A casual look around the internet reveals a simple truth: more people care about what the Lakers will be doing a year from now than what occurs in the months leading up to that date in 12 months. Yes, people wonder (and care) about how good the Lakers can be next year, whether or not […]
Kobe
Kobe Bryant, Over Time
(h/t to Matt Burd for the video) Kobe has dubbed his comeback from a torn achilles tendon “the last chapter” of his career. In the video above, however, we see that all the chapters which have come before have been pretty special. For Lakers’ fans, the slogan he’s adopted in his comeback a reminder that […]
Kobe Bryant and the Matrix of Leadership
Kobe Bryant is one of the most talented players the league has ever seen and he has used his skills to repeatedly reach the mountaintop. Mind you, his basketball skills alone did not suffice in his ascension into the pantheon of greatness. He also had to morph into a leader. The leadership component often goes […]
The Work That Is Needed Will Be the Work That Is Done
“I’ll push myself to exhaustion.” If there’s one characteristic that defines Kobe Bryant’s career it is the work he has put in to become the player he is. As much as he’s been gifted his physical characteristics and that innate feel for the game that all the greats have, he’s also honed his skills through […]
Kobe Bryant’s Shooting Habits Aren’t What You Might Think They Are
http://youtu.be/lSpJPXwAGw8 If you’ve followed the Lakers at all over the course of Kobe Bryant’s career, one theme that is revisited often relates to the stagnation of the Lakers’ offense and how that relates to Kobe’s shot volume. On one side of the coin is the argument that Kobe shoots a lot because his teammates stop […]
A Great Video Tribute to Kobe Bryant
I don’t know about you, but it just got a little dusty in here. Hold on, I have something in my eye. Okay, I’m better now. A few days after Kobe was injured, Nike put out an ad listing many of the things he “showed us” throughout his career. At the end, Nike implores Kobe […]
Earl The Pearl On The Lakers – From West To Kobe
In any field of endeavor, prodigious talent is idolized, achievement rewarded, lasting greatness immortalized. What then, of transcendent talent that achieves not only greatness, but actually furthers the evolution of the endeavor in which it is deployed? Whatever his place in the Pantheon of basketball greats, that Earl Monroe is one of NBA history’s most […]
After The Gold Rush
There’s an oft-used saying, ‘it’s a tough act to follow.’ You don’t want to be the band that takes the stage after the last band just totally shredded. Or the comedian that follows the guy who had them rolling in the aisles. Phil Jackson was a tough act to follow. Just ask Rudy T, ask […]
Lakers/Spurs: Gut Check Reveals Guts
Sunday night marked the arrival of a new, long-term houseguest in Lakerland – the ghost of roster future. In the absence of Kobe Bryant – a scenario initially not expected to come to fruition for handful of years – all eyes will be on Dwight Howard to recapture his MVP form of years past and […]
Thinking About Kobe Bryant…
It’s been about 12 hours since word hit that Kobe Bryant suffered what looks to be a torn achilles tendon. And, to be completely honest, I’m still struggling to form fully developed thoughts on the idea of him suffering this type of injury. I’ve seen Kobe hurt before. The list of injuries he’s suffered and […]