Hero

I don't think so. If he does get his jersey retired, it'll be a time when Dr. Jerry Buss is dead or long gone. Shaq's separation, combined with the bad-mouthing and all the stupid comments he has made against the Lakers is too hard to tolerate. His joining the Celtics made it more clear the the Lakers will not retire his jersey at all. it's like the final blow to sever Shaww's ties to the Lakers. I love what you did Shaq, but you just [expletive]ed it up for everyone.

Year You Became a Fan: 1990 Why You Became a Fan: Because I used to live in California and all my friends and family were routing for the Lakers, so I joined them as well. Favorite Lakers Player, All-Time: Kobe "Bean" Bryant Favorite Lakers Coach, All-Time: Phil Jackson Favorite Lakers Moment: When everybody hated me for picking Kobe Bryant as my favorite player in 1996. I just saw something in Kobe 14 years ago what I didn't see in AI, KG, T-Mac, VC, Penny Hardaway, etc. Now look who's got the last laugh. Amount of Lakers Games Attended: None, sadly...

The thing that scares me about the Celtics is their fundamentals. They have such a high IQ when it comes to the fundamentals of the game. Yes, their game was boring, but the Celtics know how to win. And that's the scary part. Much respect to this franchise. I do hope you sweep Orlando so the Lakers can finally extract their revenge.

Amen to that. +1

I agree with Durant 100%. I know I'm biased, but I've never watched a more complete player than Kobe. His competitiveness and zeal is just unreal.

hmmm...not really. only when i'm drunk. i usually pee on my car's tires though. in the dark. does that count?

Clearly Dwight is going to get that award. Nobody else can lay a finger on Dwight.

Now that you've mentioned it, that is a great idea. I personally have never been interested in college basketball before. If someone got drafted to the Lakers and were sent to at least a year in college, I'd be likely to follow his team and see his progress. Very interesting indeed...

That's kinda like what you said at TLN lol

I thought that there may be more...maybe around 40 or something...maybe including the clutch shots he made down the stretch? I could probably compile game winner's 25 - 30...

"Tokyo - Solar TV basketball analyst Jason Webb and I thought the player introductions at the NBA All-Star Game at Cowboys Stadium was the perfect laboratory. We wanted to test Kobe Bryant’s likability with a “neutral" crowd. Measuring Kobe’s likability in either Staples Center, where he is worshiped, or in any road game, where he is vilified, just wouldn’t work. For our social experiment, the crowd at Cowboys Stadium, albeit a pro-Mavericks gathering, is as neutral as anyone can get. And so the booming voice introduced the Lakers’ alpha and omega, “From the Los Angeles Lakers, Kobe Bryant." One big part of the mammoth crowd cheered. Another big part jeered. From our courtside seats, where the crowd roar sounds like a thundering 747 jet engine, the applause and boos reverberated for no other All-Star but Kobe. In this most neutral of NBA games, over 108,000 fans showed just how much they love and hate the most polarizing superstar the league has ever known. Bill Laimbeer was the white bad guy in Steven Seagal movies. Spud Webb was a hero because everyone loved Spud. Magic Johnson and Larry Bird were never booed in All-Star games. Magic and Bird were hero and villain only to each other’s fans but to the rest of the league, they were lead stars in a decade-long rivalry. Fans who cheered for Michael Jordan loved him. Those who booed Jordan secretly loved him too. Fans’ estimation of Kobe isn’t that clear-cut. I’m sure cheers for Kobe in Dallas were genuine. I’m not so sure if jeers for Kobe were cheers in disguise. Jordan was an assassin and showman. Jordan broke hearts in New York and Cleveland as a hobby and fans there thanked him for the privilege of watching him rip their chests wide open. Kobe is an assassin period. He nails one game-winner after another and Laker fans treat him like Jordan incarnate while opposing fans despise him like he’s Jack the Ripper. Kobe Bryant speaks during the Manila stop of his Nike Asian Tour last year. Joe Galvez Even the way Nike depicted Jordan is different from the way Nike portrays Bryant. Nike made us believe Jordan could fly. Nike paints Bryant as the consummate sharpshooter; a craftsman most particular with training and technique. As a result, Air Jordan made opponents and opposing fans say, “Wow!" Black Mamba makes opponents and opposing fans say, “Damn!" Until LeBron James starts winning championships at the expense of other teams, he will not polarize the NBA the way Bryant does. Maybe Kobe Bryant is the Wilt Chamberlain of our age. He’s just too good to be adored by everyone. Even on the cover of GQ’s March issue, Bryant doesn’t come across as George Clooney - a Hollywood star born to charm. Bryant looks sleek and icy. He looks ready to win a playoff game even if it means playing in an expensive Armani suit. I guess that’s why he doesn’t win everyone over. He collects championships with extreme prejudice. He succeeds with samurai-like dedication. There is just no room for Clooney-like charm in Kobe Bryant’s winning equation." http://www.gmanews.tv/story/184639/the-final-score-our-lovehatelove-affair-with-kobe-bryant

Anyone? Kobe Bryant 40 mins, 32 pts on 13-19 (68%), 3-4 from 3PT, 7 rebs, 6 assists, 3 steals, 2 blocks Ask Kevin Garnett to post numbers like that in the next game, or better yet, for the remainder of his career. Kobe played phenomenal. One of his better games this season. It's just that the Lakers are too lax whenever he's around, which to my dismay, is really effed up. Aside from Kobe, the rest of the team flat out sucked.

Got this from TLN, thanks to Rhu for the topic! "I thought LeBron did a nice job attacking tonight,” Cleveland Coach Mike Brown said. “I thought there were a couple times when he attacked … you see a guy turn his body, you think it’s a foul. Obviously it wasn’t called tonight. Not just once, not just twice, but a few times on his drives. You just gotta keep playing and go from there, but I thought he did a nice job.” James averaged 29 points a game entering Sunday’s game and hasn’t scored fewer than 22 in the month of February. Brown wasn’t the only one irked by the lack of fouls James drew. Sunday afternoon’s game was physical and testy and the officials let it be. “I think one thing that hurts me is because of my size and my strength, I feel like I go to the hole just as much as anybody in this league, and sometimes I don’t get the benefit of the calls,” James said. “There were a few times I got grabbed, I got pushed, I got smacked, there were no calls.” http://www.orlandosentinel.com/sports/basketball/magic/os-magic-cavs-sider-b-20100221 What do you guys think?

^ oh yeah I forgot about Tatum.

I'm confounded at Mr. Terrence Moore's allegations. He's completely lost his sanity.