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

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

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.

NBA Off-Circu... I mean Off-Season

Where to begin... If we have learned anything from this off-season, it's that anything is possible in the NBA. The photo is direct proof of that. So let's start with the free agency, and specifically LeBron "Prince" James (can't be a king until you win a ring, kid).

I can't fault James for wanting to bolt Cleveland. It has proven to be extremely difficult to draw the right pieces to help LeBron bring a championship to the Cavs. What baffles me is, why would arguably the most physically talented player in the league basically concede that he can't win it alone and play Robin to D-Wade's Batman? (Chris Bosh is Alfred in this scenario). And the way the signing was announced shows what's wrong with the modern athlete. Too much ego, not enough substance. At least he could let the Cavs know ahead of time and saved the franchise major embarassment instead of hosting a glorified hour-long special for a 1 minute announcement. LeBron needs to take a few crash courses on class, in my opinion.

But who is to blame for LeBron's overblown image of himself. THE MEDIA. For bestowing the mantra "King James" oh him before his rookie season in the NBA. For comparing him to greats of the game. (ex. Magic, Jordan and, yes, Kobe Bryant and in some cases proclaiming him to be better? Really??). We created this self absorbed ego of LeBron. Are we witnesses? Yes, to a player who did more damage than good to his legacy in one off-season than any athlete in recent memory.

I guess if you can't beat 'em, join 'em. Have fun watching the Lakers celebrate that 3-peat fellas.

-ALR

* Ed. Note - lostherod

To reiterrate the above before I go on this rant, LeBron clearly has every right to go where he wants to go. Now that's out the way...

I think LeBron doesn't have it in him, at this stage, to truly be "The Man" because his game is quite limited. He is a freakish athlete that can get to the cup at will, can get streaky from behind the arc and see the floor nicely. He is also one of the fastest players from one end of the floor to the other which accounts for those SC quality blocks.

The limits come in the facets of the game that actually make great player stand out and be great. Coming back with new additions to your game in the offseason, like a midrange, a real pullup jumper (not the dance dance revolution one), maybe some real man to man d, possibly good counter moves within the offense, just to name a few. These things make him predictable and allow defenses to swarm him and make.. well we know how his Cleveland story ends...

At the end of the day he needs someone to actually win for him cause he doesn't have that CLUTCH and Wade has proven he does. So I don't blame The Prince at all for "taking is talents to Outback Steakhouse" (The Decision, Steve Carrell). It jus shows what basketball minds already know, he is no Kobe and most definitely no Jordan.