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Did Kobe quit on the Lakers?


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13 points in the first, 2 points in second, 0 points in the third, and then 2 points in the 4th. That's absolutely horrific. People bagged on lebron james last year saying he quit against boston even tho he went 27/10/19 in the final game, how bout some kobe?

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Watching the Boston/Cleveland game, I still don't see where LeBron quit. He turned the ball over quite a bit, didn't shoot well, but he still racked up a statline that no quitter would be able to put up against arguably one of the best defensive teams in the decade.

 

Kobe started last night's game 6-8, 13 points in the first quarter. When the Mavericks started firing from all directions, he needed to facilitate and hope that the Lakers hit their threes. It didn't happen. When Dallas realized that the Lakers didn't have the goods to beat them without a primed Kobe, they started to close the lane, played a strict 2-3 zone, and it forced Bryant into jumpers and facilitating.

 

It's usually a stupid move against a team that has so much help, but nobody outside of Bryant came to play in Game 4, and once they decided to zone him out of the game, it was over.

 

If Kobe gave up, he wouldn't have been trying to score and set up his teammates while the Lakers were down 25-30 points.

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Watching the Boston/Cleveland game, I still don't see where LeBron quit. He turned the ball over quite a bit, didn't shoot well, but he still racked up a statline that no quitter would be able to put up against arguably one of the best defensive teams in the decade.

 

Kobe started last night's game 6-8, 13 points in the first quarter. When the Mavericks started firing from all directions, he needed to facilitate and hope that the Lakers hit their threes. It didn't happen. When Dallas realized that the Lakers didn't have the goods to beat them without a primed Kobe, they started to close the lane, played a strict 2-3 zone, and it forced Bryant into jumpers and facilitating.

 

It's usually a stupid move against a team that has so much help, but nobody outside of Bryant came to play in Game 4, and once they decided to zone him out of the game, it was over.

 

If Kobe gave up, he wouldn't have been trying to score and set up his teammates while the Lakers were down 25-30 points.

 

I agree with you, but are you saying you have not repeatedly mentioned, hinted towards, or used the series against the Celtics to say that LeBron gave up or quit early?

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I agree with you, but are you saying you have not repeatedly mentioned, hinted towards, or used the series against the Celtics to say that LeBron gave up or quit early?

Honestly, I don't think I have. If you can find it, I'll own up to it...but I don't think I ever said LeBron quit on his team. In the heat of the moment, when I was pissed, probably once.

 

I've defended him over at TLN quite a bit, as far as that goes. In fact, it happened not too long ago.

 

Also, as much as I hate LeBron James, he didn't quit on the Cavaliers. He logged a triple-double in the final game of that series, and a great amount of effort was put on the glass (19 rebounds). Early in the fourth, he dropped two consecutive threes to bring the game to within four. He also bulldozed his way to the rim with about two minutes to go in the 4th, getting a dunk out of a half court set and a screen. I've got it on my DVR, and I've watched that game probably three times since it happened, and I don't see where he quit on the team. If anything, Boston prevented him from getting what he wanted, and even though he took 21 shots, only eight of them fell, and he had 12 attempts at the free throw line, also.

http://thelakersnation.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=47509&view=findpost&p=890808

 

And this gem...

 

So if the numbers can't be provided, I really don't know where else to go with it. He took Game 6 in last year's series vs. Boston, gave them a triple-double (including 19 boards), which was a similar game to Kobe's Game 7 against Boston, with the exception that Lebron actually shot better. We want to dismiss Kobe's struggles against the same team, saying that he did what was necessary to win when he wasn't shooting good and he was turning the ball over...but we want to point out those problems with LeBron?

 

He put up 26.8 PPG on 45% FG, 9.3 RPG, 7.2 APG in that series.

 

Stat-stuffing really should only apply to bad teams. A player can't go out and stat-stuff against a great defensive team like the Celtics and Magic.

 

And beyond this, all of it is coming from one guy that a team centers around stopping. Boston and Orlando let Williams and Co. shoot all day long. While Cleveland was built just for LeBron, those two teams (BOS and ORL) were built to stop the superstar.

 

I'm pretty sure Lebron won't have as much trouble this time around. He almost fouled out the entire Celtics roster back in November (shot 22 frees) and didn't have much trouble against them in the first game of the season, nor did he struggle in their last meeting. It ended up being Wade that choked in all three games, but he has played injured in those first two.

 

Sadly, we're talking about some of the best defensive teams in the last 2-3 years. The Lakers are far from that...not even top five in the league right now (10th).

 

But, oh well...I don't know what else the Heat have to prove to be taken seriously. They are only getting better with each game they play, and for years, Ron hasn't been able to stop LeBron...not even close. It took Shane Battier and Yao Ming's help to stop him back in Houston, when Ron was on better knees. Last year, both games, and this last Christmas game, Lebron has demolished him. If we think that will change, well...not sure what else to say about it.

http://thelakersnation.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=41359&view=findpost&p=875032

 

From the same topic...

 

LeBron never lacked heart. If he did, his playoff numbers are pretty damn scary, assuming he did all of that while lacking the heart to tear up a team.

I hate him more than anyone else, but I don't let that alter my opinion on his overall game.

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No he didn't quit. He just didn't play well. Is that ok? Can a human being have a bad stretch of games for once in his career?

 

I hate Kobe Bryant, but the man just won back to back NBA Championships. Everyone needs to relax on the whole Lakers thing. If you honestly think they were going to win every year as Kobe continues to get older, you're a [expletive]ing moron.

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Again, just like LeBron for most of his career, yet most of you give him crap. You can't have it both ways.

 

I've never been critical of lebron in his playing career nor did I ever say he quit on the cavs. As you said he was still puttin his numbers up. The only thing I've been critical of was the way he did the decision. That's it. And this is coming from someone who, for most of his career, despised kobe.

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Honestly, I don't think I have. If you can find it, I'll own up to it...but I don't think I ever said LeBron quit on his team. In the heat of the moment, when I was pissed, probably once.

 

I've defended him over at TLN quite a bit, as far as that goes. In fact, it happened not too long ago.

 

 

http://thelakersnation.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=47509&view=findpost&p=890808

 

And this gem...

 

 

http://thelakersnation.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=41359&view=findpost&p=875032

 

From the same topic...

 

 

I hate him more than anyone else, but I don't let that alter my opinion on his overall game.

 

I wasn't saying you definitely did, but I have thought I've seen you say it quite a few times. Then again, it could very well have been many other members on here saying the same thing and just thinking of the wrong person.

 

Anyways, Kobe didn't give up, nor did LeBron.

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