I'd rather have Tristan or Whiteside Poll

[WiggyRuss]

LeBron turns 32 next month...lets call this his age 32 season as that makes sense.

Age 32 season: 36.4 mpg (thus far)
Age 31 season: 35.6 mpg 76 games
Age 30 season: 36.1 mpg 69 games

Kobe
Age 30 season: 36.1 mpg, 82 games
Age 31 season: 38.8 mpg, 73 games
Age 32 season: 33.9 mpg, 82 games
Age 33 season: 38.5 mpg, 58 games (out of 66 game season) (last time he played in the playoffs)
Age 34 season: 38.6 mpg, 78 games
Age 35 season: only played 6 games- injured
Age 36 season: only played 35 games- injured
Age 37 season: 28.2 mpg, 66 games- stats were outrageously bad

Duncan
Age 30 season: 34.1 mpg, 80 games
Age 31 season: 34.0 mpg, 78 games
Age 32 season: 33.6 mpg, 75 games
Age 33 season: 31.3 mpg, 78
Age 34 season: 28.4 mpg, 58 (out of 66 game season)
Age 35 season: 28.2 mpg, 76 games
Age 36 season: 30.1 mpg, 69 games
AGe 37 season: 29.2 mpg, 74 games

They simply ran Kobe into the ground. As i said above- i respect and admire Bryants toughness and willingness to play- but as we saw- he ran himself into the ground. Ducan acquicsed to the SPurs wishes- had his minutes cut and his games cut- and it paid off big time in that he was able to be a very good player up until the very end. Kobe stopped being Kobe at 34- and did not play in the playoffs his last 4 seasons.

That is why i am saying thati HOPE LeBron's ego and will to play is tempered by the Cavs- and they treat him more like Duncan then Kobe. Playing 38.6 minutes a game and 78 games at age 34 is crazy and i believe a huge reason why Kobe got hurt and was never really Kobe again. kobe was done no favors in his age 33 and 34 seasonsp laying such insane minutes per game.

 

[trojanfan12]

LMFAO clearly you don't know a whole lot about Kobe or his career. or how many injuries the guy played through. like him or dislike him the guy was a warrior. not soft like certain people I know...

Remember that time Kobe had to leave a finals game because of cramps?

Me either.

 

[Black Adam]

hmm, never saw Kobe's mommy kissing his hurts either...

 

[trojanfan12]

very very true...Father time stops for nobody- but it certainly seems like LeBron has him limping with a steel pipe to the knee! LeBron is 31 right now....i see him still being at pretty much this same level for this year and prob the next 2....looking any further into the future than that isnt really practical.

im just glad that the cavs are taking a lot of care to make sure he stays healthy and rested and is handled correctly....he doesnt need to be ridden into the ground like Kobe was. I admire Kobe for his drive to play every game and all the huge minutes he played- but i think thats a major reason the end of his career went so very badly. On the other hand- Tim Duncan and the Spurs are a very good model for how to handle an aging all time great.

It's just 2 different eras essentially. Kobe is from the old school where "if you can walk, you can play." Lebron is more the new way where guys will sit to "prevent" injury and/or to try and prolong their careers.

Kobe played for 20 years his way, but his old school mentality caught up to him over his last couple of years.

Lebron will likely play 20 years too. He may or may not suffer the same fate injury wise over his last couple of years as Kobe. But, if I had to guess, I'd say probably not (at least not to the extent Kobe did) because he has done a better job of resting and hasn't really had any significant injuries.

Looking back on it, as a Lakers fan, I wish Kobe had sat out games where virtually any other player in the league would have sat out, because I think that robbed him of what should have been a better end to his career.

But on the other hand, to do it any other way, just wouldn't be Kobe.

 

[WiggyRuss]

I just hope they keep LeBron's minutes and games played around 36 and 75 this year...and keep on slowly decreasing that going forward.....age 33 season play 34-35 minutes and play in 72-75 games, age 34 about the same etc.....
asking a 34 year old LeBron to play almost 39 minutes a game and having him play in just about every single game of course would be assinine- why ride an all time great player into the ground for an extra win or two when you can extend his prime for an extra 3-4 years by maintaining a reduced minute count and game count.

i think that is partially why he came back to cleveland. In Miami - he would have been the one carrying aging Dwade and Bosh (and Bosh obviously now we know with his issues would ahve been even worse off).

In Cleveland Kyrie is 24 and entering his prime. Love just turned 28. Those guys can have more and more of the regular season load shifted onto their shoulders- while LeBron is saved more for the playoffs---- much more like Duncan- than Kobe---- atleast that is the idea.

 

[WiggyRuss]

It's just 2 different eras essentially. Kobe is from the old school where "if you can walk, you can play." Lebron is more the new way where guys will sit to "prevent" injury and/or to try and prolong their careers.

Kobe played for 20 years his way, but his old school mentality caught up to him over his last couple of years.

Lebron will likely play 20 years too. He may or may not suffer the same fate injury wise over his last couple of years as Kobe. But, if I had to guess, I'd say probably not (at least not to the extent Kobe did) because he has done a better job of resting and hasn't really had any significant injuries.

Looking back on it, as a Lakers fan, I wish Kobe had sat out games where virtually any other player in the league would have sat out, because I think that robbed him of what should have been a better end to his career.

But on the other hand, to do it any other way, just wouldn't be Kobe.

yah...when you combine Kobe's almost pathological will to play coupled with weak head coaches- there was no way anyone was going to curb his minutes

in San Antonio you had a super-strong head coach and a much more amenable all-time-great in Duncan.

I dont see leBron having his minutes and games cut nearly as much as Duncan- but you wont see LeBron playing over 38 minutes a game anymore that is fore sure....that went out the window as soon as he came back to Cleveland. (which i think is another one of the multitude of reasons he came back to Cleveland).

 

[trojanfan12]

yah...when you combine Kobe's almost pathological will to play coupled with weak head coaches- there was no way anyone was going to curb his minutes

Phil Jackson was a weak head coach?

 

[WiggyRuss]

well what year did Phil leave? i was trying to remember....what age was

Phil Jackson was a weak head coach?

kobe when he left?-- i did sa that one year- Kobes minutes were pretty low...which was an outlier - but i was interested if that was maybe jacksons last year. his age 32 season his minutes were cut to under 34......that would have been PERFECT to stay tehre...

 

[Black Adam]

also who knew LeClown would yak even when it comes to politics...?

can the boy keep his big mouth shut...about ANYTHING...?

 

[Shanemansj13]

correct. CURRENTLY my team owns 16 titles. yours one...

continue...

Current = this year...but nice try. Nobody has won yet. The past is the past...move on.

That being said....the Cavs are still the reigning Champions

 

[WiggyRuss]

also who knew LeClown would yak even when it comes to politics...?

can the boy keep his big mouth shut...about ANYTHING...?

hey- to each there own....id rather have a guy that stands up for what he believes in then be like MJ and just be totally self interested - "republicans buy shoes too".

even if i disagree with pro athletes and their stances- for the most part- i like when they speak out and give more than just cliche bullshit answers.

 

[Shanemansj13]

Lakers bigs who are better than TT:

Randle
Mosgov
Nance Jr

In two/three years time i'll add Zubac to that list.

Delusional Laker fan

 

[WiggyRuss]

Current = this year...but nice try. Nobody has won yet. The past is the past...move on.

That being said....the Cavs are still the reigning Champions

shane....we should pitch in and order him some of those DVD's they always advertise on ESPN so he can remember what it was like to root for a team that was relevant

 

[Black Adam]

Current = this year...but nice try. Nobody has won yet. The past is the past...move on.

That being said....the Cavs are still the reigning Champions

umm, current=CURRENT. and CURRENTLY there's 16 O'Briens in our trophy case...

DO keep trying, though...

 

[Shanemansj13]

And how effective was Duncan the last couple of years?

When lebron drops down his production, the cavs start to suck again

Duncan really started to decline probably at around 37....Lebron is 32. I will take 5 more years

 

[Black Adam]

shane....we should pitch in and order him some of those DVD's they always advertise on ESPN so he can remember what it was like to root for a team that was relevant

if you'd like. but hey, if I were you two clowns i'd maybe just be happier by having that one lone O'Brien in your case to go along with all those cobwebs and dust bunnies you had before...

 

[Shanemansj13]

umm, current=CURRENT. and CURRENTLY there's 16 O'Briens in our trophy case...

DO keep trying, though...

The past is the past, but it's the only thing you have. Keep reflecting on the old days lol...it will help you sleep at night.

 

[trojanfan12]

well what year did Phil leave? i was trying to remember....what age was

kobe when he left?-- i did sa that one year- Kobes minutes were pretty low...which was an outlier - but i was interested if that was maybe jacksons last year. his age 32 season his minutes were cut to under 34......that would have been PERFECT to stay tehre...

Doesn't matter what age Kobe was when he left. The reason for the injuries later in his career was the cumulative effect of the minutes he played earlier in his career. Most of those minutes were played with Phil as the head coach.

It's why Lebron and others have started resting earlier in their careers. They are trying to limit the cumulative effect of minutes played now, later in their careers. It's actually pretty smart of them, imo. As great as Kobe was and as much as folks admire his will to play, he's also something of a cautionary tale to guys who want to stay relatively healthy and play for a long time.

 

[Shanemansj13]

View attachment 150795

hmm, never saw Kobe's mommy kissing his hurts either...

I guess his mom never loved him Makes sense since he disrespects women. BOOM

 

[Black Adam]

The past is the past, but it's the only thing you have. Keep reflecting on the old days lol...it will help you sleep at night.

• keep "reflecting" on trying to change the present. seems that's all you got...