Lakers miss playoffs for first time in over 10 years

[tickletoy3]

All I have to say is.. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAA!! Kobe got what he deserved!!!

Shaq is lazy, disrespects management and only decides to play in the playoffs..

"The fact that the Diesel has only been named regular season MVP once (1999-2000) in his first twelve years is a travesty. He should not be denied that award this time around. He is unique. His impact on a game and his team can not be duplicated by any other player. He dominates like no other. He gives you a chance to win consistently and to win it all.

Last years HEAT team finished the season with 211 dunks. This year, Shaq, by himself, has over 250 slams. He is a priceless presence. He leads the league in field goal percentage (second best in his career), free-throw attempts and dunks. At the moment, he ranks 5th in rebounding and double-doubles, 6th in blocks and is tied for 11th in scoring. "

Yeh.. sounds lazy to me Kobe. Have fun watching the playoffs and reminding yourself of what a selfish doofus you are. All your points, all your theatrics and all your one man shows got you a 'sit at home' ticket to the playoffs. Maybe Mr. "I want to be the highest paid player on the Lakers roster" can use some of that well earned money for a new TV to watch the games his awesome skill earned him this year. Yeh Kobe.. he's fat, lazy and out of shape and doesn't care about the team. HAHAHAHAA!! Tell that to the Miami Heat.

Do I hate Kobe? Can't stand him. He's an over-rated, arrogant, selfish, Michael Jordan 'wannabe'. His mighty skills and ability to lead a team got the Lakers into the playoffs.. oh wait, he's sitting at home. He doesn't need Shaq, never did need Shaq and can do well without him. All by himself in front of his expensive well-earned widescreen WATCHING the playoffs.

Have fun Kobe. Sitting at home. HAHAHAHAHAA!!

I love Shaq's comments, "The object of the game is get the ball in the hoop. Doesn't matter if it's 1 foot or 20 feet. Counts the same. That's what I do. Get the ball in the hoop."

I totally agree Shaq.

 

[Knox The Hatter]

Yeah, Laker management bowed to Kobe, and look at what they got! Serves 'em right.

 

[Dr. Vollin]

I agree with just about all of your post, tickletoy. Kobe got to be the man - now let's sit back and watch him miss the playoffs for the next four or five seasons.

The only part I disagree with is about Shaq; "He should not be denied that award this time around." Sorry to whoever wrote that, but he should be denied again this year. The only true MVP candidate is still in the West with a team I call the Phoenix Suns. Steve. Nash.

 

[primetime]

the day people actually pay attention to facts is the day the world will be a better place. once again people, the Laker's misfortunes is NOT because of Kobe. it is NOT because of Shaq. it is because of 4 people. period. Jerry Buss, Shaq, Kobe and Phil Jackson all deserve blame over what happened.

all this talk about Shaq being MVP is silly. true, the Heat is the best team record wise, but they were already a playoff team without Shaq. they play in the East. can you please name another GOOD frontcourt player in the East? Ben Wallace? anyone else? i can hear the crickets now. folks, it was predicted the Heat would do quite well when Shaq arrived. no surprise there. so, why should Shaq get MVP? he isnt even the MVP on the Heat! that honor goes to Dwyane Wade. no Wade, Shaq and the Heat are a 7th seed in the East at best.

Earth to Kobe haters!!! it was predicted the Lakers were going to struggle this year. why is everyone surprised? Mr. Bryant even said it himself. he said "It's not even close. We know that. Everybody knows that. It's an uphill battle for us...We dont have the most dominant player in the game, so that's going to change things drastically. It's going to be more of a struggle for us. We know that." this is an exact quote from Kobe Bryant the day after he signed his new contract. gee, Kobe saw struggles coming, but for some strange reason, Kobe-haters act like Kobe said "we are going to win the NBA Championship in 2005! mark my words!!" far from it folks, FAR FROM IT.

now, let's get some more exact quotes again. remember when Detroit beat the Lakers after game 5? Kobe Bryant was asked if he could play for Phil Jackson and/or Shaquille Oneal. his response? "I could play with Phil and Shaq forever....." direct quote. LOOK IT UP. watch the tapes. what was Shaq's response when told Kobe said that? "Everyone is going to do what is best for them. i will ALWAYS do what's best for me." direct quote. LOOK IT UP. watch the tapes. has anyone EVER heard Shaq say he wanted Kobe to stay with the Lakers? NO. so, why is everybody harping on Kobe? Kobe, out of his own mouth recognized the value of Shaquille Oneal, but Shaq never said the same about Kobe, but ignorant fans say otherwise.

why is it when Allen Iverson scores 48 points in a game and none of his teammates even has double digit shot ATTEMPTS, people praise Iverson for a magnificient game, but when Kobe scores 25 points, he is told "pass the ball more" and called a selfish player? Kobe isnt a point guard, he's a 2-guard. he shouldnt set up the offense. that's the point guard's job.

face it Kobe haters, if you were around Los Angeles during this Laker era, even the most die hard Shaq fans KNEW he was FAT and LAZY. after he won the MVP in 2000, Shaq never performed the same. watch tapes. look at his demeanor. the reason why the Chicago Bulls won a lot of games every year is because Michael Jordan WILLED his teammates to play hard every game. Shaquille was the #1 guy in LA. amazing how his Laker teams were lazy as well. except one guy. guess who?

think about this for a moment. if Shaquille was truly that important to a team, why would Laker management give up Shaq for Kobe? what is so darn special about Kobe Bryant that he made Jerry Buss get rid of Shaq like everyone says? if Kobe leaves, he leaves. no biggie right? the Lakers still have Shaq. so, there must be something about Kobe that Jerry Buss wanted to keep him right? why would he trade away the game's "most dominant" player over a selfish, arrogant, spoiled kid??? think about it and give me a HONEST answer. problem is, NO ONE has ever answered that question. i wonder why?

 

[tickletoy3]

I think the choice was made because Kobe is a much younger player than Shaq. It had nothing to do with one player being better than the other. When running a franchise you have to make tough decisions and think in terms of years to come - not just the next one or two years down the road. Anyone who has played EA Sports games know this lol. That's not to say Shaq can't dominate a game and run a team. He proved that in Miami. I haven't heard Wade make one bad remark about Shaq - be it his free throws, playing ability or shape or anything else.
It's very similiar to the Yankees situation. A Rod is a great, talent player and definite all star material. BUT HE KNOWS DEREK JETER RUNS THE YANKEES AND IS THE CAPTAIN. Is Jeter perfect? NO. Will Jeter always make the big play? Well.. actually most times he does lol. But he's not perfect. That was proven last year when the Yanks blew a 3-0 lead to the Sox and Jeter was less than spectacular in the series. Gee.. I wonder why A Rod never blasted Jeter and demanded HE run the team and become captain? Because as the Rock says A Rod "knows his role and kept his mouth shut". I think that was Kobe's biggest problem and now he has to deal with the results.
If Mr. Buss had the ability to see the future and knew the Lakers would miss the playoffs entirely - for the first time in TEN YEARS.. and Shaq would lead Miami to the league's best record or thereabouts.. do you think he would have made the same choice? Wade played a HUGE part in it too, don't get me wrong. See Shaq and Wade play as a TEAM. Something Kobe has to learn to do. You wonder why Kobe has no other players? Why they all 'retired' or 'left'? Think about that one.

 

[kis123]

Primetime,

You are spitting into the wind on this one. Too many Kobe haters on this thread to understand the facts. They just listen to Shaq and Phil's spin on things. The only one not with his face in the camera and running their mouth is who?? Kobe-the one everyone claims is the perpetrator.

It's called transition folks. The team went its separate ways for whatever reason. The Lakers had a lousy season this year-so did a lot of other teams including the one in my city where the coach got himself fired! So they come back next year and get it together. I personally could care less about the Lakers or anyone else at this point and the Kobe Bryant blame game should be put to rest. He doesn't run the team-he doesn't write the checks or make executive decisions. If the owners are stupid enough to allow such a thing to happen, you blamers and haters need to put the blame where it belongs. If you want to call Kobe a lying, adulterous, cheating SOB, then you have plenty to talk about. He spent a lot of time defending himself in a trial that didn't have to be. Of course, his game suffered for it and the team suffered for it. Blame him for that-not for the entire demise of the Lakers organization! He's not the blame for that.

 

[primetime]

the most hilarious thing you write tickletoy, is you are saying Kobe DEMANDED to be the star, to be the captain. WHEN did he ever say that? that's the problem with Kobe-haters. they put words in Kobe's mouth. Kobe Bryant HAS NEVER EVER said in the media he wants to be the leader. Kobe HAS NEVER EVER said "if Shaq stays, i will leave" in the media. Kobe doesnt say anything in the media. the only time he has ripped Shaq in the media was after Shaq made his snide remark of "the WHOLE team is here." during the Lakers first day of training camp when Kobe wasnt there. that's when Kobe ripped into Shaq and if you read Kobe's words, he even said that it doesnt matter who's team it is. keep in mind, Shaq has ALWAYS said "it's my team.", "give me the ball", "you have to feed the big dog the ball", "i'm the real General Manager of the Lakers", etc, etc. does anyone ever put up a stink about it? no. but Kobe has NEVER EVER said ANY of those things that Shaq says on a regular basis.

the whole Kobe is "arrogant" thing is more media created than by Kobe. Kobe isnt the media darling, so he must be arrogant. if Kobe cracked jokes with the media and was "homies" with guys like Charles Barkley, Stephen A. Smith (who's a complete moron) and such, Kobe would be loved and called a great basketball player. that's why Shaq gets away with his arrogance. the media likes him. i want Kobe haters to find actual comments by Kobe that shows his arrogance, that he got rid of Shaq, that he wants to be the only star of the team. funny thing, i can find arrogant quotes from Shaq all the live long day.

as for Wade, OF COURSE he isnt going to say anything bad about Shaq. why should he? but he doesnt get the opportunity to play with Shaq, when Shaq was in his prime, like Kobe Bryant and Anfernee Hardaway did. let's see how unselfish Shaq really would have been with Wade if Shaq was fit and hungry. i guarantee that the SAME problems would have arisen.

now, to answer your point about players "retiring" or "leaving" because of Kobe. let's go one by one shall we and you tell me how it's Kobe's fault.

1. Shaq- he wanted money, the Lakers werent going to give it to him, Shaq DEMANDS to be traded. get the facts straight. Shaq DEMANDED the trade, not the Lakers.

2. Karl Malone- claims he would have come back, but Kobe yelled at him. gee, he flirted with Kobe's wife and now it's Kobe's fault Malone wants to retire. nothing to do with on the court, it was off court actions.

3. Gary Payton- he actually WANTED to come back, until Laker management traded him to Boston for Chris Mihm (not bad) and Chucky Atkins ( i have no idea why). gee, Kobe did this right?

4. Derek Fisher- average point guard who left the Lakers for MORE MONEY. this is Kobe's fault too huh?

5. Rick Fox- the man was injured and old. traded to Boston with Payton. yep, this is all Kobe's fault.

6. Kareem Rush- played for the Lakers THIS YEAR, until Laker management (not Kobe Bryant) traded him to Toronto.

7. Byron Russell- so far down the bench on PHIL'S decision, he wanted no part of the Lakers.

so, that leaves Luke Walton, Devean George and Slava Medevenko, still around with Kobe Bryant. that's 11 guys. who else worth anything "retired" or "left" because of Kobe Bryant? tickletoy, you have to come up with something better.

the point is Kobe haters, how come not ONE of you can come up with ONE SOLID reason on how Kobe is arrogant, selfish and orchestrated the whole Laker fiasco? what did Kobe do, PUBLICLY (because none of us are there privately) that would make him out to be this evil, selfish guy? answer that please.... i'm waiting.

 

[tickletoy3]

the most hilarious thing you write tickletoy, is you are saying Kobe DEMANDED to be the star, to be the captain. WHEN did he ever say that?

When (and this was noted on CBS sports), he made the remark "I want to be the highest paid player on the Lakers roster." The announcers then reminded him of who played center (shaq).

the only time he has ripped Shaq in the media was after Shaq made his snide remark of "the WHOLE team is here." during the Lakers first day of training camp when Kobe wasnt there.

Shaq was speaking in terms of "if you cared and wanted to be part of "the team" you would be here." That's why he made the remark "the WHOLE team" meaning if Kobe wanted to be part of A TEAM he WOULD have been there. Key word being "team" not "whole". But Kobe has problems hearing that word so that's not so surprising.

keep in mind, Shaq has ALWAYS said "it's my team.", "give me the ball", "you have to feed the big dog the ball", "i'm the real General Manager of the Lakers", etc, etc.

When you are captain IT IS YOUR TEAM. That's what you do. You have to have that attitude to win. Up until that point, the Lakers had done just what he said. Result? World titles. Kobe has a problem with doing it. Result? Trade and no playoffs in ten years.


the whole Kobe is "arrogant" thing is more media created than by Kobe.

"I want to be the highest paid player on the Lakers roster." And the media caused this by.. ??

Kobe isnt the media darling, so he must be arrogant. if Kobe cracked jokes with the media and was "homies" with guys like Charles Barkley, Stephen A. Smith (who's a complete moron) and such, Kobe would be loved and called a great basketball player.

If Kobe didn't involve himself in possible rape charges he would be considered a great basketball player AND a role model. Maybe he should seriously reconsider his "homies".


that's why Shaq gets away with his arrogance. the media likes him. i want Kobe haters to find actual comments by Kobe that shows his arrogance, that he got rid of Shaq, that he wants to be the only star of the team.

Repeat "I want to be the highest paid player on the Lakers roster." I don't like playing number two? I'm an all-star, not a sidekick? Shaq is fat, out of shape and lazy?

as for Wade, OF COURSE he isnt going to say anything bad about Shaq. why should he? but he doesnt get the opportunity to play with Shaq, when Shaq was in his prime, like Kobe Bryant and Anfernee Hardaway did. let's see how unselfish Shaq really would have been with Wade if Shaq was fit and hungry. i guarantee that the SAME problems would have arisen.

Wade understands the game. You have to play as a team and work with each other no matter who you are. To be successful you take a player and utilize his individual talents the best way to help your team. Shaq dunks. Shaq rebounds. Wade understands this. Wade wants a ring. He may or not get one, but he wants one. And he knows he won't do it alone and neither will Shaq. He also knows he has to utilize the skills Shaq offers to compliment his if they are going to win. I think that ultimately, this is where Kobe had a problem.

now, to answer your point about players "retiring" or "leaving" because of Kobe. let's go one by one shall we and you tell me how it's Kobe's fault.

1. Shaq- he wanted money, the Lakers werent going to give it to him, Shaq DEMANDS to be traded. get the facts straight. Shaq DEMANDED the trade, not the Lakers.

Would you want to play with Kobe who obviously isn't happy being number two? Who degrades you by telling you how 'out of shape you are'? 'Fat and lazy and only care about playing in the playoffs?'

2. Karl Malone- claims he would have come back, but Kobe yelled at him. gee, he flirted with Kobe's wife and now it's Kobe's fault Malone wants to retire. nothing to do with on the court, it was off court actions.

Unless you are team captain, why would you be 'yelling' at anyone? I didn't realize they kept a stat on who was flirting with whom. As far as off court actions, Kobe doesn't even want to go there.

3. Gary Payton- he actually WANTED to come back, until Laker management traded him to Boston for Chris Mihm (not bad) and Chucky Atkins ( i have no idea why). gee, Kobe did this right?

To refer to your prior post in reference to Shaq, if he was that great, why would Laker management want to trade him? Especially for a player as you yourself says I have no idea why.

4. Derek Fisher- average point guard who left the Lakers for MORE MONEY. this is Kobe's fault too huh?

He realized Kobe couldnt win a ring by himself (NO player can). Being an average player his role would have been limited and he would have been wasting his career going nowhere. It's called take what you can get before your stock goes down playing on a team that doesn't even make the playoffs.

5. Rick Fox- the man was injured and old. traded to Boston with Payton. yep, this is all Kobe's fault.

See prior post.

6. Kareem Rush- played for the Lakers THIS YEAR, until Laker management (not Kobe Bryant) traded him to Toronto.

7. Byron Russell- so far down the bench on PHIL'S decision, he wanted no part of the Lakers.

Bottom line is all of these players knew they were going NOWHERE. Sitting at home watching the playoffs is not a prospect any player wants to hear. With no Shaq (which Kobe caused) Kobe would have led them to that point.

so, that leaves Luke Walton, Devean George and Slava Medevenko, still around with Kobe Bryant. that's 11 guys. who else worth anything "retired" or "left" because of Kobe Bryant? tickletoy, you have to come up with something better.

the point is Kobe haters, how come not ONE of you can come up with ONE SOLID reason on how Kobe is arrogant, selfish and orchestrated the whole Laker fiasco? what did Kobe do, PUBLICLY (because none of us are there privately) that would make him out to be this evil, selfish guy? answer that please.... i'm waiting.

I think I gave my answers. Call CBS sports and confirm the interview comments. One more thing.. I NEVER SAID I BLAME KOBE FOR EVERYTHING. I do blame him for getting rid of Shaq. Again, would you play with someone who constantly degrades you? Says you are out of shape, fat and lazy? Could you blame Shaq for demanding a trade?? And this is the same guy who says he can play with shaq and phil forever?? Sounds to me like he has mental problems somewhere. Then again.. he did go to court over.. well, never mind. That speaks for itself. When Kobe plays as a team, RESPECTS someone as team leader if it isn't him and just give it his best - Kobe is one of the best out there. But when he causes problems, disrespects team leaders and is more concerned with off the court problems that HE CAUSES than he is basketball.. well, he sits at home and watches the playoffs.

 

[peter]

ey prime time you are absolutly right!!!!

and the reason that shaq is in a winning team it's because he is in the east and has an amazing point guard..... kobe is on his own..with no other dominant player around him...and he is in the west that;s alot harder....
i tell you if shaq was traded to i don;t know like portland or something he would also miss the playoffs... he can only win if he has a great backcourt buddy (like kobe at the lakers and wade at the heat)

 

[primetime]

oh give me a break. did you even read your responses? let's think about this for a moment. Kobe Bryant says he wants to be the highest paid Laker player. this statement makes Kobe this arrogant, selfish player right? what makes him different from Shaquille O'Neal who also wants to be the highest paid player not only on the Lakers, but the ENTIRE NBA? why is it okay for Shaq to want to be the highest paid player in the ENTIRE NBA, but if Kobe says it, Kobe's the selfish one?

so, Kobe misses ONE day of training camp because of legal problems and he's not part of the team huh? well, i went to one particular Laker GAME in January 2004, when Shaq, Kobe and Karl Malone were injured. i got to see Gary Payton and the rest of the Lakers. guess what? Kobe was in street clothes in ATTENDANCE, Karl Malone was there in street clothes in ATTENDANCE, but the so called "leader" of the team was NOWHERE to be found. Shaq misses a game and Kobe is selfish about missing a day of training camp. funny comparison. in fact, when Shaq is injured, how many games does he attend in street clothes? not too many. you cant have it both ways. find another argument.

you say, if it is Shaq's team, he has the right to say what he says. well, Kobe was also a captain on that team. Kobe is the captain this year. he makes the SAME statement, "my guys...." and the media and Kobe haters blast him. so, when Shaq says "i am the true General Manager of the Lakers", that isnt disrespectful to Mitch Kupchak? when Shaq makes a dunk in an exhibition game, then screams "PAY ME!!!" to the owner of the Lakers, that isnt disrespectful and selfish? again, as much as you blast Kobe, why arent you addressing the fact that Shaq is just as arrogant and selfish?

Kobe's off the court actions are a problem no doubt, but what does it have to do with him breaking up the Lakers? however, Shaq is responsible for getting rid of Nick Van Exel, Eddie Jones and Elden Campbell. no one cares. Kobe got rid of NOBODY. everyone cares. funny.

as for Kobe saying he doesnt want to be #2. think about it for a second. you have tremendous talent. you work hard every offseason. you work on your game to be the best in the NBA. then you see the #1 option sit back, wade in a pool, eat a bunch of Krispy Kreme donuts, literally tell management he will work hard when HE wants to, wouldnt YOU think maybe you should be the #1 option? i know i would. why should i bust my ass to be #2? i am busting my ass to be #1.

keep in mind, Shaq was on the Lakers THREE seasons before he won the championship in 2000. what happened those seasons? that was before Kobe came into his own. how come "Mr. Unstoppable" couldnt bring home a title? again, if you paid attention to the San Antonio series during these title runs, it was Kobe Bryant that was the difference, NOT Shaquille Oneal.

now you say Shaq wanted to go because Kobe constantly degraded him. you damn well know that didnt happen. you mean to tell me that Shaq, all 7'1" 340 pounds of him, couldnt take a player calling him fat and lazy? the same player who could have left town and Shaq would have had the Lakers to himself? gee, is Shaq really that sensitive? actually, YES, now that i think about it. now, where would Kobe even come up with the concept of Shaq being fat and lazy if there was no truth to it? where would ANYONE come up with the fat and lazy if Shaq worked hard, came into camp in shape and exhibited the same dominant skills he had during the 99-00 season? so, big bad Shaq said "TRADE ME because Kobe is calling me fat and lazy!!!!" that is ridiculous and you know it.

as for Malone, again Kobe IS THE CAPTAIN, so i guess he could yell at Malone. besides, it was an offcourt thing. i get it. Kobe for his size can kick Shaq's and Karl Malone's ass, even though they are both bigger than him. i mean he "yelled" at them and these big men went running. silly huh?

Payton was traded to get a big man and if you have faulty memory, Gary Payton bitched and complained to Laker management, INCLUDING Phil Jackson all year long. was it really a surprise? i dont remember Gary saying anything about Kobe when he was traded. his insults were directed towards Laker management.

Fox. they had to trade someone with Payton to get Mihm and Atkins. what did Kobe ever do to Rick Fox? come up with something instead of Kobe-hating theories.

your Derek Fisher theory is way too funny. you say his role would have been limited and take as much money as you can before your stock goes down playing on a team that isnt going to the playoffs. ******FAST FORWARD to the 2004-2005 season******** Derek Fisher played a limited role with the Golden State Warriors, a PERRENIAL, lottery team in the NBA. yeah, Derek's career took a turn for the better.....just to get away from the Lakers. again, funny statement on your part.

THE funniest thing you wrote is, "...and is more concerned with off the court problems that HE CAUSES than he is basketball...." well gee, if i was going to go to trial for rape charges and if i lose, i could spend 20 years in prison, i should disregard that and concentrate only on basketball. OH PLEASE, you have prison hanging over your head and you blame him for being distracted? whether he caused it or not, he SHOULD be distracted. if it happened to you, YOU would be distracted.

again, your whole post did nothing to prove Kobe ACTUALLY did something to break up the Lakers. a lot of your responses had no real merit. your only quote is "i want to be the highest paid player on the Lakers.". what do you think Shaq was saying? "i'll play for free."?? what's the difference between Shaq demanding to be the highest paid player and Kobe saying it?

Shaq was smart. he wanted to be traded to a team that 1) was going to pay him the ridiculous money he wanted and 2) a playoff contender. if Shaq was truly a difference maker, could he have takent he Atlanta Hawks to the playoffs? NO. remember Shaq's words when he got to Miami, ANOTHER direct quote. "The Heat is on the brink of greatness if they continue to do the right things. the right things are MATHEMATICALLY and get some good players." gee, what does "mathematically" mean? think about it......

i eagerly await your response.

hey Peter, you are absolutely right. put Shaq on a crappy team already and he sits at home as well....

 

[tickletoy3]

This is a fun debate, but rather meaningless. To me I think this sums it up in a few short words
"Up until that point, the Lakers had done just what he said (Shaq). Result? World titles. Kobe has a problem with doing it. Result? Trade and no playoffs in ten years."
What do you think the media would have said if Shaq had went to Miami and they had ended up with the same record as LA? Give the Lakers a few years and they will at least make the playoffs again. What team doesn't make the playoffs in the NBA? You know, in retrospect it was probably Mitch Kupchak that had just as much if not more to do with the situation than Kobe. I think Mitch made the comment when asked what he was going to do about the situation, he said "We will do whatever is necessary to keep Kobe Bryant." I think Shaq took it very personally. He knew at that moment he was no longer number one and this came from management - not Kobe. Kobe may have wanted that and said some things low key to push the envelope, but when Shaq heard this directly from Management he knew his time was limited at LA. As far as Shaq wanting more money - he was team captain. He was team leader. He's supposed to get more money. You don't pay a first sergeant as much as your commander. Kobe wanted to be captain. He wanted to be the highest paid player. Now he's got his wish.

None of this really matters anymore. Shaq is leading a team again, has a great player who is working with him and not against him and they going to the playoffs. He got what he wanted. Sounds like a good deal to me. Kobe is sitting at home waiting for more players who can help him win games. He wanted to be captain, be the all-star, get the money and endorsements. He got what he wanted. They both are making big bucks. In the end I think they both got what they wanted out of it. It just gave Los Angeles a black eye in the basketball world and ended a decade of dominance by one of pro sports most recognized teams.

On an upnote however, the Chicago Bulls made the playoffs.

 

[primetime]

i'm glad you at least admitted the Laker management had something to do with this whole thing than just Kobe. but Mitch isnt really at fault. his "strings" are getting pulled by his boss, Jerry Buss. the Lakers have to rebuild. no doubt. but, i dont think it will take them too long to make the playoffs again. win a title? that depends on a lot of things. Rome wasnt built in a day...

and yes, the Chicago Bulls made the playoffs again. but if you look at their record and where they are seeded currently (4th of 5th in the East), they would be 8th in the West. just remember folks, the East is still crappy. is it really a surprise the Heat has the best record?

 

[vampirecult]

i will sum this up in one term that we all can understand.........

 

[Soda Bobinski]

Blah Blah Blah .....

....... yeah , but you know what? ........ Jordan is the greatest!

 

[vampirecult]

....... yeah , but you know what? ........ Jordan is the greatest!

we're talking about Todays NBA Players..........not M. Jordan


no offense TKLMAN

 

[primetime]

how cute vampire, how cute. when the Lakers do rise to the top again (and we WILL), i just hope all you Laker haters are around. win or lose, i support the purple & gold for life....

 

[Soda Bobinski]

we're talking about Todays NBA Players..........not M. Jordan


no offense TKLMAN

None taken vampirecult ......... though if I had to say who my favorite players in the NBA are right NOW , it would be Kevin Garnett & Tracy McGrady ........ NOT Kobe Bryant.

 

[tickletoy3]

Of course I'm a Shaq fan as my bud PT knows. That's why we rib each other about the Shaq/Kobe deal. Hmm.. Dwayne Wade is a fav too, but I will say I am not a Miami Heat fan. I think it's because I've never cared much for Alonzo Mourning since the Ewing remarks. But I've always been a Pat Riley fan so it kinda balances out. But my fav player? Hmm.. I will have to go with Magic Johnson as my all-time favorite as I consider him the greatest player of all time. But for today's players I will go with Shaq and Wade.

 

[vampirecult]

Kobe Bryant is not my favorite player either at all. But you gotta admit that he is still a great all around player (and he also may not have the same fan support as he did before because of the long trail and all that happend to him) but he is still a great player. But i not and will not support a guy who does stuff to a woman like he did in that Hotal no matter if he was found guilty or not. It's wrong in my opinion.

 

[fitnesstickle]

Of course I'm a Shaq fan as my bud PT knows. That's why we rib each other about the Shaq/Kobe deal. Hmm.. Dwayne Wade is a fav too, but I will say I am not a Miami Heat fan. I think it's because I've never cared much for Alonzo Mourning since the Ewing remarks. But I've always been a Pat Riley fan so it kinda balances out. But my fav player? Hmm.. I will have to go with Magic Johnson as my all-time favorite as I consider him the greatest player of all time. But for today's players I will go with Shaq and Wade.

As a Shaq fan, you have to admit he was lazy and childish the last couple years as a Laker. He got in shape this year to prove a point. If he'd done it 2 years ago the streak would be at 5 and counting.

 

[tickletoy3]

If you call leading a team to the NBA finals 'lazy and childish' I guess more players should follow the example. But I do agree if the Lakers could have played as a TEAM they would still be world champs and counting. The Lakers had many problems, not just the Kobe/Shaq fiasco. They tried to buy expensive names to win a title and forgot what teamwork is about. But I think their biggest problem is it was just time to clean house and rebuild. They chose Kobe to be the foundation because he is a great talent player and has years to offer the franchise. If Shaq had been a rookie or sophmore it might have been a different story since most NBA franchises revolve around a big man. But that's neither here nor there and will never be. I will admit Shaq's attitude could have been different, but as PT pointed out, so could have Kobe's, Jackson's, Buss's and probably many others we will never hear about. It was just time to clean house and rebuild and that's what they did. And as PT feels about his Lakers, I will always be a Shaq fan regardless. One of Shaq's most unique qualities is he can influence a game simply by being on the court. If the defense has to worry about him inside - which they do when you are a seven foot plus monster with the power to shatter backboards - that opens doors to outside shooters and tons of other scoring options (see Kobe and Wade as examples). He's still in my opinion, the game's most dominant player (and Kobe's too) and can still lead a team to wins. Can he shoot free throws? No. Never could. Can he score, rebound, dunk and lead a team to championships? Absolutely.

 

[vampirecult]

The ONLY SINGLE number one reason why the Miami Heat are winning alot of games this year and going to the playoffs and having all this success. is because of the Big Daddy Shaq. if the Heat did not have shaq on there team this year and they did not even get shaq from the LA Lakers. they would have still been worse off this year as a team like they have been in the past years with out Shaq......

 

[tickletoy3]

The ONLY SINGLE number one reason why the Miami Heat are winning alot of games this year and going to the playoffs and having all this success. is because of the Big Daddy Shaq. if the Heat did not have shaq on there team this year and they did not even get shaq from the LA Lakers. they would have still been worse off this year as a team like they have been in the past years with out Shaq......

I hear ya Vamp, but I do not totally agree. It's Shaq and Wade playing as a team that's gotten the Heat this far. As long as they can play together and contribute with what they offer, the Heat will be tough.

 

[vampirecult]

I hear ya Vamp, but I do not totally agree. It's Shaq and Wade playing as a team that's gotten the Heat this far. As long as they can play together and contribute with what they offer, the Heat will be tough.

With Flash (D.Wade) and Shaq on the team=Wins

With out Shaq and only just Wade playing with the rest of his team mates=not so good and losing a few games here and there (like a few games ago i think they lost 2 or 3 straight games)


ps. Though i'm a Portland Trail Blazers fan i'm nither a Lakers fan or a Miami Heat fan let me just point that out

 

[ticklingfeet4fu]

Doesn't it serve Kobe and the Lakers organization right to not make the playoffs? Anyone know what Shaq will be doing in late April? I am a Knicks fan so I do not like the Heat or the Lakers. But even though I do not like Shaq I will root him on because of what the Lakers and Kobe did to him. I hope he wins it just to stick it to Kobe. Kobe thought he was the man. But as it turned out he couldn't get his team to the playoffs. I believe the Lakers did wrong by Shaq. Like I said earlier I am a Knicks fan( poor me ) so it does not effect me either way. I knew my team sucked going into the season. With or without Shaq in our conference.