ryant is Lakers' only hope
Bruce Jenkins
Saturday, May 1, 2004
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URL: sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2004/05/01/SPG7I6DVCV1.DTL
We're big fans of Charles Barkley around the 3-Dot, but he got it wrong this time. He's saying it always comes back to Shaquille O'Neal with the Los Angeles Lakers, that everything else is irrelevant in comparison, but he's ignoring one of the most compelling story lines in NBA history.
In the upcoming Lakers-Spurs series -- only in David Stern's unbending world do we reach the playoff summit a month too soon -- Shaq will be outplayed by Tim Duncan in every phase of the game but the offensive boards. The Lakers will be continually flustered by Manu Ginobili, scurrying around the court like a modern-day Gail Goodrich. Tony Parker will be a little too quick, too often. Derek Fisher will continue to get too much playing time ahead of the infinitely superior Gary Payton, and the Spurs will retain their hard-earned edges in depth and team cohesion.
And yet, the Lakers can win this series. We're saying they will. Like Phil Mickelson on the 18th green or Derek Jeter snapping an 0-for-32, some stories are just too endearing to demean.
Kobe Bryant can pull this thing off all by himself. Remember, Shaq has no championship rings without Kobe. None. It works in reverse, too, but somebody has to make the twisting layups, killer jump shots and clutch free throws in the final two minutes, and that ain't Shaq.
Bryant's performance this season has surpassed anything accomplished by his idol, Michael Jordan, or anyone else at this level of the game. The man has played an entire season under the burden of an impending sexual-assault trial, and whatever your personal feelings about that night in Colorado, you really don't know a thing.
You do know that Kobe showed up around tip-off time for three different games this season after same-day flights from Colorado. In those games, he has lit up Sacramento for 36 points, beaten Denver with a game-winning shot and, in the climactic Game 5 of the Houston series, personally wrapped it up with 31 points and 10 assists.
You know that his teammates basically despise him, often imploring him to pass the ball more, then relying on his shooting like oxygen when it matters. You know he mostly can't stand them, either, or coach Phil Jackson. You know that Kobe has walked essentially alone through life, from his upbringing in Italy to his high school days in Philadelphia to his early entrance into the NBA, always a little bit different from those around him. Now there are strained relationships with his wife and parents, and when you think about it, his only true friend in life might be his baby girl, Natalia.
Through all this, the man is positively Jordan-like on the court. No feat is beyond him. There's a blockbuster movie coming up in the NBA this week, and Kobe plays the Denzel Washington role. Shaq is Clint Howard.
magius wrote:i want one of them to leave now so the obvious truth can be revealed--kobe is underrated by haters, vastly overrated by lovers, and perfectly rated by the unbias realist critic
perfectly rated by the unbias realist critic
do you really think any intelligent writer or coach is going to risk angering kobe lovers?
i mean seriosly, kobe rapes a girl
See why I stopped trying Magius?
Psycho Jackal wrote:I've made arguments as to why Shaq is more valuable then Kobe. That's what I've done. I've not said that they can win without eachother, because I just dont know that. I won't speculate. I've stopped trying to change Kobe Lovers' mind about Shaq being more valuable. You folks just dont see it. We're not discussing who can win without who, we're talking about VALUE!! Shaq demands the double, thus making it alot easier for Shaq. Kobe makes it easier for Shaq, BUT not AS easy as Shaq makes it for Kobe.
I give up.![]()
I give up.
Psycho Jackal wrote:That's why I give up...
His presence alone makes him more valuable.
Seriously, you see any other team with 150 KG of that lump?
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