Kobe Bryant, torn rotator cuff

[TEB11]

Retire already, you are holding this franchise up from rebuilding due to your outrageous salary!!!!!

 

[trojanfight]

Retire already, you are holding this franchise up from rebuilding due to your outrageous salary!!!!!

Don't say that the salary police will be along any minute now to say the contract is good for the team.

 

[TEB11]

Well, they better finish in the top in the lottery or the Phoenix Suns will be licking their chops. Nice trade Mitch! It paid dividends for ya, eh? What effin' mess this organization is in.

 

[lakersrule]

Well, they better finish in the top in the lottery or the Phoenix Suns will be licking their chops. Nice trade Mitch! It paid dividends for ya, eh? What effin' mess this organization is in.

Why am I not surprised that the ultimate negative nancy would start this thread?

Hindsight is always 20/20 right? Practically everyone was ecstatic when that trade was made. No one cared about first rounders because they were always low first rounders. Things didn't work out though. If you bitched about the trade when it happened then you can bitch about it now. Otherwise, you are being a bit hypocritical.

 

[trojanfan12]

Why am I not surprised that the ultimate negative nancy would start this thread?

Hindsight is always 20/20 right? Practically everyone was ecstatic when that trade was made. No one cared about first rounders because they were always low first rounders. Things didn't work out though. If you bitched about the trade when it happened then you can bitch about it now. Otherwise, you are being a bit hypocritical.

You have it all wrong rule. The FO was supposed to know ahead of time that Nash, who was coming off an all-star caliber season would suffer a freak injury that would effectively end his career within the first few games of the season, that Dwight would turn out to be a bitch and that Kobe would suffer a ruptured Achilles.

I swear, some of these guys remind me of Magic Johnson talking about how the Lakers were going to win the championship when the trade happened and then turning around and calling the FO a failure when things didn't work out the way we all hoped. Bunch of hypocrites.

 

[The Derski]

Kobe and Nash need to hang up the sneakers after this season. I know Nash will for sure but who knows where Kobes ego will steer him.

 

[trojanfan12]

Kobe and Nash need to hang up the sneakers after this season. I know Nash will for sure but who knows where Kobes ego will steer him.

Agree on Nash. I think Kobe actually came back to soon. The rotator cuff should heal soon enough that he can get back into his usual off-season workout routine that he hasn't been able to do during the past 2 off-seasons.

I'd like to see what he can do next season when he's had a chance to have his normal off-season routine.

 

[Rambunctious]

Kobe is done. He was great but that was then and this is now. I also think Scott was the wrong man for the job.

 

[OutlawImmortal]

Don't say that the salary police will be along any minute now to say the contract is good for the team.

Lord knows you need it because you know nothing about salary cap.

 

[trojanfight]

Agree on Nash. I think Kobe actually came back to soon. The rotator cuff should heal soon enough that he can get back into his usual off-season workout routine that he hasn't been able to do during the past 2 off-seasons.

I'd like to see what he can do next season when he's had a chance to have his normal off-season routine.

im in favor of him stepping down. he said himself he wouldn't keep playing if he was a subpar player. its been said he had been considering retirement before this injury and doesn't care about the money. ovbviously if he did retire the team could use that money on other players.

 

[SJ76]

If he start the all star game, he's got to be the selfish player ever.

If he's truly hurt.


Bulls Clubbing the Spurs right now. Defense is back!

 

[ANGELAKERAMS]

I hated both deals when the happened.

2 1st rounders for an old PG with a history of back problems was waaaaay too much.

And giving Kobe that amount of money after he was already injured and they weren't sure how he would come back and what type of player he could be when he did was ridiculous.

I love Kobe for everything he's done, but anybody who was thinking rationally ( and long term ), knew that contract would be an albatross.

 

[tomodach10]

I hated both deals when the happened.

2 1st rounders for an old PG with a history of back problems was waaaaay too much.

And giving Kobe that amount of money after he was already injured and they weren't sure how he would come back and what type of player he could be when he did was ridiculous.

I love Kobe for everything he's done, but anybody who was thinking rationally ( and long term ), knew that contract would be an albatross.

I agree with you on the Kobe contract. That was stupid, but the Nash pick up was very understandable. They wanted to win at the time and they felt with Howard and Nash, the would win another championship. Bad luck killed that chance.

 

[trojanfan12]

im in favor of him stepping down. he said himself he wouldn't keep playing if he was a subpar player. its been said he had been considering retirement before this injury and doesn't care about the money. ovbviously if he did retire the team could use that money on other players.

The problem is that he was actually playing at a pretty high level (when he played) especially when he looked to distribute more as it was also opening up shots for him. We were starting to see a little more of the "good Kobe" before this injury.

Part of the problem too was that Byron played him too much, early in the season, which Byron admitted to in a recent interview.

My hope is that one of 2 things happens.

1.) My preference would be to see him rehab the rotator cuff, get his normal off-season workout in, the Lakers improve the talent around him and he gets one last playoff run before riding off into the sunset. I think he deserves to go out on his terms.

2.) If he just can't do it, then go ahead and retire soon enough that the Lakers can use the cap space that would be freed up.

The worst thing, imo, would be for him to do the rehab, etc. and then decide to retire just before the season starts. I'd understand if it played out that way as I expect that he'd want to give himself every chance to come back, but it would suck for next season.

 

[Retroram52]

Some of this depends on whether Kobe has to have surgery to repair the tear. Normal procedure is to have surgery. Now I see some stories that the injury may not require the knife. Don't know what to believe at this juncture.

 

[SJ76]

Doesn't Kobe have to get more points to be in the top 3 of scoring all time? Like #2 #3 or #4 is really gonna matter when it's all said and done.

 

[Hangman]

Kobe out for season per ESPN
NBA Kobe's season expected to be over - ESPN

 

[OutlawImmortal]

I was about to make a joke about how Kobe's too old to dunk but it turns out that really was the play that did it. Burned the defender and jammed it, he looked like he did a few years ago before the Achilles for a moment. Then he grabbed his shoulder.

The high volume of minutes probably did him in. I was hoping before the season that Scott would be cautious with him but Kobe was playing well most nights. Kobe and Scott were focused on winning too many battles and not on winning the war. I have no doubt that Kobe will come back from this, but the Kobe who plays 35 mins a night for 82 games and tries to carry his team to victory is completely in the past now, that much is clear. The Spurs and Pop have done an amazing job prolonging the longevity of their stars by making sure to give them enough rest, the same type of game plan needs to be used with Kobe from here on out.

It is looking really likely that next year will be Kobe's final year, the day he hangs them up will be a sad day whether you love him or hate him. When he hangs them up the NBA will lose one of the last few stars with that old school mentality and warrior-like competitiveness.

 

[TEB11]

I don't see this being a negative thread what so ever, I see it as a true fact. Some of you guys just won't admit that this franchise is in shambles and has been since the Mavericks series in which I predicted it would be. I wish CBSsportsline.com was still in tact so I could refer you to the threads that support my statements. When the Lakers get back to being an elite franchise, I will comment appropriately, but they are a long way from it thanks to poor decision making by our current ownership and front office, period!

 

[TEB11]

.....and lakersrule, do your research before shooting off at the trap. I hated the Steve Nash deal!!!!!