Moonbeam said:

Wow I wasn't aware that schadenfreude is used in English as well. I'd love to hear someone pronounce it .

And @ this thread.

That's what you get for messing with the New Mutants!

If the Patriots won the damn super bowl Boston would be holding 3 rings right now
[Edited 6/19/08 10:53am]

Moonbeam said:

Can't agree more.

CarrieLee said:

Well at least you changed that horrible avie you had

Sowhat said:

Yea, Bandwagon Fan!

How is it Karma? What was Kobe's biggest complaint last season? He wanted the Lakers Front office to go out and get him some people so that the Lakers could compete. This way other teams would and could not double and triple team him all the dang time.

Serious said:

JellyBean said:

And guess what JellyBean? Compete is exactly what they did!! All these hypocrites hating on Kobe are just mad because their team doesn't have the best player on the planet!! And, what's funny about this whole thing is the hate that you show #24 is the exact same kind of hate others show P (to which we defend so aggressively I might add). You fear what you can't comprehend. And believe me, there are few athletes who can comprehend the talent level of Mr Kobe Bean Bryant just as there are very few musicians who can comprehend the talent level of Mr. Prince Rogers Nelson!

As JellyBean so eloquently stated...how is it bad karma to have been playing on the NBA's biggest stage? No one thought the Lakers would be in the Finals at the beginning of the season. And, with the Lakers young stud Center Andrew Bynum waiting in the wings, this past season was a bonus!! Expect to see the Lakers in the Finals for the next 4-5 years!!

Don't hate...appreciate!! Otherwise, if you can't say anything nice about someone...

ThirdStrike said:[quote]

JellyBean said:

Whoa... hang on... Prince is a famous, multitalented musician. But there are a LOT of multitalented musicians who will blow your mind. P's just famous. Don't get me wrong. He's bad, but you might be astounded at some of the cats who can play a bunch of stuff really, really well...

ThirdStrike said:

Kobe is hated for his behavior on and off the court, as he has not shown that he is anything more than a petulant child with an enormous ego and a grand sense of entitlement. I would never want to have him on my team, so to insist that those who hate Kobe only do so because he suits up for another team is beyond ludicrous. The guy's actions are reprehensible.

JellyBean said:

Paul Pierce needed this for YEARS but didn't act the way Kobe did. PP finally did get his help, played on another level in the series, and got his championship. He's one happy muthafucka right now, and didn't compromise his integrity or character in the process.

ThirdStrike said:

and prince is a much worse human being than kobe.....he has cheated on all his wives...shitted on bandmates and treated people very badly who work for him

Moonbeam said:

Spoken like a trus Jazz fan!!

Speaking of which, ask Carlos Boozer or Darron Williams if they'd like to have the league's MVP on their team. I'd be curious to see what they'd say...

As for your statement about Kobe being hated "on and off the court", you couldn't be any farther from the truth. Kobe has the respect of many, many members of the NBA family...especially for his actions as a basketball player. The man has 3 rings...scoring titles...and now an MVP award. His resume speaks for itself. To say otherwise would be extremely bias and shows very little knowledge of the sport of basketball.

But, I understand. It must have been hard to accept being ran through in 6 games...the last of which was lost on your home court. But, as they say, you can't win them all...

Fauxie said:

Wait, you say Pierce didn't compromise his integrity or his character? Did you see him being carried off the court when he allegedly injured his knee? Did I say carried? My bad. I meant he was freakin' wheel chaired off the court. And this man claims to be from Inglewood...the city where the great Magic Johnson once played? They call him the "Lactose Man" around these parts nowadays. That's because he sho' did MILK that for all it's worth!! And I guess you also forgot about his trade demands over the past summer before he got the "Big Passive" err...I mean "Ticket" and Jesus Shuttlesworth to help him out. But oh no..."Lactose Man" gets a pardon while Kobe get's the book thrown at him. Does that sound fair to you?

Give me a break. There is no such thing as intergrity and character in a league where millions of dollars are involed. Believe that...

ThirdStrike said:

Yeah, it looked bad when he got wheel chaired off the court only to come bouncing back in shortly after but I can understand being scared the injury is worse than it turns out to be. And yes, he wanted away in the off-season but he didn't make the noise Kobe did. I still stand fully by what I said.

Fauxie said:

Listen, I acknowledge Kobe handled last off-season rather poorly. Hell, even I couldn't defend those actions. But, he reported to camp...made his teammates better...and helped his team win one of the most competitive Western Conferences in league history. I think that says a lot for his character and intergity. Don't you?

I guess we will just have to agree to disagree. I do respect and appreciate your allegiance to your team's players. I'm just still trying to get over that painful loss on Tuesday night.

Have a good night!

ThirdStrike said:

I'm sorry, but did I read this right? You actually compared Kobe freakin' Bryant to the Talent levels of Prince? I think the fair comparison would be Justin Timberlake. Because Kobe, just like Justin, has done Nothing original that the Great Michael Jordan & Prince haven't already done.

As far as Talent levels go. I would take Lebron James anyday over Kobe. Lebron is such a better Team player that I would have to make another thread to even explain. But, the stats are proof enough...

I'm not "Hating" at all. Actually, there is nothing to hate about. Kobe is not a player I envy or would want to be. Nobody likes him. Not even his teammates..not even his Coach. He will always be compared to MJ & will never be a fraction of the player MJ was. He will always be looked upon as Shaq's little wing man who HELPED Shaq Win a Championship. Let's get that fact straight. It was Shaq's team..Kobe just played on it.

Prince is Respected by his peers & Bandmates. Michael Jordan is Respected by his Peers & his Teammates. Kobe is well....the Guy that Nobody wants to play with. Kevin Garnett was offered a trade 2 years ago & REFUSED...Gee, I wonder why....??

So, the word "Hating" on Kobe is soooo Far off the mark. The word Karma was used because I believe that all of Kobe's crying & disrespect to his team this year finally caught up with him. If U think that just making it to the Finals & losing is a Bonus, then...whatever helps u sleep at night.

mirrorbestfriend said:

...and apparently you have no class at all, Dear .

Bishop31 said:

Again, these are the kinds of eroneous posts that really bug me. Where do I start? How about we start with the comment about KG and his "refusal" to be traded to the Lakers. First of all, the only player in the NBA who has a no-trade clause in their contract is...of course...Kobe Bryant. Now, i'm not a lawyer or anything. But, I can tell you that if the trade had been completed, "The Big Passive" would not have been able to do anything about it. if you want facts, lets' talk facts. The T'Wolves were in fact offered a deal by the Laker GM to obtain Garnett. But, if you know anything about basketball, you'd know the Wolves GM Kevin McHale...being an old school Celtic...would NEVER deal with a hated rival...especially if it would make them better. So, of course, it was a no-brained that he'd much rather deal with Danny Ainge and the Celtics. And, if you want to get technical, Garnett was extremely excited at the possibility of playing with his close friend Kobe Bryant. As a matter of fact, KG became hesitatnt only after hearing of Kobe's dissatisfaction with Laker management, and may not have wanted to come on board if Kobe were to be traded himself. So, your KG example is not even close to being truth.

As for your LeBron comparison? This one is even more comical. You said something about stats? Well, I'll make it simple for you. Kobe has (3) rings, LeBron (0). Kobe is first team all defense almost every year; James isn't even close to being on his level on that side of the ball. Sure, LeBron is an awesome offensive player. But, here again is where your example doesn't hold water. LeBron James is a close personal friend of...guess who? Kobe Bean Bryant. He's stated on numerous ocassions that he was his favorite player coming up. They are close to this day. But, I guess as you say...he's hated around the league.

But, I have to say my favorite part of this post is the part about Kobe being "Shaq's little wing man". Funny how people have selective memories. Sure, Shaq had better numbers in the post season. But, look at the stats. Without Kobe's dominance in the regular season, the Lakers don't even make it TO the playoffs. It was #24 who carried Shaq's lazzy fat ass through those 82 games. Shaq only showed up when he wanted to. Anyone remember his waiting until training camp to get his "on company time" toe surgery? Talk about a team player (or lack thereof). O'Neal's refusal to get (and stay) in shape cost the Lakers that championship against the Pistons in '04. Last time I checked, Kobe ALWAYS keeps himself in peak physical condition. Shaq's shape was always round. And please...before you say it...let's not bring up Shaq's championship with the Heat. Everyone who knows anything about basketball knows that was Wade's team, and Wade's title. Shaq was only the fat, lazy guy in the middle.

As you stated, I could dedicate an entire thread to the inaccuracies of your post. But, where would that get me? Nowhere worth going anyway. As I said before, we'll just have to agree to disagree. I can argue one thing though. Kobe may not be liked becuase of personal preferences. But, as a ball player, he must be respected. he's the best player on the planet...universally known. It's no secret. Maybe it's hard to see that with your blinders on...

ThirdStrike said:

His talent is about the only thing that is respected. Take a look at the recent NBA threads. There aren't many Kobe apologists around, because most of his actions on and off the court (including leaving the court before the game was over in Game 2) aren't worthy of defending. My opinion of Kobe has absolutely nothing to do with the fact that I am a Jazz fan (and a Blazers and Sonics fan). I just have never seen a worse role model in a high-profile athlete before.

Moonbeam said:

Really, let's explore that statement a bit...

You said you were a Sonics fan, right? If so, then I'm sure you've heard of guy named Shawn Kemp. Talk about a bad role model. If forgetting the fact that it's a bit un-role model like to have kids with just about every walking female living in the Seattle area isn't enough, you must surely remember his alcohol abuse. Oh yeah, he actually was a Trailblazer for a stretch as well. Being as how you are also a Blazer fan, doesn't the nickname "The Jail Blazers" ring a bell? Pot, let me introduce you to kettle. Wait, I probably shouldn't use the word "pot" around the likes of those guys. My bad...

Oh yeah, you said you were a Jazz fan as well. I've been an NBA fan for quite a long time, and I seem to remember a certain player who was universally known throughout the league as one of the dirtiest players it's ever seen. I think they called him "The Milk Man" or something like that. No, I remember. It was "The Mail Man". That's right. Remember him? He's the guy who didn't want Magic Johnson to play in the league any longer once he came out that he was HIV positive. I guess he thought he'd catch the disease while the Lakers were smacking them around in the playoffs all those years. And, do you also remember him knocking out David Robinson with a swinging elbow? Hell, he even tried to do the same to Tim Duncan in the same freakin' game! Talk about a bad role model. I guess to you, it was ok for kids all over the country to emulate dirty play in their neighborhood pickup games.

Understanding Kobe is one of the most polorizing athletes of our generation, please don't make the mistake of misrepresenting facts about him. People make mistakes in life. It's what makes us human. But, to sit here and judge the man for things that all of us have probably been guilty of is unfair and inappropriate. It's kind of funny. Most use the example of Kobe being an adulterer. But, where are the same criticisms of Michael Jordan? Didn't he also cheat on his wife? He also has a HUGE gambling problem, yet he's still loved.

Charles Barkley said it best when he proclaimed he wasn't a role model. If we are concerned about althetes like Kobe being a bad one, or not one at all, then we are failing our children miserably. Sure, I would gladly use Kobe's basketball skillset as a model to which my son can emulate. But, the role model part is all MY responsibility. That's the way it should be...

Just my 2 cents.

ThirdStrike said:

I agree with every word u stated.....but I still don't care for Kobe. Never will.

Graycap23 said:

And I can fully understand that. There are some players in the league I don't care for either. And, I'm sure there'd be someone like me defending them as well. It's a matter of taste. I just hate to see the man judged based on inaccurate and eroneous beliefs. But, what do I know?

ThirdStrike said:

I feel ya.

ThirdStrike said:

The dude has been a jerk ever since he entered the league. What he has said about his teammates, his management, and his overall arrogance are enough to put me off him for life.

Moonbeam said:

I can understand that. But, I can also say the dude has helped bring three championships to the great city of Los Angeles, and has been a part of five trips to the NBA Finals. Again, appreciating his athletic greatness in doing so is enough to put me ON for life!

Have a good weekend!

Moonbeam said:

U are being kind.

Graycap23 said:

Don't forget inaccurate and judgemental.

ThirdStrike said:

lol.....human traits abound.