With No Other Options, Kobe Plays the "Trade Me" Card

By Craig Kwasniewski

Now that I've calmed down a little and listened to portions of the Stephen A. Smith, Dan Patrick and the PMS (BTW - a very good interview, they even find the time to bash on Kobe's duet with Tyra Banks) interviews of Kobe Bryant, here's a few thoughts:

Kobe seems about 50-50 on wanting to be traded. To me it sounds like he's doing everything he can to make changes with the Lakers' roster. Given that he's locked up in long-term contract the only play he has left is to ask to be traded.

Right after the season, when Kobe went public with his demands for the Lakers to improve their talent, the front office countered by throwing out the injury card. They claimed that when healthy, the Lakers were an upper level team (not true). Jim Buss (Jerry's son who's in line to take control of the team) was even bold enough to state that the present roster is a minor deal from title contention. (Of course that "minor deal" is a Kevin Garnett acquisition along with Tim Duncan, Dirk Nowitzki, Dwyane Wade and LeBron James all retiring this summer.) The front office basically took the angle of "let Kobe rant out his anger and he'll eventually buy into the company plan."

But Kobe didn't want his demands to go unheard. He didn't believe that signing a point guard like Steve Blake would make this Laker team a contender. He needed the Lakers to understand that his demands are serious. Mix in a soon-to-be-available Jerry West and voila... Kobe has a nice solution right under his nose.

So over the weekend, Kobe asks that Jerry West come to the Lakers to save the team. Never mind that West left because he didn't get along with Phil Jackson or that he was uneasy with Jerry Buss handing the team over to his son Jim or that Jerry West had no intentions of replacing his former protégé and friend Mitch Kupchak, Kobe wanted The Logo. Oh did I mention that he's 69 years old? Not really the type of age for the day-to-day demands of running an NBA franchise.

Anyway, I like the idea of West coming in to save the day, I just can't see it happening. I think Kobe also understood how unrealistic it was and he played the only card he had left... fix this team or trade my ass!!!

After learning the hard way (Eagle, Colorado and the post-2004 Laker dismantling), Kobe's become very media savvy. He's portraying himself as the victim here so he's not coming off as a spoiled, bitter player (read: Vince Carter).

The big question out there... who's the "Laker insider" that, according to Kobe, placed the blame of Shaq's departure squarely on Kobe Bryant. I'm guessing it's either Jim Buss or his trusted Laker adviser Ronnie Lester.

The big picture is the impending power vacuum within the Laker franchise once Jerry Buss gives up the reigns. On one side you have Jim Buss and Ronnie Lester, nepotism and his trusty side kick, locking up against Mitch Kupchak, Phil Jackson and Jeanie Buss. Mix in the potential Jerry West wildcard and Kobe's discontent and you have a VERY interesting storyline all summer.

Comments

[Israel Rico]

The biggest fucking, whinning, bitching, raper little bitch...a real man would cry and bitch and moan...he would do shit to do it Kobe is the biggest asshole...on the face of the earth.....if you are gonna say something say it be a fucking man and stand by your words.....I also think that faggot Shephen A. Smith fucking egged him on....if Kobe is not on the spotlite then he finds a way to get his ass on tv ...fuck that little bitch I hope that Bruce Bowen undercuts your ass and ends your career you fucking bastard!!!!!!!

[DBG]

I understand his reasons. I don't see him doing the "Philly Iverson" though. What I see is JO in LA or the franchise loses Kobe and that's pretty much it for the Lakers.

Someone put suicidal patrol on rico! The kid is gonna whack himself if Kobe leaves!

[Isreal rico hater]

Israel rico is a cocksucker

[Daniel]

Israel Rico sounds like a Spurs fan: A 6th grade vocabulary and an entitlement complex.

[Israel Rico]

to Isreal Rico hater....
1st of all
Learn how to spell you dumbfuck...I hate fucking Kobe he a good goddamn player...but I'm not even a fan of his....but this dumbfuck finds a way to brain wash your fucking mind and the national media's mind. J.T. the Brick said it best..you do this crap behind closed doors....you say one thing to the media and then back away...come on. Stop supporting this jerk...he has never given a shit about the Lakers or the fans if he did then he would have kept his mouth shut and played on...NBA Superstars of the 1970's & 1980 bitched but they never went to the media...they did it behind closed doors. Jordan did it...but KObe hes just a fucking spoiled brat...he rode Shaq out....raped a white bitch....started playing dirty...after he was shown up...crying because his teams sucks...

...and next?????
he get raped by Illgeal aliens...at the border and wakes up in a space ship that has gay bath houses....and you know what....?

If this really would happen ESPN would ride this story......

N.ational
B.itching
A.ssociation

How do you like them apples.......?

AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Daniel]

Hey Israel,

What sort of therapy are you taking for your Tourette's? I can't understand a thing you're saying.

[Daniel]

Hey Israel,

What sort of therapy are you taking for your Tourette's? I can't understand a thing you're saying.

[basketbawful]

All the angst and hand-wringing aside...even if the Lakers had the best GM in the world, *is* there a way to fix this mess? Can the Lakers really land another star-caliber player (like a Garnett) without giving up most of their other valuable assets (like Odom and Walton)? Because I'm not sure that a team comprised of Kobe, K.G., Jordan Farmar, Kwame Brown, and Sasha Vujacic is really a contender.

[DBG]

I'm a fan of the Jermaine option rather than KG. Kevin could prove to be a little too pricy. Odom .. well- he's expendable in my opinion. The thing Lakers really need to do is to find someone who will give them an all-star in exchange for Odom, Bynum (a must-give-away) and some filler maybe. Having two good players will give them a little more options in building the team around them (in other hand- we all know what "building" means in The Kupchak Dictionary). Sure, they will not be a title contender in 2008, but they could make some noise in the west, plus the absolute top priority is keeping Kobe and obtaining another star player seems to be what it takes.

[basketbawful]

Here's the problem with this situation. Kobe's little melodrama is going to spur the Lakers to action, right? But who's going to cut a deal with them? The Lakers don't have much capital outside of Kobe, and thanks to Bryant going public, every team in the league knows the Lakers are going to be incredibly desperate to make any kind of deal. Whatever the Lakers have to give up -- and you can count on it being most, if not all, of their non-Kobe valuables -- it's now extremely doubtful they'll get fair exchange. Even if they're able to bring in one very good, even All-Star level player, is that really going to make much of a difference?

By the way, the Pacers aren't going to trade Jermaine O'Neal to the Lakers. I promise you that. But even if they did, Larry Bird would probably ask for Lamar Odom (and probably Luke Walton or Bynum) in return. And I'm telling you, O'Neal for Odom is not an upgrade. O'Neal is not a great rebounder for a big man (Odom averaged slightly more boards per game this year than Jermaine), and he's a godawful passer (more TOs per game than assister per game...for his career). He's also just as injury-prone as Odom. Not the answer.

[DBG]

Well, it was a non-win situation for the Lakers to start with- nothing changes= they suck, kobe leaves= they suck, they exchange any remaining talent for JO/KG= they still suck. But Lakers need someone inside to make things work- Bynum and Brown combine together for 16 PPG, while O'Neal drops 19. Plus Jermaine is a serious post defender and shot blocker- something Lakers are lacking big time. They are desperate, sure, but Pacers aren't in that much of a better place- some grunting can be heard from O'Neal's direction too.

Good point on those rebounds- 0.2 is not that much, but still.

All possible scenarios suck for the Lakers, but I still believe they should go for luck and hope that something clicks when they make some big deal, because apparently they need something going on and I don't mean wishful dreaming of Bynums break-out season (not happening).

[dave]

hey, the lakers had a good run, but it's over. it was over when shaq left. they are killing kobe by keeping up this facade that they are still a deserving playoff contender (yes, i realize they made the playoffs the last two years). there is no way they have enough bargaining tools to keep kobe there by luring another superstar. they will never get fair value if they decide to let kobe go. the lakers organization is corrupt. it's over. the lakers are destined to join the celtics in lottery hell for years to come. kobe is paul pierce.

[John R.]

The ways Kobe has screwed the Lakers with this deal are complete and too many to list, but briefly:

He undercut management and, if he stays, for the first time ever one player will be bigger than the Lakers. Think about that. You can't say that about Magic, Kareem, Wilt, Baylor, West, anyone. The Lakers never had to bend over and take it like a girl from Eagle like they will to keep Kobe.
He put the Lakers in an untenable position to trade him OR anyone else. As basketbawful notes, every team can now make the Lakers pay through the nose. And why wouldn't Larry Bird charge an arm and a leg? Its almost a certainty now that the Lakers will be WORSE next year. O'Neal is NOT an upgrade over Odom anymore and why would any GM make a deal now that doesn't include Odom and Bynum. Not to mention O'Neal's contract. Icky.

Kobe as GM. I like that. See: Isiah, McHale, Bird, Jordan. The Lakers are screwed.

[Kobe WOW]

Have you guys seen this? Wow, Kobe can't be that stupid.

www.thekobevideo.com

http://youtube.com/watch?v=6kt9DBMMwCM

www.myspace.com/thekobevideo

Unbelievable.

[Kobe WOW]

http://www.thekobevideo.com

[Kobe WOW]

http://www.thekobevideo.com