OT: MUWAHAHAHA!!

[ABM]

http://larrybrownsports.com/basketball/kobe-bryant-livid-may-demand-a-trade/104775

Kobe Bryant is livid with the Lakers, and he may demand a trade, Stephen A. Smith said Thursday.

Appearing on SportsCenter, Smith said “I predicted that Kobe Bryant will demand a trade, and I am not budging from that. He’s livid. I’ve known Kobe too long. He is ticked off.

“It’s not just because [the Clippers] got Chris Paul, which is a guy that he expected to have. It’s because Jim Buss seems to be doing the inexplicable,” Smith said. “It makes no sense. It’s one thing for the team not to have improved [after losing to the Mavericks], it’s another thing entirely for them to regress. If you know anything about Kobe, that is the last thing that he wants to do.

“It will not be pleasant at all.”

Reporter Ric Bucher said he would not be surprised if Kobe demands a trade. He added that a GM figured Kobe would demand a trade within a month.

Anyone who finds this report to be shocking doesn’t know Kobe very well. In June 2007, Kobe wanted a trade because he was upset with the front office. He wanted the Lakers to trade Andrew Bynum for Jason Kidd and was disappointed it didn’t happen. He stuck with the Lakers and they pulled off a trade for Pau Gasol to make him happy. They reached the Finals three years in a row and won two titles with Pau.


After losing to the Mavs in the playoffs, some people felt it was time for changes. It looked like the Lakers were going to tweak the roster by acquiring Chris Paul from the Hornets, but the NBA canceled the deal. Then the front office traded Lamar Odom to rival Dallas for a pick and trade exception, leaving Kobe upset. And now we may be back to 2007 again.

It’s sad Kobe is being forced to play with some of the league’s top big men such as Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol. How dare the Lakers force that upon him. And if Kobe really does want a trade, the $59+ million he’s set to make over the next two seasons will be unattractive to many teams.

Publicly, Kobe is saying he has faith in the front office. After all, in June 2008 he said he was done playing GM once the team got Pau. You have to figure that privately he is livid and upset that his team is falling behind his competition.

 

[The_Lillard_King]

I don't think Stern will approve any trade involving Kobe Bryant.

 

[KingSpeed]

I'm in. Matthews/Wallace/Felton for Kobe?

 

[KingSpeed]

Crawford/Kobe/Batum/Aldridge/Camby contends

 

[The_Lillard_King]

I'm in. Matthews/Wallace/Felton for Kobe?

Lakers wouldn't trade Kobe to the Blazers . . . that would be like giving Odom to the world champs. Oh wait . . .

 

[maxiep]

Not that it would ever happen, but if it did, I would stop being a Blazer fan until K*be was off the team.

 

[Rhal]

Not that it would ever happen, but if it did, I would stop being a Blazer fan until K*be was off the team.

Agreed. I cant go from greatly disliking someone for 10+ years to suddenly happy there on our team. Lucky there is no chance in hell of it happening.

 

[DeanMoriarty]

I'm in. Matthews/Wallace/Felton for Kobe?

Would pull the trigger in a heartbeat.

Maybe it's because I hate Lebron more but I don't feel the hatred against Kobe like I used to. I actually grew to respect him over the past few years.

He might still be a douche but I really think, if we acquired him, he would respect Nate more than any other coach and would try to win a ring for Brandon Roy, one of the few players he respected.


Of course, that is, unless his "almost bone on bone" knees become a problem too.

 

[Rastapopoulos]

It bemuses me that any Blazer fan could want Kobe on the team. Okay, why don't you just mentally picture the Lakers as the Blazers. Then you can have Kobe on your team! In fact, you can imagine that the Blazers have just been renamed "The Lakers". I mean, if you could support a team with Kobe Bryant on it, then nothing's impossible, right?

(But to be honest, you'd be better off imagining that the Blazers are now being called "the Miami Heat".)

 

[DeanMoriarty]

It bemuses me that any Blazer fan could want Kobe on the team. Okay, why don't you just mentally picture the Lakers as the Blazers. Then you can have Kobe on your team! In fact, you can imagine that the Blazers have just been renamed "The Lakers". I mean, if you could support a team with Kobe Bryant on it, then nothing's impossible, right?

(But to be honest, you'd be better off imagining that the Blazers are now being called "the Miami Heat".)

Well, think of it this way. Think of all those annoying Laker trolls, the prissy Laker fans you know at work, the Laker moderators, the bandwagoners, the spoiled rich kids wearing Laker gear sitting right next to you whenever the Lakers come into town.

Now, imagine if the Blazer snagged their favorite player in the league from them. And then, imagine leaving their team in the gutter where, for the next 4-5 years, they have to rebuild a team just like everyone else and not just be giftwrapped some star player every year. Imagine an empty Staples Center on one night and a full Staples Center on a night when the Clippers play.

Yeah, that'd be a satisfying feeling.

If Kobe wants to join the Blazers and renounce his former ways, then I'd welcome him with open arms. It's not easy wearing piss stained uniforms every night and those who need the Portland rain to wash away their sins or the trailblazing fire to purge their sins from them, I welcome as a TrailBlazer.



Too bad he'd want to play with Durant though. Anything for that 6th ring, I suppose.

 

[Rastapopoulos]

Well, think of it this way. Think of all those annoying Laker trolls, the prissy Laker fans you know at work, the Laker moderators, the bandwagoners, the spoiled rich kids wearing Laker gear sitting right next to you whenever the Lakers come into town.
Now, imagine if the Blazer snagged their favorite player in the league from them. And then, imagine leaving their team in the gutter where, for the next 4-5 years, they have to rebuild a team just like everyone else and not just be giftwrapped some star player every year. Imagine an empty Staples Center on one night and a full Staples Center on a night when the Clippers play.
Yeah, that'd be a satisfying feeling.

So let him go to the Celtics then, that would be even worse for them and we wouldn't have to look at "the Kobe face".

Y'know what's going to be even funnier? Watching the Lakers be mediocre and Kobe NOT be traded, as the Lakers and he start to really loathe each other.

 

[craigehlo]

Trade him to the Warriors for Kwame Brown. Let's see how Laker fans like being on the other end of a fleecing.

 

[glazeduck]

Not that it would ever happen, but if it did, I would stop being a Blazer fan until K*be was off the team.

This.

 

[BBert]

Sounds like Kome is on the verge of a mid-life crisis. He's not as...potent...as he once was...he senses and fears the inevitable regression. I intend to relish his anguished slide into futility and irrelevance...the pouting...the tantrums. This will provide me great entertainment over the coming years.

 

[jlprk]

Kobe is seething at something nobody talks about, because the media is so biased toward the Lakers. And that is that their management is terrible.

When Laker fans used to criticize Bob Whitsitt's spending, I used to think, you're so good just because players want to play in the media capital. But since Jerry West left, they haven't even been getting stars to sign anymore. The advantage still exists but they haven't capitalized on it as much.

The Buss kids run it and Kupchak is a figurehead. It's a terrible organization. Kobe seethes because he can't criticize his bosses. I'd rather have Vulcans than rich Buss kids.

 

[KingSpeed]

It bemuses me that any Blazer fan could want Kobe on the team. Okay, why don't you just mentally picture the Lakers as the Blazers. Then you can have Kobe on your team! In fact, you can imagine that the Blazers have just been renamed "The Lakers". I mean, if you could support a team with Kobe Bryant on it, then nothing's impossible, right?

(But to be honest, you'd be better off imagining that the Blazers are now being called "the Miami Heat".)

I hated HATED Scottie Pippen when he was on the Bulls. But when he joined our squad and helped us win games, I cheered him on. It's a fluid league, man. Players move from team to team. Do you only root for players that we draft?? Kobe's a great player. I wan to win. He would help us do that.

 

[KevinJBonn]

I cannot stand the thought of Kobe on our team. However, if a major WC rival's star player were to be traded to us leaving that rival in shambles I would probably wear said player's jersey.

Yeah that's right. I won't say I approve unless it actually happens. It feels too dirty.

 

[Natebishop3]

Adding Kobe doesn't make us a contender. Not at this point in his career. He's too old and too used up.

 

[huevonkiller]

Adding Kobe doesn't make us a contender. Not at this point in his career. He's too old and too used up.

Really? I think Kobe has some pretty decent production in him still.

He was pretty much just as good as Rose last season. http://www.82games.com/1011/1011LAL.HTM

 

[barfo]

Well, think of it this way. Think of all those annoying Laker trolls, the prissy Laker fans you know at work, the Laker moderators, the bandwagoners, the spoiled rich kids wearing Laker gear sitting right next to you whenever the Lakers come into town.

Now imagine all of them becoming bandwagon Blazer fans so they can keep rooting for Kobe.

barfo

 

[huevonkiller]

The Lakers are not exactly horrible yet. I don't think Kobe's going anywhere unless it is some blockbuster offer.

 

[Rastapopoulos]

The Lakers will be fine this year. They'll probably do better than they did last year in the playoffs, just because I think Phil lost interest.

On any given day they can beat any team in the West, particularly since Dallas let Chandler go.

 

[Rastapopoulos]

I hated HATED Scottie Pippen when he was on the Bulls. But when he joined our squad and helped us win games, I cheered him on. It's a fluid league, man. Players move from team to team. Do you only root for players that we draft?? Kobe's a great player. I wan to win. He would help us do that.

Players move from team to team, and some remain loathsome wherever they are. I never could bring myself to root for Ruben Patterson, JR Rider or Kenny Anderson.

I never hated Pippen as a person, and there are plenty of Lakers I wouldn't mind - Pau first and foremost, because he's a great guy on top of being a great player. Kobe is certainly a great player. Well, was. He's still very good.

 

[Wizard Mentor]

Kobe needs to be patient. If I were him, I'd ask management point blank about who they're
pursuing with their trade exemption. Of course, maybe he has and hence the piss-off-dom.

edit: Of course it could be this