Henry Abbot: Lakers FO can't wait for Kobe to retire

[monopoman]

In ESPN Magazine, Abbott cites multiple Laker sources claiming that the Buss family are finally done with Kobe and are waiting for him to retire. Claims his ego has rotted the Lakers brand and nobody wants to play with him (also cites multiple agents). Kobe is basically hurting the Lakers ability to rebuild.

Well the Lakers organization is now basically married to Kobe you take the good with the bad. I really don't think anyone except maybe some random Laker fans really care that he is "hurting" the Lakers. It's not like Kobe had to threaten them before they offered him that ridiculously overpaid contract extension a few years ago.

[Shot Clock]

The idea that the FO is fed up with Kobe is kind of funny. It's like the parents that never disciplined their child blaming the kid for being a brat. They literally raised him from a kid. Along the way he has had numerous clashes with players, coaches and even the FO yet he was never put in his place. What do they expect from this situation. He's a product of ownership's fascination with him.

The idea that this contract shows that LA looks after it's own is equally as absurd. They've only looked after certain players and pretty much all of those players have been drafted and 'raised' by LA. If you were a FA and came to LA, don't expect the same treatment. You are the step child. They don't even look after guys like Phil Jackson. They've treated him like crap for years. Gasol is the only guy that really played through the mess of last season, where is he? Odom? Shaq?

These things send messages. Free agents and everyone else sees the messages sent. Players and coaches are routinely tossed under the bus. The only safe individual in LA is Kobe and he has carte blanche to act like he wants to. That's the biggest reason no one wants to go there. They know that no matter what, it's Kobe's show in Lakerland and the parents have lost any control they should have had.

This isn't Kobe's fault it's ownerships.

[Striders]

Who is "all about championships" in your eyes then? Because all of these guys could take the minimum. Do you just arbitrarily decide in your mind the cutoff salary for "being all about championship."

Listen, it's OK for a player to take the money they're offered. Kobe just has a reputation for causing a very public **** storm every time the team plays below his expectation, casting blame on everybody but himself. The reaction to him taking the contract was basically, "You have absolutely no reason to complain now. You should know the consequences of this decision."

[42uptop]

Who is "all about championships" in your eyes then? Because all of these guys could take the minimum. Do you just arbitrarily decide in your mind the cutoff salary for "being all about championship."

Listen, it's OK for a player to take the money they're offered. Kobe just has a reputation for causing a very public **** storm every time the team plays below his expectation, casting blame on everybody but himself. The reaction to him taking the contract was basically, "You have absolutely no reason to complain now. You should know the consequences of this decision."

Kobe has every right to complain if he has a good season and the team around him sucks. He didn't offer himself a huge contract. He didn't assemble their roster. He didn't hire the coach. On the other hand, the Lakers front office has no right to complain if their own incompetence has hurt the franchise.

[GameTag]

This is 100% the Lakers fault.

Nobody was going to give Kobe Bryant that much money. Lakers Fans were outraged as soon as they heard the news. Veteran players like this are supposed to take discounts like Dirk, Duncan, and others yet the Lakers actually gave him a pay raise. Had they actually forced Kobe to take a discount, this wouldn't be a conversation. Now his contract hinders them for the next 2 seasons.

[Dark Faze]

Funny thing is the Lakers did this so Kobe would retire a Laker but he still looks really effective. I can't see him stepping away after this contract if he's still playing at a high level.

[Mirjalovic]

This is 100% the Lakers fault.

Nobody was going to give Kobe Bryant that much money. Lakers Fans were outraged as soon as they heard the news. Veteran players like this are supposed to take discounts like Dirk, Duncan, and others yet the Lakers actually gave him a pay raise. Had they actually forced Kobe to take a discount, this wouldn't be a conversation. Now his contract hinders them for the next 2 seasons.

Yeah we were outraged, but its technically a discount from 30mil, not payrise.

[BowlRips]

trade him to the Knicks for Bargnani

[LeChosen One]

The FO office offered him that contract, not like he demanded it

also that front office gave Jordan Hill $9 million a year. they probably would have overpaid another guy if Kobe was signed to less money.

Did he have to accept the offer? No. If he wanted to win he wouldn't have. I don't mind him taking the money, just don't act like you're all about championships when you're clearly not.

Who is "all about championships" in your eyes then? Because all of these guys could take the minimum. Do you just arbitrarily decide in your mind the cutoff salary for "being all about championship."

Don't take the minimum, but don't take $24 mill a year when you know you won't be able to bring in the necessary talent to win a championship. Duncan is all about rings, hell even Miami's big 3 all took pay-cuts to play with each other.

[Yoshun]

Why is it always on the players to "take less money?" Maybe the owners should pay the tax and pay players market value if they're that serious about winning championships. I don't understand why people around here are always protecting big business and hammering stars for "making too much." The stars are the NBA, they should be paid that much.

[Slava]

Did he have to accept the offer? No. If he wanted to win he wouldn't have. I don't mind him taking the money, just don't act like you're all about championships when you're clearly not.

Who is "all about championships" in your eyes then? Because all of these guys could take the minimum. Do you just arbitrarily decide in your mind the cutoff salary for "being all about championship."

Don't take the minimum, but don't take $24 mill a year when you know you won't be able to bring in the necessary talent to win a championship. Duncan is all about rings, hell even Miami's big 3 all took pay-cuts to play with each other.

Lakers are the kind of franchise that'd pay luxury tax if it meant having a championship winning roster. This isn't the penny pinching bottom row markets we are talking about. When they made Kobe the offer, they promised him that they have a plan to put a competitive roster with him, for whatever reason that did not work out but it wasn't due to Kobe's contract alone.

Even with that, Lakers had more than enough to offer contracts to 2 free agents like Parsons, Stephenson, Monroe or Bledsoe. Once they missed on Melo (thankfully) they chose not to go that route and instead take their chances next season by offering 1 year contracts.

If Melo had signed, Pau would have stayed and we'd have gone on to wherever Kobe/Melo/Randle/Pau can take us to. Which wasn't any fans' choice but it wasn't a calamity either.

[Sedale Threatt]

Why doesn't Abbott go into detail on the players lost because of Bryant. Howard? Maybe Sessions? Is that serious?

I don't really blame Kobe for it, and we made the decision we had to make, but you forgot somebody pretty substantial...

[JellosJigglin]

The idea that the FO is fed up with Kobe is kind of funny. It's like the parents that never disciplined their child blaming the kid for being a brat. They literally raised him from a kid. Along the way he has had numerous clashes with players, coaches and even the FO yet he was never put in his place. What do they expect from this situation. He's a product of ownership's fascination with him.

The idea that this contract shows that LA looks after it's own is equally as absurd. They've only looked after certain players and pretty much all of those players have been drafted and 'raised' by LA. If you were a FA and came to LA, don't expect the same treatment. You are the step child. They don't even look after guys like Phil Jackson. They've treated him like crap for years. Gasol is the only guy that really played through the mess of last season, where is he? Odom? Shaq?

These things send messages. Free agents and everyone else sees the messages sent. Players and coaches are routinely tossed under the bus. The only safe individual in LA is Kobe and he has carte blanche to act like he wants to. That's the biggest reason no one wants to go there. They know that no matter what, it's Kobe's show in Lakerland and the parents have lost any control they should have had.

This isn't Kobe's fault it's ownerships.

Have you ever taken a hand at writing science fiction shorts? I think you'd be great at it!

[Shot Clock]

The idea that the FO is fed up with Kobe is kind of funny. It's like the parents that never disciplined their child blaming the kid for being a brat. They literally raised him from a kid. Along the way he has had numerous clashes with players, coaches and even the FO yet he was never put in his place. What do they expect from this situation. He's a product of ownership's fascination with him.

The idea that this contract shows that LA looks after it's own is equally as absurd. They've only looked after certain players and pretty much all of those players have been drafted and 'raised' by LA. If you were a FA and came to LA, don't expect the same treatment. You are the step child. They don't even look after guys like Phil Jackson. They've treated him like crap for years. Gasol is the only guy that really played through the mess of last season, where is he? Odom? Shaq?

These things send messages. Free agents and everyone else sees the messages sent. Players and coaches are routinely tossed under the bus. The only safe individual in LA is Kobe and he has carte blanche to act like he wants to. That's the biggest reason no one wants to go there. They know that no matter what, it's Kobe's show in Lakerland and the parents have lost any control they should have had.

This isn't Kobe's fault it's ownerships.

Have you ever taken a hand at writing science fiction shorts? I think you'd be great at it!

That may be your weakest response ever. And that's going up against some stiff competition. Congrats!

[JellosJigglin]

The idea that the FO is fed up with Kobe is kind of funny. It's like the parents that never disciplined their child blaming the kid for being a brat. They literally raised him from a kid. Along the way he has had numerous clashes with players, coaches and even the FO yet he was never put in his place. What do they expect from this situation. He's a product of ownership's fascination with him.

The idea that this contract shows that LA looks after it's own is equally as absurd. They've only looked after certain players and pretty much all of those players have been drafted and 'raised' by LA. If you were a FA and came to LA, don't expect the same treatment. You are the step child. They don't even look after guys like Phil Jackson. They've treated him like crap for years. Gasol is the only guy that really played through the mess of last season, where is he? Odom? Shaq?

These things send messages. Free agents and everyone else sees the messages sent. Players and coaches are routinely tossed under the bus. The only safe individual in LA is Kobe and he has carte blanche to act like he wants to. That's the biggest reason no one wants to go there. They know that no matter what, it's Kobe's show in Lakerland and the parents have lost any control they should have had.

This isn't Kobe's fault it's ownerships.

Have you ever taken a hand at writing science fiction shorts? I think you'd be great at it!

That may be your weakest response ever. And that's going up against some stiff competition. Congrats!

Nice! Thanks!

[Slava]

Ramon Sessions

“It was one of those situations I looked at like, ‘If I do come back what if they trade me?’ ” Sessions said. “There were talks about getting Deron. They always wanted the bigger-named guy. What if I get traded to a team and it’s my contract year? It was one of those things that I can’t say if I opted in, [Nash] wouldn’t have come. They still might have tried to get him. You just never know.”

NBC Sports

But multiple sources tell Henry Abbott that he left because of Kobe.

[JellosJigglin]

Ramon Sessions

“It was one of those situations I looked at like, ‘If I do come back what if they trade me?’ ” Sessions said. “There were talks about getting Deron. They always wanted the bigger-named guy. What if I get traded to a team and it’s my contract year? It was one of those things that I can’t say if I opted in, [Nash] wouldn’t have come. They still might have tried to get him. You just never know.”

NBC Sports

But multiple sources tell Henry Abbott that he left because of Kobe.

Yes but Ramon doesn't write articles so how can we trust anything he says? Duh.

[83SixersRocked]

In ESPN Magazine, Abbott cites multiple Laker sources claiming that the Buss family are finally done with Kobe and are waiting for him to retire. Claims his ego has rotted the Lakers brand and nobody wants to play with him (also cites multiple agents). Kobe is basically hurting the Lakers ability to rebuild.

Well then they shouldn't have paid the man.

[Cycklops]

The idea that the FO is fed up with Kobe is kind of funny. It's like the parents that never disciplined their child blaming the kid for being a brat. They literally raised him from a kid. Along the way he has had numerous clashes with players, coaches and even the FO yet he was never put in his place. What do they expect from this situation. He's a product of ownership's fascination with him.

The idea that this contract shows that LA looks after it's own is equally as absurd. They've only looked after certain players and pretty much all of those players have been drafted and 'raised' by LA. If you were a FA and came to LA, don't expect the same treatment. You are the step child. They don't even look after guys like Phil Jackson. They've treated him like crap for years. Gasol is the only guy that really played through the mess of last season, where is he? Odom? Shaq?

These things send messages. Free agents and everyone else sees the messages sent. Players and coaches are routinely tossed under the bus. The only safe individual in LA is Kobe and he has carte blanche to act like he wants to. That's the biggest reason no one wants to go there. They know that no matter what, it's Kobe's show in Lakerland and the parents have lost any control they should have had.

This isn't Kobe's fault it's ownerships.

Totally agreed. Don't forget also that they treated Kareem a bit like a stepchild as well. No statue etc.

(not that Kareem is the most likable guy)

[Slava]

The idea that the FO is fed up with Kobe is kind of funny. It's like the parents that never disciplined their child blaming the kid for being a brat. They literally raised him from a kid. Along the way he has had numerous clashes with players, coaches and even the FO yet he was never put in his place. What do they expect from this situation. He's a product of ownership's fascination with him.

The idea that this contract shows that LA looks after it's own is equally as absurd. They've only looked after certain players and pretty much all of those players have been drafted and 'raised' by LA. If you were a FA and came to LA, don't expect the same treatment. You are the step child. They don't even look after guys like Phil Jackson. They've treated him like crap for years. Gasol is the only guy that really played through the mess of last season, where is he? Odom? Shaq?

These things send messages. Free agents and everyone else sees the messages sent. Players and coaches are routinely tossed under the bus. The only safe individual in LA is Kobe and he has carte blanche to act like he wants to. That's the biggest reason no one wants to go there. They know that no matter what, it's Kobe's show in Lakerland and the parents have lost any control they should have had.

This isn't Kobe's fault it's ownerships.

Totally agreed. Don't forget also that they treated Kareem a bit like a stepchild as well. No statue etc.

(not that Kareem is the most likable guy)

Kareem's statue was the most embarrassing thing the man created himself. They already promised him one and even set a tentative date for it. Kareem was releasing a movie or something about big men in basketball and used the statue episode as a promotional news for it.