Aug.30 at 1:08 pm

Myles Brown says:
If Kobe had gone to Duke, I probably would hate him. But then again, if Kobe had gone to Duke, he’d have ended up being either an overrated journeyman living off his college glory, a injury riddled second tier star, or a talented malcontent playing for a sh*tty L.A. team wishing he was in Chicago. Oops.

Aug.30 at 1:15 pm

Ron says:
On a tangent, What Duke Player under Coach had the best NBA career? I would rate Elton above Grant Hill because of Grant’s ankle issues. Other than those 2 guys, I got nothing.

Aug.30 at 1:17 pm

Myles Brown says:
Exactly.

Aug.30 at 1:20 pm

Cheryl says:
when it’s all said and done, battier will have had a solid career. Not superstar material (doesn’t seem to want that anyway)but will be seen as a valuable part of his squads.

Aug.30 at 1:21 pm

Allenp says:
Damn Myles. Grant wasn’t second tier in his prime before the injuries. I got the sense you were saying that in your post. And is Elton really a malcontent?

Aug.30 at 1:25 pm

Myles Brown says:
I just think he was second tier because of his injuries, not before them. Before them, SLAM actually had the balls to say, well, you remember. And Elton really isn’t a malcontent, I just needed to say that to make the analogy work. But thanks for paying attention.

Aug.30 at 1:28 pm

white hot eboy says:
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
One looks like a rat, the other is one.

Aug.30 at 1:40 pm

Tarzan Cooper says:
cheryl, its not that shane “skullrows” battier doesnt want to be superstar, its that he’s not talented enough. eboy, is this where i tell you that that sh%t is more annoying than zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Aug.30 at 1:42 pm

Myles Brown says:
Shane Battier and Scottie Pippen HAVE to be related.

Aug.30 at 1:43 pm

Allenp says:
Why does Eboy dislike KObe so much? It’s damn near irrational.

Aug.30 at 1:55 pm

white hot eboy says:
Tarzan Dummy, I did it to be INTENTIONALLY ANNOYING!!! Leave me alone now. Allenp, part of my dislike for Kobe the player is the fact that he got three rings by riding Shaq’s wide back, and all his apologists (Myles, Bodie,etc.) think otherwise. Secondly, I could really give two shi*s about his wanna-be Michael as* as anyone who goes through life trying to use someone else’s identity as a cruch for their own doesn’t have enough self-worth be themselves, no matter who that is. Plus, I like to bug Bodie and have him pull out stat after stat and have the other three regular Kobe lovers here agree with him as if they were modern day Pavlo’s dogs. Kobe is fantastically talented. He has an all-around game unmatched in the league. But again, like I’ve said before, if you can LEAD your team on your own, without Big Brother to win your battles for you, then you are still searching for an identity, and you truly can’t be judged as the best if you can’t lead your team like the greats that preceeded you.

Aug.30 at 1:59 pm

white hot eboy says:
*if you can’t lead. Will wait for the backlash to begin. First up…. I say Myles-Max.

Aug.30 at 2:02 pm

Tarzan Cooper says:
i know you did that intentionally eboy. just busting your chops. poll: at what age will kobe shave his head?

Aug.30 at 2:04 pm

Russ Bengtson says:
Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

Aug.30 at 2:04 pm

Myles Brown says:
1. What constitutes a leader?
2. How many titles has Shaq won by himself?

Aug.30 at 2:05 pm

Myles Brown says:
Myles hearts Russ.

Aug.30 at 2:06 pm

jay says:
you know i`d say something eboy but i dont wanna be a “normal day, pavlo’s dog” or in my case b*tch. lol

Aug.30 at 2:14 pm

white hot eboy says:
Myles, how did I know? 1) It should be obvious. Anyone who is one, does “leaderly” things to make themselves stand out. And in basketball, that’s being the end-all-be-all of your team, in good or bad (24, take notice), and do WHATEVER it takes to lead your team to prominence. Basically, that means in the last 17 years there have only been 4 “true” leaders. Shaq, Michael, Timmy and Hakeem. Detroit was collective without a true “leader” and was an anomally in the b-ball world. The Heat’s title is still up for debate as Wade was the leader of the team, but they didn’t continue the next year and stay great. And 2)Shaq’s been to 6 finals, has 4 rings. He was the main focus of 5 of those runs. Thats 3 more Finals appearances and 1 more ring than 24 will ever have unless he is moved to a team that can actually compete.

Aug.30 at 2:18 pm

white hot eboy says:
jay, I’m glad to see your name. I didn’t forget. Just didn’t want to rope a female into this boring-as* discussion. And Russ, if the ZZZZZZ’s were meant for me, f*ck you, buddy! Bodie, were is your long, exasperated post with stats and links to Fanhouse that show Kobe doing missionary work and stats showing that at his current pace, Kobe will finish his career with 146,097 points as he averages 140 pts a year for the next 20.

Aug.30 at 2:20 pm

Tarzan Cooper says:
140 pts a year is pretty low eboy. kobe is a mormon.

Aug.30 at 2:22 pm

Russ Bengtson says:
The entire point of discussion is to take in others’s viewpoints and express one’s own, in the hope that some understanding will come from it. Not compromise, necessarily, just understanding. This NEVER happens when Kobe’s name is brought up. Ever. He’s so polarizing he should be a f*cking sled dog.

Aug.30 at 2:23 pm

white hot eboy says:
Per game, sorry guys (& girls), for my lack of 24 respect.

Aug.30 at 2:24 pm

white hot eboy says:
Russ, I have a 5 yr old Husky, he’s cretty “cool”.

Aug.30 at 2:25 pm

white hot eboy says:
*pretty cool

Aug.30 at 2:26 pm

Myles Brown says:
1.”and do WHATEVER it takes to lead your team to prominence” Um, like stay in shape and not bicker with coaches and teammates on two different teams? Shaq hardly did whatever it takes, and there’s A LOT more to being a leader than being the focal point of the team.
2. In every one of those Finals appearances Shaq was accompanied by an All-NBA first team caliber guard. He couldn’t win by himself any more than Kobe or Michael or anyone. He benefited from his partnerships as much as his partners did. Which is why they’re called partnerships. Equal work, equal credit.

Aug.30 at 2:26 pm

Ben Osborne says:
Coach K needs to be hearting LeBron.

Aug.30 at 2:28 pm

Tarzan Cooper says:
max, if everything was equal, then how many finals mvps does kobe have?

Aug.30 at 2:30 pm

Russ Bengtson says:
However, here’s some food for thought anyway: Shaq was the leader of the Laker championship teams, yes? Unquestionably. The offense always ran through him when he was on the floor. At the same time, Kobe was already a supremely talented basketball player. An unparalleled scorer–as evidenced by the numbers he’s put up since Shaq left town. (Unless one presumes he came into the majority of his talents AFTER Shaq left, which seems unlikely.) Thusly, one can say with some degree of certainty that Kobe, while Shaq was in town, sublimated his own offensive game for the good of the team. Certainly moreso than Shaq did for Kobe. So. Who’s the mature one?

Aug.30 at 2:32 pm

Myles Brown says:
Stop making sense!

Aug.30 at 2:32 pm

white hot eboy says:
Myles, in basketball, which is the sport you write about, there is always ONE leader on a team. Not two. Not three. Especially a championship group. Can one guy do it himself? Well except for Michael, no (it’s a joke Myles, relax). But you can always reflect back to the great teams and say the leaders name along with the team. Russell’s Celts, Magic’s Lakers, Larry’s Celtics, Michael’s Bulls, Timmy’s Spurs, Hakeem’s Rockets and ta da, Shaq’s Lakers. Were there other great, Hall of Fame players on these teams. Hell yeah. But there is only one that you reflect back to initially and that is the leader.

Aug.30 at 2:34 pm

white hot eboy says:
Russ, using thusly in a sentence killed your credibility in this post.

Aug.30 at 2:35 pm

Reggie Evans says:
Did Russ really write that?

Aug.30 at 2:35 pm

Russ Bengtson says:
And Kobe didn’t fight with Shaq to be said leader, despite the fact that his talents were equal to (if not greater than–last I checked, he can shoot free throws) the Diesel’s. You know why Shaq so magnanimously offered Dwyane the leadership mantle in Miami? Because he knew that Dwyane was too much of a gentleman to take it. Shaq is EVERY BIT as selfish as Kobe is, he’s just better with the media and the public. TRUST ME.

Aug.30 at 2:36 pm

Reggie Evans says:
Russ’ credibility is solid with me. Thusly … white hot never had any.

Aug.30 at 2:37 pm

Russ Bengtson says:
My vocabulary is gargantuan.

Aug.30 at 2:37 pm

Reggie Evans says:
Instead of TRUST ME, I would go with “BELEEE DAT!”

Aug.30 at 2:37 pm

Russ Bengtson says:
Anyone else notice that there’s one too many “K”s in the headline?

Aug.30 at 2:39 pm

Myles Brown says:
Shaq was the focal point of his team. The other guys were leaders. If there was ANY leader of those Laker teams it was Phil Jackson. I just won’t call Shaq a leader cause he hardly exhibited the maturity or commitment to lead anyone. Michael, Magic, Russell, Bird, Duncan or Dream never took half the season off and left the heavy lifting to their counterparts.

Aug.30 at 2:41 pm

Myles Brown says:
Russ, you keep this up and I can no longer call you a hater.

Aug.30 at 2:41 pm

white hot eboy says:
Reggie, in the immortal words of Jason Williams, aka Whit Eboy, “you don’t need to write nothing more, homeboy”. And to end the discussion about the Mambit*h from my end, since the girls here are getting angry, if Kobe can lead a team to a title when he’s 35 (6 yrs from now) I will eat my words. Somehow, I don’t see that happening though. He would need to latch on to another teams great player to play second fiddle again and his head is too big now. (Something that the fat ass in Miami chose to do and has another ring for it.)

Aug.30 at 2:49 pm

Reggie Evans says:
I did not see “COACK” until you pointed it out, Ross.

Aug.30 at 2:49 pm

Myles Brown says:
But I’m the predictable one.

Aug.30 at 2:51 pm

Reggie Evans says:
Ross? I meant Russ.

Aug.30 at 2:51 pm

white hot eboy says:
No Myles, I predicted you to be the first one to come to your boys aid. Get it right.

Aug.30 at 2:53 pm

H to the izzo says:
On a related topic,I’m about 98% positive that Coach K’s the devil.Play wit it and stuff

Aug.30 at 2:55 pm

white hot eboy says:
Hi, Izzo. I heart Myles.

Aug.30 at 2:56 pm

Reggie Evans says:
As for white hot, in the words of Jason Williams: “”I will shoot all you Asian mother*******. Do you remember the Vietnam War? I’ll kill y’all just like that. Just like Pearl Harbor, do you remember that?” … Stay classy, JWill.

Aug.30 at 2:57 pm

Myles Brown says:
That was my point. As “predictable” as I may be in my willingness to engage in these Kobe convos, your responses are equally predictable. Which was encapsulated in Russ’ point about these Kobe convos in general. No one ever makes any compromises or comes to any common understandings.

Aug.30 at 2:57 pm

Russ Bengtson says:
Calling other people girls only works in elementary school. Or if the person in question is Mike Miller.

Aug.30 at 3:00 pm

white hot eboy says:
Russ, it wasn’t meant to be derogatory, it’s just that Kobe talk get to sounding like the three chicks from Friends arguing over what dress the other stole from another one. As ridiculous as that sentence was is how Kobe discussions come off sounding.

Aug.30 at 3:01 pm

Tarzan Cooper says:
shaq had to be selfish because he cant pass himself the ball, he had to tell others to give him the damn ball. they(read kobe) didnt do enough of that in 04. kobe is a great player, but he is not a leader in any kind of way, except scoring and fgas.

Aug.30 at 3:02 pm

H to the izzo says:
Could everyone at SLAMONLINE please refrain from using the word Kobe in future posts.Thanking you in anticipation

Aug.30 at 3:02 pm

Myles Brown says:
As much as I’d love to tease Mike about his hairstyle, it takes a special kind of man to be willing to look like a girl. A gay man. And it’s been scientifically proven that while calling people girls doesn’t work, they will easily succumb to senseless homophobia.

Aug.30 at 3:05 pm

Russ Bengtson says:
And hell, a few other points on Kobe/Mike. 1) So he’s a lot like Jordan, right down to mannerisms and gestures. SO WHAT? Every basketball player born after, say, 1970 has wanted to be like Mike. The fact that he’s closer than anyone’s ever come, this is a bad thing? 2) Mike didn’t accept the triangle offense until he was 29 or so. How old was Kobe? 19? 3) How would Mike have gotten along with Shaq? Keep in mind, this is a guy who punched Steve Kerr–STEVE KERR–in the face in practice. Somehow I don’t think MJ would have been content to just dump the ball into the post every time down the floor. (And that whole free throw thing? Yeah, that would have gone over well.)

Aug.30 at 3:06 pm

Tarzan Cooper says:
ok then, myles. you can walk out of that closet now.

Aug.30 at 3:07 pm

white hot eboy says:
Myles=gay expert. Or something. That sh*t was confusing,Myles-Max.

Aug.30 at 3:08 pm

white hot eboy says:
Bodie will have to post 20 times to catch up.

Aug.30 at 3:08 pm

Tarzan Cooper says:
could have/ should have bullshi$ russ.

Aug.30 at 3:09 pm

H to the izzo says:
Russ a lot of people based their games around MJ’s but none of them have people claiming that they’re top ten all time.
And Russ I think we’ve been through the fact that MJ wasn’t a great person to play with before

Aug.30 at 3:09 pm

Russ Bengtson says:
My life would be pretty complete if I could get Adrienne Goodson to start referring to Diana Taurasi as “Mike Miller.”

Aug.30 at 3:09 pm

Reggie Evans says:
Also, I would like to point out that is more difficult to overrate Kobe than it is to underrate him. Although the Kobe fans may go too far in their appreciation one way, the Kobe haters go twice as much in the negative.

Aug.30 at 3:10 pm

Myles Brown says:
I never understood how being a “Jordan clone” was supposed to be construed as some kind of insult. Harold Miner would kill to hear that just once. And Jordan would’ve fought Shaq to the death before he let him get away with the sh*t that Kobe allowed.

Aug.30 at 3:11 pm

Tarzan Cooper says:
that would be great russ, get on it.

Aug.30 at 3:12 pm

Tarzan Cooper says:
i dont hate kobe. i just think he is more concerned with himself than the team

Aug.30 at 3:16 pm

Russ Bengtson says:
But Izzo, Kobe probably IS top ten all time. Or at least he will be when all is said and done. I just find it funny that people get so worked up over him. Oooh, but he hasn’t won an MVP. Yeah, the MEDIA votes on that, and it’s obvious that large portions of said media can’t stand Kobe for whatever reason. And fans? They either love him or hate him. JUST LIKE MIKE.

Aug.30 at 3:17 pm

Russ Bengtson says:
Remember when Ryan said he was going to post a huge piece on Kobe? I do!

Aug.30 at 3:17 pm

Tarzan Cooper says:
russ, you need to slap yourself after that one.

Aug.30 at 3:18 pm

white hot eboy says:
“the sh*t that Kobe allowed”. So Kobe was writing the checks for the Lakers, coaching the team, promoting them to the public, etc. Allowed? What would he have done to stop Shaq’s s*it? One word…Nothing. Or he would have then. And took control of the team with the fat-ass there. Not when he was 1500 miles away. Instead, he now has that power to “rule” the team and how’s that working out for him right now? And once Phil is gone after this season, it will be fun to watch the “Lake Horror Show”.

Aug.30 at 3:20 pm

Tarzan Cooper says:
what if jason richardson had been on the lakers instead of kobe?

Aug.30 at 3:21 pm

Russ Bengtson says:
And Tarzan, I don’t think that’s true. I think what he says is true–that all he really cares about is winning. I believe that the last few seasons have really gnawed at him, that he does truly want the Lakers to bring in more help. However, I also think that he has a different perspective on HOW to win than the average fan. In his mind, taking a 1-on-4 layup gives the Lakers a better chance at winning than a wide-open Smush Parker three, or a 1-on-1 Jordan Farmar jumper. And you know what? He may be right.

Aug.30 at 3:21 pm

Myles Brown says:
So you’re saying that since MJ wouldn’t have owned the team he played on, he would’ve ‘allowed’ anyone to slap him in front of his teammates and consistently berate him in public?

Aug.30 at 3:22 pm

white hot eboy says:
Russ, I’m pretty sure it’s not Russ Bengston posting under your screen name. “JUST LIKE MIKE”? If Michael was so “polarizing”, how did he win so many awards, MVP’s, etc.? Why? Because he was the ish. (to use the horrible slang word the Slam guys love so much)

Aug.30 at 3:23 pm

Myles Brown says:
Russ Bengtson is officially no longer a hater. And my commitment to commenting here now only exists to find him a new nickname and to send another Kobe post over 100.

Aug.30 at 3:24 pm

Russ Bengtson says:
If you switched last year’s Cavs team to the West and last year’s Laker team to the East, the Lakers could have EASILY made the Finals. Play with THAT.

Aug.30 at 3:24 pm

white hot eboy says:
Myles, who did that? Michael or Shaq? I know Michael busted people up for being sorry, but are you implying Shaq hit someone too?

Aug.30 at 3:25 pm

white hot eboy says:
Russ is officialy drunk. Izzo, you have a new favorite SLAMmate.

Aug.30 at 3:25 pm

Tarzan Cooper says:
russ, actions speak louder than words, if kobe cares about his team and winning, he wouldnt be talking sh$t on bynum. he only wants to win for his own legacy, not for his teammates and the franchise.

Aug.30 at 3:26 pm

Ron says:
Kobe is soooo polarizing. There is no middle ground to be made. Either you love him or you hate him. End of story, bottom line! No one doubts his skill on the court, but just because a guy is great ball player doesn’t mean the whole world has to love him. I don’t like Kobe, many people reading this comment do, and although I don’t understand how you can be a fan of a total jerk, I respect your choice to do so without prejudice. We should make the Great Kobe Debate like the military’s homosexuality policy… Don’t ask, don’t tell.

Aug.30 at 3:26 pm

Myles Brown says:
Shaq smacked the sh*t outta Kobe.

Aug.30 at 3:27 pm

white hot eboy says:
Russ is Wi-Fi’ed up, in Miami, drinking Presidente’s with Cheryl. It’s the only explanation possible.

Aug.30 at 3:27 pm

Tarzan Cooper says:
russ, COULD have made the finals. remember the cavs and bulls seeding came down to the last game of the year.

Aug.30 at 3:28 pm

Russ Bengtson says:
white: I’m talking about fans, not the media. Mike had the media under his thumb for his entire career. Because if they didn’t play by his rules, he wouldn’t talk to them. And back in the pre-blog, infant internet world, access was only for the privileged. The mainstream press HAD to cater to the athletes, and the mainstream press was ALL THERE WAS. Kobe probably had more words written about him over the last three months than Jordan did over the first five years of his career combined.

Aug.30 at 3:28 pm

H to the izzo says:
Myles:Your blind faith in Kobe is worrying me.
And Russ:MJ wasn’t exactly polarizing,people love him to a fault

Aug.30 at 3:29 pm

Tarzan Cooper says:
eboy, presidentes are cigars

Aug.30 at 3:29 pm

white hot eboy says:
Did you really just right that, Myles? And what was the Mamba’s response? I don’t remember, but this is starting to brighten my day by the typed letter.

Aug.30 at 3:30 pm

Russ Bengtson says:
And I’m 100 percent stone sober. Got a little tonsillitis going on, or something like it, but that should only predispose me towards Greg Oden.

Aug.30 at 3:31 pm

Russ Bengtson says:
Izzo: There were definitely fans who hated Jordan with a passion. Then again I’m guessing you’ve never been to Detroit or New York.

Aug.30 at 3:31 pm

Myles Brown says:
It happened before Phil got there. I would grab the passage out of the book, but I forget which one it was in. And I have no blind faith in Kobe, I actually have quite a balanced perspective on the guy.

Aug.30 at 3:31 pm

Tarzan Cooper says:
speaking of grampa oden, he should get a shoe deal with nike or whomever, and his shoe should have velcro straps.

Aug.30 at 3:32 pm

Myles Brown says:
Right now, I’m thinking about calling you Radio Raheem, Russ. LOVE on one hand, HATE on the other.

Aug.30 at 3:33 pm

H to the izzo says:
Russ:Its the rivals fans job to hate the star player who constantly keeps them from winning the chip.

Aug.30 at 3:33 pm

Russ Bengtson says:
I’d like to think I can offer a pretty balanced perspective on Kobe as well. For starters, I was (and remain–to an extent) a huge Jordan fan, and I’ve gotten to see Kobe play up close and personal since the McDonald’s All-America game.

Aug.30 at 3:34 pm

H to the izzo says:
And don’t Knicks and Pistons fans hate everyone anyway?

Aug.30 at 3:34 pm

Tarzan Cooper says:
kobe will play for about 8 more years and i really dont see him getting to the finals again. the west wont be any easier for at least 6 years and kobe cant be traded, the lakers just cant trade him.

Aug.30 at 3:35 pm

white hot eboy says:
Tarzan, in Miami they’re not. And Russ, the only fans I knew that hated Michael were Knicks fans when I was in Jersey. Everyone else loved him. But I didn’t live in Cleveland, Atlanta, Detroit or any other city that Michael put under his thumb. Michael is an Icon and a trendesetter, Kobe is nowhere close to either of those terms.

Aug.30 at 3:35 pm

Russ Bengtson says:
Izzo: Most of the people who hate Kobe probably aren’t Laker fans.

Aug.30 at 3:38 pm

Myles Brown says:
I knew people in the Chi who hated Money.

Aug.30 at 3:40 pm

Tarzan Cooper says:
eboy, i had to scroll back up to see what you were talking about. for all the kobe d$ck riders, i hope you enjoyed 2000-02 cuz that was the high point of his career.

Aug.30 at 3:41 pm

Russ Bengtson says:
Michael Jordan, as great as he was, arrived in the NBA at EXACTLY the right time. Dr. J and David Thompson had taken the game above the rim, Larry Bird and Magic Johnson had made the game palatable to the average fan, and David Stern was pulling the League up by its proverbial bootstraps with new TV deals. Jordan was able to go through his growing pains with just the local papers and national magazines watching, had Nike/Wieden&Kennedy carefully craft his image, and was already an untouchable national treasure by the time anyone even thought about going after him. But by then it was too late–the legacy was neatly wrapped and tied off with a bow. And no one wanted to be the one to open it and dig in. Riddle me this: If Michael Jordan–as exactly the same player–played back in the ’60s and ’70s, would we view him the same way?

Aug.30 at 3:41 pm

Tarzan Cooper says:
100

Aug.30 at 3:41 pm

Russ Bengtson says:
100!

Aug.30 at 3:42 pm

white hot eboy says:
Myles=fictional writer.

Aug.30 at 3:42 pm

Russ Bengtson says:
Damn you, Tarzan.

Aug.30 at 3:44 pm

H to the izzo says:
Or if MJ was around today how would be treated?See Bryant,Kobe

Aug.30 at 3:44 pm

Myles Brown says:
Before he started bringing home chips there were folks in the Chi who said the same things about Money that are being said about Kobe today. Beleee dat. And I was totally gunning for that 100 spot you bastards.

Aug.30 at 3:44 pm

Tarzan Cooper says:
who the fuc# cares russ? what point does that prove?

Aug.30 at 3:45 pm

white hot eboy says:
Russ, could have, would have, should have. Is it his fault he was born on a specific date and played at a specific time? The same can be said for any of the fly-by-night superstars of today. One great game shows up on Sportscenter for a day and a half, gets talked about on this site for 2 days, and the cycle continues. If Kobe played in the 60’s and 70’s, would anyone even think twice about him? Who knows, who cares.

Aug.30 at 3:46 pm

Tarzan Cooper says:
im talking about your long post, not your weak a$$ 100 attempt

Aug.30 at 3:46 pm

Myles Brown says:
If Jordan was around in the 60s & 70s theres no way he’d be who he was now. No f’in way. And I personally would’ve loved to see how he’d react to a playing in Russell and Robertson’s era when he not only didn’t have a chartered jet, but he couldn’t even use the same bathroom as some of his teammates.

Aug.30 at 3:47 pm

white hot eboy says:
Myles, nice how you didn’t finish the thought and tell us what those same cats said once he did run the league for a decade.

Aug.30 at 3:48 pm

white hot eboy says:
And Myles, those same comments don’t apply to 99.9 % of today’s players? You’re showing bad form, young man.

Aug.30 at 3:49 pm

jbn74sb says:
Russ - I love you.

Aug.30 at 3:50 pm

Myles Brown says:
Two things can be established as fact about Jordan in Chicago. 1. He was a winner. 2. He was a bit of a jerk. As many people who loved him because of the former, there were still a few who didn’t care for him due to the latter. Not everyone in Chicago pledges allegiance to Jordan.

Aug.30 at 3:51 pm

white hot eboy says:
Bodie, you’re a 112 comments late.

Aug.30 at 3:51 pm

Tarzan Cooper says:
myles and russ are off in some imaginary world called “what if” because they cant deal with the reality of what jordan was and what kobe can never be.

Aug.30 at 3:51 pm

Myles Brown says:
Of course they do apply to everyone else too. But Jordan is the one who set the standard and the market for primadonna behavior so he is the one I referenced.

Aug.30 at 3:52 pm

white hot eboy says:
Those people who hated Michael in Chicago are what the Y generation calls “haters”.

Aug.30 at 3:53 pm

white hot eboy says:
Myles, again, another form of trendsetting that Kobe couldn’t come up with on his own.

Aug.30 at 3:54 pm

Ron says:
I hate having work and not getting in on the commentmania that’s taking place. Everytime I come back to the fray I’m reading like thirty comment just playing catch up. You guys are surely gonna suffer the ills of carpel tunnel.

Aug.30 at 3:55 pm

Myles Brown says:
Orange font only! Get out!

Aug.30 at 3:55 pm

Russ Bengtson says:
So I guess because Jordan came first no one else should ever bother playing two-guard again. SHUT DOWN THE NBA, IT’S A WRAP. What can Kobe “never be”? Michael Jordan? You’re right, there already was one. But he’s perfectly capable of being the best two-guard in the world TODAY in 2007 and, hey, guess what, he is. Sorry he wasn’t born in ‘63 so he couldn’t go head-to-head with Jordan every day. Kobe, you’re a f*cking loser for being born in 1978. Go back and try again.

Aug.30 at 3:56 pm

white hot eboy says:
For everyone’s knowledge, if there is an exaggerated break in posts from jbn74sb, it’s because he is referencing stats and putting together a comparison post that shows Kobe’s greatness in numbers. Mark my words.

Aug.30 at 3:56 pm

H to the izzo says:
Tarzan:Selective memory is a great thing.MJ was a worse teammate than Jordan,people nowadays would really hate playing with him.Kobe’s behaviour in that respect was nowhere near as bad as MJ’s but the media has some kind of bias against Kobe and blow most of his discretions out of proportion.MJ was a bit of an ass but winning seems to make people forget

Aug.30 at 3:56 pm

Tarzan Cooper says:
now you get it russ.

Aug.30 at 3:57 pm

Russ Bengtson says:
If you asked Michael Jordan himself who the best player in the game was, what do you think he’d say? I’ll wait.

Aug.30 at 3:57 pm

Myles Brown says:
Russ, “Can He Live?”

Aug.30 at 3:58 pm

white hot eboy says:
Russ, the only time you have made sense today is when you were being sarcastic. Take that as a cue for future articles you post here and in the mag.

Aug.30 at 3:59 pm

Russ Bengtson says:
Also, what trends did Jordan set that Dr. J didn’t set before him? Free-throw line dunk? Doc. Signature shoes? Doc. Distinctive hairstyle (or lack thereof)? Doc. I’ll wait for that one, too.

Aug.30 at 4:00 pm

mutoni says:
120+ comments for this? seriously? i’m embarrassed.

Aug.30 at 4:00 pm

white hot eboy says:
Russ, I’ve heard it from his lips, about 8 months ago, in person. I’ll give you a few guesses. Here’s a hint, he doesn’t reside in an earthquake state.

Aug.30 at 4:01 pm

Tarzan Cooper says:
well russ, im sure he would say that adam morrison is the best in the league, thats why he drafted him.

Aug.30 at 4:02 pm

Tarzan Cooper says:
eboy, lebronze?

Aug.30 at 4:03 pm

Tarzan Cooper says:
wait, eboy, you talked to jordan in person?

Aug.30 at 4:03 pm

white hot eboy says:
Russ, your taking the other side of the fence argument is starting to give us an insight into the Jekyll/Hyde writer of the SLAM staff. Alll I can think is that 24 was extremley cordial to you and MJ was not. Thus, your not “complete” love for 23.

Aug.30 at 4:05 pm

white hot eboy says:
Tarzan, I explained it once a few weeks ago, in another of these long, boring “Kobe is the best” comment sections.

Aug.30 at 4:05 pm

Russ Bengtson says:
Hey, I loved Jordan growing up. More than most. Bought the shoes, the Wheaties, the Sports Illustrateds, the VHS highlight reels. If it wasn’t for Mike, I wouldn’t have had the jobs I had (and have). HOWEVER, I didn’t close my mind along with his career. I recognized that there were probably fans in the ’60s who thought no one would ever be better than Oscar, and fans in the ’70s who thought no one would ever be better than Doc, and fans in the ’80s who thought no one would ever be better than Larry. Fans identify best with those they grow up watching. It only makes sense. But to lock down in your mind that Michael Jordan is the best ever and no one else will ever come close and be insulted that anyone else ever be compared with Him is just plain silly. EVERYONE builds on who came before. NO ONE starts with a clean slate. Magic built on Oscar, Shaq built on Wilt, Michael himself built on David Thompson and Dr. J. Kobe Bryant would have been an ABSOLUTE MORON to not build on the legacy that Michael Jordan left. I am SICK AND TIRED of Mike being revered as this sacred cow that no one else can ever compete with. As of RIGHT NOW, I still believe he’s the best player in NBA history. But if you don’t think Kobe is close, I don’t know what games you’re watching. Or, for that matter, how you watch with your eyes so tightly shut.

Aug.30 at 4:06 pm

Tarzan Cooper says:
well, im not gonna look it up so go ahead and explain again.

Aug.30 at 4:07 pm

white hot eboy says:
Russ, you’re are a bit silly. But you’re amusing.

Aug.30 at 4:07 pm

Myles Brown says:
If I could co-sign on that anymore we’d have to move to Hawaii to get a civil union.

Aug.30 at 4:07 pm

Myles Brown says:
Russ of course.

Aug.30 at 4:07 pm

Russ Bengtson says:
Jordan was great the one time I got extended interview time with him. Kobe has been great as well. My opinions are simply my opinions–they have nothing to do with my personal interactions with either player. And actually, during my EIC tenure, Kobe was quite difficult at times. I try not to let that influence how I feel about his game.

Aug.30 at 4:09 pm

jay says:
usually i like to sit back and let jbn do all talking, but today Russ is on fire. although i would put my $ down that it really aint Russ, and the real Russ would come back tomm. and catch an attack readin` all this. eboy call Ryan for back up. i should really write this is orange but whtever.

Aug.30 at 4:09 pm

jbn74sb says:
The lack of comments from me is because these arguments just get old. It’s the same thing over and over again. Eboy hates Kobe, although it is doubtful he has ever met him, let alone knows him. Equally doubtful that eboy has ever met Wade or Shaq, or knows either one, yet he is prepared to grab his ankles and accept either one at a moment’s notice.
In any event, Shaq is overrated, as a player, teammate, and person, and horrendously overpaid. Wade showed some serious sack in beating the Mavs in the Finals, with Zo getting all the important 4th quarter minutes, because Shaq admittedly has never tried much on D or on the boards. It remains to be seen whether Wade’s style of play will permit him to stay on the court.
So, eboy, focus on your team (or is it teams? traitor!), and don’t worry about the Lakers. We have enough bandwagon fans without you. Kobe’s current stature in the game is without question, and he has a good 8-10 years to continue to determine what his legacy will be. And if you think for a second that Jordan would have scated through today’s media circus unscathed, well, go smoke another rock, or pole, as the case may be.

Aug.30 at 4:10 pm

white hot eboy says:
So Russ, all things equal, Kobe was more of a pri*k, huh?

Aug.30 at 4:12 pm

jbn74sb says:
Myles - You’d have to fight me for Russ. Plus, Laguna Beach is closer, and they have legalized “partnerships” as well.

Aug.30 at 4:14 pm

jbn74sb says:
Oh, and Wilt is the best player ever. And here is what we in the legal profession like to call evidence eboy, although you seem to think that stats are meaningless.
1. Never fouled out.
2. Averaged 50 and 25 for a season.
3. Never had one game of less than 10 rebounds.

Aug.30 at 4:14 pm

b4hoops.blogspot.com says:
Not a big fan of Coach K being a University of Maryland alum, but he is right on the money with his comments. Granted, Kobe is overly emotional, can sometimes become extremely selfish on the floor and often gets horrible advise from those around him, but if I was a owner there is no other player I would rather have on my team right now. He is no Michael Jordan, but is the closest we’ve seen to his airness, both in terms of skill and the unyielding drive to win at all costs. The biggest difference between Kobe and MJ is that Jordan knew exactly how to mold his image and position himself in public, while Kobe has the media saavy of an ornery 2-year old.

Aug.30 at 4:15 pm

Russ Bengtson says:
white: I wouldn’t go that far. It’s not like we were trying to deal with Jordan much–I took over as EIC in ‘99 when Jordan was retired, and later an afterthought. We NEVER got to do anything with Jordan anyway. I think we only did an actual SLAM-specific shoot with him once, for SLAM 100, which was probably all of 10 frames. Kobe did a lot with us (including what may be my favorite cover of my EIC tenure–the one with he and Shaq where Shaq is pointing to his then-empty ring finger), but he was also…difficult at times. There were times when he’d only do things if they were precisely on his terms. Which, I’d be willing to bet, was the way things worked with Jordan a LOT in the ’80s. You just didn’t hear about that stuff then.

Aug.30 at 4:15 pm

white hot eboy says:
Bodie, I laughed out loud, if that makes you happy. Seriously, again, I’ve met the other subjet of these posts, several times, in a non-interview arena, and have a pretty decent idea of what he is like TODAY, related to his playing days. I have never met Shaq or Wade, would never want to meet 8/24/10, and have no desire to train my thoughts on a fellow law practioner who in whatever legal field you delve into, must have no trial experience because your arguments usually wind up as hollow and vapid, and that’s how most Cali attorney’s are always recognized. Sorry. Love Eboy.

Aug.30 at 4:16 pm

Tarzan Cooper says:
its been fun guys, optimo time. see you on the other side

Aug.30 at 4:17 pm

Myles Brown says:
Yeah Bodie, but I’ll never forgive them for that TV show. These arguments only get old cause they’re continually had by the same people. I can’t get with Wilt as the best ever though. And b4hoops is another one of those troublemakers who like to ‘make sense’.

Aug.30 at 4:18 pm

Russ Bengtson says:
Jordan didn’t “know exactly” how to mold his image, and I’ll bet there are Chiat/Day and Wieden&Kennedy ad people who would tell you the same thing. He was fortunate enough to be surrounded by the right people at the right time. Trust me, he did things in the ’80s that, if Kobe did them, would have provided tabloid fodder for months. But as Jordan The Great and Terrible, no one dared cross him. Hell, Sam Smith’s book only suggested he was a d*ck to his teammates, and THAT was viewed as blasphemy.

Aug.30 at 4:19 pm

Myles Brown says:
Ahmad Rashad only has a career because of MJ’s terms of dealing with the media.

Aug.30 at 4:19 pm

H to the izzo says:
In my humble unexperienced opinion I would think that MJ would have been the bigger prick and I’m happy to say that I’ve never bought a pair of Jordans.

Aug.30 at 4:20 pm

white hot eboy says:
b4hoops is officially the poster of the day. I will now procede to his or her blog for thought-provoking reading. And Myles, you’re right. The six of us arguing is pointless. No one else is dumb enough to get invloved.

Aug.30 at 4:21 pm

Russ Bengtson says:
And if you want to talk about “ornery two-year olds,” how about the members of the media that continue to dog Kobe (hi, T.J. Simers!) about whether he wants to play for the Lakers or not when a) it’s not his choice and b) he obviously doesn’t want to talk about it. Jordan NEVER got grilled like that as a player. Ever. Ever, ever, ever. Because writers knew if they did that, Jordan would never talk to them again, and they’d lose their jobs before the next Bulls game. But Kobe doesn’t answer, and hey, he’s an immature jerk. Right. No double standard there or anything.

Aug.30 at 4:23 pm

H to the izzo says:
co-sign Co-Sign CO-SIGN

Aug.30 at 4:24 pm

jbn74sb says:
Myles - You must have missed out on the first season, which was classic. After that, it was made for girls and became lame.

Aug.30 at 4:25 pm

Myles Brown says:
“Bag It Michael!” Ralph Wiley could rise from the dead and Jordan still wouldn’t give him an interview if it were for SI.

Aug.30 at 4:27 pm

Myles Brown says:
And Bodie, the only reality shows I like to watch are called “p*rn*graphy”.

Aug.30 at 4:31 pm

H to the izzo says:
What have we learned in 160 comments?Absolutely f*cking nothing

Aug.30 at 4:32 pm

jbn74sb says:
I can’t really argue with that, Myles. Jasmine Byrne, Roxy Jezel, Angel Dark, Katsumi, and Rebecca Linares. I’ll roll with that starting five any day.

Aug.30 at 4:34 pm

white hot eboy says:
And whose the queen now, Bodie?

Aug.30 at 4:42 pm

white hot eboy says:
who’s is you’s.

Aug.30 at 4:42 pm

Ben Osborne says:
Russ, the last time I checked this post you were “zzzzzzzzzzz”ing. Now I go back and your leading the charge to 200 comments. I’m also speechless in regards to what Kobe does for this site. We’re running at like 70% efficiency and he’s still driving this many comments? Insane.

Aug.30 at 4:45 pm

Russ Bengtson says:
Sorry, Ben. I think I’m a little feverish, which may have inspired the outbreak today. Probably should have written a separate Jordan/Kobe post, but oh well. Maybe later when we need more traffic.

Aug.30 at 4:46 pm

H to the izzo says:
Ben:I think this was more Jordan’s doing than Kobe’s

Aug.30 at 4:47 pm

jbn74sb says:
Do you really think that a Kobe post generates more traffic, or rather that a Kobe post causes people who were already here to put in their 2 cents?

Aug.30 at 4:48 pm

white hot eboy says:
Kobe kind of got left behind. Poor little Mamba.

Aug.30 at 4:49 pm

Myles Brown says:
That’s not true Izzo. I learned a few things. 1. That Russ provides the most sensible basketball commentary of almost anyone I know (or e-know). 2. That he didn’t like being called ‘Radio Russ’ 3. That Ryan would rather talk about Mormons than Kobe. 4. That we really should adopt a “Dont ask, dont tell policy about KB24. Or if there is gonna be a Kobe post, that it really should just be emailed to the six of us 5. No one likes Mike Taurasi’s haircut. 6. That eboy wouldn’t like Kobe even if he cured Magic. 7.What kind of p*rn Bodie likes (Two words homie, Gianna Michaels.) 8. That Kobe Bryant invented the internet.

Aug.30 at 4:50 pm

Russ Bengtson says:
Semantics. Maybe “hits” would be the right word. Damn lawyers.

Aug.30 at 4:50 pm

white hot eboy says:
Bodie, it was only 7 or 8 names that appeared throughout. You’re on point.

Aug.30 at 4:52 pm

H to the izzo says:
Indeed Myles,indeed.I retract that statement

Aug.30 at 4:53 pm

Russ Bengtson says:
Myles: “Radio Russ” is better than “Hater.” Then again, so is pretty much anything. I’ll just have to avoid the cops in Bed-Stuy. And haha at No. 6.

Aug.30 at 4:53 pm

white hot eboy says:
Myles, I would love Kobe if he cured cancer or could resurrect my dad. That’s for real.

Aug.30 at 4:54 pm

jbn74sb says:
I do not share your affinity for that t-t pig known as Gianna Michales. My god, she is nasty. I’m telling you, Angel Dark.

Aug.30 at 4:56 pm

H to the izzo says:
Whats worse Russ “Hater” or “Old Blogger”?

Aug.30 at 4:56 pm

jbn74sb says:
Eboy - What if Kobe resurrects Shaq’s career next year when the Heat Brian Grant (now a verb to used in place of buyout) Shaq’s contract and the Lakers sign him to back up Bynum? Will you like him then?

Aug.30 at 4:59 pm

Reggie Evans says:
This is awesome. I leave for lunch, and Russ is preaching to the unwashed masses! It’s so true how people get insulted when you even mention Kobe in the same breath as MJ, but he ain’t that far off. If you say MJ’s the greatest, you don’t get called an “MJ d!ck rider”. But even mention Kobe as a top 10 player and, you get called all sorts of names. By the way, I never got an answer as to who Money thinks is the best player today. It was hinted at a lot in the comments, but never stated.

Aug.30 at 5:00 pm

Russ Bengtson says:
hater > old, eight days a f*cking week. And if anyone got left in the dust in this comments section it was Coach K. Because no one can spell his f*cking name. And because there’s nothing to argue about with him. He’s a ****.

Aug.30 at 5:04 pm

Myles Brown says:
Radio Russ it is then. Lang is now Hater instead of Hater, The Sequel. But you’re black now doggie, you gotta avoid the cops everywhere in NYC. I hate to see you become Russ Diallo. Or even worse, Russ Louima. Eboy, that’s too personal for me to joke about. Im sorry for your loss and continue hating. And Bodie, I guess to you Gianna is the Shaq of p*rn.

Aug.30 at 5:08 pm

Reggie Evans says:
I just copied all of Russ’ comments on this post into one word document, because he just wrote the f*ckin textbook on the MJ/Kobe debate!

Aug.30 at 5:09 pm

Russ Bengtson says:
Yeah, I should have made them a separate post. Been thinking on the topic long enough–you can ask Ryan, assuming he ever posts again.

Aug.30 at 5:13 pm

H to the izzo says:
Russ I’m sure he’s working on a post denouncing the Mormon religion as we speak

Aug.30 at 5:13 pm

Myles Brown says:
200?

Aug.30 at 5:16 pm

Reggie Evans says:
Yeah, but you needed to address the “issues”, and comparison that the other commentators made to be thorough … as a side note, I still think it’s not as impressive as it sounds that Bill Russell won 11 titles when there were around 8-9 teams to compete against. I understand that the league was less diluted, but it also means that his team was better as well. So, in general, any team back then had a better chance to capture the title than they would in a larger field. It doesn’t take anything away from Russell’s abilities, I’m just saying that the statement “he won 11 titles in a row” is not comparable to winning 11 in a row today.

Aug.30 at 5:16 pm

Russ Bengtson says:
500?

Aug.30 at 5:19 pm

Russ Bengtson says:
Can’t…argue…Bill Russell…now.

Aug.30 at 5:21 pm

H to the izzo says:
Reggie Evans=High and/or Insane Oh and 3,000,000?

Aug.30 at 5:24 pm

Reggie Evans says:
HAHAHA … just bitter about an earlier post.

Aug.30 at 5:25 pm

Myles Brown says:
Izzo, not that I agree, but you totally missed an opportunity to use Reggie Evans and “nuts” in the same sentence. Shame.

Aug.30 at 5:25 pm

Reggie Evans says:
And to answer someone else - what if Jason Richardson had been on the Laker teams with Shaq instead of Kobe? Two words: NO RINGS.

Aug.30 at 5:29 pm

H to the izzo says:
Myles-I’m an idiot-my brain she’s not working today

Aug.30 at 5:31 pm

jbn74sb says:
If my boss only knew that this was the most interesting and productive part of my work day…

Aug.30 at 5:41 pm

H to the izzo says:
“I’m goin’ back to New York City,I do believe I’ve had enough….”

Aug.30 at 5:43 pm

Russ Bengtson says:
Are you quoting the Bob Dylan song or the Beastie Boys sample of the Bob Dylan song?

Aug.30 at 5:47 pm

H to the izzo says:
Lets call it both,because I prefered the Dylan one but I just listened to the Beasties sample which inspired me to post it

Aug.30 at 5:50 pm

Young Chris #3 says:
Shaq could be 60 and he wouldn’t back up Quiznos Bynum… Get your mind right jbn…

Aug.30 at 5:54 pm

Myles Brown says:
…

Aug.30 at 5:55 pm

Myles Brown says:
…Victory!

Aug.30 at 5:55 pm

jbn74sb says:
Young Chris #3 - You are an idiot. That’s all. Thanks.

Aug.30 at 5:55 pm

H to the izzo says:
200!

Aug.30 at 5:56 pm

H to the izzo says:
I hate myself

Aug.30 at 5:57 pm

Myles Brown says:
Ha!

Aug.30 at 5:58 pm

Russ Bengtson says:
Victory over what? Sanity?

Aug.30 at 6:00 pm

H to the izzo says:
Did this 16 word post really just get over 200 comments?I’m befuddled

Aug.30 at 6:01 pm

Myles Brown says:
Hater.

Aug.30 at 6:01 pm

Allenp says:
Y’all are crazy. This reminds me of the all-day arguments me and my boys have by email.

Aug.30 at 6:01 pm

Myles Brown says:
You had to see that one coming.

Aug.30 at 6:04 pm

Reggie Evans says:
He who posts last, lasts.

Aug.30 at 6:05 pm

Russ Bengtson says:
Dammit. I vote for no more new posts on Kobe ever–let’s just use this one for the rest of his career. We could probably blow up the entire internets by 2010. Or by Thanksgiving.

Aug.30 at 6:06 pm

Russ Bengtson says:
Did anyone actually read the article that the original post linked to? I know I didn’t.

Aug.30 at 6:08 pm

Myles Brown says:
I did. Nothing new. And yeah, “The Official Kobe Thread” works for me. For the record, I just wanted 200 cause I knew someone else had to be waiting for it and being petty is fun sometimes.

Aug.30 at 6:09 pm

H to the izzo says:
Russ:I usually do,but for this one there was NO way that the comments were going to in any way reflect the posts content other than the word “Kobe”.I’m all for trying to blow up the internets-of course the Mass Media(tm) would probably blame Kobe for it

Aug.30 at 6:11 pm

Russ Bengtson says:
I guess the Krzyzfhjfbbsgfski bashing will have to wait for another day. No-mouth-having, credit-card pushing **********.

Aug.30 at 6:13 pm

H to the izzo says:
Its not as fun to make fun of Krzyzjkbhsuhuifuefg,as all you can really say is that he’s a pr*ck

Aug.30 at 6:16 pm

white hot eboy says:
The SLAM guys should make a Chukaz-esque KOBE post, for Kobe only. That would be the end-all-be-all of point/counterpoint.

Aug.30 at 6:16 pm

Reggie Evans says:
Last!

Aug.30 at 6:17 pm

Adrian says:
Which of you aren’t smoking crack?

Aug.30 at 6:18 pm

white hot eboy says:
Adrian=hater

Aug.30 at 6:20 pm

H to the izzo says:
No Comment Adrian

Aug.30 at 6:23 pm

Adrian says:
Aww Eboy, after I recommended you to play point for Boston, that’s how you repay me? Haha.

Aug.30 at 6:25 pm

white hot eboy says:
I would fit well in Boston. Like Bob Cousey, with Vanilla Ice’s personality.

Aug.30 at 6:25 pm

Russ Bengtson says:
It just be CALLIN’ me.

Aug.30 at 6:29 pm

H to the izzo says:
Pookie’s in the house,ladies and gentlemen

Aug.30 at 6:32 pm

Tarzan Cooper says:
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

Aug.30 at 6:45 pm

Reggie Evans says:
I’m like Tyrone Biggums.

Aug.30 at 6:52 pm

Tarzan Cooper says:
i think jordan said lebron was the best in the league

Aug.30 at 6:54 pm

b4hoops says:
Myles: I only “make sense” 15.8% of the time, so no worries there. Russ: Kobe had the same, or similar, ad execs at Nike helping mold his image, but we see the reality. I’m sure that they both got similar advice from some really smart marketing people as well, but how did it turn out so differently? The X-factor is Kobe’s unpredictable personality. As for the media, I guess Jordan outsmarted Kobe in that area of image building and personality as well. You think when he came into the league he had all of the nation’s media cowering in his presence? Jordan built that image of reverence — what you call fear. So, good for him. Unfortunately, Kobe isn’t nearly that sophisticated in maintaining his image and dealing with the media. White hot eboy: Thanks for the props on the post! I hope you like the blog. I just started writing it. It’s pretty cathartic.

Aug.30 at 6:56 pm

Reggie Evans says:
b4hoops: buying into the myth that MJ is somehow more “manly” or less “biatchy” than Kobe

Aug.30 at 6:58 pm

Russ Bengtson says:
I believe I addressed the Kobe/Jordan media differences. It was a far different world in 1984 when MJ entered the League than it was in 1996 when Kobe joined us. I’d go so far as to say sports media in 1984 was closer to what it was in 1954 than what it became by 1994, let alone 2004. And as for Kobe having the same Nike ad people–yeah, sure. Ten years into his career. His image was already well established by then.

Aug.30 at 7:03 pm

Tarzan Cooper says:
can. we. get. 300? what. if. i. typed. like. scoop. did. the. ricky. davis. story. a. few. years. ago.

Aug.30 at 7:04 pm

Tarzan Cooper says:
kobe is ok. whatever.

Aug.30 at 7:08 pm

Russ Bengtson says:
And no, Kobe ISN’T as ade