Los Angeles Lakers Thread...

[JCC]

Well since there's a YANKEE thread for some reason...I thought i'd make a LOS ANGELES LAKER thread!!

GO LAKERS!!!

[Future Raptor Ace]

yeah sure why not . Not really big into basketball but my favorite teams are the following
1. Knicks-- of course
2. Celtics -- surprised lol/ I liked Walker and Peirce is always fun to watch (I voted Celtics)
3. Lakers--- everyone has to like the Lakers
4. Nets----- Its fun watching the wife beater play (Jason Kid) hes a good player

[tbailey]

GO LAKERS!!!

i want Kobe to make a run at Jordan as the greatest player of all time

i say Lakers in 6 games

[mibir]

Sorry man, Jordan is untouchable, Kobe said this himself just a week ago on ESPN. I voted Celtics as well, but I'm a Bulls fan.

[tbailey]

Originally Posted by mibir

Sorry man, Jordan is untouchable, Kobe said this himself just a week ago on ESPN. I voted Celtics as well, but I'm a Bulls fan.

of course Kobe said that - he's just showing respect
imagine him saying that he's better than Jordan - from a PR standpoint not too smart

some analysts say that Kobe is the more complete player and did Jordan ever score 81 points in a game?

look i'm not saying Kobe is better right now but maybe in 3 0r 4 years it will definitely be a debate if Kobe wins a couple more championships

[mibir]

Originally Posted by tbailey

of course Kobe said that - he's just showing respect
imagine him saying that he's better than Jordan - from a PR standpoint not too smart

some analysts say that Kobe is the more complete player and did Jordan ever score 81 points in a game?

look i'm not saying Kobe is better right now but maybe in 3 0r 4 years it will definitely be a debate if Kobe wins a couple more championships

Jordan has scored 69 points in a game, which isn't bad I'd say. Regardless, I would say career high for points in a game is one very small portion of what a player needs. Hell, Jordan was even Defensive player of the year once. Not to mention 6 championships, in each of which he was the MVP. Throw on top of that another 5 NBA MVPs and 2 Olympic Gold Medals and you have some numbers that I don't think Kobe will ever reach. That's not to say Kobe isn't an amazing player, I just don't think he'll ever reach the caliber of Jordan. He has a lot to accomplish in his remaining years.

[tbailey]

The 81 points in a game is an indication of true atheleticism and offensive potency

but you're right one game shouldn't be a sole indicator of how great a player is

i'm not sure how much emphasis, though, i would place on the two gold medals - after all he did have the greatest team ever assembled playing with him

i think it can be argued that Kobe is the more complete player b/c he has three point range - something that Jordan never really excelled at. And from a defensive standpoint Kobe has been, i believe, on the 1st defensive team for some 6 years straight so he's a very good defender also

but i would still prefer to have Jordan on my all time team i'll have to admit

but i'm not sure i would say Jordan is untouchable - Kobe can do it. He will just need to keep winning championships and stay healthy

the 5 MVPs i don't think Kobe can do that
so in that aspect i totally agree with you

but Kobe is playing in a much more competitive Western Conference
let's remember how lackluster the Eastern Conference was back in the 90s except for a couple of teams including of course the Bulls
so maybe the 5 MVPs has more to do with the competition each player had to face

[Gatchaman]

I've disliked Boston ever since I was watching the Lakers Showtime era in the 80's. But I cannot support the Lakers since I dislike Kobe more than any other athlete in any sport. People should forget about how he was a grade A cancer from 2001-2006. He may play like Jordan at times, copy his mannerisms, but he will never surpass Jordan as the greatest of all time. Jordan statistically dominated an, won 5 mvps, 6 championships, 1 defensive player of the year at a time when defenses were much more physical. But more importantly, the guy changed the game. His impact was global.

So I'm going to go with garnett and the Celtics for this series.

[HelixSix]

Jordan had Pippen, dependable teammates to shoot the 3, and of course Phil Jackson.

Kobe hasn't had ANY help since Shaq, and now he finally has guys who don't crap bricks under pressure and actually know how to pass the ball, and he has Fisher back who I consider the Ron Harper that Jordan had.

As far as anybody I've seen, Kobe is the only guy that can compare to Jordan. But in order to give the debate merit he needs a couple more championships and MVP's. In order to overtake Jordan he will need alot more of everything because MJ would always satisfy our expectations time after time after time until he was pure legend. Watching MJ is like watching Tiger...if there is a pressure situation you can bank on him coming through in the clutch.

Kobe is the only other guy since that I've seen rise to pressure situations and take over the game or hit the game winning jumpers (some of them more miraculous than Jordan ever had)...but they weren't on the biggest of stages like Jordan's were.

[tbailey]

Originally Posted by HelixSix

Jordan had Pippen, dependable teammates to shoot the 3, and of course Phil Jackson.

Kobe hasn't had ANY help since Shaq, and now he finally has guys who don't crap bricks under pressure and actually know how to pass the ball, and he has Fisher back who I consider the Ron Harper that Jordan had.

As far as anybody I've seen, Kobe is the only guy that can compare to Jordan. But in order to give the debate merit he needs a couple more championships and MVP's. In order to overtake Jordan he will need alot more of everything because MJ would always satisfy our expectations time after time after time until he was pure legend. Watching MJ is like watching Tiger...if there is a pressure situation you can bank on him coming through in the clutch.

Kobe is the only other guy since that I've seen rise to pressure situations and take over the game or hit the game winning jumpers (some of them more miraculous than Jordan ever had)...but they weren't on the biggest of stages like Jordan's were.

i completely agree
like i said in my previous posts i was just trying to say that Kobe might eventually be debated as the greatest player ever
it will take a few more championships and MVPs

but lets also sort of down play how great Jordan was

1. he could never defeat the really good teams of the 80's i.e. the Celtics and Pistons. They always dominated the Bulls in the playoffs

2. Scottie Pippen is quite possible one of the most underrated players of all time

3. Weak Eastern Conference simply made Jordan look even better

4. Jordan didn't exactly have the toughest competition in the Finals
the Lakers had an aging team and Magic was hurt
Portland had a pretty good team but also aging
I'll concede that the Suns were a pretty good team
The Sonics - well they had Payton and Kemp but that's about it
and the Jazz had the aging Stockton and Malone

these are not exactly the great teams of the 80's

5. Jordan didn't really help the Wizards out too much when he played there

6. in the prime of his career - he was defeated by the Magic in the 1995 playoffs

Jordan is the greatest player of all time
but untouchable - hmm not too sure about that