Sour grapes from Phil. The whole saga is pathetic, and I wish all three would just shut up. And I'm a Lakers fan.

Since when is putting out a book on the last season of your coaching career "sour grapes"? I think someone is slightly bias towards Kobe...

I hate Kobe with a passion. i can't believe that out of the 3 men, Kobe was the one to stay.

As a Laker fan since back in 83 having watched the Showtime Lakers. Gone through the mid 90's with only average teams. Having Shaq and Kobe meant that I could again enjoy my NBA team. That Kobe would not understand that his attitude would be the cause of so much friction, and that then the team would destroy itself just to keep him show that he has no understanding of anybody but himself. Having watch Magic take the team to Championships, Kobe and his attitude are so opposite to the team enviroment that I loved makes me want to puke. I will be a dispondent Laker fan now until they get rid of Kobe.

Can you imagine a lakers team with Shaq, Jason Kid and Shawn Marion.

Stop it you are going to make me cry.

(Mod: Funny!)

Im with Dohhh!
I loved the 80's Lakers - watching them play with Magic running the show was how Basketball and sport in general should be played, Each person on the team doing their bit to make the TEAM better. Magic as much of a superstar as he was (and still is) loved throwing an assist even more than scoring. All the players always seemed to be having fun on the floor.
Unfortunately the Lakers last year didnt capitalise on what they had - egos got in the way and the dynasty came tumbling down. Maybe it wasnt all Kobe but he seems to be the common denominator in all the angst.
Only time will tell who will get it all together this season - I just hope the Lakers can get back to being a great TEAM!

Kidd, Marion and Shaq would have been a fearsome trio, only rivaled by the fact that had it gone down the Lakers salary would have rivaled the Knicks with only 3 players :P

I said it was sour grapes from Phil because in this instance it is he who is dragging up all the crap that just won't go away, despite the team being taken apart. I also said ALL THREE should shut up, meaning Phil, Shaq & Kobe.

I think it is sour grapes because Phil has been all to ready to rip into Lakers management since he was shown the door. I think it is amazing that Jerry West was essentially given a ticket out of the Lakers franchise by Jackson, and since then he has never spoken a bad word against his former team. Not Jackson, not Jerry Buss, not Shaq, not Kobe. No one. He is professional. Phil on the hand always, on every single occasion, took the side of Shaq and not Jerry Buss or Mitch Kupchek or Kobe, despite the fact that Shaq clearly had things to answer for himself. Eventually that was his undoing. He aligned himself with Shaq even when it put him against his other superstar, against the owner and against the management, clearly ignoring the fact that Shaq was responsible for a fair amount of the crap circulating around the Lakers the last 3 seasons.

Oh and by the way I agree with the other posts. All the Lakers soap opera for the last few seasons has done is make me appreciate the 1980s Lakers even more.

They are better off without each other - they wouldnt have won another championship together. Too many egos on one team. Do you think scottie ever fought with MJ?? No way.

Jasmine you're an idiot. Look where the Lakers are today. Enough said.

Tyler,


The difference between Scottie Pippen and Kobe Bryant is that Pippen never came out in public and criticized Jordan for being a selfish player. Jordan and Pip knew each was good each other but were not necessarily happy with each individual by the end of the Bull's championship run.


It is one of Phil Jackson's earlier books where he talks about Pippins hatred for being Jordan's sidekick (for use of a better word) and on more than one occasion asked to be traded by using the excuse he was not happy with the contract offers the bulls were putting forward.


This is not a slap in the face to MJ or pip because that is one of the greatest dynasties ever.

I had no idea this thread was still going.

Top Dog...I think my post in the "Are the Lakers a better Team without Kobe?" thread is a good enough answer to your "look at where the Lakers are today" comment.

Anonymous...I am a Kobe fan, but I'm not blind to his faults and I don't try to delude myself that he doesn't have to wear his share of the blame for the failures of the team. In regards to Phil taking sides with Shaq, I was more referring to Phil's willingness, at every opportunity so it seemed, to bash into Kobe and his attitude. However, he was never as harsh in his comments regarding Shaq when he degenerated into the childish behavior he has been known for but so many people have so quickly forgotten about.

What did Phil do when Shaq showed up out of shape four straight seasons or when he publicly said he was going to "heal on company time" when asked why he put off his toe surgery for so long in 2002? Or when he shouted "pay me" to Jerry Buss and Mitch Kupchak during a pre-season game or when he frequently blamed every player on the team except himself at different times during the season for losses (like he has done recently in Miami.) Phil didn't just sit on his hands in these incidents, but the lack of discipline and leadership shown by Shaq in these examples never brought the kind of wrath from Phil then often times far less from Kobe always did.

Just a side note, while I personally don't believe Kobe is as good as Jordan and I don't believe he ever will be, the reasons you highlight as to why he would never be as good were exactly what people were saying about Jordan himself before 1991.

Kobe is no angel, but I don't see the point digging up the dirt on him because everyone else in the basketball world is doing that for me. The Big 3 of Phil, Shaq & Kobe all did wonderful, memorable and historic things during their run with the Lakers. But all three, not just Kobe, made an awful lot of mistakes as well.

As much as I do respect Phil, he should just shut up. He clearly took sides with Shaq, and Shaq has actually proved that he wasn't giving his all in Lakers. How long was he begged to loose some weight in order for him to be more efficiet? Did he?..No ! Yet what was the first thing he did when he went to Maimi? Loose 30 pounds and he became more effcient. Phil you never made mention of that. Why can't people see that Shaq really didn't like the Lakers and was just using Kobe, who is the most entertaining player in the NBA as of now as an excuse. I hate that immatured 7 feet guy. Its not because of him that Heat is doing well...consider his absence and think about it, but once again that's Shaq for u, feeding off Dwayne Wade. The truth will be told.Anyways I'm not a laker fan.

So Shaq fed off Penny? Kobe can carry a team on his own back and doesn't need Shaq?

Problem with todays NBA. Nobody wants to play second fiddle. People make reference to the 80´s, Birds Celtics, Magics Lakers & Dominique Hawks to name a few. All had good players aswell - Mc Hale Johnson Ainge & Parish, Worthy Kareem Scott & Chuck Nevitt, not so much the Hawks with Rivers an Allstar and maybe Wilis. But there was never a doubt who the marquee player was. Now Mc Grady doesn´t want to play with Carter, then complains Orlando has not enough talent. Kobe, Shaq and Jackson can´t get along and lets agree all had some part in the Lakers demise. Kidd gets coaches sacked (sorry BT). You can watch Carmelo sulk in a recent win when he didn´t play in the last minutes of the 4th or ot, Denver came back from about 15 down with him on the bench.
But there is some hope. Watch Memphis play with no superstar, the Suns move the ball and fastbreak, Ray Allen´and the Sonics jack threes even the clinical Tim Duncan and the Spurs play near perfect basketball. I think you will find the teams who are at the top of the West at least are embracing a team first attitude with little turmoil.

KOBE IS THE BEST PLAYER EVER ALL OF YOU HATERS OUT THERE GO TO HELL!!

Kobe should thank his lucky stars that Shaq played for the Lakers!

Kobe should be kicking Shaq some $$$$ as without the Diesel Kobe would have zero, I'll repeat, zero rings....

Hmmm, good dominating shooting guard as are dime a dozen in the NBA, each team has one, let's see, their is Carter (similar numbers to Kobe), Mc Grady (similar numbers to Kobe), Wade (similar number to Kobe, but way smarter, keeps his mouth shut), Gilbert Areanas (similar numbers to Kobe), you're all getting my drift, but how many 330 pound 7'1 centres are there running around in the NBA that produce like Shaq, and include his intimidation, and overall game. Answer NIL. Only one 7 foot plus centre comes close to Shaq and that's Yao.

Sorry, Timmy D, Dirk, KG are PF's, yes seven footers, but they all play the PF.

At least Shaq has the class and intelligence to recognise that Wade is the man of the team, something Kobe couldn't/wouldn't and never will accept.

I have been a Laker fan for years and not phill nor shaq nor kobe are going to chaing my laker fan passion. If Kobe go and play a game gives it his 200% I don't care about anything else. Dont forget that all three of them won 3 rings. I repeat all three of them won three rings!