Kobe Should Keep it in House

How about all this Kobe Bryant stuff? It's big talk everywhere but it's especially buzzing here in SoCal. I can understand him being upset about not winning but he's the one who signed the contract. And if I'm the Lakers I don't want to waste the prime years of a super star like that. Someone asked me if I'd like to see him go to the Mavericks. I used to have season tickets for the Mavs games. With Dirk and Jason Terry and Stackhouse, there wouldn't be enough shots for a guy like Kobe to come in. They would have to play with 3 or 4 balls. My take on it is, as an athlete especially a super star like him, if you've got a problem with the organization keep it in house as much as possible. Go directly to the source and hash it out. He's good, probably the best in the game. I've gone to see him play a couple of times. He can do anything and if they just got an inside presence they could turn things around really quick. After the chose him over Shaq they can't trade him. He's the guy they have to build around.

Add Comment

• Dicekmania said May 31, 2007

  Kobe has basically forced the Lakers hand, either satisfy his needs or deal him. Coming out and saying he wants to be traded then detracting it hours later makes him look like an ass.

  Reply

  
• FatMoon said May 31, 2007

  May be its because Kobe actually is an ass. After years of playing with a sour puss on his face, I thought he had actually grown up this year....guess not. Sure it might be using the media as a pawn to force management's hand and actually bring in some help. He is right, the Lakers need it. But unless he told his teammates before hand that he was going to pull this stunt, it will be difficult to recover their trust.

  Reply

  
• SBJohn said May 31, 2007

  ah Kobe....trade him to the Bulls for Deng and Gordon and let the rebuilding process begin...after the way the Lakers backed him during his rape trial they deserve better than this.

  Reply

  
• Roger_Dorn said May 31, 2007

  There is no way he's going anywhere. You know what's worse than playing for the Lakers? Playing for the Hawks, Grizzlies, Sonics, Oklahoma City, etc.
  
  John, did you play some hoops in HS or just football?

  Reply

  
  • John_Lackey replied June 04, 2007

    I was the QB of my high school team and a power forward on the basketball team (Abilene, TX)...I was so good at both that I play baseball for a living now...
• Sumit said May 31, 2007

  There's a point to which you need to go public to get heard if the administration is not doing so presently. But there's no evidence of this happening here, and to be honest, while Kobe is a superstar... that doesnt make him the owner/gm/coach of the team. You signed a contract, live it out, and move somewhere else afterwards.
  I can never tell if he's overreacting as he was another high school recruit and never went through those hard years of learning what it means to be an adult.

  Reply

  
• thdrmtngrl said June 01, 2007

  He's dug himself into a really nasty hole with this whole stunt. He has put the administration in a bad place which isn't going to turn out well for him. He has underhandedly put down all his team mates in the process of bringing up all his issues with the management. If he ends up staying he just won't have the same respect from anybody, fans or team mates. And really when it comes down to it he needs the rest of the team because no one can play the entire game alone no matter how great you are. He needs to grow the f@ck up and learn how to play well with others.

  Reply

  
• the14thjoey said June 01, 2007

  He probably shouldn't have talked to the media. Probably. But the guy has a right to be angry that the team isn't making the moves they promised him when he re-signed. Kobe did what Kobe was going to do.

  Reply

  
• Jason12 said June 01, 2007

  As much as I respect Kobe as a player, his comments are totally unprofessional. I totally agree that he should have met with Buss and Jackson before his remarks. His backtrack of his prior comments just makes look even more foolish. He should just relax and learn how to play with his teammates, he may never have another teammate like Shaq's caliber again. He should just live with it.

  Reply

  
• lightitup said June 01, 2007

  Could you imagine if Vlad was like Kobe and demanded another star (the infamous big bat) be signed or trade him? Kobe is wrong to take his complaints public on many levels. It certainly has to be counter productive to the "team" that is currently assembled. With the best player in the game as well as the best (highest paid) coach I don't see how the blame for being a second rate team can be put solely on the supporting cast. And perhaps that's the problem; they have Kobe and a supporting cast rather than a team.

  Reply

  
  • John_Lackey replied June 04, 2007

    It really isn't part of Vlad's makeup to do that. He's a great teammate.
• rayj0101 said June 03, 2007

  It would be nice to see stuff stay iin house, but it is the nature of the media beast now days. Baseball seems to be a little better than the NBA or NFL, but controversy sells. Writers want to write it and stars want to speak it.

  Reply

  
• risp2007 said June 08, 2007

  So now that Anderson will take over for Willits, do the other players speak up and question the decision? Or is it status quo to allow an aging veteran to continue to hurt the team at the expense of a guy who has positively impacted just about every game he has played in?

  Reply

  
• cincysportsart said June 19, 2007

  At what point does Kobe earn the label of "Kobe Being Kobe", following in the footsteps of Manny Ramirez? Maybe he can autograph a couple of grills and sell them on ebay to "mend some fences" there in LA.
  
  Sure, maybe Manny's antics are pretty "cracked out" -- but like you said, at least it's technically handled "in-house" in regards to trade demands ManRam has supposedly issued. He doesn't call into Stephen A. Smith's radio show and issue his demands. Sounds like Phil needs to sit Kobe down and have a talk with him about "karma". There's a right way and a wrong way to go about certain things in life...and if you keep doing things the wrong way, it's eventually going to come back and bit you in the heiney, whether it's convenient for you or not.
  
  Personally, if I were Jerry Buss, I think I would buy some European professional basketball team...in say, Prague. I would then change the team's name to the NY Knix, and get Kobe to waive his no-trade clause -- and then proceed to trade Kobe Bryant to the NY Knix in exchange for the $80 million I paid for the team. Then, let Kobe shoot it all he wants. He wouldn't have to worry about that pesky, passing thing so many great players do. Kobe would score 80 points a night, lose to the Czech All-Stars 122-80, shooting 25-92, and leading the European Lge. in scoring.
  
  But, either way, I'm sure something will get worked out and Kobe will be happy until next year and he's fresh off missing the playoffs with his new team.
  
  Great to see a class act like you Mr. Lackey "sounding off" on such a hot topic. I wish more athletes shared your better judgement in regards to their actions. Best of luck the rest of the way! By the way...is there a pitch Vladi can't crush?

  Reply

  
  • John_Lackey replied June 24, 2007

    Honestly, you'd have to throw it to the back stop. There is no question he is the best bad ball hitter in the game.