12/21/24
October 17, 2007
24-Hour-A-Day Drama With #24: As Kobe Bryant sits out his third straight practice with allegedly tired legs, the trade speculation is off the charts in LA. Ironically, the holder of the league's only full no-trade clause asked for a trade a few months back; recently, owner Jerry Buss suggested he'd be amenable to trading Kobe. Is there any chance that the Lakers will actually trade their most popular player since Magic? Moreover, is there an end in sight for the staggering variety of Kobe melodramas that seem to consume every Laker season?
posted by Venicemenace to basketball at 02:53 PM - 10 comments
Is there any chance that the Lakers will actually trade their most popular player since Magic? Obviously anything is possible. But the combination of Kobe's no trade clause, player option, and contract are rather large barriers to any potential suitor. Moreover, is there an end in sight for the staggering variety of Kobe melodramas that seem to consume every Laker season? So long as both the National and Local news media see fit to plaster him all over the front page and the public continues to pay them to do so, no. Its a wee bit (just a wee) unfair to lay this completely at Kobe's feet. Don't get me wrong, he hasn't done himself or the Lakers any favors with his diatribes. I'm inclined to lay a small portion of the blame on the interminable offseason, where so much talk is made of so little substance. But the major sporting leagues have made such a habit of stretching out their exposure in the press and out of season that its a wonder that these sort of things don't happen more often. I agree with Lazenby's take on things. Here in L.A., the media has painted Jerry Buss as a modern King Lear perilously close to abdicating the throne. His latest comments, have rendered such insinuations moot. Ole Doc Buss is not only firmly upon the throne, he has now strapped himself in like Quint aboard the Orca. His return from supposed obsolescence has silenced Kobe and Phil, and left the media, quite literally, standing around Kobe's locker. In light of such a public stand-off, what else is there to do but idly speculate?
posted by lilnemo at 05:22 PM on October 17, 2007
The Lakers can't trade Kobe because there is no way for them to get equal value. Any team attempting to trade for Kobe would have to give up at least 3 starters, which would mean that the team would not be competitive and Kobe would ask for another trade. The Lakers need to stop sitting on their hands and make some deals before they just straight-up lose him to free agency in two seasons.
posted by docshredder at 06:33 PM on October 17, 2007
If Kobe wants to be traded he should see Mr. Buss personaly. This bullshit of using the media to trade barbs is beyond bush league. I thought the Laker organization had more class. As for him missing practice so what. Remember Shaq??? He would wait to the start of the season to have his feet and legs operated on. Thats no story. If I were the Lakers I would wait and make Kobe beg to be traded.
posted by Ironhead at 07:23 PM on October 17, 2007
I am not a Kobe (or Laker) fan and have the papers and posts to prove it. But it is a bit premature to speculate in the first weeks of preseason. Kobe has played a hectic schedule for many years, including the World Championships this offseason. Perhaps he does need a little more time off. I will give him the benefit of the doubt in this case. Kobe knows Jacksons system, knows his role and does not need the stress of extra minutes on the floor in preseason to prove it.
posted by urall cloolis at 08:55 PM on October 17, 2007
Nope. I think he's gone. Or going. This is just the preamble. I just think that Kobe knows he has 3 or 4 more good years left and this Lakers squad isn't close. There are only a few teams that can provide the package of players that the Lakers would have to get, but Dallas, Chicago and possibly Phoenix are potentials. There is little point in holding on to an NBA player when he wants to get traded.
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 10:27 PM on October 17, 2007
I just think that Kobe knows he has 3 or 4 more good years left and this Lakers squad isn't close. Hold up there, cowboy. Kobe's only 29. He's got a lot more than three or four years left. His letter from AARP is going to remain in the tubes for quite a while. I'm not sure how the whole thing will fall out, and (never thought I'd say this) but thank god for the Cowboys and Mark Cuban's stupid dancy pantsy show taking pressure off of the local media rumors. Kobe's done this time and time again. I'm not whole-heartedly against him coming to the Mavericks. Hell, how could you be against the best player in the NBA coming to your home team? If it pushes Dallas significantly over the edge of the Spurs and Suns, then do it. I'm fine with it. But more so, the whole Lakers scene is like a made for TV reality show. It may as well be Lauren and Heidi fighting on the Hills. Drama it up, big boy. Just don't be a whiney lil' so-and-so about it if it doesn't work. Sorry, Princess, dreams don't always work out how one would want.
posted by Ufez Jones at 10:59 PM on October 17, 2007
To add to the point, linky.
posted by Ufez Jones at 11:04 PM on October 17, 2007
The Lakers can't trade Kobe because there is no way for them to get equal value. Do you think they got equal value for Shaq? After trading Caron Butler and cutting Brian Grant, they ended up with Lamar Odom and Kwame Brown. Of course, this topic has a bit of "where's the beef" to it, as no specific trade is widely reported imminent; however, it seems to me that there is always some kind of frenzy around Kobe Bryant in the past few years. Surely some of this has to do with the LA media, but at this point it's hard for me to believe that Kobe doesn't play a significant role in the constant barrage of non-basketball-related issues. His ridiculous feud with Karl Malone; the fallout from Phil Jackson's book; his rape trial; his dalliance with the Clippers that played a part in the Shaq trade; and now public trade requests. At the same time, his basketball abilities are simply remarkable. Kobe is so popular for a good reason - he is an absolutely fantastic player. My assumption would be that the level of talent that Kobe possesses outweighs the press-driven annoyances that surround him, but I can also see why the Lakers might feel otherwise. So I think it's an ongoing issue that, if nothing else, makes for a good debate. It's worth noting, as well, that Kobe has a lot of miles on the odometer. Since he joined the NBA at such a young age, he has already logged 11 full seasons and 784 games. Of course, superior athletes often far exceed the career length of an average player - but are there many players with similar games to Kobe's who played more than 14-15 high-quality seasons? I don't have the statistical knowhow to say one way or another, but somehow I doubt it.
posted by Venicemenace at 07:02 AM on October 18, 2007
but are there many players with similar games to Kobe's who played more than 14-15 high-quality seasons? I don't have the statistical knowhow to say one way or another, but somehow I doubt it. Michael Jordan?
posted by docshredder at 06:13 PM on October 18, 2007
I think he should be traded for A-Rod.