xp They've both also lost a step or three.
― Alex in SF, Wednesday, 20 May 2009 18:08 (fifteen years ago) link
I see the talent. I abhor him anyway. He invites it.
I totally understand this.
If he were not on the Lakers, I wouldn't like him at all, even if he hadn't done what he did when he did what did to that girl in CO.
He's got that air of entitlement to him that just pisses people off.
But you have to love how he and Melo were scrapping last night. Just good, hard playoff play by both of them.
― Two Will Get You Three (B.L.A.M.), Wednesday, 20 May 2009 18:22 (fifteen years ago) link
Yeah but all great players (esp. great basketball players) have that air of entitlement. Unless you are going to claim that Jordan/Bird/Magic/Barkley/Garnett don't act exactly the same way? Admittedly a couple of those dudes are/were pretty hated.
― Alex in SF, Wednesday, 20 May 2009 18:36 (fifteen years ago) link
And if you don't have that sense of entitlement then everyone accuses you of being boring (Duncan) or not caring/trying enough (Garnett again) so you're kind of damned either way.
― Alex in SF, Wednesday, 20 May 2009 18:40 (fifteen years ago) link
Yeah, I think people just hate on Kobes for having that air, plus a smugness to him. I didn't really see that in those other guys. Sort of a pretty boy hatred type thing. Add to that his three rings, his avoidance of a rape charge, and the fact that he's really rich and an international superstar, and people got some hateration going towards him.
― Two Will Get You Three (B.L.A.M.), Wednesday, 20 May 2009 18:41 (fifteen years ago) link
http://a.espncdn.com/media/apphoto/2caf8667-d4a4-4798-8e7e-b9d20c5a5a48.jpg
― am0n, Wednesday, 20 May 2009 18:43 (fifteen years ago) link
Basically, Kobe = Laettner, plus mutliple rings, off the charts talent, rape charge, etc.
Also, don't discount the fact that he came out of high school, and basically pulled a John Elway and refused to play for Charlotte.
People are just jealous. I don't see him being very public after his basketball career.
― Two Will Get You Three (B.L.A.M.), Wednesday, 20 May 2009 18:43 (fifteen years ago) link
Yeah the rape accusation is clearly the elephant in the room here which is why my question was kind of predicated on that not having occurred. Would he be quite this divisive a figure if not for that?
― Alex in SF, Wednesday, 20 May 2009 18:44 (fifteen years ago) link
spike lee can s my d
― Is because I think a lot of the music you like is flowery? (call all destroyer), Wednesday, 20 May 2009 18:44 (fifteen years ago) link
yeah, i don't need that dude cheering for the lakers
― carne asada, Wednesday, 20 May 2009 18:45 (fifteen years ago) link
"Also, don't discount the fact that he came out of high school, and basically pulled a John Elway and refused to play for Charlotte."
Haha hell it was even worse than that wasn't it? Didn't he basically refuse to play for anyone but the Lakers?
― Alex in SF, Wednesday, 20 May 2009 18:46 (fifteen years ago) link
nobody remembers or cares about that
― oj da hoosman (J0rdan S.), Wednesday, 20 May 2009 18:48 (fifteen years ago) link
since he was exonerated for the rape thing i don't think that's a big deal either - really only gets brought up for snark reasons - remember, ray lewis murdered someone, jamal lewis was caught basically moving coke - off the field things fade away with time, just look at steroids vs any type of actual crime
kobe's biggest problem is that he's seen as a selfish asshole who forced out a legendary player and hasn't been able to win a championship since - if the lakers manage to win it all this year or next year i think kobe's legacy is locked up and he's regarded as top 10 or 15 of all time
― oj da hoosman (J0rdan S.), Wednesday, 20 May 2009 18:50 (fifteen years ago) link
no, they don't.don't forget about the shaq vs kobe thing. shaq is one of the most likeable athletes ever, so anyone seen as being in a feud w/him, driving him outta town is gonna be disliked by default if nothing else.xp
― hope this helps (Granny Dainger), Wednesday, 20 May 2009 18:52 (fifteen years ago) link
Wikipedia:
"According to Arn Tellum, Bryant's agent [at the time of the 1996 draft], Bryant playing for the Charlotte Hornets was 'an impossibility.'"
I think Kobe would be a devisive figure because he generates a lot of opinions, even without the rape charge: He's young, rich, good looking, had an awesome childhood where he lived internationally, and he basically chose where he wanted to play basketball and make a lot of money, where he won 3 rings with Shaq early on.
You all may disagree, but I've heard all of these things brought up by NBA fans not of the LA area within the last 5 months.
To that last point - nobody wins championships alone in the NBA. MJ didn't without Pippen, Magic didn't without Worthy/Kareem, Shaq didn't without Kobe/Wade. If Kobe wins it this year, he'll still have had another All-Star - Gasol - on his team, and a pretty talented crew of role players.
― Two Will Get You Three (B.L.A.M.), Wednesday, 20 May 2009 18:53 (fifteen years ago) link
no im saying that the shaq thing is the biggest blotch on his career - more than the rape (it's hardly even been mentioned that he's actually going back to where it was in this series) and waaaaayyy more than the draft thing which probably 20% of the general basketball watching public remembers
― oj da hoosman (J0rdan S.), Wednesday, 20 May 2009 18:55 (fifteen years ago) link
shaq was fat and lazy! got schooled by ben wallace and i for one didnt shed a tear when they shipped his ass out. i like the dude but it was time for him to move on.
― carne asada, Wednesday, 20 May 2009 18:55 (fifteen years ago) link
I don't remember Ray Lewis murdering anyone actually (pretty sure even his friends walked with that one, didn't they?) I do remember Jamal Lewis getting arrested and charge with moving coke.
― Alex in SF, Wednesday, 20 May 2009 18:55 (fifteen years ago) link
ray lewis was caught up in a murder scandal very much in the way kobe was caught up in a rape scandal imo
Pretty authoritative
― Two Will Get You Three (B.L.A.M.), Wednesday, 20 May 2009 18:57 (fifteen years ago) link
Gotta say Kobe's not wrong here:
"...Bryant questioned O'Neal's claims of team leadership. Bryant claimed that O'Neal came into training camp "fat" and "out of shape", that O'Neal blamed others for the team's defeats, and had previously exaggerated the degree to which injuries had affected his game as cover for simply being out of condition. Bryant criticized O'Neal's public lobbying for a contract extension. He also criticized O'Neal for only taking responsibility when the team won. He accused O'Neal of threatening not to put forth his best effort if he was not passed the ball more often."
― Alex in SF, Wednesday, 20 May 2009 18:59 (fifteen years ago) link
not at all! hard for a guy like kobe who works his ass off in the offseason to see shaq get fat and "work" himself into shape during the season.
― carne asada, Wednesday, 20 May 2009 19:01 (fifteen years ago) link
shaq's not a perfect guy either - abandoning miami was horrible (the city loved him) and his public vendetta against stan van gundy strikes me as crazy immature and insecure (shaq flopped and knew it, got called out and had his 'manhood' challenged and hasn't stopped since) - but kobe could've co-existed for sure and he did force him out regardless of what the circumstances are - he put it on his shoulders and hasn't delivered yet - it's public opinion and basically fact too imo
― oj da hoosman (J0rdan S.), Wednesday, 20 May 2009 19:02 (fifteen years ago) link
i do wish THE_REAL_KOBE was more like the kobe puppet in those commercials
― carne asada, Wednesday, 20 May 2009 19:06 (fifteen years ago) link
yes. lebron too
― am0n, Wednesday, 20 May 2009 19:14 (fifteen years ago) link
THE_REAL_LEBRON is awesome - have you seen that state farm commercial where he dances in the parking lot? <3 that commercial
― oj da hoosman (J0rdan S.), Wednesday, 20 May 2009 19:14 (fifteen years ago) link
yeah that sux ass
― am0n, Wednesday, 20 May 2009 19:15 (fifteen years ago) link
trying to be like those barkley/wade commercials
― am0n, Wednesday, 20 May 2009 19:16 (fifteen years ago) link
i dig that commercial although it fails the first rule of commercials (i had to see it like 20 times before i could remember what it was for).
― Is because I think a lot of the music you like is flowery? (call all destroyer), Wednesday, 20 May 2009 19:26 (fifteen years ago) link
My fave is the Barkley/Wade/Howard one where Chuck breaks video game Dwight.
― Two Will Get You Three (B.L.A.M.), Wednesday, 20 May 2009 19:27 (fifteen years ago) link
^^this
― oj da hoosman (J0rdan S.), Wednesday, 20 May 2009 19:28 (fifteen years ago) link
no yao saying "don't be like a little BAYBEH put a waitress on" is the best
― am0n, Wednesday, 20 May 2009 19:31 (fifteen years ago) link
http://audiko.net/ringtone/yao+ming/don%27t+be+like+a+baby
― am0n, Wednesday, 20 May 2009 19:32 (fifteen years ago) link
lol youtube comments on the state farm one
VinEChase (1 month ago) Show HideMarked as spamReplydoes anyomne know the name of the littleguyplasticbag80 (1 month ago) Show HideMarked as spamReplyis that short guy Chris Paul?
plasticbag80 (1 month ago) Show HideMarked as spamReplyis that short guy Chris Paul?
― am0n, Wednesday, 20 May 2009 19:33 (fifteen years ago) link
plasticbagr8080
― oj da hoosman (J0rdan S.), Wednesday, 20 May 2009 19:37 (fifteen years ago) link
My buddy was funny about that Yao T-Moblie ad - Its like there's this 7 and a half foot Chinese Texan who is speaking English with a Mandarin Houston accent.
Eeeyit the Heyed!
― Two Will Get You Three (B.L.A.M.), Wednesday, 20 May 2009 19:48 (fifteen years ago) link
"My fave is the Barkley/Wade/Howard one where Chuck breaks video game Dwight."
Yeah Wade is the weak link in these commercials so the addition of Howard really makes this one. That said the one where Chuck is just harrassing Wade constantly after adding him to his "fav five" is the best, I think.
― Alex in SF, Wednesday, 20 May 2009 19:52 (fifteen years ago) link
I don't know - I love how Wade answers the phone on the Old School one "My Idol. How you doin'?"
He's cool, man.
― Two Will Get You Three (B.L.A.M.), Wednesday, 20 May 2009 20:10 (fifteen years ago) link
I think Barkley does most of the work. Wade's not bad, just kind of generic.
― Alex in SF, Wednesday, 20 May 2009 20:16 (fifteen years ago) link
Like could you imagine Barkley with the Lebron chalk puppet! Comedy gold!
Dr. J is kind of funny, too.
― Two Will Get You Three (B.L.A.M.), Wednesday, 20 May 2009 20:35 (fifteen years ago) link
My favorite is when Chuck says "whazzaname of dis vidiagame?"
― Your heartbeat soun like sasquatch feet (polyphonic), Wednesday, 20 May 2009 20:48 (fifteen years ago) link
Seriously though, did that guy hand-draw the cover of his Kid n Play CD?
― Your heartbeat soun like sasquatch feet (polyphonic), Wednesday, 20 May 2009 20:49 (fifteen years ago) link
You do realize that LeBron ad is the NBA equivalent of the Howie Long Chevy Ads, right?
Basically, LeBron rolling up on a less-than-Lebron dude, and saying "Your insurance is gay."
― Two Will Get You Three (B.L.A.M.), Wednesday, 20 May 2009 21:04 (fifteen years ago) link
If the Chevy commercials included Howie Long doing the K&P dance I would watch them until eternity.
― Your heartbeat soun like sasquatch feet (polyphonic), Wednesday, 20 May 2009 21:12 (fifteen years ago) link
If the Chevy commercials included Howie Long being beaten about the face with a garden trowel I would watch them until eternity.
― Alex in SF, Wednesday, 20 May 2009 21:13 (fifteen years ago) link
nice man step faggo
thawap thwap thwap *uses man step to lay bloody shovel in bed of f150*
― Get a life you owned motherfuckers. (ice cr?m), Wednesday, 20 May 2009 21:38 (fifteen years ago) link
What's sad is that I kind of loved Long when he was a player. He seemed sort of wild eyed and a bit weird (I mean not compared to like Lyle Alzado or Bill Romanowski, but still a kinda off.) But now he's like so fucking "aw shucks I just like shilling so darn much" that I just want to see the guy's face get mangled.
― Alex in SF, Wednesday, 20 May 2009 21:44 (fifteen years ago) link
My favorite part of the Dwight/Dwyane/Chuck commercial is just the exasperated way Dwight says "Aghhh!" at the end. It's like he's this seven foot tall fourth grader.
― a short guy with a lot of power (Clay), Wednesday, 20 May 2009 23:36 (fifteen years ago) link
Which if you see him interviewed he kind of seems like.
― Alex in SF, Wednesday, 20 May 2009 23:48 (fifteen years ago) link