The Breakdown of KOBE BRYANT?

[Diesel]

http://espn.go.com/page2/s/rosen/021101.html

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Here are the symptoms:

Without Shaq roaming the lane and attracting double-teaming tactics, defenses can now afford to body-up on Kobe. That means Kobe's every spin, dribble and shot must be executed under maximum duress. The situation piques Kobe's fiercely competitive nature, and he views it as a personal challenge, so much so that he mostly disdains the rare open shot, determined to drive the ball into the teeth of the defense and thereby prove his dominance.

Dribble, dribble, spin and dribble ... follow the endlessly bouncing ball. Kobe is out to show the world that he is The Man, that the uninhibited expansion of his own genius is sufficient to overcome the absence of the Big Toe.

Phil Jackson says the Lakers will probably win only one of their first seven games.

Too bad, for the Lakers' dreadnaught triangle offense is predicated upon swift and timely ball movement, slashing cuts hoopward and, most of all, upon unmitigated unselfishness. Instead of letting the game come to him, Kobe seeks to grasp and overpower an ineffable force that only grows stronger the more he struggles to subdue it. The Game is bigger than His Airness, even more puissant than the Big Charging Foul, both of whom wandered for six years in the limbo of losers until they yielded to the mystic might of the eternal triangle.

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Kobe's me-first attitude in training camp (this was also the case in preseason games) destroyed the value of too many intrasquad scrimmages. Instead of concentrating on reorienting themselves to the triangle's basic geometries, the players' attention was focused on man-to-man competition, bickering over real and imagined fouls, looking to short-cut their way to victory, and ignoring the increasingly caustic scolding of the coaches.

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HEY KOBELOVER..

What did I tell you about him.

Not only will he shoot 38% from the field, but he won't work with an offensive scheme that has been responsible for 9 championships.

Kobe = Selfish and Can't wait til Big Toe gets back.

[Diesel]

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The turning point of the Lakers' season opener against San Antonio indicated that Phil's dour prognostication might very well come true, and that Kobe's swollen ego will not be cured by the bright lights of reality. With 4:02 left in the game, the Spurs led 77-72, but the Lakers had possession. Kobe claimed the ball at the top of the key and backed Bruce Bowen into the pivot, dribbling in a furious fever, desperate to create a shot for himself, hoping for a three-point play, hungering to be a hero.

Without Shaq holding down the paint, Kobe often tries to beat multiple defenders off the dribble.

Eventually a crowd of defenders gathered in the vicinity, leaving Derek Fisher, a dead-eye 3-point shooter, unguarded in the nearest corner, only a quick and simple pass away. But Kobe would not be distracted -- he faded and flung a brick at the hoop. The Spurs rebounded and were off and running, scoring on a lightly contested layup.

The visitors soon stretched their lead to 82-72 and cruised to the victory.

For the game, Kobe shot 9-for-29 and had six turnovers.

"Kobe looked to go one-on-one every time he touched the ball," was the post-mortem that Jackson delivered to the media. "His rare pass surprised his teammates. I can only promise that, even before Shaq returns, things will get better."

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Kobe = Selfish. Praying for the big toe to return.

[Traceman]

"What did I tell you about him.

Not only will he shoot 38% from the field, but he won't work with an offensive scheme that has been responsible for 9 championships."

The triangle hasn't been responsible for 9 championships, Jordan & Pippen and Kobe & Shaq have been responsible for 9 chamionships. Jordan ROUTINELY abandoned the triangle offense whenever he felt like it. Besides, if the triangle offense was responsible for all those championships, why have the Bulls been the worst team in the NBA since Jordan retired?

NOBODY other than Shaq and MAYBE Duncan could even make the playoffs with that cast of characters around Kobe right now.

[cyman3]

is ur point either:

1)Kobe is selfish

or

2)Kobe is not better than McGrady

????????????????????????????????????????????????

reading what u gave me, it does look like Kobe Bryant is selfish...