re: Kobe is having a slightly inefficient season.

Here's all of Kobe's highlights versus the Spurs:

Sure he will. Just hold onto that Lakers jersey, clear sunglasses and white sneakers so you can see him at the arena.

I...agree.

What's the Lakers fan obsession with saying every star player will be a Laker one day? So douchey and very untrue.

I'm a Laker fan but Kobe needs to go. I can't say that I blame him for taking that ridiculously huge contract either seeing as anyone would take it. But, he needs to retire. There is no reason for the Lakers going from NBA Champions to bottom feeders in four years, injuries or otherwise. It's a mess. Why give Kobe that large of a contract? Why not trade Pau when he still had some value and surprise surprise he left when he had the chance and is playing for a team that can actually compete for and win a title as opposed to being the scapegoat for the Lakers being terrible. We haven't landed a good free agent in God knows how long. Stars don't want to play here. You think Dwight Howard would've fled after one season if it weren't for how much of an a-hole Kobe was to him? Or him knowing that he had to take a backseat to Kobe as long as Kobe decided he wanted to play? It's frustrating as hell seeing the frickery going on with this team. The day Kobe retires will be a blessing.

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You think Dwight Howard would've fled after one season if it weren't for how much of an a-hole Kobe was to him?

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I remember when everyone said Dwight would be a team cancer in Houston. Still waiting for that... He wanted out if Orlando. Who wouldn't? And Kobe was a jerk in LA. Surprise surprise.

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That game 7 everyone was shooting terribly. That was the best effort I had ever seen by both teams on the defensive side of the ball. The score was low.

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No point in speaking with these guys since I find most are Jordan worshippers .(MJ was 9-35 in his last finals appearance). Gasol was 6-16 & I think no Laker shot over 40% in that game that I can remember.

See Kobes 4th quarter stats & play in that game 7.


Kobe's bank account & rings speak for themselves & I gave up discussing him seriously.

The hate for this man is beyond weird .

Holy shite. There is an incredible amount of stupidity in this thread from almost everyone. I will try to address a few things I noticed.

Kobe has been inefficient.

Yes, that is absolutely true. It was obviously going to happen. His field goal percentage is dismal at best. However, looking at plus-minus is absolutely idiotic way to judge his season. Kobe plays the most minutes on team of a semi-functioning retards like Special Ed Davis, Jeremy Lin, and Carlos Boozer. Probably the second best player on the team is notorious chucker and overall badass Swaggy P, and he is hurt (nearing return). Even Lebron or Jordan would have a shitastic plus-minus on this walking abortion of a team. Go look at the plus-minus rankings for the season and you will find all the guys who plays the most minutes on the worst teams. Again, that is not an excuse for his garbage efficiency, but no one was going to have success on this team.

Beyond Kobe's lagging numbers in some categories, there is no ball movement, porous defense, and god awful coaching. Even if vintage Kobe returned, the team would be pretty crappy. His teammates are not exactly doing him favors. I am honestly amazed how most of them made it into the NBA.

I saw the statement that big men are the reason Kobe has won titles.

Yeah, Shaq was the best player on the three-peat Lakers, but Kobe was fricking incredible as well. He very well may have been the second best player in the NBA when the two of them were tearing up the league. How does Shaq invalidate Kobe winning a title? Does only the best player on each team get a ring? Did Scottie Pippen never win a championship? Did Wade and Bosh not win in the last couple years with Lebron? A ring is a ring. It is a crowning achievement for a NBA player regardless of their value to the team.

Plus, Kobe was certainly the best player on the 2009-2010 Lakers teams that won it all. Pau Gasol was a fantastic second option, but how are you going to discredit Kobe for those? Are you going to tell that big men carried him even Bynum was hurt during the playoffs?

Statements like the bolded one above make me question if you understand what sports are.

Kobe has never been efficient. He does not appear on the 50 highest single-season PER ever.

Sure, Kobe's highest PER is 54th all-time. However, only 17 players are in the list of the 50 greatest single-season PER. Does that make everyone else inefficient? What an arbitrary statement that honestly does not make sense. Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Jerry West, and Hakeem Olajuwon and many other all-time greats do not appear in the all-time top 50 single seasons, according to PER. I am guessing they are all inefficient players as well.

shite, only three players are in the top 11 seasons ever, according to PER. Kobe has had a multitude of season where he has had one of the highest PER in the league for that season. Sure, Kobe is not as efficient as Lebron or even Chris Paul, but that does not mean he is inefficient. For the vast majority of his career, Kobe has been a remarkable asset to the Lakers as a basketball player.

Kobe is 36 years old and coming off a torn Achilles and other injuries.

I feel like people are forgetting how old Kobe is in the basketball world. The list of good 36-year-old players is almost non-existent. Outside of Kareem and now probably Duncan, NBA players simply cannot compete at that high of a level in their late 30's. Even the great Michael Jordan was retired at 36. He came back at age 37 to score 22.9 PPG for the Wizards at a 41% clip (hmm, those numbers seem roughly similar).

So at an age when most players are either forced out of the league by declining skills, injuries, choosing to retire, or having to settle as being a role player, Kobe is playing a shite ton of minutes at age 36 coming off a major injury. Even Hall of Fame players are relegated to the bench or to less minutes outside of a select few by age 36. Plus, Kobe has to deal a terrible retread of a coach and a pathetic ensemble of teammates. Did anyone seriously expect anything out of this situation?

The Lakers would be better without Kobe.

This statement may also be true, but who gives a frick about the difference between 19 wins and 22 wins? With or without Kobe, this collection of shite players, terrible coaching, lack of talent, and lack of defense was going to be a dumpster fire of a season. The Lakers were going to suck dong this year even if 2005 Kobe returned.

Kobe may be a selfish, greedy player who is an egotistical maniac, but a lot of people had some very unrealistic expectations and/or are butthurt with respect to one of the all-time greats.

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So, anytime he's played Dwight or Garnett's team, he was covered by them?

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Do you intentionally like being a fricktard? He obviously means a perimeter defender.

You are probably one of those people who say, "tomorrow is Saturday." when someone says "see you tomorrow" on a Friday.

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Do you intentionally like being a fricktard? He obviously means a perimeter defender.

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He literally said best defender, so I'm just asking.

Oh and fricktard is a little much, go melt somewhere else.