Aug.24 at 12:47 pm

Hype says:
I believe Kobe has it in him to put his personal pride aside and use the USA pride shine through. He’s the most talented guy and if he’s able to play for TEAM USA and not Team Kobe, it’s a win win for the Americans. Because think about it this way.. he’s already as polarized as he can be as an NBA star. There’s no reason to draw any attention to himself when playing for his country.. it’s not time to boost up the Scoring Avg. So I think Kobe understands that–it’s not about him. I give him credit to be smarter than that.

Aug.24 at 2:51 pm

Cheryl says:
I don’t know. Kobe’s a smart guy and probably could play the team game. The question is, will his teammates trust him? Will one non-pass to an open man be instantly judged as selfish? These guys seem to genuinely like each other, but I get the sense that several of them really don’t like Kobe personally. Even if Kobe tried really hard to fit in, I still think it’d be hard for him to be accepted by the rest of the guys. And it would really be f’d up if Coach K replaced one or all of the captains with Kobe. So the question may not be if Kobe can do the things necessary to fit in, but do the players really want him there? I think it may come down to whether or not Team USA wins the World Championship or not. If they come home with less than the gold, then they may relent to accepting Kobe into the fold. But if they win the gold, I can understand it if they say “why mess with a good thing”?

Aug.24 at 6:29 pm

Marcel Mutoni says:
He’ll definitely fit in with the rest of the guys. If he can play a team game w/ that flawed Laker team last year in the playoffs, I see no reason why he wouldn’t be able to do the same on a much more talented squad. It’s also important to recall that he was the ultimate team player during the 3 title runs w/ Shaq and ‘em; he sacrificed his scoring and was considered pound-for-pound the best cat in the league when the dust cleared. I see him coming in, playing really aggressive defense, passing, and scoring when the opportunities present themselves. Wade, Melo and ‘Bron’s minutes will probably take a hit when Bryant joins the squad, but that’s to be expected and it’ll be a good thing for those guys not to have to play so many minutes.

Aug.24 at 8:12 pm

jay says:
kobe is the best player world, it would be great for him to join the team. the guy got three rings, so he know how to player team ball.we need kobe to bring back the gold.

Aug.24 at 11:04 pm

Mike says:
Is this a slow news day? If I’m not mistaken this happened about a month ago? Did you just say, “Hey, nothing else to write about today, let’s bash Kobe.” Go and hug your Lebron teddy bear and kiss your D-Wade poster while I print this article and use it to wipe my butt. Peace.

Aug.25 at 2:38 am

Kobe says:
exactly mike. Kobe won 3 championships with Shaq. He has deffered to talented players. And how many all-star games has Kobe played in? Did he hog the ball? Last ASG Kobe played in, he gave up the chance to score the winning basket and passed to the hometown hero T-mac who missed the shot. Seriously lang. You should be better than this. Dont do an ESPN on us.

Aug.25 at 9:16 am

Jeff says:
What ppl fail to realize is kobe won three rings. You dont win three championships without being able to play within a system.Besides this time he’s playing for his country,so nobody can make the argument trhat he’s trying to bring his scoring average up… Teamwork, humility? I guess he’d be the ONLY superstar who’s the big dog on his team with those issues right? There’s a 1000% chance that everything and everone else will be just peachy… summer must be real slow Lang and I’d love to say i expected a bit more from you but truth is… I kinda didnt. and the prevouis poser was right. This DID remind me of an ESPN article

Aug.25 at 9:34 am

Wes Mathews says:
No way should Kobe play. If kobe plays within the system and team usa loses,the media will be all over kobe for not trying to win. If they take the gold, kobe was just doing it to for his image. But if kobe doesn’t play Lang will blast him for not being a team player.

Aug.25 at 11:08 am

Cheryl says:
Wow, you guys are all over Lang, saying he’s hating, but I don’t get that at all. I think Slam covers Kobe more consistently and fairly than most sports sites out there. He doesn’t flip flop, like the other writers out there. He gives Kobe his props when its appropriate and questions his character, which given the guy’s history, is appropriate. Let’s face the real: Kobe’s an enigma. And that makes him fun to blog about, one way or the other. And in no freakin’ way would I ever, ever compare what I get from Slam to what I get from the world wide follower. C’Mon guys!

Aug.25 at 2:59 pm

Dudley Bradley says:
Lang calls out Kobe but makes excuses for players like Stephon and Nique.

Aug.25 at 3:33 pm

Jeff says:
Kobe shouldnt play if the US wins the worlds. He’s better off working on his game in the summer than joining a team that doesnt think they need him… Then again he’ll get blasted for not playing too, so whatever makes him happy i guess

Aug.26 at 12:53 am

Ha says:
———————–
LANG READ THIS POST
———————— “Lang calls out Kobe but makes excuses for players like Stephon and Nique.” Couldn’t agree more. Dude, Lang, your coverage on Kobe is starting to become a joke. He hasn’t even DONE anything. He came to a scrimmage and watched them play. So frickin what? What is the big problem? Are you ESPN? Why are you bashing every issue of Kobe’s? It’s ironic that you make fun of people like Sheridan and ESPN and give the same exact kind of view on Kobe on SLAm. I know you’re going to say “I’m just trying to start a discussion on him” or that “I didn’t say he’d be a cancer, I’m just not sure” but HOLY SHIT, why all of a sudden? The dude hasn’t done anything. You’re so hypocritical it pisses me off. This is the same guy who kisses the asses of players who’re selfish like Stephon yet you point out the littlest (and most useless) things about Kobe. MAN…ok Sam Rubenstein better say somethin funny cause this is getting ridiculous. Lang…honestly dude…you’d have blasted him if he didn’t play on the US team, you’d blast him if he won the gold, and you’d blast him if he WAS playing on the team right now. Go do this to Stephon Marbury every time he plays. Why don’t you scrutinize him? Look…WE GET IT. You don’t like Kobe. Okay. SUPER. Point made, dude, point made. Get over it. *Applauds Lang*

Aug.26 at 7:01 am

David Rivers says:
They used to say the same stuff about Dominique Wilkins, thats why he’s selfish ass was left of the original dream team. Prolific scorer but not much else. But Lang will find an excuse for that…. Wilkins didn’t have anybody to pass it to in Atlanta….

Aug.29 at 11:50 am

555 Star says:
Lang, you’re one strange hypocrite.

Aug.29 at 11:57 am

Allen says:
I think some of the readers failed the reading interpretation portion of the SAT. Lang’s not really taking either side, just posing the question of whether or not Kobe will fit in on the team. While it does seem that he thinks Kobe wouldn’t, he never really explicitly takes that side. Just read the last sentence of his article. But I think that the Kobe supporters get angry for merely asking the question, because to them, why even ask?

Aug.29 at 12:00 pm

JV MVP says:
Who would you want taking the last shot in the gold medal game?
If your answer is anyone other than Kobe you’re out of your mind.
Imagine coach K bringing Kobe off the bench for BronBron or Melo. Instant scoring.
If Kobe could be convinced to play a team game, USA would be unbeatable.

Aug.29 at 12:09 pm

Max Airington says:
Sasha Vujacic? The SLAMonline update shouldve included a seperate Kobe section. Me? Im on hiatus until someone gives me some answers….*ahemLANGahem*

Aug.29 at 12:12 pm

winston and the telescreen says:
what planet do we exist on that anybody could question if we’d leave off the GREATEST player in the world
now I’m not taking anything away from Lebron, but I think you’d see his assist stats go down quite a bit if he was passing to Kwame ‘lead hands’ Brown, (sorry Kwame, I still love you)
You are talking about the greatest scorer in HISTORY, oh AND he plays lockdown D
yeah, I’d really consider keeping Brad Miller over KOBE BRYANT
you guys are crazy

Aug.29 at 12:13 pm

J says:
Does anybody know if Bryant has Italian citizenship? I don’t think he has participated in any international competitions for the United States, so why not play for Italy if possible? If nothhing else it would be funny to see Bryant turn his back on the U.S.

Aug.29 at 12:20 pm

dkosei2 says:
Kobe ain’t joining nothing! There seems to be some good chemistry on that team right now and Coach K would be dunzo to put Kobe in to mess things up.

Aug.29 at 1:00 pm

Nicholas says:
He can never be touched. Ever, ever in life. Like I, He is a true Soldier. I defend him literally, and he defends my talking. 551 in 13, 3 at 23, 81. I made my own “Kobe Rhymes”. Go to myspace.. email: allaboutkobe2006@yahoo
He will win more than 6 and that is a fact. He should be on every cover for the next 81 years with stills from the number one show in television history. But the ball, buy the shirt. You don’t derserve to be in our shoes. Rookies.

Aug.29 at 1:08 pm

Tommy Jackson says:
Wow Lang… no response? Don’t get shook now! This is what the posts are all about! Can we get a retort? I’ve beed reading your links for over 5 years now! Lang Whitaker ain’t no punk!

Aug.29 at 1:11 pm

winston and the telescreen says:
yeah, if you think its funny to see Italy win the world championship, one undeserved championship is enough thank you very much

Aug.29 at 1:14 pm

winston and the telescreen says:
yeah, I’ve felt in the past that Lang had a little Kobe-hate in him, but I dont really see that in this post
I think you guys are overreacting a bit
on the other hand
it IS insane to even question whether or not Kobe should be on the team

Aug.29 at 2:03 pm

Tony Williams says:
People have short-term memory. This Kobe is different from Purple Reign Kobe because the situation calls for it. Everyone forgets it was Kobe who was the facilitator in Phil’s first [championship] run with the Lakers. It was Kobe who brought up the ball, ran the offense, and was responsible for the entry passes to Diesel. Shaq himself even went on record once, when Kobe was hurt, and lamented that he wasn’t getting the ball in the right spots and that he missed Kobe’s deft entry passes. So when heads say Kobe can’t adjust I roll my eyes and say, “hmmpf” to myself because the man’s done it before. And it’s not like he’s never been an All-Star before and surrounded by other greats. With the exception of that All-Star Game in Philly, where he was on a mission to get that MVP award, Kobe has always been an initiator and allowed others to get off early. Team U.S.A. may not NEED him but he does add another dimension and long-ball threat to those pesky zones. -TW-

Aug.29 at 2:59 pm

RT says:
Its an odd situation, I can see Jerry Colangelo keepin Kobe around but if it doesnt go right and if Kobe starts doing Kobe then I can see him getting rid of him. You gotta remember this is the Colangelo the decided not to have AI (one of the best players in the game maybe ever) and chose to take Kirk Hinrich instead. No disrespect to him hes good be hes no AI. It just all depends on what happens in the WBC.

Aug.29 at 3:01 pm

Dj says:
What we are all guilty of (myself included) is thinking that the unselfish team play kobe of the first laker championship teams is the same kobe as 81 point kobe. We’re talking about Black Mamba Kobe now, kobe shooting fadeaway threes over 3 guys bryant, not the precocious 20 year old who deferred to shaq. Kobe’s developed as a player and personally I don’t know if he could play a team game or not. The bigger question is what the reactions of the other guys on the team would be, and how he would fit into their recently established, and fragile team chemistry.

Aug.29 at 3:15 pm

Mike McGee says:
Lang hates on anybody that don’t kiss his or SLAMS ass. Players that did something to SLAM get hated on. Pippen, Reggie Miller, Dikau and Kobe to name a few. Players that LOVE slam get their butt kissed; Stephon, Shaq, Sheed even crazy ass Artest. Be proffesional and put your personal feelings aside.

Aug.29 at 3:47 pm

Max Airington says:
Sometimes I feel like Kobe secretly posts on this site….

Aug.29 at 4:13 pm

J. says:
I’ll say why Kobe doesn’t need or have to be on the Olympics team. 1. He blindsides everyone at USA basketball by having the surgery without first letting them know or informing them. (Remember Colorado and the Lakers?) That’s showing his me first attitude right there, something that is supposedly not wanted on this team. What harm would it have done to inform the team himself? 2. Comes to watch a scrimmage talks about how much he wishes he was there, and then leaves and is not heard of being with the team again. Couldn’t he have came to a couple of the practices and watched and tried to interact with the other team members? At least act like he was trying to bond with or support them. 3. The team is happy and doing well without him. Quote from Lebron: “It starts with me. Being the captain, if I’m out there passing up shots to get a better shot, it kind of rubs off on your teammates, and you can see that,'’ James said. “I’m not sure how having Kobe would’ve worked out. Kobe would’ve been a big part of our team.'’ Doesn’t sound too enthused to have Kobe join the team. How pissed do you think the other players will be if Kobe plays in 2008 and is taking playing time and ‘making’ the game close so he can take a last second shot to win the game,(Allegedly) and be the hero. Let Kobe sit at home in ‘08 and rest or get knee operations or do whatever it is he does in the offseason and let the players that have put in the work and helped qualify the team for the Olympics ride this thing out.

Aug.29 at 4:18 pm

Dutch Rich says:
Very Rarely do I associate Kobe with bad basketball decisions. We are not talking about his personal decisions (Colorado, the Karl Malone fiasco, not being on speaking terms with his fam etc). And with the exception of his rookie season I really don’t recall having anxiety attacks when Kobe gets a touch at crunch time the way I do with say Vince Carter. The guy is a proven winner, a prime basketball specimen, the alpha assassin. I hated his guts when he came in the league, cocky but flawed as he was. The Gatorade commercial coming to life if you will. But he earned his stripes and got better at every aspect of his game through hard work and perseverance. And as a leader he expects nothing less from his fellow soldiers. That’s why the relationship between him and burger Shaq was doomed from day one. Kobe don’t like complacency. And people that think the team USA experiment will suffer from his presence are completely undermining the skills of coach K and the genius that is Jerry Colangelo.
And further more I wish to point out that Kobe has never been reprimanded by his coach or his organization for behavior detrimental to the team like a Terrel Owens for example.
As for Lang, I don’t think you ever put anybody on blast as some of these linkstigators are claiming. But I do know that you love you some burger Shaq. Guards are supposed to have a shorter shelve life than big men. How do you explain the slow but steady statistical decline in your boy’s game. Let’s call it what it is and while your at it check the following video out: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3379381919962371976

Aug.29 at 4:23 pm

555 Star says:
“Lang hates on anybody that don’t kiss his or SLAMS ass. Players that did something to SLAM get hated on. Pippen, Reggie Miller, Dikau and Kobe to name a few. Players that LOVE slam get their butt kissed; Stephon, Shaq, Sheed even crazy ass Artest. Be proffesional and put your personal feelings aside.” THANK YOU. ———————————————-
2. Comes to watch a scrimmage talks about how much he wishes he was there, and then leaves and is not heard of being with the team again. Couldn’t he have came to a couple of the practices and watched and tried to interact with the other team members? At least act like he was trying to bond with or support them.
———————————————- “At least act?” What the hell are you talking about dude. If he had tried to talk to them, he would have been critisized for it anyway. “Oh, Kobe didn’t let them practice” First of all, if ANYONE in this world believes that USA won’t be a stronger force cause of Kobe, either you are in denial of the man’s kills or you just plain hate him. You guys make me laugh honestly….all this questioning of how he plays etc etc…he plays fine…3 championships aren’t won without being selfish, and a .500 team doesn’t take one of the top teams in the league till game 7 if their main player is selfish. SLAM, ESPN, you’re all the same. You just love the fact that some people love to hate the dude and critisize him to your heart’s content, no matter what he does. The guy could save a lady from a burning building and be critized that he didn’t save the building itself. Lang, like the other dude said, put your personal feelings asside, number 1 rule of journalism. The person defending Lang…Kobe fans strike at him because this isn’t the first time he questioned Kobe…FOR DOING ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. ESPN, Lang…what’s the difference? If you’re going to preach being real then act real, there’s a line for everything and you need to stop making certain players look like Dr.Doom or some next comic book villians for not kissing SLAM’s ass as much as other players. I’m pretty sure when Marbury’s selfish ass was on the 2004 team you were defending him to your heart’s delight.

Aug.29 at 4:47 pm

Elyse says:
Roland Lazenby has some good comments about this on his blog. Not sure of the address off the top of my head, but from forumblueandgold blog there is a link. He has an especially interesting article about an interview with Tex Winter, and how Tex thinks Kobe will play and what role he will play for team USA. The jist of it is that you will see a type of play that is unlike what we have seen thus far, becuase Kobe isn’t put in the position where he has to do everything. Keep in mind this is one of the few guys Kobe is close to, who also can call Kobe out…

Aug.29 at 4:49 pm

Elyse says:
ohhh, and, why does no one ever bring up the fact that paul pierce was supposed to be on the team too, and not only didn’t show up at any games, but also waited even longer to get surgery?

Aug.29 at 5:00 pm

jay broder says:
i think kob will be fine. he has a great respect for coach k! probably even more so than for phil jax..this is a chance for him to show he can be a team player with wade and bron…i doubt he would jeopardize that! he will be fine! i did hear he has nike promo duties…afterall who makes the uni’s…hmmm…the swoosh..he can start to earn his 50 mil from the company and has a clinic in taiwan i believe..he will not be a problem..he loves coach K..nuff said!

Aug.29 at 5:51 pm

Simply Turrible says:
No doubt Kobe posses the qualities to fit in with Team USA as a player. We all know he can score, and he’s shown he can actually pass the ball with ability when he wants to. He respects Coach K too much to try and come in and establish himself as the primary scorer on the team, and I think he would adjust his style of play in a heart beat.
That being said, there is no denying that Kobe’s presence would create problems with chemistry, which on a team already chock-full of all-stars, is a fragile thing. Lang’s right; would Lebron, Carmelo, Wade, etc. be happy getting their minutes cut in favor of Kobe? Probably not. In addition, from all accounts Kobe is respected throughout the League as a plyaer, but as a person, it kinda seems no one likes the guy. If the USA wins a gold medal without Kobe in these championships, it is kind of hard to argue that Kobe’s addition is necessary.

Aug.29 at 6:20 pm

Lang Whitaker says:
Even though that guy hated on me, he gets respect for using the name Mike McGee. One of my favorite outside shooters in the NBA in the ’80s. Look, for whatever it’s worth, I think Kobe should be on the Olympic team. He’ll buy into it and he’ll be fine.

Aug.29 at 6:49 pm

Mike Honcho says:
I posed in Playgirl.

Aug.29 at 7:10 pm

Jack says:
I like how as soon as one person said they didn’t like the article, all of a sudden everyone else decided to jump on the hate wagon and call Lang every name under the Sun. I can understand someone not agreeing with the style of article or somethin… but there a good few comments here saying that SLAM kisses ass and SLAM is shit in this way and SLAM is shit in that way. If that’s the case, why you all here? I’m all for sharing opinions but is this all necessary?

Aug.29 at 8:59 pm

Tom Abdelmessih says:
I don’t think there’s any question that Kobe can only help team USA even though they may not necessarily need it. Still you have to look at how this team was designed, all these guys are really young, if you ignore brad miller I think elton is the oldest, 24. Basically they put together a college type team with players who are all open to what coach K is doing and can be easily molded to do the role he wants them to. Guys like Pierce, Kobe and Mcgrady as great as they are demand a lot of attention and don’t really compliment the team that they already have. If your gonna put Kobe on, you should take off two guys so that the team is balanced. Remember stacking talent doesn’t always work (see ‘03 mavericks and late ‘01 blazers)

Aug.29 at 9:12 pm

G says:
no, really, so what do you guys really think about kobe? haha… damn, it’s funny that kobe always brings out such divided reactions out of everyone. you either hate him or you love him. i honestly think he’d buy into the system and would love playing on the national team. i also think he’d share the ball, probably too much in fact.

Aug.29 at 9:23 pm

kdubb says:
If Kobe plays for Italy, Italy wins the World Championship. Enough said.

Aug.29 at 9:27 pm

B Ball I.Q. says:
Wow! 2 much Lang hate and 2 much Kobe love. I’d love to see Kobe on this squad and A.I. and Gilbert and Shaq and T-Mac and P squared, but it won’t work the new school guys have 2 much ego and hate taking a back seat to anyone even if they talk like the league is all love. You can go back to the 1st Dream team and guys like Zeke and Nique should have been on that squad but there were personal beefs and ego issues back then thats why they weren’t on the squad (if you were a real hoops fan you’d know, do your homework).
But we all know (at least real hoop heads) that Kobe is a mental case, even if he’s the 2nd best player in the L. Is everyone forgetting game 7 vs. the Suns, were he didn’t bother to show up, in a game 7!!!! Wow!!! or how he like to pass a little too much just to prove a point, come Kobe just kill dudes this ain’t a summer league game.
The fact of the matter is he’ll never take a back seat to anyone in any setting ever again (hence no more rings for Kobe), and anyone who denies it is 2 caught up in his highlights. I love Kobe, but he’s not right for this team, but if he was on the ‘04 squad they would have taken gold. No Doubt.

Aug.29 at 9:49 pm

simon says:
well said Jack. and Mike Honcho…?…umm congrats…?…also yes it is ridiculous to argue wether the best player in the world should play. personally i think he can but im biased cos he’s my favourite player…but really lets just wait and see, i mean, its not till 2008! Lang and Slam, keep doing your thing. I love the little Disaster Dickau jokes and the fact you love Sheed and Ron Ron. Its little things like that, that you dont get anywhere else, its why i love Slam.

Aug.29 at 10:08 pm

brian jones says:
yall need to stop kissing kobe’s dick! he’s good but not THAT good.This U.S. team is a team of youngsters that understand team ball. Kobe may not understand that concept yet.

Aug.29 at 11:06 pm

Elyse says:
I think it should be mentioned that kobe does have a very good understanding of the international game as he grew up in Italy, and his dad played there. He would always go and watch all the games, and even sometimes shoot around with those guys. That I think is an advantage that is being overlooked. I also think it is important to note that two incredible bball minds in colangelo and coach K both invited Kobe before ANYONE else… I know for now I am not going to second guess.

Aug.29 at 11:47 pm

555 Star says:
I like how as soon as one person said they didn’t like the article, all of a sudden everyone else decided to jump on the hate wagon and call Lang every name under the Sun. I can understand someone not agreeing with the style of article or somethin… but there a good few comments here saying that SLAM kisses ass and SLAM is shit in this way and SLAM is shit in that way. If that’s the case, why you all here? I’m all for sharing opinions but is this all necessary? ——————————— Because the way he gives exemptions to people he likes like Starbury and whoever else, no matter what they do, yet he bags on Kobe for the littlest thing, whether they are imperative or not. Once again, anyone who thinks USA won’t be a stronger team with Kobe’s addition is in obvious denial of the guy’s talents. I don’t usually respond in the comments section but anytime people start this kinda bashing on a player for no reason, I feel it needs to be said.

Aug.30 at 2:58 am

Mike Honcho says:
And I never sucked Kobe’s dick.

Aug.30 at 2:06 pm

Bobby Codjoe says:
The guy who said kobe is not that good clearly hasnt seen him play. And for the whole Kobe cant play team ball thing did u not see the suns series in which he deffered to his sub par supporting casts why do ppl still think kobe cant play in a system hes done it before!!

Aug.30 at 5:16 pm

Ziz de L'Antoine says:
True! and besides, if all the guys on that team bought into the system, why wouldn’t he? I mean, it’s not eh lakers, it’s USAB!

Aug.30 at 6:06 pm

Bryan says:
y’all hate kobe, but i’ll tell you what; kobe feeds off the hate vibes, that’s why he keeps coming back at you.

Aug.30 at 7:25 pm

Sadaqat says:
No. 1 reason Kobe Bryant should be on the team at the Olympics - he strikes fear into the heart of any opponent.

Aug.30 at 8:44 pm

Bling says:
How quickly people forget that Kobe Bryant was the first player selected by Colangelo & Coach K for Team USA. He was the first person they wanted and they wanted him to be the main cog of that team. He would of been the captain. No questions asked.

Aug.30 at 9:46 pm

Peenu says:
For U.S.A. I think he’ll play team ball. For the Lakers he’ll play partal team, partal self ball just to be the helper and get the wins…. Kobe will fit… Who knows maybe playing for U.S.A. could only better his chances of being a better player for the Lakers that year and then they’ll win a lot… Who knows…it’s in 2 years….

Aug.30 at 10:14 pm

Peter says:
Kobe is arguably the best basketball player on both sides of the court. I believe he will buy into Coach K’s system and show he can be a true team player. He hasn’t been surrounded by so much talent like this before. He wont be required to carry the team like he’s accostumed to. He was the original first player to be chosen by Colangelo and Coach K. All in all he is a Great fit for TEAM USA.

Aug.31 at 10:42 am

anklebrakinfromallangles says:
Word to max…that was my same thought:).
Anyway..i’ve been a kobe fan since he first entered the Nba..by that time i was a highschool-rookie, and my kid-mind was excited by his Game..and by his arrogance.Now i’m 23, college graduate and i must say..that with my personality revised and all…i love kobe more than before..why?.Because he’s the best example of EVOLUTION (in a hostile social enviorment).My prediction is that Kobe WILL do something even bigger than 81 and people WILL be forced to love him (also wrong attitude)…but with time passing..he WILL become a legend that he is set to be.On team USA?!?!…well i’m eastern-european..and a have a slightly different view…what i can HONESTLY say..is that in THIS ridiculous team..he wouldn’t have room…but in a real dream team..or why not…fresh team…he would do mirracles.He either needs younger players with respect on him…or on the contrary…more mature players…than the “HYPE-3″ wich consists of Melo Bron and Dwade…
Just a point of view.

Aug.31 at 1:27 pm

Alex says:
Say what you want about Lang’s opinions on Kobe, but the dude writes to get people interested and 56 of you were interested enough to comment so he scored a point there.

Aug.31 at 1:41 pm

Magic Chicken says:
Lang mentions that Team USA will be the best group of players he has ever played with. I don’t agree though Lang Kobe has been on the All-Star Team every year for almost a decade now, and those teams are far and away better than Team USA. Now I’m not saying that any of the players consider the All-Star game that serious of an event, but it has been observed on more than one occassion that Kobe plays his heart out even at this joke of a game. Last year’s game, he was dishing ally-oops, making clutch shots, playing good defense, and still having a good time with peers: the elite players of the NBA. He even defered the game-winning shot to the McGrady who was playing on his home floor, and deserved the chance to impress the home fans. Needless to say, he can do this with Team USA too, and I think he’ll bring that same fun, hard-working attitude that he brings to the All Star game. ***** WARNING ***** RANT WILL FOLLOW ***** Kobe has always done these things though. There’s this perception that Kobe’s the msot egotistical player in Basketball today, but really, the only proof we have of that is Phil and Shaq’s words. I’m sure Phil had beef with Kobe, because his clashing with shaw had to have been a headache. But what’s soooooo funny is that Shaq started almost every clash they had! For years before they split up, Shaq had ripped into Kobe about shelfishness and stuff, both publicaly and privately. The whole time, Kobe’s ego was in question, and became a habit to question that aspect of him. When Kobe finally lashed back at Shaq, everyone agreed with Shaq that he had an ego problem. But why hasn’t anyone agreed with Kobe that Shaq was the one with ego problem? In fact, there its well known that Shaq has a huge ego. After all, how often does he talk about himself to the media? Kobe hardly ever ventures down that path. But when Shaq talks to the media, he is considered to be a Ham or a Clown, or he’s “keeping it real”. Meanwhile, its thought that all of Kobe’s interactions with the media are false, and he’s “putting up a front”. I think there is a really wierd double standard held between Kobe and Shaq, and I think Kobe has definitely recieved the crappier end of that standard. As far as player go, Kobe has only had clashes with Shaq and Payton. Those two players have HUGE egos though, and who really can blame Kobe? Here’s maybe the best player in the NBA and he’s getting crap talked to him by his teammates (Which Shaq did in public quite often, and obviously Payton has no problem putting his teammates down, as is evident by his clash with flash this past off-season … lol /\ rhyme). If your as good as Kobe, of coarse your gonna have problems working in that situation. To do what Kobe does, you have to believe that your the best in the world, and if you have players that bring ya down, that’s gonna emss with your head and your game. Needless to say, the group of guys on Team USA right now are class acts. None fo them talk trash excessively (like Payton), and none of them talk about themselves excessively (like Shaq), or put down their teammate in public (like Shaq). Kobe will fit in perfectly in such an unselfish atmosphere, and I think he’ll greatly contribute to the light-hearted, the team oriented, and the fun aspects of Team USA’s game. The only danger Kobe faces by playing with this team, is that if the team encounters any difficulties or adversities, Kobe will undoubtably be blamed for all of it by the media, and the team can become a wreck if this affects their play, or his play (and there is no doubt that the media certainyl can affect Kobe’s play). Rather than rolling in the mud with ESPN, I think you guys at SLAM should try not to get into player politics. We need you guys to support the Team just like we all do … with cheers, hopes and good spirits! If we support our Men, they’ll overcome all!

Aug.31 at 2:06 pm

Troy Valencia says:
u know what kobe is the best one on one player in the nba, mabee ever. if u look at it in that tearms sure, y wouldent coach k be worried about kobe playing for his self. but i think that playing for the usa team will be kobes way of seperating himself from the selfish player that the world has labeled him as. mabee when he plays for LA he will do things for himself, and mabee for the USA he will do things for our great country. i personally think he plays to win, and that no matter what he has to do he will do. sit on the bench, shoot every shot, be a playmaker, whatever it may be i think that is what he will do.

Aug.31 at 2:11 pm

555star says:
Lang, you lost. Must be surprised there are a lot of people defending the so-called “most selfish player in the league” eh? Too bad half these people don’t suck up to Marbury as well.

Aug.31 at 3:50 pm

Max Airington says:
Was there a contest?

Aug.31 at 4:02 pm

Mark says:
Maybe a few people posting on here should have a re-read of Lang’s original article! I don’t see Lang dissing Kobe at all here. He didn’t state anything that wasn’t already popular opinion on him. In my opinion he did a good job of sitting on the fence as to whether Kobe was a selfish player or not here. Say what you want about how Lang has harranged Kobe in the past, but I think this article is pretty impartial.

Aug.31 at 4:10 pm

Max Airington says:
harangued ha‧rangue  /həˈræŋ/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[huh-rang] noun
1. a scolding or a long or intense verbal attack; diatribe.
2. a long, passionate, and vehement speech, esp. one delivered before a public gathering.
3. any long, pompous speech or writing of a tediously hortatory or didactic nature; sermonizing lecture or discourse. verb (used with object)
4. to address in a harangue.

Aug.31 at 4:33 pm

brian banks says:
I think that Kobe does whats best for the team. Now I know he hasn’t always been this way but c’mon. You don’t help win three titles without being a team player. I believe that Kobe will adapt to whatever the situation is and act accordingly. I feel that last years Lakers team NEEDED him to do the things scoring-wise in order for success. It cracks me up how people say how Lamar Odom is overated, the Laker bench is non-productive, and Kobe shoots too much. If the first two things are true, wouldn’t you want the best player(arguably) in the league to shoot the ball? Same with AI, and the exact same with D-Wade in the finals.

Aug.31 at 4:39 pm

Shiz says:
Yeah, but sit on the fence long enough you’ll be pickin splinters out your ass. So, if Lang is sitting on the fence, we could probably call 555star a huge splinter! Kudos for stickin it to the man. LOL. At any rate, Kobe is too smart to not be able to play well with others. Sure, he probably doesn’t like to, I mean he’s king of the hill right now. NOBODY can stop him. Who wouldn’t feel more than confident? I mean I love 3livecrew (bron,melo,dwade) just as much as the next young thundacat, but lets not forget that this team had a lot of chuckers on it anyway, that all just happened to buy into the system. NOT because of the brilliance of Coach K, but because they dont wanna get embarrassed again. EgO TrIp! Ant Jamison is (and has been since UNC days)a chuck who’s already complained about minutes and has jacked up more “bad” shots than anyone including 3livecrew (and please dont steal my moniker…took me all night to think of that). Gil got sent home after finding out that he was already on his way home. I mean, lets take a real close look at the guys from this team. I mean, sure national pride goes a long way with it, but its more masculine pride than anything. I mean after that horrible showing last time and that “huh??” coaching job by he-who-shall-not-be-named its no wonder they play like Stern is threatening pay-cuts. Kobe would fit in, and none of the players would have a problem with it. U know why? Cuz in a war, he with the biggest weapon wins. In the “war” that is Olympic basketball, aint no weapon bigger than number 24 (which I hate. GO BACK TO 8 PLEASE!!) Can u imagin what would happen if Kobe didn’t have to be in attack mode all game long? Steals, blocks, he’d be a terror on d and a nightmare on O. I think everybody’s taking LeBron’s comments outta context. Sure he didn’t sound thrilled, but he never sounds thrilled. He’s always trying to use his big-boy voice. At the very least it would do wonders for ratings world wide. You just mention Kobe and it sparks well…shit like this. Im out. Dont hate on Kobe cuz he pops his collar on you. hate on him cuz he drops 35 plus the game winner on you…THEN pops his collar.

Aug.31 at 4:50 pm

Shiz says:
Oh yeah, and lets not knock Marbury like its his fault he’s Lang’s favorite player. He’s another good guy who has a bad rap. Yeah Lang is his number 1 cheerleader, but we shouldn’t take that out on the Kid from Coney. He does a lot of good things, including the launch of Starbury. Ima come clean … I got some Starbury gear. Ish is hot! And its like gettin work for cheap (like 10-15 dollars for kicks cheap!! And he’s got the common man’s interest at heart, ya mean? Thats realer than real. Yo they had a almost riot in manhattan over this stuff. Better cop yours now! He’s a great guy with a good heart AND he’s nasty. He’s the east coast kobe, look at that shit team they trotted out there with and he’s supposed to pass to MackDonal’ Eddie and Quintin “flat-foot shoota”? Or perhaps to “insert undersized pf name here” No, I dont think so. New Yorkers dont think like that. take it from 1. If you suck, you may not see the rock, simple as that. Just look at the numbers, son is top 5 pointguard in the L, maybe top 3. Just had to defend Marbury too, seein as how we’re trying to keep this as “unbiased” and fair as possible.

Sep.1 at 5:59 am

Bryan Manga says:
soo its back home for usab, they failed once again. let this be known to all: BASKETBALL IS A GLOBAL GAME. THE REST OF THE WORLD HAS CAUGHT UP WITH THE USA. USA talked and boast of the best talents…..? Oh..remember what kobe Bryant said? he said talents will not take you anywhere…but hardwork will. Its a shame. Im not an american, but i support the USAB, i love the NBA. However i got say that the rest of the world have surpassed the usa. To hell with big names, big contracts, huge sneaker deals……please americans go out there and play the real basketball game. Its not about dunks and acrobatic layups any more. Its about fundermentals.
So then what next for team usa? Get a healthy Kobe, bring in a shooter..Ray Allen or Micheal Redd, put Billups at the point and…..remember to consider Artest, Sheed Wallace. With that said, probably a redemption awaits.

Sep.1 at 6:45 am

Ang says:
looks like the U.S. is playing for the bronze again. =/
maybe someone as clutch as kobe could’ve helped them out.

Sep.1 at 9:25 am

johnnyblaze says:
I guess with USA’s loss against Greece, we can safely say Kobe is needed. Somewhere in LA, he sits in his home, in front of his big-ass tv, thinking, I GOT NEXT. Kobe will kill in the Olympics. And besides, Kobe’s a smart guy, he knows he’s gonna get the US team back to the Promised Land. Forget Black Mamba, His new nickname: MOSES….

Sep.1 at 11:08 am

Shiz says:
I dont think its a matter of the world “surpassing” the US, Bry. That’ll never happen, simply because of the large influx of euro’s into the L every year (most of whom do not pan out, end up wasting a draft pick, and give Ric Buecher something semi-relevant to talk about). The thing is, these national teams grow up together. Anyone knows that a a seamless union (with backdoor cuts) beats an amalgamation of talent any day. Second, the International game is waaaaay different from the NBA. Maybe not to the naked eye, but I cant count how many stiff-arms, push-offs, and face-guards we’ve seen in this year games. Im not even gonna get into the whole no goal-tending fiasco. I mean the international game is tailored for less athletic guys. Wider lane to abuse the US with backdoorsies all day long. Zone defense which pretty much nullifies an opponents athleticism and quickness. These are all factors. Its not just that “everyone has caught up” cuz I think that you can see that isn’t really the case. Its just that NBAers don’t train for international comp. Why would they? Thats not where they make their living. The same way Gilbert can have a half-court shooting contest with T-mac, but cant hit the broadside from the international line, they dont train from that line and aren’t in there comfort zone (no pun intended) However it shapes out, I think that DreamTeam spoiled us. You can say that this isn’t DreamTeam til your blue in the face, but we still expect DreamTeam results. Blow outs by 40, total domination, and a frickin gold, but that team is long gone, and as Slick Ricky P would tell ya, “Larry Bird isn’t walking trough that door, folks”. Yeah, Im disappointed, but not overly so. Put Black Mamba out there and shit changes for the better. Its cool though, we got time, we’ll get it together.

Sep.1 at 12:30 pm

555star says:
No, Team USA doesn’t need Kobe at all. They just lost to Greece because Kobe must have cursed them when he went to watch thier scrimmage. I mean, if he had just spent 5 minutes talking to the players, I’m sure they would have won the Gold medal. Now look at them, going home with the bronze (if they win the last game). DAMN YOU KOBE BRYANT, you cast a spell on the team…YOU DID THIS ON PURPOSE! YOU SELFISH GUY! Now let us all sit back and watch Kobe get critized for doing absolutely nothing again.

Sep.1 at 2:46 pm

Bryan Manga says:
yo shiz, i understand your frustration. But you are still thinking in the 80s…..hello..its the 21st century.and everyone can ball. Europeans are the best shooters period. Go to the play grouds and the arenas, they will shoot out the lights. Remember what Peja brought to the Sacramento kings? Go check the achives. USA NEEDS SHOOTERS.

Sep.7 at 4:43 pm

Mychal says:
555 STAR WATCH IT IF THEY DIDNT NEED KOBE HE WOULDNT HAVE BEEN CHOSEN FOR THE TEAM.ITS NOT HIS FAULT THEY LOST..SO DAMN YOU…UNCONCEDARATE STAR… KOBE IS ONE OF THE BEST BALLERS AROUND PLUS IT TAKES A TEAM 2 LOSE NOT JUST ONE PERSON SO GET OVER IT…BY THE WAY I THINK U SHOULD CHANGE YOUR NAME YOUR NOT THE STAR KOBE IS I’D LIKE TO SEE U TOTAL 16,866 POINTS FOR A 9 YEAR CAREER AND HE AIN’T DONE YET.HOW CAN U CAST A SPELL AND THERES NO SUCH THING AS MAGIC YOUR AN ASS…GET OVER IT KOBES GOOD AND U CAN’T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT BUT WISH U COULD COME 1/4 OF HOW GOOD HE IS……………………………….

Sep.13 at 11:00 am

ralph mijares says:
personally, i think kobe could’ve made a difference. before i used to hate on him.. but now, i think he’s goin into the right direction! and i definitly think that he’s gonna pass the ball if he’s playing with these guys on the USA squad.. i mean, if u play in a team that has one goal, which is to win, you can’t help it but ride with it! c’mon guys kobe on team USA.. it’s a win-win.. stop the hatin..

Sep.19 at 8:41 am

Paolo says:
I’m not a Kobe fan but I honestly think he could have made a difference. During the waning seconds, it would have been a more reassuring feeling to see Kobe Bryant hoisting a three-pointer rather than Carmelo “Of Course, I’m A Star” Anthony. Other than a shooter, I think Team USA needed a glue. A Super Glue. I thought it was going to be LeBron but he struggled with his touch. His play, as spectacular as it was proved that you can’t dunk for 48 minutes and expect to win the game. And besides, can we all name a more clutch player in the league? Kobe is the man. This will always be debatable because he wasn’t there. Again, I agree with adding more shooters. Add Kobe, Billups and a Ray Allen-type. Also, why not put in Ron Artest? I know Battier is in the squad already but it wouldn’t hurt to add a player who can actually instill fear to the opponents.

Nov.10 at 2:48 am

LDn2005 says:
Any and everyone who thinks kobe is not the best player in the league, does not watch basketball.(well NBA Basketball) Can’t nobody hold a candle to kobe. Not d-wade, not melo, and Damn sure not no lebron. the only thing he can do is dunk. anybody can shoot a jump shot if there open. Has those 3 ever won a dunk contest, have they ever scored 81 points in a single game(MJ did’t even do that) have they ever dunked on Yao Ming. Have any of them ever did anything worth braging about. and so what d-wade won the little fianles mvp. they always give that to the star player