Butler for Kwame Brown? The trade that Kobe did not even know about until after it was approved by the league? Its Kobe's fault that Kupchak insists on using the MLE for scrubs like Aaron McKie? Or its Kobe's fault that Mitch Jim Buss refuses to let Mitch trade his pet project in Bynum? Which will probably be why the Lakers won't get another big player like Jermaine O'Neal. Thats all management, go check the Lakers news, it has nothing to do with Kobe, neither he nor Jackson are very fond of Bynum anyway.

[Jizzy]

Originally Posted by eymang

Kupcheck is a joke, plain and simple.


Seeing those nobodies on the floor, ugh, it's amazing they won one game

Literally, guys like Smush Parker, Vujajic, don't even belong in the NBA.

[Premier]

Originally Posted by futurezenmaster

I mean if the Boston Celtics can lose a franchise record 17 straight games and give Doc Rivers and contract extension then the this should all be possible for the Lakers.

I don't think you understand the incompetence of the Celtics' owners.

[ballocks]

who knows how these guys said what they did? who knows how it's been interpreted/taken out of context? without a direct quote and context, this doesn't mean much (imo).

#1: i don't think garnett's 'content'. that must be the worst description for how he feels that anyone could come up with. content? i would be shocked if he were. maybe he's content with staying in minnesota- but i'm sure he wants more success. in fact, we already know he does.

#2: kobe's 'angry'? you don't say. maybe this story could've been spun in the opposite direction had stephen wanted to: garnett's angry (because his team didn't make the playoffs), kobe's content (because his team made the playoffs). what is he 'angry' about? that's the key (imo). likewise, what is garnett 'content' about? it's not enough to fail to specify. the headline is misleading.

---

i respect both of these players immensely. i think they both bring fantastic talent to the game, they are (alone) worth the price of admission. but i'm like a lot of fans: as long as they're on a contract that they signed (with the possible exception of their rookie deals)- not to mention the size of the contract that they signed- it would be a good idea for them to leave the management up to the managers. and i think they have, to be honest- they just continue to get pressed by the media for a reaction of any kind to these issues (this issue), and are then led down public waves like the one we're witnessing here from stephen a.

i think they're excellent leaders but would do well to mince words when talking to these jokers.

peace

[Blink4]

Originally Posted by Avalanche

so every year kobe doesnt compete for a title he should be angry and demand a trade? they gave up the centre piece of 3 championships, rebuilding was always going to take time... they are back in the playoffs and all of a sudden thats not good enough and kobe should ask to be moved elsewhere?

oh, and an offer of kwame, odom, radman and mihm will get you a pair of KG's shoes, not the player.

Kobe never asked for a trade, steven a. ******* smith says that he thinks he might, but i highly doubt he would.

i think that Bynum, odom + couple others could get kg

[Undefeated82]

Originally Posted by Dynasty Raider

Gotta give it to Kobe. Although he can't win a championship for the Lakers, he ALWAYS find a way to interject HIS name into the Playoffs:

1) One year he used the Finals to tell the world that he is estranged from his family who will have nothing to do with him, supposedly because they are racist;

2) Another, he is all over the media;

3) Now, he blames Mitch for his inability to win a championship.

* Mitch can't change Kobe's personality.

* Mitch can't teach Kobe how to be a leader.

* Mitch has given Kobe a different team every since he blew up the championship team and each year Kobe claims they are no good. Funny, these same player were good with other teams, yet when they get with Kobe, suddently they are no longer professional players.

* Don't blame Mitch because big name players are not breaking down the Laker doors to play with Kobe. They have observed enough themselves and heard enough through their pipelines to not want any part of an organization ithat is ran by Kobe.

* Don't blame Mitch if Kobe doesn't want to give up any of his money to attempt to attract 'good' players to play with him.

These are the LA KOBES. All Kobe needs to do is park his ego and allow his teammates to be part of the team ALWAYS and not just when Kobe is tired or decides to share the spotlight.

KG's loyalty to Minnesota shouldn't be mentioned in the same breath as anything Kobe has to say. Kobe is NOT on KG's level when it comes to being a Man. Kobe doesn't want to win --- that's his cover he shows the media. Had he wanted to win so badly, he NEVER would have done what he did to the entire organization.

Name me one team that would blow themselves up and build around Kobe.

funny guy

[Coatesvillain]

Originally Posted by Dynasty Raider

* Mitch has given Kobe a different team every since he blew up the championship team and each year Kobe claims they are no good. Funny, these same player were good with other teams, yet when they get with Kobe, suddently they are no longer professional players.

The Lakers last championship team was 2002-03, the team was blown up after the 2005 playoffs. So they weren't a championship team at that point, the dynamics of the team changed drastically.

The Lakers weren't going to win a championship with Shaq and Kobe getting all that salary because they had no money for anyone around them. Shaq was reporting to camp out of shape (and would "play his way into shape") and scoffed at the idea of taking a pay cut.

Stop trying to mold a situation to fit your arguments.