Kobe Bryant and Practice

[tracey_nice]

http://sports.espn.go.com/los-angeles/s ... ers-110512

"Guys felt like they could take days off, because I'm not there," Bryant explained Wednesday. "It's like your big brother not being around, you go around the house and do all these kinds of things with the toys, all that kind of stuff, because I'm not on the court with you. It's upsetting. We knew going in what my knee situation was. We communicated that, me not being able to practice and then having to pick up some of that responsibility in practice and the intensity and things of that nature, because of my knee. It's upsetting; it's disappointing to me because I wasn't able to get there with them every day."

I don't know if this has been posted but I find it disheartening that the Lakers players need Kobe around to be motivated. Also, apparently some players may have not been mature enough to deal with the whole Kobe not practicing situation to preserve his knee. Players couldn't take Kobe yelling at them or shooting 20 shots a game when he wasn't practicing. The Laker players need to grow-up.

[Gek]

I can understand their anger, tbh.

[iamworthy]

I can understand their anger, tbh.

I would understand it if Kobe was a player who didnt put the effort in to make himself better every year. But this is Kobe, he eats and sleeps basketball. After 15 yrs, 5rings, 13x all-star, etc etc you would think some of his teammates would cut the guy a break smh.

[Edrees]

10$ says it was pau gasol that would "take a break"

[iamworthy]

I can understand their anger, tbh.

That Trixx sig is sick!

[dockingsched]

I can understand their anger, tbh.

yeah, me too. excusable? may be not, but i can understand frustration over the guy not healthy enough to practice being able to take by far the most shots in a game.

[Danny Darko]

[stunnar0b]

^lol

[KB24TBOTB]

Well this is what happens when players get picky about little things, you get knocked out early

They need to start acting like grown men

[TruSkool]

i'd be pissed....doesnt matter if you're kobe or luke...you get paid and you better practice. whats the point in practicing alone and going to the gym after a loss to work on your jumper when you cant practice with your own team?
its stupid...like the incident with kobe after the miami game, when he went to shoot jumpers after the game because he played poorly...that sounds stupid...why cant you just practice with your team, where it actually matters?
without a doubt, it messes up the flow of the game.

kobe may be great, but our team is still full of VETERANS. we never hear about gasol, odom, artest and fisher taking practice days off. foolishness.

[Gek]

I can understand their anger, tbh.

That Trixx sig is sick!

viewtopic.php?f=74&t=758202

[LakersMoscow]

I think you cannot miss practice unless you are seriously injured. Working 100% or 50% you should be there for chemistry purposes. Kobe's right. Not force them doing suicides until they fall but playing/coaching in skirmishes etc. is a good idea.

[tracey_nice]

i'd be pissed....doesnt matter if you're kobe or luke...you get paid and you better practice. whats the point in practicing alone and going to the gym after a loss to work on your jumper when you cant practice with your own team?
its stupid...like the incident with kobe after the miami game, when he went to shoot jumpers after the game because he played poorly...that sounds stupid...why cant you just practice with your team, where it actually matters?
without a doubt, it messes up the flow of the game.

kobe may be great, but our team is still full of VETERANS. we never hear about gasol, odom, artest and fisher taking practice days off. foolishness.

So you would rather have Kobe's knee give out because of practice?

Kobe is the hardest working player in the NBA, arguably all-time. Kobe wants to be out there practicing, pushing everyone, but Kobe and the Lakers couldn't be short-sighted. The fact that the players can't see this and clearly some of the fans is sad, IMO.

[TruSkool]

i'd be pissed....doesnt matter if you're kobe or luke...you get paid and you better practice. whats the point in practicing alone and going to the gym after a loss to work on your jumper when you cant practice with your own team?
its stupid...like the incident with kobe after the miami game, when he went to shoot jumpers after the game because he played poorly...that sounds stupid...why cant you just practice with your team, where it actually matters?
without a doubt, it messes up the flow of the game.

kobe may be great, but our team is still full of VETERANS. we never hear about gasol, odom, artest and fisher taking practice days off. foolishness.

So you would rather have Kobe's knee give out because of practice?

Kobe is the hardest working player in the NBA, arguably all-time. Kobe wants to be out there practicing, pushing everyone, but Kobe and the Lakers couldn't be short-sighted. The fact that the players can't see this and clearly some of the fans is sad, IMO.

does his knee not wear out when hes-

1. shooting and doing drills after a game?
2. playing for team usa?
3. working out with hakeem in the off-season?
....its great that he does all that, but hes still paid by the lakers, not hakeem, or coach K, or the american airlines arena.

[magic1fan]

we just ran out of gas. kobe's practicing or not practicing had nothing to do with it. i highly doubt guys were bitching because of that. we started the season on fire,and we won 17 of 18 before we went into a little funk. we were tired guys,nothing more and nothing less. we should have saved that 17 of 18 run for the postseason,but oh well.

[tracey_nice]

i'd be pissed....doesnt matter if you're kobe or luke...you get paid and you better practice. whats the point in practicing alone and going to the gym after a loss to work on your jumper when you cant practice with your own team?
its stupid...like the incident with kobe after the miami game, when he went to shoot jumpers after the game because he played poorly...that sounds stupid...why cant you just practice with your team, where it actually matters?
without a doubt, it messes up the flow of the game.

kobe may be great, but our team is still full of VETERANS. we never hear about gasol, odom, artest and fisher taking practice days off. foolishness.

So you would rather have Kobe's knee give out because of practice?

Kobe is the hardest working player in the NBA, arguably all-time. Kobe wants to be out there practicing, pushing everyone, but Kobe and the Lakers couldn't be short-sighted. The fact that the players can't see this and clearly some of the fans is sad, IMO.

does his knee not wear out when hes-

1. shooting and doing drills after a game?
2. playing for team usa?
3. working out with hakeem in the off-season?
....its great that he does all that, but hes still paid by the lakers, not hakeem, or coach K, or the
american airlines arena.

1) Are you really comparing doing a controlled shooting drill to practice?
2) Kobe didn't play for team USA this past summer
3) Again, learning post-moves from Hakeem is not the same as practice

[MoLakers]

if i were a player on the lakers.. i could cut kobe some slack but that doesnt change how i would feel. i wouldnt feel good cuz mann u work your butt off in practice and kobe gets the ball all the time in games. i wouldnt like it much.

I also think it had a lot to do with shannon brown struggling this year. if kobe were to practice and challenge brown, brown couldve taken a huge leap forward.

[Tee212]

Take it easy on him tracey..clearly hes still a noob lol....kids

[TruSkool]

^ LOL ok im sorry mr. 644

[TruSkool]

all im saying is if I was andrew bynum, bustin my ass at practice while kobe has ice packs on his knees, and then in a game, seeing the statline with kobe going 8-18 and bynum going 8-13.....yeah i would be pretty upset.
not practicing totally messes up in game situations. thats why we're one of the poorest teams to close out games.
and YES, stepping on to a court in shorts and shoes and working on your game...if thats not practice, then what is?

kobe isnt kobe anymore. hes not the best in the league, and hes barely the best on his team.
winning and losing starts with him. if your name is kobe bryant and you have the highest salary in the nba, then im damn sure you should carry atleast that much responsibility on your back. if you want your team to go to work, i suggest you get off your ass first.

now dont get me wrong, hes still the hardest working athlete ive EVER seen, but to me, it doesnt mean a thing if you cant get it done with your own teammates and organization.

thats my opinion...you can have yours...dont bother calling someone out though. later.