Billikan Posted October 28, 2003 Share Posted October 28, 2003 If you want to read an absolutely amazing interview, go to ESPN.com and read the interview by Jim Gray of Kobe Bryant. It is amazing for a number of reasons: 1. Kobe and Shaq are now in an outright public war! 2. Kobe basically said that Shaq showed up fat and out of shape last and his sore toe was just an excuse! 3. Kobe says Shaq is not a team player, etc.--prior to this interview Shaq criticized Kobe as a selfish player that was not ready to play! 4. Kobe says that Shaq never wished him well after the Colo. rape indictment but that a number of big names like Tiger Woods, Michael Jordan, etc. called with their best wishes. I think this may be unique in the history of professional sports-- that two all star players who won three world championships together are in such a public fight with insults going back and forth. Also, in spite of at best an incredibly arrogant and stupid action on the part of Kobe and at worst a horrible criminal offense by a person who no longer believes the "rules" apply to him-- we have the elite of pro sports standing behind him. It is interesting to see where we have come in the world of pro sports. It make syou proud to be a Billikes fan!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thetorch Posted October 28, 2003 Share Posted October 28, 2003 This ranks up there with the fueud between Gehrig and Ruth. If either of these two were great leaders they would not be doing this stuff in public. Arguments should be played out behind closed doors, they are really threatening the success of the team with this going back and forth stuff. Not surprised Jordan or Tiger support Kobe. Jordan is no saint and has had his fair share of public run ins involving women. Woods is the smart one, he lets no one into his persoanl life. Outside of his actual playing the public at large knows very little about him for being such a big star. I am much more of a fan of Shaq's than Kobe's. Shaq is eprcieved as a selfish player but he has made huge strides in his game while with the Lakers and when you play in the post, you have to be greedy with the ball since you have very little control over where it goes. Shaq is also one of the best passers at cewnter in the league. Kobe has always been a brat, me me me, when everyone around him knows he should be giving it up for the team. I imagine it is hard though, Jordan never had anyone competing with as the man on his team, Kobe always has and he has overcompensated for it. Now he is in big trouble, this lawsuit is no joke, he could very easily be in prison next year, he should not even be playing because he will have to leave during the season for the trial, it will only screw up the team. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billikan Posted October 28, 2003 Author Share Posted October 28, 2003 I agree with you about Shaq--he is still the dominant player that cannot be matched in the league--no one can stop him once he gets the ball in the low post and he is an excellent passer, defender and rebounder. But he is also a primma donna and egomaniac. That being said, I think that the Lakers do not win without Kobe. He was doing Jordanesqe things and playing absolutely terrific defense. Tha sad thing is that they are each millionaires one hunderd times over and they are still pouting and worrying about petty arguments. They are two of the luckiest people in the history of the world. They have made fortunes just because they can play basketball well--at a time when the stupid boob tube allows such people to make massive fortunes. Compare them to Bill Russell, Bob Pettit, our own easy Ed, Oscar Robertson, or other early stars who dominated the sport but made nothing compared to today's stars. These two crybabies are two of the richest people on the planet and they want much more. Shaq is demanding $30 mil a year for two years in a contract extension and Kobe will get well over $100 mil after he opts our of his contract this year--if only he can stay out of jail!! The whole thing is ridiculous! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schasz Posted October 28, 2003 Share Posted October 28, 2003 I think Phillip will really have to earn his money this year directing this circus especially when you add two more ego's into the mix in the Glove and Mailman. He will have to earn the millions Buss pays him if the Lakers are to win it this year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billiken_roy Posted October 28, 2003 Share Posted October 28, 2003 the book on kobe was written imo when in that very first all-star game he played in, karl malone went to set a pick for him and he waved karl away perferring to show the world he didnt need anyone's help. other than the fact shaq's words have gotten into the public, i see nothing wrong with his content. kobe though is another story. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billiken_roy Posted October 28, 2003 Share Posted October 28, 2003 until all sports owners prove to me that they will without a doubt give all the money back to the fans, i couldnt care less how much money the players get. but the fact is that tickets, beer and hot dogs are outrageously priced the same wherever you go regardless of the size of the payroll (i defy you to show me the ticket of an nba, nfl mlb or nhl team that compares with our billiken ticket prices. still the best deal money can buy imo). the owners have somehow succeeded in crying "i'm too poor" and it continues to amaze me that the majority of fans jump on the owners bandwagon versus the players. hello....no one forced them to pay these players the obscene money they get. and who of us wouldnt take it if we were those players? the fans are the only ones that suffer. i dont see any of the teams of the major sports having to disband. if in fact an owner is too stupid to manage the multimillion revenues, he/she just sells the franchise to the next goofball millionaire to f up awhile and takes the ever increasing franchise equity and retires to boca grande florida never to worry again. until they realize that the fans need the break, i take no sides in the players-owners debacle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billiken Law Posted October 28, 2003 Share Posted October 28, 2003 my favorite part of this whole story is that Shaq's uncle called Kobe during the summer to offer support but NOT Shaq. It's going to be fun to watch this team implode as the season wears on! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billiken_roy Posted October 28, 2003 Share Posted October 28, 2003 it boggles me that anyone would offer kobe "support" in his mess. he's already admitted infidelity at the very least which hints at even worse improprieties. granted you are innocent until proven guilty, but kobe has already admitted he is not clean in this incident. if society really wanted to send a message, the "support" calls wouldnt be coming to kobe. imo, kobe should do the right thing and walk away from the nba until this is done and concentrate on his personal life. i am sure he has a few pennies in his piggy bank to exist for a year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NashvilleBilliken Posted October 28, 2003 Share Posted October 28, 2003 I agree Billikan. These guys need to get a life. They are making more money than I could ever dream of AND they are doing it playing professional basketball. That is a dream millions of people have everyday. These two could be great and be remembered as some of the greatest players of all time, but instead they are acting like two year olds. Who really gives a $hit "who's team" it is or how many shots per game they get. BOTH are needed to win championships..and they have won more than there fair share. Stockton and Malone never got in these dumb arguments and they will always be remembered as a hell of a combo. Everybody knows how good these two are so there is no need to "prove" themselves. I lose more and more respect for these dudes everyday.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billiken Law Posted October 28, 2003 Share Posted October 28, 2003 I'm not shocked fellow NBA players were calling Kobe offering him "support." In fact, they were probably calling him welcoming him to the infidelity club - as a junior member of course. I'm sure in the NBA there's 3 woman minimum to be a full member! The interview said Jordan had Kobe's number tracked down to call him since he didn't have it. I'm sure it was more along the lines of MJ offering advice to keep this out of the public and still maintain your sterling image. That and asking Kobe if he'd reccommend that resort the next time MJ needs "surgery":D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tonka Posted October 28, 2003 Share Posted October 28, 2003 For one, I don't care what these NBA players do off the court. I don't want to sound carefree as this is a very serious thing, and if Kobe is guilty, he should pay the price. I learned long ago, that the majority of these guys aren't role models and never will be. Hopefully, the companies that endorse these guys will figure that out to. What is ridiculous is how Kobe and Shaq are jawwing at each other. Isn't what they've been given enough? As someone mentioned, these guys have great lives, what could they be complaining about? I think that's the reason I enjoy college BB so much more. The only reason I tend to follow the NBA is because I do enjoy basketball and like to see the guys I watched in college progress. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quality Is Job 1 Posted October 28, 2003 Share Posted October 28, 2003 "Isn't what they've been given enough?" I'm sure these guys don't think they've been "given" anything. They feel they EARN the money they get -- if, in fact, they're getting as much as they deserve. The onus falls upon fans who pay exorbitant ticket, parking, and concession prices for their entertainment/recreation activities and the people who patronize the companies who use the athletes to market their products. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillikenTX Posted October 28, 2003 Share Posted October 28, 2003 There was an interesting article in the paper about all the crap in the NBA going on right now. The writer said more than ever the NBA needs a team like the Mavericks or the Spurs a team where you NEVER hear about players ending up in jail for hitting a woman or raping girls. These teams are about "the team first" attitude that Popovich and Nelson implore to their teams. When will these guys figure out that will never be above the game, that they need supporting casts to get anywhere in a "team sport". Maybe Kobe and Shaq need to go run track or wrestling where you are the team. Oh by the way the Mavs are flat out the deepest team in the NBA..their bench could be a top 5 seed in the east this year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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