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A lot of criticism has fallen on Kobe Bryant lately for failing to win the NBA Finals without the help of Shaq. Looking back into the annals of team sports history, has any one great superstar really ever won a championship all by himself? The answer is no.
Even though he didn't ask for it, trying to fill airtime, the media started comparing Kobe to Jordan during this year's NBA Finals. A lot of the discussions' conclusions were contingent on whether Kobe could throw the Lakers on his back and win the championship without Shaq. When this did not happen, the Jordan/Bryant comparisons were immediately discarded as asinine.
What is truly foolish is to think that any player, whether it be the greatest of their generation or of all time can win a team championship without other superior athletes around them. Nine out of every ten people would probably agree that Michael Jordan is the greatest basketball player of all time, but did he ever win a championship without Scottie Pippen? During the Bulls championship years throughout the 90's, Pippen was not only well declared as the Bulls #2 best player, but by many as the second best player in the NBA.
Right now a major concern in Cleveland is when the Cavs are going to get LeBron James some help to win a championship. Why is it that King James deserves help and Braynt does not? The Shaq comparisons are quite ludicrous as well. I believe Shaq had quite a bit of help winning a championship in Miami from the Finals MVP Dwayne Wade.
Kobe and Lebron are arguably the best 2 players in the NBA right now, but neither are gods. Even the closest thing to a god on the court, Jordan, had all-stars helping him get fitted for 6 championship rings. Yes Jordan and players like him are responsible for heightening the talent of the supporting cast, but it's a two way streak. Those players must have multitudes of potential talent to reciprocate.
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23 comments:
I agree 100% and I hope Lebron never gets the help he needs. Maybe that will help him with the decision to come over to NY and revive the Knicks.
Kobe's problem is that he is a punk and P Pierce defense was too good foe him, as you stated before
I am just trying to make a comment on true leadership.......and how poignant Shaq's statement was about "Real Knows Real"....and I just don't think A-Rod can lead the Yanks to a title much like KG did with the Celtics by getting every last player on his team to give everything they have for the team. A team wins championships not just players.
Kobe don't have that will ,be a leader not a follower, unlike licking your lips like Mike , trying to emulate the voice of Mike,patening your fade-away like Mike,wearing his #( used too)be your own man Kobe.
Not everyone had a Scott Pipp but that is also why they won like no one else except for B Russel who was the only black guy playing back then and that sealed up about 12 in a row !
Hey Rich just be like Koko and abandon the Knicks , those guys are the worst franchise in all sports!
Where is that ol Heat/Knicks rivalry !
I haven't abondoned shit! I'm still a Knicks fan. I just haven't followed basketball like I use to in the 90's.
I would never root for another team.
And why do I hear that A-Rod won't be able to lead the Yanks to a championship? That's not his job. He can't lead that team because it already has a very well defined leader. All he has to concentrate on is getting fucking hits when it counts. I don't care if he has an orgy with with Madonna, Cyndi Lauper, and the Bengals (80's group, not the football team). All he needs to do is get hits with runners in scoring position.
Koko, you are dead on in the fact that great players do need talent around them to win championships.
However, I think Lebron would give his left testicle for Pau Gasol and/or Lamar Odom.
Also, as in life sometimes greatness is thrust upon you and "luck" actually comes your way. Now, I'm not trying to dis my man D-Wade but if he did not play along Shaq he would not have won a championship nor be considered an "Elite" player in the NBA. Look what happened to him this year......Worst team in the NBA????
To Quote an eloquent American poet the "Rock" sometimes you have to know yooooourrrr Role!!!!!!
D-Wade was a perfect sidekick to Shaq same with Pippen to Jordan. Look at what happens when these great sidekicks get thrust into leader roles.....they fold.
Remember the year Jordan Retired and Pippen had a great year but in the playoffs he melted down and couldn't handle the pressure of being the leader......he actually cried to coach Jackson when a game winning shot was not designed for him and he refused to go back into the game......Kukoc nailed it but needless to say the Bulls went on to get beat by.......How Ironic Koko's Knicks!!!!!!
The Knicks really suck Juan, I agree. They suck like you suck balls you cuban fuck. Be quiet before I get you deported you spic.
Ive only lived in America so no actually you have a much better chance of being deported you
DUMB-IN-A-CAN/ HAITIAN
It's easy too loose interest for the Knicks when they suck ass,haha
What are you gonna say WHAAAAAA, the game has changed...WHAAAAAAA, well last I checked Football has changed (Replays, rule changes,wild card playoff,players killing and paralyzing other people), Baseball( Stereoids,stereoids,Latino's taking over,and more steroid hearings)
I used to see Knick fans everywhere, what a shame !
Well its a shame that you have not lived in Puerto Rico, you've missed out on your Puertorican culture. Anyway, last time I cried for the Knicks was in 94. I can barely afford a mets hat, so I have no knicks gear. I stopped paying attention not only for my team sucking, but also for all the thugs in diapers that play in NBA. It should be the NFCA, No fucking Class Association. And if you think your Heat are going to emerge from their grave, you are sadly mistaken. See you Friday Vato loco.
Wow! It's not exactly Hardball with Chris Matthews here on the Kai site is it? Funny shit guys.
But Keith, I must take issue with some of your comments there. Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom are and never will be hall of fame players. I would not consider them the type of players that really put a team over the top to win a championship.
Also, sure D-Wade won a championship because of Shaq but the reverse is equally true. If D-Wade is not on that team, Shaq is still looking for a ring without Kobe no doubt about it. Also D-Wade has been injured all last year so you can't really blame him for the Heat's season.
Look at what you have me doing Keith! I'm sticking up for the fucking Heat. I hate the Heat. Both the team and the temperature.
One more thing, sure Pippen was a little bitch with the Kukoc incident. He was always a bitch, I hated him too. But he's a Hall of Fame bitch. And even without Jordan, the bulls were a late Hubert Davis foul call away from the conference finals in '94.
Cockknuckle. Now I defended Pippen and the Bulls. Damn you Keith, damn you to hell!
Very true Gasol/Odom are not hall of Famers...nobody in there right mind would argue that. My point is that Kobe has much better ingredients to work with than Lebron. I mean Lebron carried a bunch of hacks to the finals a year ago.....Nobody outside of Juan could name 2 of their starters besideds Lebron.
Lebron even at such a young age pushed his players to play better...Look at Booby Davis some undrafted nobody PG that came up huge for him in the playoffs and then falls back off the map this year. But he stepped up when Lebron needed him to......
Yes, D-Wade help win Shaq another ring but Shaq helped him waaaay more than Wade helped Shaq. Shaq encountered Wade at a perfect time, D-Wade was humble and just honored to have the Diesel as his big brother leader and Wade did all the dirty work and had no problem bustin his ass and kissing Shaq's. If shaq would have been paired with the Bucks Michael Redd would be the poster boy for the NBA or with the Nuggets maybe Melo would be the poster boy, but I don't think Melo would have taken a side car to Shaq....which is once again like the Rock says...."Know yoour Rollllle!!!!
Remember a few years ago when the Lakers signed the Mailman and Gary Payton and everybody thought oh we might as well just hand them the trophy no way this team does not win it all......well they didn't. There was no chemistry....nobody would defer to the other and they got anhilated.....in fact I think Kobe even publicly accused the Mailman of hitting on his wife.....what a great way to build team camraderie and get your teammate to bust their ass in a unified effort.
And Koko why are you defending Pippen by saying they "would of" "should of" "could of", maybe made the Conference finals??????? Conference finals who cares about that noise!!!!
You are out of order Keith. Did you take Revisionist History 101 in college?
Shaq did not help D-Wade way more at all. Wade scored 27/game while Shaq had 20/game that season and Wade was the Finals MVP, they were down 0-2 and almost down 0-3 if not for Wade bringing them all the way back to win the championship.
And the Lakers super team did not get anhilated, they made it to the Finals and got beat by a very very good Pistons team. Any time you at least make it all the way to the championship game or series, it was not a bad year, unless you're the Yankees.
And on the Pippen issue, I was talking about how he was the only good player on that team that year and still took the Knicks to 7 games. Kukoc was a good outside shooter but no where near Pippen's talent. If it were only Jordan with that team instead of Pippen, they still would not have won the championship.
Now stop making me defend Pippen, I really fucking hate that guy.
Yeah Micheal Redd would have averaged 34ppg in the finals,hahahahahaha, would have created his ownshots even when tripled team..hahahahaha
Please do not compare a champion with a one dimensional shooter from a team who can't even make the playoffs in the east !
By the way....Shaq averaged 12ppg, 6 reb and 1 blk during playoffs and it was Zo who was on the court in the 4th qt.
Micheal Redd is a looooooooooser !
Hey, when the big man down low gets double teamed it is pretty easy to score 1 on 1 for any decent NBA baller.....I'm not ripping D-Wade, he is a hell of a player, just extremely overated.
And let's not forget what role the David Stern lead Anti-Cuban revolution referee's had to do with the Heat coming back from their deficit.
Yes, D-Wade was spectacular but he would not have had his chance in the Sun if it were not for Shaq and I can guarantee you won't see him back in the finals again......unless he jumps ship and goes elsewhere as the 3rd horse in a big stable.
And to prove I am not just a revisionist just wait for this year when Jamir Nelson is regarded as a top notch PG in the NBA after he rides Howard's coat-tails to an Eastern Conference finals. Look at how hard the magic are trying to get a PG but because they won't be able to land one they will stick with Nelson whom is a decent Back-up in the league but is fortunate to be on the Magic and will be thrust into the spotlight this year and or next because he knows his rolllllllll.
And Pippen is not even a top 100 NBA player of all time if he doesn't have the fortune of landing with MJ............He was lucky but smart because he worked and rose his game with MJ.
By the way....on another subject I once argued with Johnny about who was a better fit for the Magic D-Howard or Emeka Okafor and vehemently defended Okafor and still does to this day..........
If you would have watched the finals Dallas never double teamed Shaq...NEVER, THEY TRIPLED TEAM WADE INSTEAD !
Jameer Nelson..lol !
I'm concered about you Keith, your logic Boggles me.
It also Candy Lands, Troubles, and Hungry Hungry Hippos me.
losers!
You're a loser.
So there.
Ha Ha. Touche!
I think the Bucks will win next year
Ok. I really don't have any intellectual thing to add to all of this, but I want to post a comment because I think we've broken a record on most comments for a single blog.
oh yeah, MJ is the SHIT!!!!!!!!
D Wade is great NBA player and was a better college player. He brought his team to the Final Four.
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