Vitti told us that Kobe has been threatening again to opt out of his contract, vowing “to take Slava with me.” Slava? Was this an indication of Kobe’s being totally out of touch with reality? If Kobe was interested in taking along a player who would defer to him, Slava Medvedenko was the worst choice imaginable. He hasn’t passed up a shot since November.”
“I asked Kobe today about Hamilton. The two played high school ball against each other in Pennsylvania. “I’ve been kicking his ass for ten years,” he said.”
“Earlier this week at El Segundo there was an incident at practice. On the way to the court, I asked Kobe, still nursing a sore shoulder, if he was up to doing a little running. Sure, he responded, as soon as he finished his treatment. Almost an hour went by, and there was no Kobe sighting. Finally, with an ice pack on his shoulder, he took a seat on the sideline. It began to dawn on me that contrary to what he had told me, Kobe had no intention of running. After practice I followed Kobe to the training room, asking him why he lied to me. He was being sarcastic, he said. Wrong answer. I told him that he needed to treat me with respect, not sarcasm. I turned and walked away, heading to the coaches’ locker room. A minute later I heard him cursing in the training room in front of the players
“We were playing solid team ball, a rarity this season, although, as usual, Kobe seemed intent on taking over. “Get me the f***ing ball,” he said on his way to the bench, a demand Kobe had never verbalized. I smiled, didn’t say a word, and went to chart a play on the clipboard. I sometimes think Kobe is so addicted to being in control that he would rather shoot the ball when guarded, or even double-teamed, than dish it to an open teammate.
"They’re making you get in your attack mode,” I told him when he came off the floor during a timeout late in the game. “You’re going to have to pass the ball. They’re not calling the fouls for you.” He was in no mood to back down. “I’m going to f***ing crush them,” he said. “I just haven’t found my shooting yet.”
Last Spring, during a particularly acrimonious team meeting, Rick Fox complained to Kobe and Shaq. “The thing that hurts us about this season,” Fox said, “is that both of you have acted like you’re apart from us, and that we’re not any good. We have won championships for each other, sacrificing, and all of a sudden, you turn your backs on us.” Shaq, clearly affected, began to respond when Kobe cut him off. “Quit your crying,” Kobe said.
“After the gun sounded, Kobe went over to Devean, berating him for not calling timeout when the play broke down. Kobe was right but he was wrong to reprimand his teammate on the court, in front of the crowd and the cameras.”
“Worse yet, Kobe and I had gotten into it earlier in the game after he threw a poor pass that Anthony stole, resulting in a Denver layup. “You can’t make that pass,’ I told Kobe when he came off the floor in the next timeout. “Well, you better teach those motherf***ers how to run the offense,” he said.I sat him down on the spot. “Watch your mouth,” I said.
“When I asked Kobe to stop his habit of screaming at his teammates on the court because it creates insecurity, he came right back at me. “That’s bullshyt,” he said. “You’re the one that’s causing them to be anxious. They’re afraid to make a mistake.”
This time, in a strange twist, he’s being crucified for taking too few shots: only one, unbelievably enough, in the first half of Sunday’s game in Sacramento, which we lost by seventeen points, ruining, in all likelihood, any chance to win our division. He finished with eight points, his lowest total ever in a game in which he played at least forty minutes. The theory being tossed around is that Kobe, stung by criticism for his shot selection in recent games, decided to show the Lakers how stagnant the offense can become when he doesn’t assert himself. “I don’t know how we can forgive him,” one anonymous teammate was quoted as saying in today’s Times….Today at practice, Kobe went from player to player, shoving the article with the anonymous quote in their faces. I have rarely seen him that incensed. “Did you say this?” he demanded of each player. Later, during a team gathering, he pursued the interrogation. “Right here and right now,” he said, raising his voice, “I want to know who said this shyt.” Nobody said a word, until Karl finally broke the silence. “Obviously, Kobe, no one said it or no one wants to admit they said it,” Karl said. “You’ve just got to let it go now.” Karl and Kobe, who have become buddies, launched into a shouting match that I had to stop.
GOAT
“I asked Kobe today about Hamilton. The two played high school ball against each other in Pennsylvania. “I’ve been kicking his ass for ten years,” he said.”
“Earlier this week at El Segundo there was an incident at practice. On the way to the court, I asked Kobe, still nursing a sore shoulder, if he was up to doing a little running. Sure, he responded, as soon as he finished his treatment. Almost an hour went by, and there was no Kobe sighting. Finally, with an ice pack on his shoulder, he took a seat on the sideline. It began to dawn on me that contrary to what he had told me, Kobe had no intention of running. After practice I followed Kobe to the training room, asking him why he lied to me. He was being sarcastic, he said. Wrong answer. I told him that he needed to treat me with respect, not sarcasm. I turned and walked away, heading to the coaches’ locker room. A minute later I heard him cursing in the training room in front of the players
“We were playing solid team ball, a rarity this season, although, as usual, Kobe seemed intent on taking over. “Get me the f***ing ball,” he said on his way to the bench, a demand Kobe had never verbalized. I smiled, didn’t say a word, and went to chart a play on the clipboard. I sometimes think Kobe is so addicted to being in control that he would rather shoot the ball when guarded, or even double-teamed, than dish it to an open teammate.
"They’re making you get in your attack mode,” I told him when he came off the floor during a timeout late in the game. “You’re going to have to pass the ball. They’re not calling the fouls for you.” He was in no mood to back down. “I’m going to f***ing crush them,” he said. “I just haven’t found my shooting yet.”
Last Spring, during a particularly acrimonious team meeting, Rick Fox complained to Kobe and Shaq. “The thing that hurts us about this season,” Fox said, “is that both of you have acted like you’re apart from us, and that we’re not any good. We have won championships for each other, sacrificing, and all of a sudden, you turn your backs on us.” Shaq, clearly affected, began to respond when Kobe cut him off. “Quit your crying,” Kobe said.
“After the gun sounded, Kobe went over to Devean, berating him for not calling timeout when the play broke down. Kobe was right but he was wrong to reprimand his teammate on the court, in front of the crowd and the cameras.”
“Worse yet, Kobe and I had gotten into it earlier in the game after he threw a poor pass that Anthony stole, resulting in a Denver layup. “You can’t make that pass,’ I told Kobe when he came off the floor in the next timeout. “Well, you better teach those motherf***ers how to run the offense,” he said.I sat him down on the spot. “Watch your mouth,” I said.
“When I asked Kobe to stop his habit of screaming at his teammates on the court because it creates insecurity, he came right back at me. “That’s bullshyt,” he said. “You’re the one that’s causing them to be anxious. They’re afraid to make a mistake.”
This time, in a strange twist, he’s being crucified for taking too few shots: only one, unbelievably enough, in the first half of Sunday’s game in Sacramento, which we lost by seventeen points, ruining, in all likelihood, any chance to win our division. He finished with eight points, his lowest total ever in a game in which he played at least forty minutes. The theory being tossed around is that Kobe, stung by criticism for his shot selection in recent games, decided to show the Lakers how stagnant the offense can become when he doesn’t assert himself. “I don’t know how we can forgive him,” one anonymous teammate was quoted as saying in today’s Times….Today at practice, Kobe went from player to player, shoving the article with the anonymous quote in their faces. I have rarely seen him that incensed. “Did you say this?” he demanded of each player. Later, during a team gathering, he pursued the interrogation. “Right here and right now,” he said, raising his voice, “I want to know who said this shyt.” Nobody said a word, until Karl finally broke the silence. “Obviously, Kobe, no one said it or no one wants to admit they said it,” Karl said. “You’ve just got to let it go now.” Karl and Kobe, who have become buddies, launched into a shouting match that I had to stop.
GOAT
him taking the article to every player
Psycho Bean lol
at the Pretty Rick story.
