Much ado about nothing

[janebse]

If this is the anything and everything category, perhaps we could extend it to include "nothing."

Since ABA played with Dr. J, he may be able to add some points here. It has been written everywhere that Jelly Bean Bryant felt that Dr. J received all the attention and he, Jelly Bean, was overlooked and made to play a lesser role although Jelly Bean felt that he was just as good as Dr. J.

So Jelly Bean decided nothing like that would happen to his son, Kobe. If Kobe had not gotten to go to the Lakers, Jelly Bean would have pulled him out of the draft and sent him to college. It was the Lakers or nothing. How Stern manages to change the rules for people, I won't discuss, but change them he did and Kobe went to the Lakers.

So everything in Kobe's life has been planned to get him the starring role. Last year he tried to take all the shots at the All-Star game and was soundly booed, even though it was in his "hometown." Kobe learned from that and did not do so at this year's game, but immediately afterwards he went on his plan to attract attention and shoot 40+ games, which he has done and has eight successive 40 and plus games.

Here comes the amusing part. Last week the other hot shooters decided to enter the act. Tracy McGrady shot 53 in three quarters, Kobe shot 40, Iverson shot 41, someone else shot 50, Garnett and someone shot 34, and there may have been another 40, and then Michael Jordan got all the headlines because he shot 43 in 43 minutes, and he was 40 years old. (I'll bet Jelly Bean was a bit upset at that.)

I thought that was the best night in the whole NBA season. What fun! It's just as if they had all decided, "Well, hey, Kobe, we can shoot too."

Another funny thing is that when Michael shot 53 or something high and the reporters congratulated him on it, he'd say, "Phil is going to be mad at me." I guess Phil gets mad only if the team is well on the way to a championship, but if the team is on the border of making the playoffs, it's gloves off and let the shooters do their work. No ethical talks about sharing the shooting with the other players.

Still, and ABA can correct me if I am wrong, the other players must agree or be willing to get the ball to these starring shooters. At what point do they get disgusted with lessening their own earning power in order to give all the glory to one person? Or is it merely a matter of winning the game?

[Ivory Fair]

Jane, not to worry. I think I can safely say that here at this board, we've raised the act of talking about absolutely nothing to an art form!

[Aba21]

You make some interesting points Janebase. However you have to understand that this isn't the first time the league has done this. First they want powers on both coasts, New York and LA. It's good for TV ratings and they want one of the two in the finals every year. They don't have much control over that but what they do is give teams territorial rights to draft players before they graduate from college, hence somehow Boston was able to draft Bird before he became available. Now in Jellybean's case, I think it was more of the fact that the NBA turned its nose at ABA players and there was a period that we had to gain their respect as equals. I'm quite sure he meant no disrespect towards the great Dr. J. Our players dominated the NBA for ten years after the merger.

Kobe has proven each year that he has the ability to become one of the great players of all time. His scoring is a direct result of the fact that while Shaq was out, no one else took up the slack and helped carry the team. As a matter of fact it is what he said today in a halftime interview on the NBA game of the week. Phil asked Kobe to pick up his scoring pace to help the team and if you are a teammate you would thank Kobe for taking the pressure off the others to score. Until Shaq is back and completely healthy, it is what he must do. If the others want another ring, they will go along for the ride. It is what they do to win. They were out of the playoff race before he took over the scoring and now they are in eight place and climbing.

I played along side Julius while he was averaging 35 pts a game and I never complained about not getting the ball. So I know he never averaged that much in the NBA so what the hell is Jellybean talking about? That attiude is the reason Portland beat the heavily favored Sixers in 1977 for the NBA title. And secondly Jellybean did not have nearly the talent of a Dr. J.

So for what ever reason there seems to be some kind of jealousy against Kobe. What did he do wrong? He married is HS sweetheart. Goes home after games and not to the hot spots. Is a leader. Does many good things in the community. Is not all tatooed up.You can trust you won't see his name on the front page of the paper! He is the kind of man you would hope more NBA players would be like.

Players who get disgusted can be traded to the Grizzlies or the Cleveland and then they can score all the points they want.

FOR THE LAST TIME MY PEOPLE IT IS ABOUT THE RING, NOT THE MONEY. EVERYBODY MAKES MONEY BUT VERY FEW HAVE RINGS.

[janebse]

Well, Jelly Bean thinks he was as good as Dr. J. I never saw him play so I have no idea.

You should read the papers tonight. Oh, my, but the race is heating up. I am sure Stern is in seventh heaven. Anything to get coverage, as long as it isn't real bad.

Your comments about the East and West Coast are probably correct although I wonder if the reasoning is valid. Just speculation here, but people like to watch a local or an area team. There is something special about attending a live game and not watching it on TV. And what is left to watch. College teams have been stripped. High schoolers have not yet learned the skills (no matter what the press says). I sense a kind of resentment in the populace that only NY and LA get the best players, and that Stern and the powers-that-be think the rest of the nation will pay horrendous prices to see the second raters. No matter what the sport, everyone wants to think "his" team has a chance to win.

I'm not saying anything "for sure" but from what I hear people saying they are not pleased with the sports picture in the U.S.

[SoulStirrer]

Any player can choose not to go to the team that drafted him; if that team does not trade him, he just won't play. The Charlotte Hornets drafted Kobe, then traded him to the Lakers for Vlade Divac. Remember, John Elway, as a senior from Stanford, would not play for the Colts and was traded to Denver. Even though Elway was a senior at Stanford, he used the NY Yankees as leverage, because he was in their minor league system. (Gosh, I referred to MLB, the NFL and the NBA in the same paragraph. Is that allowed? ). I can be ticked off at David Stern for a few things, but this isn't one of them.

Jelly Bean had his chance with the Clippers, so... But ABA's right about those Sixers, that was weird, especially with the best two forwards in the league(Erving and George McGinnis, a better power forward in his prime, than Karl Malone).

If the best players in the NBA go to NY or LA, then how come the Knicks are lousy? And why wouldn't Tim Duncan or JKidd want to join the Lakers?

Now MJ knew that Phil would get on him because Mikey was probably getting his points on his own and not from the offense. Phil doesn't like Kobe trying to get his points in this way, he wrecked the offense tonight late in the 4th quarter, somewhat. But what other options does Phil have?

The Diesel isn't 100% yet, if he will be this year. So he can't contribute on a consistent basis.

Rick Fox, Robert Horry and at times Derek Fisher can't create their own shots and become timid in the offense.

Samaki Walker is lost in the offense completely. Devean George can be inconsistent, but as Kobe's been doing his Wilt impression, he's played better of late.

The other players must play better, if only to take the pressure off Kobe, for he will wear out scoring 40 every game. There's a reason only one man has scored over 40 points a game all season, and he did it twice.

[SoulStirrer]

ABA,

Rick Barry and Nate Thurmond said this week that they would give up a ring for $20 million! ;D(Thurmond never got a ring, having been traded from the Warriors to Chicago, the year Oakland won the championship).

[Aba21]

SS......Rick and Nate say that now because they never made 20 million and I would say the same thiong about my rings. However, during the time they played they both would not have done that. it's easy to say it now when you know it won't happen. Who wouldn't give up a ring got 20 million. But isn't that the proble with sports today? Money.

I don't think all players want toplay in Ny and I don't think all players can play in NY. It a different animal than any where else in the sports world. if you do well, you're King and I mean King. We won and got to go out on the storied Infield of Yanklee Stadium during a Yankee/Red Sox game and it don't get not better than that.

Tim Duncan plays here in San Antonio and his demeanor to me is not NY. He like the quiet low key lifestyle of San Antonio and it suits him. There is too much going on In Ny for some peopple to handle. Jason Kidd is a city boy and he fits right in with the Jersey/NY scene. He's tough and he can handle 25 reporters after every game. Some can't.

Tv is what pays the bills so they dictate when the games are playes to maximize the rating for a return on their money. I'm sorry if New Orleans or Cleveland or Memphis id not the choice of TV. All fans want to see their teams do well but you can be sure MLB was not happy with a San Fran/ Angel World Series even though it was good. Tv wanted the Yankees. You know it and so do I. The question is how many people want to watch Janbase? You have 13 million people in NY alone who watch either the Mets or the Yankees and that rating all by itself. That's why they need an East Coast team in the finals.

[MikeNYC]

Danny Ferry,he did the same thing that Kobe did,refused to play for the team that drafted him. Joe Bryant was a good player,undisiplined,but good. He was no Dr.J,but neither was Jordan. Kobe is not taking alot of shots to get his points. Iverson is a two-time scoring champ,T Mac is up in the scoring leaders ,too.I can't see Joe Bryant having that much pull with the NBA.Joe Bryant was the only one who felt that he was as good as Dr.J .

[SoulStirrer]

You're right, the only one who thought he was as good as the Doctor.

[janebse]

But what other options does Phil have? (SS said)


Ah, yes, when push comes to shove, it's money (winning in sports equals money). Is it Sukkafu who kept saying that months ago? Show me the money.

Principles aside. Rules aside. Goals aside. Get me to the goal post in time.

I think David Robinson and Tim Duncan are two of the nicest, intelligent, and all the other good adjectives players in the NBA. And I suspect you are all right, they are the happiest in San Antonio. Not for them the circus of LA or NY. As James Jamerson said, "I wish my father had never moved to LA. It destroyed him."

Since this is "Much Ado About Nothing," let me tell you the latest rumor, one which you probably already have heard. It is rumored that Michael Jordan will leave the Wizards and be General Manager of the Charlotte team.

[janebse]

ANd then the second funny. In an article about Robert Johnson, new franchise owner of the Charlotte team, the teaser said, [Johnson] "will select the best qualified person for executive positions whether they be red, black, yellow or red."

Inside the article it said the same thing EXCEPT "whether they be red, black, yellow or white."

Is this a Freudian slip or what?

[sukkafu]

kobe didn't get his 40 versus the clippers tonight, but shaq did lead for the 1st time in over a month. kobe doesn't want to score a 100 necessarily-he want to do whatever it takes to win-he'd gladly dish off to someone else- like shaq or fisher or horry or fox or medvedenko or madsen or rush or shaw or walker -but the story is that although the lakers are hot, larry burnett -the post game show host says they're not even close to last year's levels of jelling together.