Jun.18 at 10:09 am

Eboy says:
For once, Plaschke hit the nail on the head. Ryan, well done. Not as good as my blog prediction, but exceptional as always. Pequeno is now my favorite word.

Jun.18 at 10:18 am

Holly MacKenzie says:
Oh boy.

Jun.18 at 10:30 am

B. Long says:
Hey Ryan, I was definitely wrong about Ray, I have to admit it, but for those who’ve said he should have got MVP over Pierce I hope you watched more than Game 6. Paul carried the Celts to this Chip.

Jun.18 at 10:38 am

TADOne says:
No shame Jones?

Jun.18 at 10:42 am

Bryan says:
Wow.

Jun.18 at 10:42 am

B. Long says:
So,Ryan, when are you gonna start lobbying a Lebron to the Celts trade? Tomorrow?

Jun.18 at 10:46 am

blackjack says:
Nostradamus!

Jun.18 at 10:49 am

B. Long says:
This was a great prediction too. Gotta give credit when it is do. Even if it’s due to an arrogant ass writer who would rather bash Kobe then point out the flaws in his own favorite players game. Actually, I take that back, Kobe deserves some bashing right now. Family and offcourt issues aside, his performance in the finals is free game right now. Not even his Unoffical Lobbiest can put a spin on this embarassment.

Jun.18 at 10:53 am

Eboy says:
Good to see B has noticed what the rest of the non-Lakers contigent has seen for years.

Jun.18 at 11:02 am

Bryan says:
QUiet day today…

Jun.18 at 11:21 am

Myles Brown says:
Good to see youre taking your cues from Bill Plaschke now.

Jun.18 at 11:23 am

B. Long says:
@Eboy: I’m the kinda guy who roots for the bad guy sometimes, like when I watch Scarface, I always cut it off before Tony shoots his boy cause I don’t want to watch him go out like that. Guess I shouldn’t have watched Game 6.

Jun.18 at 11:25 am

Myles Brown says:
Bill Plaschke.

Jun.18 at 11:26 am

Myles Brown says:
Wow.

Jun.18 at 11:34 am

Eboy says:
B, honestly, I didn’t want to see Kobe go out like that. It’s funny fuc*ing with you guys about him and I have my own motivations on why I dislike his game, but dude really showed where he ranks as a killer/leader/destroyer/legend during this series and his seat on that plane was moved to the cargo hold after it. Nevermind Lamar, Pau and Fish’s performances. Those three are really not worth the Lakers starter postions they possess.

Jun.18 at 11:36 am

Kevin Wilson says:
As Sports Guy said, this series should settle that “Kobe vs. MJ” argument once and for all. MJ did not and would not blow a 24-point lead at home in the Finals.

Jun.18 at 11:38 am

Bryan says:
Pau was terrible man…I was SCREAMING at the tv all series “MAKE A F*CKING MOVE” make the defense respect you or at least remember that you’re on the court he did nothing. Same with Lamar for the most part , when he was attacking the rim good things were happening , when he wasn’t the defense loaded up on Kobe and he had no help to make the Celtics pay for it. As good a job as it was by the celtics , it was just as bad a job by the Lakers.

Jun.18 at 11:40 am

Eboy says:
Am T the only that noticed that Kobe rarley takes contact in the lane and that’s why his free throw shooting was non-existent for the last two series. Here’s something funny…..if he took/created contact like Lebron does, he might have stolen this series for his team.

Jun.18 at 11:41 am

Eboy says:
*rarely

Jun.18 at 11:41 am

Myles Brown says:
And the hits just keep on comin…

Jun.18 at 11:42 am

Bryan says:
Ok I get it MJ is better than Kobe blah blah…BUt someone on the Bulls had to want it also. No one on the Lakers seemed to want to be there.It wasn’t just Jordan winning those chips Pippen and Rodman are all timers in their own right…I’m not making an excuse for Kobe but damn give the guy a break.They lost the lead but who else on the team stepped up? The bulls had three lock down defenders that meant 3/5 of the other teams lineup could badically be shut out. If they got you on the ropes their was no turning back. Who on the Lakers has that ability?

Jun.18 at 11:43 am

Myles Brown says:
Oooh! Oooh! I know!

Jun.18 at 11:44 am

Bryan says:
Or if he acted like he was going to fall down everytime he put the ball on the floor like Paul Piece right Eboy? Even my girlfriend noticed how much that Manu impression.

Jun.18 at 11:44 am

Myles Brown says:
Nobody!

Jun.18 at 11:45 am

Eboy says:
You didn’t expect any less from all of us uniformed morons, did you Myles? It won’t be much fun after today anyway. Especially when guys like B. Long are actually rational about the status of the team.

Jun.18 at 11:46 am

Eboy says:
Nice of Myles to keep the team spirit up, btw.

Jun.18 at 11:46 am

Eboy says:
Shia, it worked for Wade too.

Jun.18 at 11:48 am

Myles Brown says:
I just dont understand why you argue with completely irrational people and then gloat about being right with equally irrational statements. Youre better than that.

Jun.18 at 11:49 am

Myles Brown says:
Right?

Jun.18 at 11:49 am

Bryan says:
That sh*t really pisses me off…MJ wouldn’t let his team do this or that…It seems like we forget the games where he did it all and still lost, like the 63 points at the Garden , Everyone knows about that record but who knows that he lost the game?Sh*t happens, once he got Pippen to lock up the best permiter guy on the team the Bulls took off right? Lamar is good but he’s not pippen and I’m not sure Pau is even Longley.

Jun.18 at 11:51 am

Myles Brown says:
If Kobe went 22-22 last night the Lakers still wouldve lost.

Jun.18 at 11:53 am

Joel O's says:
@: Eboy. Your Lebron comment made me sit up straight and realize something (and it hit me like a bullet) on hindsight: that the flawed Cavaliers, half of whom have barely played half a season with Lebron and Mike Brown’s schemes, put up a MUCH better fight than the Lakers did. At least they made the Celtics bleed.

Jun.18 at 11:54 am

Joel O's says:
Longley was phatter and tougher.

Jun.18 at 11:55 am

Krishan says:
They’re
just
fu(king
horrible
GOD

Jun.18 at 11:58 am

Joel O's says:
Well, speaking on behalf of fellow irrational Laker believers… the Lakers *did* beat a menacing Utah team and the champion Spurs (Nugs don’t count). And the Western conference, collectively, was so good this year that most people would think that whichever team survived it would likely be the champions.

Jun.18 at 11:59 am

Krishan says:
I hated this series. Everytime in every game that LA loses the lead, and it was quite apparent that they weren’t going to get it back, I walked out of the freakin room. This was goddamn excruciating. If I had a gun and knew where Radmanovic lived…

Jun.18 at 12:03 pm

Co Co says:
Dammit my last commnet disappeared. Once again, Kobe is no MJ, but if I never watched basketball and I listened to you guys I would think MJ never had stuggles against a great defensive team that was hell bent on not letting him beat them. I’d also assume that he never had a supporting cast as good as the 2007-2008 Lakers but he was able to win anyway. Let me channel my inner Hubie Brown: Now give the Boston Celtics a lot of credit, they decided that someone other than Kobe Bryant would have to beat them and no one stepped up. You guys are right when you say MJ would’ve found a way because you know what he actually had players on his team that had at least 1//8 of his desire to win. Kobe did not have that. This loss is not all his fault and it doesn’t mean he’s any less of a player. The Celtics were better and since all of his teammates decided to bail out on him in this series he never had a chance. He’s good, but he aint that good. And believe it or not MJ wouldn’t have faired much better if he had this supporting cast along side him. I’m off to lunch.

Jun.18 at 12:03 pm

Joel O's says:
And as for the supporting cast of the Lakers, they looked great against pretty much everyone until the Finals began. It hurts and baffles to see people you’ve been looking up to exposed, and being shown on the biggest stage on earth their biggest weaknesses. Kinda like how Bill Clinton went from revered bastion of goodness to clumsy attack dog within a year.

Jun.18 at 12:04 pm

Drew says:
The Celtics won the championship with a great performance, and all of the posts are still about the Lakers? It’s like there is no other team in this league. Let me suggest some more topics: 1. So much for the KG is a nice guy but can’t close the deal” talk. Can we all agree that Keven McHale is the worst GM ever? 2. Doc Rivers is a better coach than we thought. I liked the guy ever since he got married wearing pink chuck taylors.

Jun.18 at 12:04 pm

Khalid Salaam says:
The real reason the Lakers lost is this. Phil jackson got played. Its simple as that.

Jun.18 at 12:05 pm

TADOne says:
When are you putting up your recap Co Co?

Jun.18 at 12:06 pm

TADOne says:
Phil was asleep. Literally I think. I know I was.

Jun.18 at 12:06 pm

Bryan says:
Exactly my point Coco…maybe they’ll pay attention to you.

Jun.18 at 12:07 pm

TADOne says:
Pau needs to get in the weight room, STAT!

Jun.18 at 12:07 pm

Joel O's says:
@Coco: Agreed. Sasha was gone a few games ago after Ray blew by him again and again and he threw a hissy fit on the bench. And Radmanovic seems to think he’s in the All-Star 3-point contest. This team needs to add a tough SOB, a guy who adds some bite to the team, much like KG (haha) or Rasheed did to theirs.

Jun.18 at 12:08 pm

Myles Brown says:
It is mathematically impossible for me to agree with Co Co any more than 100%. But Ill find a way.

Jun.18 at 12:08 pm

B. Long says:
Pau and Dirk would make a cute couple.

Jun.18 at 12:08 pm

Bryan says:
Damn I feel like I still don’t have the internet.

Jun.18 at 12:09 pm

Krishan says:
Khalid speaketh the realest. All this “Phil will manhandle Doc” discussion unraveled for me after game one. Starting radmanovic every freakin game AND giving him the pierce assignment is baffling.

Jun.18 at 12:09 pm

Joel O's says:
@Drew: Indeed. KG walked the walk last night, and bounced back from a horrible game where all the vultures were out to get him.

Jun.18 at 12:11 pm

TADOne says:
“Stick Man” is my new name for Gasol.

Jun.18 at 12:15 pm

Myles Brown says:
Pau Gasol is Spanish for gapin…forget it.

Jun.18 at 12:17 pm

The Biz says:
Kobe and his squad quit plain and simple

Jun.18 at 12:21 pm

Eboy says:
If Myles 11:48a comment was directed at me, that might have been the only nice thing he has ever typed in response to me and I still fell like a schmuck because of it’s insult. Thanks man.

Jun.18 at 12:21 pm

Sparker says:
khalid, could you elaborate on that? and by the way, didn’t you pick the celts to win way back as well?

Jun.18 at 12:22 pm

Khalid Salaam says:
Doc RIvers made Phil Jackson his b*tch. He really did… And i like Phil.

Jun.18 at 12:22 pm

B. Long says:
The kid’s from the Jerry Lewis telathons could have done better than Vlad Rad did this series.

Jun.18 at 12:24 pm

B. Long says:
I feel like my girlfriend cheated on me in high school….with my younger brother….and it got put on the internet.

Jun.18 at 12:25 pm

Eboy says:
I like that analogy, B.

Jun.18 at 12:25 pm

B. Long says:
@E: Read my 11:44 comment on Links. Thoughts?

Jun.18 at 12:25 pm

Khalid Salaam says:
b long thats not even funny. show some class man.

Jun.18 at 12:25 pm

Myles Brown says:
How many minutes did Phil Jackson log last night? Actually, forget that. What should he have done that would have assured him a different outcome last night?

Jun.18 at 12:28 pm

Sparker says:
and pau isn’t really that bad. the game’s match ups, and normally pau uses his mobility against other centers. that sh*t didn’t fly against the celts. so what? will boston be called a bad team when atlanta proves just as difficult for them to beat next year? jackson got it right post-game. if they get back to the finals, and they meet boston, the lakers will need some different guys to match up with them. that’s doable, i think. it also doesn’t mean that pau won’t be useful when they’re playing other teams

Jun.18 at 12:29 pm

Eboy says:
B, that first analogy was way shi*ty. I was looking at the second one. Also, regarging your Links comment, yeah that Kobe needed to show up and probably needs to rear it’s head much more next to put some fear back into teams.

Jun.18 at 12:30 pm

TADOne says:
Woke up and called a timeout?

Jun.18 at 12:32 pm

Bryan says:
The Lakers would have been better off with Candace Parker manning the middle.

Jun.18 at 12:35 pm

Khalid Salaam says:
Well for starters how about you run Kobe off more screens. Or how about you take vlad out of the starting line-up and start ariza or turiaf? guys that play with enthusiasm and can defend better. Face it Phil got smoked in this series. The Celtics deserved this ring because they played better and received better coaching

Jun.18 at 12:36 pm

Bryan says:
Turiaf really? Turiaf? I can understand Ariza but Turiaf is garbage dude…

Jun.18 at 12:37 pm

Eboy says:
Turiaf at least has some emotion, Shia.

Jun.18 at 12:38 pm

TADOne says:
I don’t like Turiaf, but he does the small things that don’t show up on the stat sheet. Hustle, play D, and screen. I didn’t see Vlad Rad do any of those things.

Jun.18 at 12:38 pm

Bryan says:
He takes some ill-advised jumpers, to be polite.

Jun.18 at 12:39 pm

TADOne says:
And yes, those things matter, especially when you are losing by double digits.

Jun.18 at 12:39 pm

albie1kenobi says:
soooo…back to the celtics, they played a pretty flawless game yesterday huh? the lakers never recovered after posey and eddie house nailed 3s to stretch the lead to 9. i credit rondo for being aggressive both sides of the court, his defense completely disrupted any flow the lakers could have, and went out gun blazing on the offensive side. dude grabbed 4 or 5 offensive board, and outhustled all the lakers big man. i think that really set the tone for the game. KG also finally came through and dominated in the post. he just proved that he wanted the trophy. that double pump bank shot made me jump out of my seat. KG!!!!!!

Jun.18 at 12:39 pm

Eboy says:
Well, he’s not an offensive gold mine, but yeah, like TAD says, he does the little things and doesn’t mind mixing it up.

Jun.18 at 12:41 pm

Myles Brown says:
Kobe ran that screen and roll with Gasol in the high post for a few games and they completely abandoned it after it became clear that Paus man was not going to be the one providing the help. So Kobe wasnt going to get the easy dropoffs for Gasol that got him going against the Spurs. I didnt like Vlad starting either, but Ariza hadn’t played meaningful ball in months and Turiaf-as much as I like him-doesnt have the post skills to deliver on offense, nor would he stretch the defense like Vlad was, um, supposed to. Phil made some questionable moves over the course of this series, but ultimately his team just got punished inside on both ends of the floor and he didnt have the personnel to counter with. Those matchups that he could counter, like putting Kobe on Rondo or Pierce, he did. The C’s do deserve this ring though, no hating here. All I want for Christmas is a rematch.

Jun.18 at 12:42 pm

albie1kenobi says:
i think the lakers would have been better off with turiaf using his hustle and energy on KG and the team to help out whenever possible, and with lamar guarding against pierce. vlad was completely useless on the court.

Jun.18 at 12:43 pm

Bryan says:
I’m not Vlad should be out there but neither should Turiaf…Going small with Ariza Odom and Gasol up front would have been decent I guess…I mean they didn’t have many options..the Players they had out there have the ability to be good but not the mentality. I took notice last night when Big Baby was out there…Pau should have scored on his ass all night but he didn’t. Turiaf would have shot 13 foot jumpers from the corner though so pick your poison.

Jun.18 at 12:44 pm

albie1kenobi says:
one question: did the Triangle show up this Finals?

Jun.18 at 12:46 pm

Myles Brown says:
The triangle was turned into a dinner bell for the Celtics defense.

Jun.18 at 12:48 pm

Lz - Cphfinest3 says:
Whoever (and that’s a lot of peeps these days) using Pau, Lamar, Etc.’s weak play as an excuse for Kobe’s horrible series just stop it now. True his supporting cast didn’t do very good, but that is exactly what separates the good actors from the great ones. No matter how bad a supporting cast or movie, they always deliver a top notch performance, rising to the occasion, lifting the level of their less-talented cast or a poor script. Kobe’s no Brando..

Jun.18 at 12:48 pm

TADOne says:
Nice one Myles.

Jun.18 at 12:53 pm

B. Long says:
@Khalid: My bad, I ‘m sorry if I offended anybody with that comment but it’s not because I don’t understand hardships disabled people have to go through,my mom teaches disabled kids and I lived with my niece who is disabled and we had a relationship where we could laugh about certain things others my find untasteful. I look at disability the same way I look at all other sterotypes about people. If you can’t laugh at it then it gives them power. Sorry bout the long explaination I guess I just wanted to talk about something other than the Lakers for a min. (sobs)

Jun.18 at 12:53 pm

Bryan says:
LZ this isn’t a movie. Actors can shine in a crap movie because they don’t have other people trying to snuff out their talent like you do in basketball.One on five never works unless Sam Mitchell is the coach.If anyone on the Lakers made themselves relevant..I mean no one on the celtics even cared when anyone other than Kobe had the ball because whoever got it didn’t know what to do with it anyway.

Jun.18 at 12:53 pm

Sparker says:
he’s definitely thinner

Jun.18 at 12:57 pm

B. Long says:
@Lz: and your no Ebert.

Jun.18 at 12:57 pm

Khalid Salaam says:
I’m not talking about Turiafs jumper as a reason he should have started. the lakers had TWO OFFENSIVE REBOUNDS in game 6. surely he could have helped….Nevermind. I’m done talking about the lakers. Celtics congrats….

Jun.18 at 12:59 pm

albie1kenobi says:
so what’s the difference between spurs and celtics? how did lakers take spurs in 5 games and got demolished in the Finals? wasn’t the spurs a dominant defense team too? to attempt to answer my own question, the difference is that the celtics have multiple mobile bigs and they have wing players with better size and range. thoughts?

Jun.18 at 1:04 pm

B. Long says:
I never thought I’d say this but a half mentally stable Ron Artest would do wonders for the Lakers. If Phil wants to redeem himself Mitch should trade for Ron and let Phil pull out his “Dummies guide to managing an extremely talented physcopath” book he used on Rodman.

Jun.18 at 1:04 pm

albie1kenobi says:
it’s way easier to focus on and criticize the negatives than to marvel and enjoy the positives. that’s why most people are still bitching about the lakers not performed rather than praising the celtics played very very well.

Jun.18 at 1:09 pm

Nasman says:
Hopefully this will finally end the Jordan comparisons. That doesn’t mean Kobe isn’t one of the ten best players to ever play the game it just means Jordan really is that much better than everyonne else. Oh and once agian Laker fans prove that their so called love for Kobe is BUllS##t. They’ve always had one foot out the door with the guy and at the first sign of trouble they bolt on the dude. Especaily Plashkes flip flopping ass. They got beat by a far better team, that double and tripple teamed Kobe every time he touched the ball.

Jun.18 at 1:16 pm

Michael says:
I’ve been hating on Kobe all series, and i still say his perfomances in the finals throughout his career have been subpar, but this wasn’t all his fault. His supporting cast is slightly overated, Pau is a really good player but he’s no scottie pippen. Phil has got to find someone who can teach his team to play pick and roll defense, that has killed him throughout his career. Another thing, i love how laker fans have truned on Kobe again, their undying love for him is the biggest misconception in the league.

Jun.18 at 1:16 pm

Co Co says:
Tad its up on my page. I’m glad at least someone agrees with me. Howeva we should all probably focus more on the fact that the Celts won this series. They actually played like they were in the Finals when it mattered most.

Jun.18 at 1:32 pm

albie1kenobi says:
nice writeup, Co Co. objective and pointed out a lot of things that i had in my mind too, especially KG’s effect showing up in his team vs. kobe’s. you can say that’s called leadership, when the entire team take on your persona. as that annoying dude from the denali commerical says: “never let up”. that’s what KG is.

Jun.18 at 1:38 pm

TADOne says:
Agreed Co Co. The better team won.

Jun.18 at 1:40 pm

People's Princess says:
And i am golden..Honestly,it kills me to say this but the Lakers were overmatched in every single department on the floor..I’m big enough to admit it but this whole “Kobe’s cast wasn’t strong enough” sh*t has gotta stop.Facts:Bench play wasn’t awful,it was putrid.Instant offense types (Vlad Rad and Sasha) were smothered completely.Energy guys (Ronnie and Luke) were invisible.Lamar comes and goes.Deal wit it.He was awful throughout this series but was pretty good through the past 3 series.That’s just Lamar’s law of averages catching up with him.Pau isn’t a center just as Vlad isn’t a 4.They’re both tall enough to play the position but lack the requisite strength.All in all,we lost to a team that was pretty damn good on the D and offensively had all the ingredients to give Lakers fits i.e a simple high pick n roll.We lost,yeah it hurts.But life goes on.

Jun.18 at 1:41 pm

People's Princess says:
NOW i’m golden

Jun.18 at 1:46 pm

Khalid Salaam says:
Where are all the people who compared KG with Dirk?

Jun.18 at 1:48 pm

Michael says:
Doesn’t this win make Kg the third best power foward ever. The only guys i would obove him are TD and Bob Pettite. With his championship, his MVP, hte ridiculous all around numbers he’s put up in his career i think he has to go above Malone and Barkley.

Jun.18 at 1:49 pm

Co Co says:
They’re now comparing Kobe to Dirk Khalid.

Jun.18 at 1:51 pm

H to the izzo says:
Khalid:The same place where the people who thought Ray Allen wasn’t in the big three.

Jun.18 at 1:51 pm

Karma says:
I’m sick of people saying this loss taints Kobe’s legacy, he’s overrated, etc. Lebron James frickin got swept out of the NBA Finals, it didn’t do jack to his “legacy”, why should it hinder Kobe’s? Shaq’s lost in the Finals before with the Magic, yet his legacy remains intact, obviously because he won more rings later on, but who’s to say Kobe won’t win any more rings? People just love to give knee-jerk reactions. People forget that the Lakers were not even supposed to be here, and we can take solace in the fact that they did push the Celtics to 6, even though the Celtics proved themselves to be much more dominant. Kobe can’t win, no matter what he does. If he had won the championship, it would have been: “Kobe only won because he got Pau Gasol handed to him”, or something similar. Now that he lost, it’s: “Kobe Bryant should have been in “me-mode”, he should have turned into Jordan. He’s not Jordan, he’s overrated.” The media in general loves to give knee jerk reactions to everything. When Lebron lost last year, I didn’t sweat anything about him because I knew that his team was crap and there was no way they would beat the Spurs. Coming into this series, I thought the Lakers would win because they dismantled the Western Conference, but Boston’s had thier number the entire year, and in the end, the Big Three was way too much. Let’s not forget the fact that every other Laker except Mamba and Pau, and sometimes Lamar, played absolutely BRUTAL basketball most of this series.

Jun.18 at 1:52 pm

H to the izzo says:
…and who thought the Lakers would win with ease.

Jun.18 at 1:53 pm

Allenp says:
Myles is fighting the good fight. He won’t win.

Jun.18 at 2:03 pm

Eboy says:
Mr. Karma seems to gloss over the fact that Mr. O’Neal and Mr. James lost their early career Finals appearances because of just that, their inability to adapt to get over the hump. Kobe has three rings already, and has been around for a decade, dude shouldn’t be made to feel sorry for. Besides him and Fish there was no one else on their team that has wver been in that type of scenario and as a “leader” or more accuratley, the main leader, he should be the one to shoulder the burden and the praise, whatever the outcome. Again, he is no kind of leader. Well, at least not a championship bred one. His rings were one as a soldier in someone else’s army. Don’t forget that.

Jun.18 at 2:04 pm

Allenp says:
KG played great last night and it was wonderful to see him get a trophy. But, he also shrank in big moments previously. He’s oustanding, but I don’t know about top 3.

Jun.18 at 2:04 pm

Eboy says:
*one=won

Jun.18 at 2:09 pm

Co Co says:
Eboy, he was a leader enough to get them to that point. His leadership didn’t change from the San Antonio series to the Finals. They changed. Lamar Odom showed up for one quarter the whole series. There’s nothing Kobe can do about the fact that he stayed in foul trouble and even when he was out there he was largely ineffective. It’s like they say you can lead a horse or cow or some damn animal to water, but you can’t make them drink.
Kobe could have been on some Martin type ish and that wouldn’t have made Sasha’s j fall nor would it have kept LO from picking up stupid fouls. It wouldn’t have made Vlad Rad anymore able to guard PP and etc. To question someone’s leadership after they lose in the Finals is a bit much. If he were that bad he would have never gotten them there in the first place.

Jun.18 at 2:10 pm

Myles Brown says:
Co Co and I are getting married in the fall.

Jun.18 at 2:10 pm

TADOne says:
KG played well all playoffs, I wish people would stop hating. So he shot alot of jumpers. Big deal?! He also made a lot of them. His defense, rebounding, hustle, and true grit meant a ton more to the outcome of the Celtics season than whether or not he chose to post up when a smaller player switched onto him.

Jun.18 at 2:11 pm

Eboy says:
And like it or not Kobe is now the unquestioned “general” like Shaq used to say he was. While that may have had Lakers supporters screaming differently once their dynasty crumbled and all the blame fell in his fat lap, there is no excuse today as to who is the guy who’s team it is and where the burden should lie. It’s not a 1 man effort that wins a title, but one man can change the fortunes and the outcome of certain circumstances and in one of the more embarrasing closings to a story, this one ended with the limpest or most pequeno of them all.

Jun.18 at 2:13 pm

Eboy says:
Co Co, I love ya kid, but if my criticisms of Kobe seem misplaced your trying to create the illusion that he held only a small percentage of the blame is just as off center.

Jun.18 at 2:15 pm

Myles Brown says:
People continue to harp on Kobe and Phil, but cant provide a reasonable answer as to how they could have won this series in spite of the other Lakers play.

Jun.18 at 2:16 pm

Eboy says:
Here’s something Lakers fans should be familiar with and only something the rest of heard for oh, I don’t know, every game of this series “

Jun.18 at 2:19 pm

Eboy says:
Sorry. “WAIT TILL KOBE GETS OFF. 50′S COMING. HE’S GOING OFF TONIGHT. NO DOUBT, HE SHREDS THE CELTS FROM TIP TO THE FINAL BUZZER” Lakers fans, no one else. No one was screaming for Pau to go for 40, Lamar to go and drop 55, Fish to shoot lights out and get 30, Radmonovich to play the game of his life and will his team to a clutch win by dropping 60. It’s not their jobs to carry that burden. It’s Kobe’s. If you can’t take that and ride with it, then you are truly misinformed.

Jun.18 at 2:20 pm

Co Co says:
NO Eboy I’m not trying to absolve him, but you cannot pin a series loss on one person. (Unless it’s A-Rod and he’s batting .150 with runners in scoring position)Anyway, a lot of this seems to come from people who love MJ. You know acknowledging how good Kobe is doesn’t mean you’re in some way disrespecting MJ and I really think a lot you feel that way.

Jun.18 at 2:21 pm

Eboy says:
Or maybe, the rest of us are while we are being told that Player A is the greatest in the game while we alll know Player B is that guy really.

Jun.18 at 2:21 pm

TADOne says:
Lets just switch gears, agree to disagree, and give the Celtics the credit for winning the damn thing!

Jun.18 at 2:22 pm

Co Co says:
Its not their job to carry the burden, but damn Eboy they have to chip in somewhere don’t they?? This is not tennis or golf. In order for any team to be effective everyone has to do their job! They did absolutely nothing to help him. We all know Kobe will get most of the blame, but come on this is ridiculous.

Jun.18 at 2:22 pm

Myles Brown says:
Co Co and I will be registered at Alfie and Flight Club.

Jun.18 at 2:23 pm

Eboy says:
I made a pact with myself today to never mention those two names in the same sentence again Co Co. Look through my comments today. I have not compared them at all and will not ever again because it’s not valid. Other’s may have but I refuse to be roped into it again.

Jun.18 at 2:24 pm

H to the izzo says:
Moving on…KG and Scoop’s moment during the post game presser was probably the best thing about the finals.

Jun.18 at 2:24 pm

Myles Brown says:
Player B must be Paul Pierce, since hes the one who won a title last night. Unquestionably a true leader who did it all by himself.

Jun.18 at 2:26 pm

Eboy says:
Uhm, correct me if I’m wrong but Kobe’s scary 24 pt average wasn’t really pushing the envelope of greatness was it? He couldn’t have done more? Seriously? The MVP? The Greatest Player of this generation couldn’t average more than 24 points a game on 40% shooting? Damn Co Co, we’re not talking about Joe Johnson here.

Jun.18 at 2:27 pm

Myles Brown says:
Still no answer as to how he couldve done better against a quintuple team for 6 games.

Jun.18 at 2:28 pm

Eboy says:
The Celtics have been touted as a team from the jump Myles and they play like one. the Lakers team did well to support your dude until the Finals and then when he sh*t the bed to start the series and they followed suit and now it’s on them?

Jun.18 at 2:28 pm

H to the izzo says:
Instead if redundant Kobe talk,can anyone answer why the Lakers as a whole had a huge lack of focus and determination?They were not playing in a finals game last night.

Jun.18 at 2:29 pm

Eboy says:
I would point you to exhibit A, B, C maybe D too, but I’m not able to mention certain names and places because of my edict.

Jun.18 at 2:29 pm

Co Co says:
Myles, I heart you! Comparing Kobe to MJ was no more ridiculous than people comparing KG to Timmy (prior to last night) But that didn’t stop anyone from doing so. Lots of people want to make the case that KG is better. Based on what before last night and hell even after last night. Timmy still has 3 more rings. Like it or not Kobe is the best player in our league yeah he suffered a bad loss and its magnified because it was the Finals but MJ had a couple of losses too. I swear if I didn’t watch basketball I’d think MJ only played 6 seasons and he won a ring in every season he played. He needed players just as much as anyone else who has ever won a team championship.

Jun.18 at 2:31 pm

Eboy says:
izzo, you brought it up, what do you think? Poor planning by the coaching staff? The fact that they made it into Boston with plenty of time to spare and got too comfortable?

Jun.18 at 2:33 pm

H to the izzo says:
Eboy:I was thinking about it since last night and still can’t come up with something,as I said last night,Phil seemed disinterested.

Jun.18 at 2:33 pm

Co Co says:
Eboy, you really think the Celtics determination to not let Kobe beat them had nothing to do with his struggles??? There were at least 3 guys drawn to him on every possession. Give the Celts D some credit. They had a gameplan and they knew that if this series was going to have to come down to the likes of Lamar Odom, Pau Gasol, Derrick Fisher or Sasha beating them then they were in pretty good shape.

Jun.18 at 2:34 pm

Myles Brown says:
Co Co and I are going to Paris for our honeymoon.

Jun.18 at 2:34 pm

Eboy says:
Co Co, you sound silly. Seriously, Myles doesn’t need you to back his feelings. What your saying is listless compared to your normal output. Mine is always listless so it doesn’t matter what your retort is.

Jun.18 at 2:34 pm

TADOne says:
Ok, I typed a whole f*cking paragraph and it diappeared. Whatever, it probably was for the best. The Celtics defense won. Nothing Kobe could do playing one on five.

Jun.18 at 2:35 pm

TADOne says:
Or what Co Co said. Eboy: Don’t you have a case to argue somewhere?

Jun.18 at 2:36 pm

B. Long says:
Honestly, there is a small part of me that thinks part of the way Kobe played in the finals had to do with him trying to fulfill this whole “team player” transformation b.s. and win a Chip that way so it would permenately dead the selfish talk. I hate to think the public’s perception of him would have that big of an influence on the way he plays. I’m not saying the Celts didn’t play amazing D, I’m saying that the Lakers needed that vintage, “I’m gonna get this done my damn self!” Mamba and he never showed up. He didn’t drive to the damn basket once in the first half last night.He should have been forcing the Celts to foul by attacking the basket and not settling for contested jumpers or dishing to someone else without creating a better shot for them by driving and creating space. It really disappoints me to think that part of that is because of a certain sterotype that he was trying to kill. As Marc Jackson would say, “Kobe, your better than that!”. Maybe he’ll win the Gold, recruit a Free Agent or two, and avg. 40 next year to prove me wrong though. Hopefully.

Jun.18 at 2:37 pm

Eboy says:
Let me ask you a question Co Co since Myles is hitting up locationvacation.com right now. If Kobe did somehow manage to drop 60 last night and got his team the win to force a gmae 7, who would have gotten the praise today? Pretty simple question right?

Jun.18 at 2:38 pm

Eboy says:
TAD, do you have a server to correct or something?

Jun.18 at 2:39 pm

Co Co says:
Which part Eboy?

Jun.18 at 2:39 pm

Myles Brown says:
What if he scored 60 and lost? Its a simple question alright.

Jun.18 at 2:39 pm

TADOne says:
It’s called multi-tasking.

Jun.18 at 2:40 pm

TADOne says:
Even Jack Nicholson gets part of the blame for the showing last night. No one is without blame.

Jun.18 at 2:40 pm

Khalid Salaam says:
Btw, the Celtics won last night.

Jun.18 at 2:41 pm

Eboy says:
Co Co, who would have gotten the praise. Myles, if he went for 60 and lost a battle, at least you could have said he did everything he could have with his limited squad, similar to what Lebron tried to accomplish in Game 7 of his meeting with the Celts. TAD, multi-tasking is my middle name. Now go f*ck yourself.

Jun.18 at 2:41 pm

TADOne says:
I can’t wait until Phil writes a book about this.

Jun.18 at 2:43 pm

H to the izzo says:
Khalid:I fear that people are gonna remember this as the ‘chip that Kobe lost instead of it being the chip that KH won.

Jun.18 at 2:43 pm

Co Co says:
Eboy we all knew Kobe would get the bulk of the blame but you are acting like this kid is some damn 12th man talent wise and has no leadership skills. You are skirting around the fact that his supporting cast wasn’t ish in this series. They played well leading up to the Finals, but they ALL might as well have been on vacation once this series started. the second and 3rd best player on the Lakers team had about one really effective half combined during this series. Honestly tell me someone else who could have overcome such odds against a team as stingy as the Celtics… Probably MJ….. Although we can’t be sure because when he started winning he had teammates who wanted to win too.

Jun.18 at 2:43 pm

Tom says:
It was pretty was pretty obvious from the beginning of this series that the Lakers players were in over there head, with the exception of Fisher and Kobe, none of those guys have been past the 1st round before. All the credit to Boston’s D, the smelt the fear and uncertainty and exploited it and they did a great job on Kobe. Pau transformed into Kwame Brown, that was unexpected and had a huge impact. Honestly I don’t think Phil expected to go this deep into the playoffs this year and it showed in how he coached, I think he even said it after last night. Congrats to KG, Pierce and Allen, they earned it.

Jun.18 at 2:44 pm

Myles Brown says:
Indeed. You would have thought that Kobe played Jordan last night.

Jun.18 at 2:44 pm

TADOne says:
Eboy: Shouldn’t you be more worried about Mayo being in South Beach after the holiday?

Jun.18 at 2:46 pm

Eboy says:
Fu*k you and your high speed routers and Windows downloads.

Jun.18 at 2:46 pm

Tom says:
Lakers immediate future still looks bright though……..lets see how many guys bail from beantown now that they got their ring

Jun.18 at 2:47 pm

Krishan says:
Where’s Jones when you need him. Farmers, pfft.

Jun.18 at 2:49 pm

TADOne says:
Wake me when the draft starts so I can laugh at the Heat.

Jun.18 at 2:50 pm

Bryan says:
I can’t believe we’re still talking about this. Mj before pippen and grant or rodman would not have beaten these celtics either.

Jun.18 at 2:52 pm

Bryan says:
Izzo I might be moving to ireland for real. How is it over there?

Jun.18 at 2:52 pm

TADOne says:
Yeah, I heard these Celtic fellas are pretty good.

Jun.18 at 2:53 pm

Slobodan Chutzpah says:
Oh, go on then.

Jun.18 at 2:53 pm

H to the izzo says:
Bryan:For real?That’s crazy!You got my email,right?Hit me up and I’ll give you the lowdown.

Jun.18 at 2:54 pm

B. Long says:
@Everyone asking what Kobe could have done diffrently: He could have attempted to go to the basket once in the first half and tried to draw contact to slow down the Celts and get to the line. If I’m wrong just tell me the qtr. and min. he tried to drive and I’ll watch it again tonight since I unfortunately DVR’d the game. He turned into Vince Carter last night and I’m probably the most diehard Kobe fan on here but even I can admit there are things he could have done to diffrent to make this series more competitive. Could he win it by himself? No. Could he have played alot more agressive thru out the series by attacking the basket? Yes.

Jun.18 at 2:54 pm

Co Co says:
No Tad the Celtics and their 66 wins aren’t that good, its just that Kobe is that bad.

Jun.18 at 2:55 pm

Eboy says:
TAD, seriously, you may not like the fact that your boys flopped again in Conference Finals, but laughing at the Heat is easy. They played with a squad of Shia’s and izzo’s this season. Laughing at the Pistons has become routine.

Jun.18 at 2:55 pm

B. Long says:
Could have done diffrently. Sorry.

Jun.18 at 2:56 pm

Co Co says:
B Long, you’re right Kobe could have been more aggressive, but the refs weren’t giving him those bail out fouls he’s been used to getting. It started in the San Antonio series. I’m not saying that scared him away from the basket, but he couldn’t keep going in there getting stripped or having his shot blocked.

Jun.18 at 2:56 pm

Bryan says:
I don’t have your email bro.Yeah I’ve been thinking about it lately trying to talk my gf into it haha, she was born in Italy so she wouldn’t mind moving back across the Atlantic. My email is bryan (underscore) pc31 (at) yahoo

Jun.18 at 2:56 pm

Krishan says:
And as much as I’d LOVE to put the blame on the Lakers, Boston played beautifully. If this was the first 6 games of basketball I watched, and did not love/hate/know Kobe Bryant, I’d say they were the best hoops team ever.

Jun.18 at 2:57 pm

Myles Brown says:
Wow. Not only is Kobe

Jun.18 at 2:57 pm

Eboy says:
Yes, Co Co, a week ago the Celtics were catching an ass beating from the Lakers in your own words. Now that they quited everyone else that knew nothing of how solid they truly were is backpeddling. I had them from the jump winning easily. That’s why I’m not doing a jig in the streets. It was easy to predict.

Jun.18 at 2:57 pm

Myles Brown says:
> MJ, but Kobe = VC.

Jun.18 at 2:59 pm

TADOne says:
Yeah I know, being a punchline is routine for anyone or anything from Detroit. The are just getting in on the routine. They got the memo late.

Jun.18 at 3:00 pm

Drew says:
OK, back to the champions (and I am not a Celtics fan). The game they played last night was fantastic. It sounds like the consensus here is that Doc did a good job. My favorite moment of last night: KG making the bankshot on his way to the floor. Other points being missed during all the Lakers talk: (1) Rondo really took it to the hoop all night, (2) Ray Ray made 7 3-pointers, (3) even big baby played well. The future looks bright in Boston.

Jun.18 at 3:01 pm

Bryan says:
All right people til tomorrow I’m off to work

Jun.18 at 3:02 pm

Ryan Jones says:
I’ve done well with this one.

Jun.18 at 3:03 pm

Krishan says:
Yes. Yes, you have.

Jun.18 at 3:03 pm

Co Co says:
Eboy of course I picked the Lakers to win the same way I picked the Hawks, Cavs and Pistons to beat the Celtics. I think my hatred for Boston is well documented so there is no way I was picking them anyway. But if you knew they were going to win so easily why are you acting like the only reason they did is because Kobe choked. That’s basically been your argument all day. That the reason the Lakers didn’t win is cuz he’s not good enough.

Jun.18 at 3:03 pm

H to the izzo says:
Ryan:Give yourself a second pat on the back.

Jun.18 at 3:04 pm

TADOne says:
Co Co: Eboy’s hatred for Kobe is the reason why he picked the Celtics.

Jun.18 at 3:05 pm

riggs says:
Co Co, youre making me regret having a crush on u girl!

Jun.18 at 3:05 pm

TADOne says:
Don’t break your arm doing it.

Jun.18 at 3:07 pm

H to the izzo says:
Kobe:The man who makes everyone wrong.
BTW,I picked the Celtics in 7 based on defense,but I was NOT confident with my prediction.

Jun.18 at 3:08 pm

TADOne says:
I will go on record and say my prediction came true as well. I told ya’ll Michael Curry would be the next Pistons coach. Soon, you will learn to listen to me.

Jun.18 at 3:10 pm

Eboy says:
TAD, reference my 11:34a comment on this thread and keep your voice silent around me when you are wrong.

Jun.18 at 3:10 pm

Khalid Salaam says:
Why does Co Co hate Boston sports teams so much?

Jun.18 at 3:10 pm

Myles Brown says:
Team USA isnt even going to medal and its all going to be Kobes fault.

Jun.18 at 3:14 pm

Krishan says:
LA lost because kobe was not jordan. Boston won because paul pierce was not kobe.

Jun.18 at 3:14 pm

Eboy says:
I bet if we sent the Celtics they’d win it.

Jun.18 at 3:16 pm

H to the izzo says:
Eboy:I always thought that’s what should happen,but then again it wouldn’t make Nike very happy,so it won’t happen.

Jun.18 at 3:18 pm

Joel O's says:
Bullsh*t. Don’t even bring Vince’s name up here, he doesn’t deserve mention at all in any discussion of greatness.

Jun.18 at 3:19 pm

Eboy says:
I wish they could too, izzo. Although it might suck for the NBA, if the championship team couldn’t get it done. Stern would lose his mind.

Jun.18 at 3:21 pm

Co Co says:
Don’t start Khalid

Jun.18 at 3:22 pm

Eboy says:
Ryan, just so you know, you owe me a shout out or some s*it in your next mag piece for keeping this sh*t up all day. “It’s all for you man, it’s all for you”. I’ve had to deal with salty Myles, crusty TAD and mean-ass Co Co for the better part of this day.

Jun.18 at 3:24 pm

TADOne says:
My humble apologies oh great E. Please take this as my bowing down to you so that I may speaketh again.

Jun.18 at 3:27 pm

Eboy says:
No bowing necessary. I know you have a bad wheel.

Jun.18 at 3:29 pm

TADOne says:
Co Co, for those of us that missed the memo, can you please elaborate what Khalid politely asked?

Jun.18 at 3:29 pm

Co Co says:
Mean????

Jun.18 at 3:30 pm

Co Co says:
Tad,I just do because I can. Especially the Red Sox!

Jun.18 at 3:31 pm

albie1kenobi says:
i blame phil jackson. i think we’ve talked enough ish about the best player on the planet, what about the best coach on the planet? he was the reason why i picked lakers to win, but what happened? he got completely outcoached. i mean, the mind boggling substitutions he had was incredible. remember kobe sitting on the bench in the 4th quarter of game 1? the stubborness to keep starting vlad ON pierce and wonder why he’s ineffective? putting chris mihm in just for kicks? he didn’t just smoke like 6 reefers before every game, he was shrooming AND dropping.

Jun.18 at 3:31 pm

TADOne says:
Oh ok, I actually agree with you. I just wanted to know if you had a bad experience at a Harvard party or something that would be an interesting story.

Jun.18 at 3:33 pm

Eboy says:
Just busting you chops Co Co. The boys around here have lost that ability.

Jun.18 at 3:35 pm

albie1kenobi says:
as for happier notes, amen to izzo pointing out KG and Scoop holler at each other at the presser. also big ups to Sam for asking the only question that kobe actually was interested enough to answer. kobe was fuming during the whole presser.

Jun.18 at 3:36 pm

TADOne says:
BTW Co Co, my offer still stands for you to bring your rooting interest back over to the Pistons. Unless, of course, you are enjoying the Woodson Dynasty?

Jun.18 at 3:37 pm

albie1kenobi says:
Eboy, there’s more than enough blame for everyone involved with the lakers org and then some, no need to give them all to Mr Bean. remember he’s learned to share this year!

Jun.18 at 3:39 pm

albie1kenobi says:
btw, someone needs to go check if vlad, pau, and sasha are still alive today. you know, kobe was a bit upset yesterday.

Jun.18 at 3:39 pm

Krishan says:
Inexplicably, the word rooting makes me giggle a little

Jun.18 at 3:41 pm

H to the izzo says:
Is it the cool thing to hate Boston sports teams,as a foreigner,things like that get lost in translation.

Jun.18 at 3:42 pm

Ryan Jones says:
You’re a saint, Eboy. But considering my next magazine story is about basketball in England, you’re probably not going to get a mention.
Anyway, here’s the thing — and yes, of course I have to go here: Way back in April or May when the LeBron-Kobe debate was front and center around here (largely thanks to Myles and I), the Sports Gal made the point that LeBron’s game was still far too incomplete for me or anyone else to defend him on the basis of having no help from his teammates. He didn’t have a post game, couldn’t make a free throw, etc and so forth, and so he couldn’t really complain about having enough help until he got his own sh*t together.
Fair enough.
Conversely, Sports Gal argued, Kobe’s game IS essentially complete, which is why he was clearly a more deserving MVP candidate than LeBron.
Let’s assume all this is correct.
Today, we see that Kobe being defended largely because, Hey, what more could he have done? His teammates let him down, and he was trying to play 1 on 5 all series, and no human could’ve pulled that off. Hence, leave Kobe alone.
I see a few problems with that argument, though. One, regardless of how they played in this particular season, I think everyone here would agree that, generally speaking, Kobe had better teammates (and certainly a better coach, or at least a more experienced and cleverer one) than did LeBron. And the “If only Bynum was healthy” cries hold no water — motherf*cker hasn’t played since January, meaning the Lakers played the majority of their games (and three playoff series in the Mighty Western Conference™) without him.
Two, LeBron and Kobe had statistically very similar playoff series against Boston. Kobe shot a little better, though neither of them shot well, and had fewer turnovers and more steals. LeBron averaged more points, rebounds and assists. And, despite having less help and being the inferior player, LeBron’s Cavs pushed the Celtics to 7 games, while the Lakers lasted only 6 (or about 5 1/3 by my count.)
This seems to leave us at one of two conclusions. Either,
1) Kobe Bryant is not as good as a lot of people think, and certainly is nowhere near the transcendent, all-conquering great his most loyal supporters have claimed. Or,
2) Kobe is and was that good for most of the regular season and playoffs, but he simply came up small when it counted most.
I’m leaning toward No. 2. Last night, and for too much of this series, he did not go down fighting. He simply went down. He was not transcendent. He acquiesced. He came up small.
Pequeño.

Jun.18 at 3:43 pm

Eboy says:
Not cool, izzo, more like a rite of passage if you’re not from there.

Jun.18 at 3:44 pm

Eboy says:
Thanks for throwing me a bone, Jones. A Pequeno one, to be sure, but one all the same.

Jun.18 at 3:44 pm

H to the izzo says:
Basketball in England?F*ck off.I assume it has somethin to do with 2012?

Jun.18 at 3:44 pm

Ryan Jones says:
A significant correction: *this particular SERIES*

Jun.18 at 3:46 pm

Eboy says:
And GOD, this is going to be funny.

Jun.18 at 3:47 pm

Ryan Jones says:
Also: Myles might not agree. That’s why he’s the Sports Gal.

Jun.18 at 3:47 pm

TADOne says:
That train is always on time.

Jun.18 at 3:48 pm

Ryan Jones says:
Izzo, in my country, it’s not nice to tell people to “f*ck off.”
To your question: It’s not really, no. Once you see it, you’ll understand.

Jun.18 at 3:51 pm

H to the izzo says:
Ryan:In my country it means “Go away” or to be an idiotic teen girl,it means “Shut up”,if it isn’t about 2012,is it about them turning to franchises,if not I’m confused,’cause our national team is actually better than theirs,well it was untill they started buying players.

Jun.18 at 3:53 pm

Ryan Jones says:
Izzo: I know what it means. Be patient.

Jun.18 at 3:53 pm

albie1kenobi says:
hmm… that’s as good of an argument as we can get, Jones. I’m very interested to see if Myles and Co Co regain their momentum.

Jun.18 at 3:54 pm

Eboy says:
Ryan, can you do a Punks piece on izzo someday? He’d be the first guy in SLAM history to have an article written for him without an attached photo readily available.

Jun.18 at 3:55 pm

B. Long says:
@Myles: I compared the way Kobe played in this series, especially Game 6, to the way Vince plays now. I know that he is a billion times better than Vince but go back, watch the series again, and then picture Vince Carter 2008 with better defense and I really don’t think I’m that far off with the comparison. Taking contested jumpers instead of driving and creating constantly? CHECK. Disappearing in the clutch? CHECK. Letting lesser skilled and capable teammates force shots instead of demanding the ball in crunchtime? CHECK. Kobe tried to change his game to some how quiet the “selfish” label and it totally destroyed any chance for the Lakers to win. He should understand that the reason most of his TRUE fans do enjoy watching him play is because he CAN take over the game in the clutch by himself when he needs to. Not because he’s such a nice guy and spreading the ball around but because the Kobe that I know and love will do anything physically possible to win the ball game even if he has to take 35 shots. The same reason why he is hated by many is also the same reason he is loved. He tried to show he could flip the script and it backfired on him brutally.

Jun.18 at 3:55 pm

Eboy says:
They never had any, albie. It’s just that Ryan took 7 hours to come up with his argument and mine was broken into 55 pieces throughout the day.

Jun.18 at 3:56 pm

Eboy says:
That can’t be the same B. Long. No fuc*ing way.

Jun.18 at 3:57 pm

Allenp says:
Y’all be arguing with Eboy like he hasn’t made it clear that he despises Kobe.