Kobe To Critics: "Kiss My A__"

At times this season, The Los Angeles Lakers haven't consistently played like a championship caliber team. They have some rather ugly losses to so bottom tier teams (Sacramento, ) and recently there hase been talk regarding being motivated and trade rumblings from critics all over the place. Per this report and video from Lakers.com, Kobe Bryant offered his 2 cents on the criticism:

“Don’t know, don’t care. People that criticize can kiss my a–. I don’t give a s—. I really don’t. I keep the train moving, we’re going to keep on moving, and in June, they’ll say nothing. But now, it’s good talk."

I have a lot of respect for Kobe's bluntness. Sometimes the best answer is the straight forward one as it dispels any chance of being misquoted or misunderstanding. These latest quotes show that Kobe and the Lakers are focused on the bigger picture which is winning a third straight championship. And coming from a player that has seen the NBA Finals 7 times in his career (winning 5), you have to think Kobe knows what it takes to get back there.

I'm sure there will be tons of people who will again take his comments and say Kobe is an arrogant ball hog who isn't "clutch", but in the NBA Finals who would you rather have on your team, a guy that's complete focus is on winning or someone who would rather say & do all the politically correct things to please the critics?

I rest my case.

-ALR

Video: Official Kobe Bryant "The Black Mamba" Movie Trailer #2 Feat. Kanye West

Here is the second trailer for Nike's "Black Mamba" movie, starring Kobe Bryant, Danny Trejo, Bruce Willis and KANYE WEST. You can check out the first trailer here.



Gotta love Hollywood. Now if the Lakers can just a couple games against top teams, all would be right in LaLa Land.

-ALR

Sports Guy Bill Simmons and Henry Abbott: 'Kobe Bryant Isn't Clutch'

"No country for stat geeks..."

That thought raced through my head while listening to the most recent B.S. Report from Bill "The Sports Guy" Simmons of espn.com. He and guest, Henry Abbott had crunched the numbers and deduced that despite what your lying eyes (and record books) may tell you, it isn't a great idea to have Kobe Bean Bryant take the reigns of the Los Angeles Lakers' offense down the stretch of a game.

"He's not good." Abbott said at around 2:50 into the podcast. "He's too selfish. He's too much of a ball hog, and the Lakers actually end up being an average crunch time team, even though they have the personnel to be the best offensive team."

Abbott, who presides over True Hoop Blog (also on espn.com), recently wrote that despite all the praise from his peers, opposing GMs, and even critics, Bryant is a bad option in the proverbial clutch.

"Ask me, though, (as Ryen Russillo did last week and Mike Trudell the other day)," Abbott wrote. "And I'll tell you I don't know who's the best, but with all due respect to Bryant's amazing abilities scoring the ball, there's zero chance he's the king of crunch time."

On the podcast, both Abbott and Simmons almost sounded mystified as to why anyone would believe Bryant would be considered a viable option in the final five minutes of a close NBA game. They cited PER statistics, that placed Bryant below average in the crunch time statistical category. In fact, they deduced that Carmelo Anthony and Dirk Nowitzki are both head and shoulders above Bryant in likelihood of coming through in clutch situations.

This despite, as Abbott surveyed, 79% of NBA's GMs saying they wouldn't want Bryant to have the ball against their team in a clutch situation. The ninth straight season that he's "won" that praise.

Abbott argues that Bryant takes a lot of tough shots, and dominates possessions, even going as far as to call him a "ball hog".

Simmons, a lifelong Boston Celtics fan, and an admitted detester of Bryant as a player and a person, says that the two are simply doing the sports world a service by "attacking a false narrative about their career."

Both Simmons and Abbott agreed Bryant was a great player, but "clutch" he was not.

My question: Do you really trust Carmelo or Dirk more in the clutch than you trust Kobe? Because I don't.

Bryant has a flair for the dramatic. Just last season, Bryant added six game-winning shots to his resume', further pushing the "narrative" that he is the NBA's premier clutch performer.

Abbott, an admitted stat geek, used a "Game on the Line" compilation that measured performances when "trailing by one or two points, or tied, in the final 24 seconds of regular season and playoff games since 1996-1997, with a minimum of 30 shots."

Anthony came out on the top of the list, connecting on 21 of 44 attempts, a 47 percent clip.

Bryant was 36 of 115, 31 percent. Case closed, right?

As Charlie Murphy would say, "Wrong!"

Bryant's stats by that particular measurement, aren't that impressive, until you realize that the total number of NBA titles won by the 26 players ahead of him is 5; four by Tim Duncan (23 of 62, 37 percent) and one by Glenn "Big Dog" Robinson (14 of 36, 38 percent). Throw Robinson's out since he didn't play in the clutch (or much at all) when the San Antonio Spurs won their last title, and all the titles are with two players who both shoot below 38 percent with the game on the line.

Another look at the list shows that aside from Anthony and Nowitzki, the list isn't exactly a sampling of the NBA's most elite players from 1997 to today. From 2-27 (Kobe) there is Chris Paul, Shawn Marion, Brandon Roy (decent start), Hedo Turkoglu, Rashard Lewis, Big Dog (WTF), Deron Williams (Okay again), Mike Bibby (Negro no), Dirk, Jalen Rose, Duncan, Eddie Jones (Really didn't see that coming), Karl Malone (Playoffs included? Really?), Ben Gordon, Chris Webber, Raymond Felton (Weirdest stretch), Lebron James (Hey, an elite player!), Ray Allen (No doubt), Gilbert Arenas, Vince Carter, Steve Francis, Damon Stoudamire, and Nick Van Exel.

Of those names, I would pull out four (Dirk, Ray, Lebron, and Duncan), maybe five (Vince Carter, because his 31 of 96, 32 percent is very close to Bryant's) can be included in an argument of being as clutch than Bryant. But none could be considered more clutch.

Much of Abbott and Simmons' criticisms of Bryant in crunch time centered around the degree of difficulty of the shots he takes.

"Kobe wins the 'who can take the most impossible crunch time shot and actually make it'," said Simmons. "He's the best guy since Larry Bird. One-point-eight seconds on the clock, double-teamed, falling out of bounds, he's the one you want taking (the shot)"

So what is your argument again? I thought you said he wasn't clutch.

Abbott was adamant that the Lakers high powered offense became below average down the stretch of close games, going from 109 points per 100 possessions, to 82 points per 100 possessions. He attributed the decline to Bryant's ball hogging and abandoning of the offense.

But what about the defense? Can it not be said that if a game is close, and a team is inclined to want the win, they step up the defensive effort? It's only logical that the offense won't operate as smoothly in that situation, but to a stat geek, I imagine it does not compute.

It has been said that you can get a statistic to prove whatever point it is you want to, and I find no truer NBA example than this argument. I love Simmons' work as a writer and a podcast pioneer. I know his passion for the NBA is genuine. I respect Abbott's tireless coverage of all things NBA. But we're all capable of being blinded by bias. Neither cares for Bryant's style of play, which is admittedly an acquired taste.

But it isn't dogma that leads people to believe Bryant is clutch. Clutch is subjective, and the subjective cannot be swayed by numbers alone. The times he's actually come through (36) are more than anyone else during his 15-year career. Add to that the fact that he's attempted more of those shots (115) than anyone else, and take for granted that people know what they're seeing when their seeing him play.

It's not about PER, or any saber mathematics, or being a ball hog. It's about getting the job done when all the chips are down, and Kobe Bryant has done it better than anyone else throughout his entire career.

Official Kobe Bryant "Black Mamba" MovieTrailer

If you remember, about a week ago we brought you a couple short teasers for a Nike movie starring Kobe Bryant. Below, you can check out the full thirty second trailer for the production, directed by Robert Rodriguez (Sin City, Machete) and will also feature Bruce Willis (-_-)...



So we got Bruce Willis, zombies, and Kobe getting buckets. About what should be expected from Hollywood, right? You can check for the flick during All-Star weekend which also just happens to be out in Los Angeles this year.

And by the way, Kobe is still top 3 in the league.

-ALR

Video: Rare Footage of Kobe Bryant's HS Senior Season

Found this video of rare footage of the Los Angeles Lakers and future Hall of Famer Kobe Bryant on youtube. The video highlights Kobe's championship senior season while playing for Lower Merion High School in Pennsylvania, right before Bryant declared for the NBA draft in 1996. The rest, as you know, is history (and still being wwritten):



You can see flashes of Kobe's skill even back then. Goes to show, you can't teach greatness. You're either born with it or you're not. Enjoy.

(S/O to @jose3030 for the heads up on the vid)

-ALR

Video: Kobe Bryant Two-Handed Dunk In Traffic vs. Oklahoma City

But they say Kobe is washed up and has lost a step or two...



Kobe Bryant at 32 >> 95% of the players in the NBA. Yeah, I said it.

-ALR

Video: Leaked Trailers For Kobe Bryant's New Movie

This is easy to piece together; the Lakers play in Los Angeles, the home of Hollywood. Kobe Bryant is one of the game best and most recognizable players (if not the biggest). So it's only fitting that Nike and director Robert Rodriguez team up for a viral movie to be released during all-star weekend, which will be hosted at Staples Center in February. Here is some info about the film, per this report by the OC Register's Kevin Ding:

The movie will be released – and figures to go viral, Nike surely assumes – in its entirety in mid-February at All-Star weekend, when the game for which Bryant is the leading fan vote-getter will be played at Staples Center. It is all being done as a promotion for the Zoom Kobe VI shoe and Bryant’s new “True Colors” apparel line.

The movie will be billed this way: “The world’s best basketball player. … Biggest challenge yet. … Kobe Bryant is the Black Mamba. … A Robert Rodriguez film.”

Another day, another distraction maybe? I would say yes but if you think about it, how many Phil Jackson coached teams were without drama of some kind? And the man HAS won 11 championships, so he just might know what he's doing when it comes down to it.

Here are a couple short trailers for the movie. Enjoy.





-ALR

Kobe Admits He's Not In His Prime, But "Still Running With These Young Pups"

Fifteen seasons in the NBA. One thousand and sixty-one games played. Thirteen playoff appearances, including seven in the NBA Finals. Twelve all-star appearances. You can go one and one with the resume of Kobe Bryant before you stop to realize that he's done all of this before the age of 33. Even more amazing is that he is still arguably one of the best players in the NBA. Per this story seen over at the OC Register, Kobe comments on his age and physical ability:

"In my prime, I couldn't do the things Dominique could do," Bryant said.

"I should be nowhere near playing at the level I'm playing at right now, 15 years into the league, the draft class that I came in," Bryant said. "I'm still running with these young pups."

Basically what he is saying that he may not be as quick or be able to jump as high as he could in his younger days but Bryant is still more than capable of dominating a game, as he displayed while scoring 30 points in the final 19 minutes of a victory against the Warriors Wednesday night. There is a big difference between physical prime and mental prime, as Kobe pointed out after the Warriors game;

"It doesn't matter who's on me. Go time is go time. ... You've got a responsibility to your team to try to come through in those situations and make the right play. Tonight, I did that."

That kind of mentality is exactly why as long as the Lakers have Kobe Bryant on the floor they are a title contender. You can stack your squad with all-stars (Miami, anyone?) but if those players don't have that competitive fire it may not be enough. I think we really take for granted how great of a player Kobe truly is.

Oh and for everyone that thinks Kobe is washed up; how does 25 ppg, 5 rpg and 5 assists with 9 fingers and a bum knee in your 15th season sound? Sounds like greatness to me.

-ALR

Kobe to Carmelo "Do What Makes You Happy"

With all the latest buzz regarding Carmelo Anthony's future with the Denver Nuggets (there is a rumored 17 player blockbuster trade brewing) Kobe Brynat, one of 'Melo's best friends in the NBA, has some advice to lend the pending free agent superstar. Per this story on newsday.com, Kobe says he has told Carmelo to "do what makes you happy". Here is a little of the story:

Anthony has been extremely careful with what he says and does, mainly because he wants to avoid the firestorm of criticism and backlash that met LeBron James when he left Cleveland for Miami last summer. But Bryant said Carmelo shouldn't be concerned about pleasing everyone.

" LeBron did it, and obviously, the way he went about it -- a lot of people off," Bryant said. "But the core of the decision was that he wanted to do what made him happy. I think Carmelo should do the same thing."

Granted, Carmelo has taken the high road in the media and repeatedly said that he has never requested a trade, but EVERYONE knows the chances of him being a Nugget for the 2011-2012 season are slim and none. I for one can't blame him as the Nuggets just don't seem to be able to get past the top teams in the west and an opportunity to play for the Knicks might be too good to pass up. The NJ Nets have been the team most actively pursuing Anthony and with them moving to Brooklyn soon that may not be a bad choice for Melo either, but they don't have the flair or complimentary star power offered by the Knicks (Amar'e Stoudemire is kinda good).

Kobe took a lot of heat back when he made trade demands before deciding to stay with the Lakers, but if you remember all he was saying was that he wanted the Lakers to be committed to improving their chances of competing. I wouldn't doubt Melo feels the same way but just doesn't see it happening in Denver. Either way, whoever lands Carmelo Anthony would be getting one of the top scorers in the league, hands down.

And as long as Carmelo is happy with his decision that is all that really matters, right? Unless you're a Nuggets fan (but nobody really cares about them anyway)

-ALR

Kobe Bryant On Passing Torch To Young Stars "I Ain't Passing Sh--"

A lot of people really don't like Kobe Bryant. Maybe it's because of the cocky attitude he displayed during his early years in the NBA. Maybe it's the dismissed rape charges he had to endure back in 2003. Or maybe it's because some blame him for Shaq's exit from the Lakers. But like him or not, you have to respect the man's talent and drive. Kobe is hands down the most competitive player in the NBA and arguably the best basketball player in the league but there is a number of young talent in the NBA that has shown a  lot of promise, including Chicago Bulls PG Derrick Rose, with whom Bryant had a brief conversation with following a Lakers victory last month.

Per this story by Chicago Tribune's K.C. Johnson, when Kobe was asked if the conversation had some type of passing the torch symbolism to it, Bryant had this to offer regarding the question and regarding the all-star:

"Oh, sure, but I ain't passing (expletive)," Bryant said.

Asked if Rose has to come take the torch from Bryant, the Lakers' superstar smiled.

"He can certainly try," Bryant said.

Otherwise, Bryant lauded Rose's development and noted his developing killer instinct.

"I just told him to stay healthy and continue the job he's doing," Bryant said of their November postgame talk. "I don't think you can develop (a killer instinct). You either have it or you don't. He's had it since he was in high school.

"That quality separates players I think. With players of equal ability, it's about the engine you have inside. It certainly gives him an edge."

You can feel the competitive fire of Bryant in the connotation of the response. You can also see that Kobe has kept an eye on the younger players coming into the league trying to take his "juice". That is the mentality of a true winner; knowing your opponents and doing everything you can to stay at the top of your game.

Bryant is 32 and is currently in his 15th season in the NBA. Some say his skills are on the decline as he has a lot of miles on his body but Bryant is still second in the league in scoring and continues to play at an extremely high level. Declining skills? I don't see it that way.

The Lakers play the Bulls tonight in Chicago and the game will be broadcast on ESPN. Should be fun to watch two of the best go at it on a national scale.

-ALR

Now Kobe Wants to be the Grinch?

As if the MJ comparisons weren't enough, it seems Kobe Bryant is attempting to emulate another legend.

The Basketball Jones reports Kobe will be rocking Dr. Seuss-inspired sneakers for the Los Angeles Lakers Christmas Day matchup against the Miami Heat. Often accused by opponents and teammates of having a heart two sizes too small (ba-dum, ching!), Bryant will debut the Nike Zoom Kobe VI, and attempt to steal Christmas cheer from Lebron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh. (No word on whether Eric Spoelstra will be involved.)

Check em out.

Kobe Bryant Says He Mentored By The King Of Pop

Nice read right here from yahoo sports' Adrian Wojnarowski.... According to this interview, Los Angeles Lakers great Kobe Bryant says he was mentored by none other than the legendary Michael Jackson during his rookie year (Bryant was right out of high school and 18 at the time). Here are some quotes from the interview:

He noticed I was getting a lot of [expletive] for being different,” Bryant said. “It sounds weird, I guess, but it’s true: I was really mentored by the preparation of Michael Jackson."

“We would always talk about how he prepared to make his music, how he prepared for concerts,” Bryant said. “He would teach me what he did: How to make a ‘Thriller’ album, a ‘Bad’ album, all the details that went into it. It was all the validation that I needed – to know that I had to focus on my craft and never waver. Because what he did – and how he did it – was psychotic. He helped me get to a level where I was able to win three titles playing with Shaq because of my preparation, my study. And it’s only all grown.

“That’s the mentality that I have – it’s not an athletic one. It’s not from [Michael] Jordan. It’s not from other athletes.

“It’s from Michael Jackson.”

Despite all the corny and cheesy jokes some will make of this, if you actually pay attention Bryant is dropping some knowledge for some of the youngsters. Being great is all about preparing yourself to be great, then executing. This theory can be applied to all facets of life, not just musical or athletic.

The article also goes on to say this...

And you won’t be the one to stay too long, to make them rip the jersey off your back?

“Just thinking about some of the guys that I take advantage of now, taking advantage of me later – that doesn’t sit too well with me,” Bryant said.

That's a warning for anyone trying to take Kobe's crown as arguable the best player in the NBA.

Take a few minutes and read the full article. It's a great read if you can seperate the accidental comedy aspect of the subject and find the true meaning of the words that were spoken.

But isn't what what being an adult is all about?

-ALR

Denver Nuggets Coach Says Kobe Bryant is "The Jordan Of This Era"

Per this story by the Denver Post, Denver Nuggets head coach George Karl, one of the longest tenured coaches in the NBA, had some very high remarks at today's shootaround regarding Lakers star guard Kobe Bryant, before the Nuggets play the Los Angeles tonight on TNT:

“He’s a top-5, top-10 player in all-time. He’s established himself of the Michael Jordan of this era. His excellence and championship mentality is pretty obvious almost every night he plays, and I think that’s what fans want to see.”

That's quite a compliment from Karl. We all have heard the comparisons to Kobe and Michael Jordan and for a coach who has had to gameplan against both players to make such a comparison is definitely saying something. Karl has been a NBA head coach since 84-85 and has a career winning percentage of almost .600 so he might know a little bit about what he's talking about.

The defending champion Lakers are 8-0 so far this season and off to their best start in years, while the Nuggets are currently 4-4 and coming off an embarrassing 144-113 loss the Pacers back on 11/9, although the Nuggets always play the Lakers tough in the regular season. Expect tonight's matchup to be a good test for the Lakers.

But we'll save the Kobe/Jordan debate for another day...

-ALR

"What, Me Worry?" Why The Los Angeles Lakers Are Still The Favorites

The picture above is probably the face Kobe Bryant made when someone told him the Miami Heat were the favorites to win the NBA title. I guess some people assume that adding three high priced free agents was enough for the Heat to leap-frog the Los Angeles Lakers as the league's best team. Those same people probably fail to realize that the Lakers have three consecutive NBA finals appearances, winning the last two. Sure, Miami adding #6 (what we at "The Blog" refer to as LeBron James) and Chris Bosh as well as retaining Dwayne Wade was impressive, but you would be silly to overlook the the additions the NBA Champs made over the summer as well.

First things first, Kobe will be back healthier this season after knee surgery and a lot of rest in the off season. Late last season it was apparent that Bryant was not 100% and he still managed to average 27 ppg, 5 boards and 5 assists. Along with Kobe resting, Pau Gasol decided to take the summer off and come back fresh to start the season. Gasol looked a lot more aggressive in the preseason and the opener Wednesday, scoring a team high 29 points. With Andrew Bynum recovering from knee surgery (what else is new) expect  Gasol to be leaned upon heavily in the paint until Bynum's return (looking like sometime in mid November).

Another player who benefited from the summer was Lamar Odom, who has been playing with a new confidence after his Team USA experience. Regardless of his inconsistency, Odom is one of the most versatile players in the NBA; a 6-11forward who can dribble like a guard and rebound with the best in the league. If he can keep this up all season he could be a problem. Ron Artest comes back in top shape and should be better this year than last season now that he has spent a year in the triangle.

As for additions, the Lakers had a quiet but solid off season, adding point guard Steve Blake and forward Matt Barnes. Blake is an intelligent, pass-first point that limits turnovers and can knock down an open jumper (see here from Wednesday). He is a definite upgrade over Jordan Farmar. Matt Barnes is a scrappy defender and just does the little things every team needs to win. The Lakers also drafted well, picking up Devin Ebanks (a better version of Trevor Ariza) and Derrick Caracter in the 2nd round. The two rookies may play significant roles throughout the course of the season.

So have the Lakers done enough to return to the Finals? Yes get my vote. They have all of the pieces back from last year's squad as well as some nice additions. A top seed in the Western Conference and a strong playoff push is very much feasible (SAT vocab word there). Whoever the Lakers face in the Finals is definitely in for a battle.

-ALR