Kobe-Shaq II

This is pretty interesting, just as it was last they met, the Heat are rolling in with a ten game win streak to defend for only the second time this season, virtually tied for the best record in the league and fighting for home-court advantage throughout the playoffs. The Lakers on the other hand, have just lost it's second game in a row, putting them behind Denver for the last playoff spot in the West, and are on the verge of becoming a .500 team if they lose to Miami, further dashing their playoff hopes. The Lakers need to win just to keep pace with Denver, so both teams have something to lose in this game besides pride, which makes it all the better. Hell, aside from just wanting to win the game, how much do you think Shaq wants to personally put Kobe and the Lakers down to .500 and push them out of the playoffs? How sweet would that be for the big fella, especially if he took the championship for the fourth time, proving once and for all what made that Lakers team a success; I bet he dreams about this at night.

Aside from all the drama though, the Lakers are really overmatched here. It's not like the Christmas Day Game where the they still had potential and Miami was just starting to dominate; the Heat are better than ever and there's no more hope that the Lakers are possibly going to upstage Shaq, even if they win this game. While they're gone fishing this summer, he's going to be competing for another title. Anyway, it should still be a dogfight; this could be all the Lakers have this season... unless it ends up like everything else has.

well kobe is an arrogant biatch but still we can't deny the fact that he _is_ one of the best players in the league.
I'd even say he is so good both offensively and in defense that he is of more importance to the lakers than the still impressive shaqille o'neal is for the heat.
i am not hoping for the lakers to win the championship, but it is of course not unlikely that they are gonna take it.
ha. look at that picture. that's really a sad thing. there will never be "another michael jordan" in the nba. never.

peace out

Honestly, I really hope Shaq will put them to a shame. He's not the greatest player of all times, but he's done a lot for that team, and we know what he got in return in the end. I've not been interested in basketball for years, but I find Shaq to be sympathetic in a way Kobe can never be, and I think he deserves to win.

trapped_soul said:

well kobe is an arrogant biatch but still we can't deny the fact that he _is_ one of the best players in the league.
I'd even say he is so good both offensively and in defense that he is of more importance to the lakers than the still impressive shaqille o'neal is for the heat.

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I don't know, while the Heat still have a good team minus Shaq (BTW, Pat Riley is a genius), it's his presence on the floor and the way he changes the whole the chemistry of the game that allows them to be so successful. Without him, they'd be another middle-of-the-road Eastern team. Shit, just look at the Lakers without him. =)

trapped_soul said:

i am not hoping for the lakers to win the championship, but it is of course not unlikely that they are gonna take it.

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Well, with their remaining schedule, they'd have to play like a championship team just to make the playoffs, so not this year for sure (honestly, they've got talent, but their chemistry is shit). But, don't forget why L.A. remains successful, it's all about location. Nice weather aside, L.A. is a major media city (duh), and playing for the Lakers makes you a de facto celebrity beyond the basketball court. L.A. can offer free agents, like say Yao Ming, far more than the money other teams can.

trapped_soul said:

ha. look at that picture. that's really a sad thing. there will never be "another michael jordan" in the nba. never.

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Aazealh said:

Honestly, I really hope Shaq will put them to a shame. He's not the greatest player of all times, but he's done a lot for that team, and we know what he got in return in the end. I've not been interested in basketball for years, but I find Shaq to be sympathetic in a way Kobe can never be, and I think he deserves to win.

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He already has. 8)

This all brings me back to how sad the whole Lakers break-up was, Shaq and Kobe were both too stubborn for their own good (well, not Shaq, once again he manages to land on a team with a young, Jordan-esque super guard), but where was Lakers management to help bridge the gap between these guys? Instead they took sides in the division and broke up what still could have been one of the greatest teams of all time. Those morons destroyed Jerry West's vision.

P.S. Go check out Dwayne Wade's buzzer beater at www.nba.com at full-screen, it's beautiful.

P.P.S. *BUMP* ;D

"Griffith No More!" said:

Well, with their remaining schedule, they'd have to play like a championship team just to make the playoffs, so not this year for sure (honestly, they've got talent, but their chemistry is shit)

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This brings to my mind the year 1999, when everyone made similar comments about the infamous New York Knicks - but somehow the team managed to get to the Finals, starting out from playoffspot no. _8_ (and beating the Miami Heat in a best of 5 btw). so i'd be careful with predictions. playoffs is a whole other story than season games. ;)

But there will be King James

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you being ironical?
whether you are or are not being sarcastic won't affect my feelings about this. i am only gonna say the following:

trapped_soul said:

This brings to my mind the year 1999, when everyone made similar comments about the infamous New York Knicks - but somehow the team managed to get to the Finals, starting out from playoffspot no. _8_ (and beating the Miami Heat in a best of 5 btw). so i'd be careful with predictions. playoffs is a whole other story than season games. ;)

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Yeah, I remember that, but I only follow every Lakers game and know their remaining schedule, I didn't take into account the impact the 1999 Knicks and their playoff run in a lockout season would have on this years Lakers squad; I was obviously just talking out the ass.

Actually, I don't even know that I want the Lakers to make it, I think the fall might do them good at this point. If they can finally get their act together and play good basketball consistantly and make it, great, I'd love to see that, but if their just going to keep closing their eyes and launching threes, no thanks. Anyway, they'd also need Denver to start playing like shit to even have a chance, considering the Nuggets are 9-1 in their last 10 with a very favorable remaining schedule and the Lakers are on the road playing mostly above .500 teams.

Doesn't look good.

trapped_soul said:

you being ironical?
whether you are or are not being sarcastic won't affect my feelings about this. i am only gonna say the following:

"Fuck LeBron James".
people may (ab)use his number, but there will never be another MJ to the league.​

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I'm just being realistic. There's never going to be another Doctor J either, no matter how many guys, like MJ, (ab)use the freethrow line dunk. There's also never going to be another Bill Russell, Jerry West, or Wilt Chamberlain. Basketball doesn't begin and end with one player, even the greatest player ever. Anyway, I didn't say LeBron was better or is going to be, I'm sick of the bullshit MJ comparisons and the hype as well, but that goes both ways. Players like LeBron are the future, Michael's history, mythology even, so there's no point in shunning every up and coming player that has to live in his shadow anyway.

"Fuck LeBron James"? You wish. =)

lol.

griff it's like back then, when we had all those fantastic and really interesting discussions on the unique story around kuroi kenshin going on.
you keep bringing up great arguments and it always is fun to me. seriously.
i appreciate it.

just happened to see that thread about b-ball per coincidence, and since i am a b-ball player and MJ fan within my heart i just had to post.
i miss the times posting here and discussing with the handful of smart people that still hang around here.

it was nice talking to you.

-TS

p.s. hmm... now that was kind of a melancholic post. well, it just happened. lol.

trapped_soul said:

lol.

griff it's like back then, when we had all those fantastic and really interesting discussions on the unique story around kuroi kenshin going on.
you keep bringing up great arguments and it always is fun to me. seriously.
i appreciate it.

just happened to see that thread about b-ball per coincidence, and since i am a b-ball player and MJ fan within my heart i just had to post.
i miss the times posting here and discussing with the handful of smart people that still hang around here.

it was nice talking to you.

-TS

p.s. hmm... now that was kind of a melancholic post. well, it just happened. lol.

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Hey, that's nice to hear, actually it's nice just to have anybody respond to these threads; every time I post about Basketball or sports in general, there's almost like a taboo silence around here. ;D

And yeah, I still practice in my MJ jersey (under my shirt, since it's like 10 sizes too small for me now =).

56 points today for James.... the kid keeps on impressing.

56 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals to be exact.

Of course, the Cavs still lost, but that's only because once you get past LeBron and Z, there's NOBODY else on that team; the bench was outscored 34-1.

Once they build a team around him though (perhaps with local boy Michael Redd or Ray Allen this summer), look out NBA.