I've always respected Kobe Bryant b/c the guy can play ball like very few people are capable of..I haven't always liked him, but I've always respected him...

The thing that scares me, and that I almost regret, is I really think he never reached his full potential...I think the guy wanted greatness so bad that it blinded him, and it's almost like that pursuit of greatness derailed him from reaching it.

Don't get me wrong, dude is one of the best players of all time, but I just wonder if he had taken the blinders off and managed to strive for individual greatness while at the same time embracing his teammates, he would've been even more epic...it's a shame, I hate seeing players with talent on a level that so few people are blessed with not reach it fully...

Maybe a little bit selfish, but as a basketball fan, I love when I see people who seem to push their potential to 110% of what it should of been.

not sure if serious... How much better can he be?

Could have figured out how to coexist with Shaq.

I don't know how much better he could be, but I know he could be, when Jackson wasn't coaching him, he wrote a book and in it he talked about some of the things he was unhappy w/ about Kobe, just him not staying within the flow of the offense, ignoring last second plays and just running straight to the ball, etc...

I don't know the frequency of stuff like that w/ other players, but to me, it shows me he could of been better.

I feel like all great players/ any team's all-star will run towards the ball and possibly disregard the original play. It's an ego thing imho.

Maybe, I just feel like at this point in his career he should be a better teammate/leader.

It seems like most of the greats have figured that out by this point in their career. I just get the vibe that people just deal w/ him b/c he's so good, not b/c they want to.

C+ troll

I don't think there was much Kobe could do with the supporting cast he had between the Shaq years and the Pau years, no matter what his attitude was. Perhaps if his attitude was better they could have kept Shaq around longer... but I don't think those either of guys were programmed to coexist. As history goes on, we're learning what a bad teammate and consumate ****** bag Shaq can be in his own right.

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As history goes on, we're learning what a bad teammate and consumate ****** bag Shaq can be in his own right.

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Exactly. Anyone who can concoct a blind lie for the sole reason of trying to make David Robinson look bad (he failed, miserably) is a complete dewsh.
I've never bought into the media lie about how great a locker-room guy and teammate Shaq is. I think he's an objectionable person, period.

[This message has been edited by MassAggie97 (edited 1/31/2011 10:49a).]

i think it is extremely extremely clear now that it wasn't just Kobe who broke apart the Shaq/Kobe relationship. 6 years ago that was not the assumption.

kobe is an introverted ass. and works harder than anyone in the NBA probably. Shaq was an outgoing ass, who was lazy and got fat.

actually the assumption and OP is completely wrong. if Kobe had tried to make it work with Shaq, Kobe would've probably been worse off for it. Maybe one more title. maybe.

Zombies scare me.

And bears.

And zombies with pet bear zombies.

In 2003, Kobe hit 38% of his threes. Imagine if he kept improving on that. If he was able to bomb at 42-45%. You would have one of the best shooters in the NBA that is also one of the best at driving and one of the best at posting up as a guard and one of the best at being clutch.

If you could rip on anything, just like Jordan, the 3-point shooting % wasn't that impressive (.339 lifetime and going down.) But he hit when it counted.

While I agree now that Shaq is an ass and was probably the fault of the breakup, Kobe did have his head issues. Like refusing to shoot in the second half of a game 7 to prove his worth.

Thread summary:

Kobe is a dewsh and Shaq is a bigger dewsh. If neither was a dewsh they might have had the biggest run of success in NBA history. Instead they have multiple internet threads attesting to their dewshyness.

I really think Shaq needed to go when he did for LA to get enough pieces to move them to rebuild. If Shaq and Kobe got along, they wouldn't have had a good enough pick for Bynum, probably wouldn't have been able to swing a deal for Gasol and wouldn't have gotten Odom.

In his first year with Miami, Shaq played 73 games and averaged 23 and 10. Then played 53 games. Then played 40 games. Then 61 games. Not sure his trade value was going to be higher than after 04 or 05 (when he played 73 games.) Miami traded him away for an ending contract after 2.5 seasons. Then Phoenix traded him for ending contracts, $3mm and a 2nd round pick.

When the Lakes dumped Shaq, they also lost Karl Malone, Rick Fox, Gary Payton, Horace Grant, Methusela, Byron Russel and probably some other really old guys. Lakers needed to retool and 3 rotational players and a first round draft pick allowed them to do that. That and a godfather offer that LA probably didn't think was real at first.

mitch made wallace an offer he couldnt refuse. would u want the head of stromile swift in your bed? well...prolly actually.

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Maybe a little bit selfish, but as a basketball fan, I love when I see people who seem to push their potential to 110% of what it should of been.

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Then JJ Berea must make you jizz in your pants.