The Kobe Bryant Retirement Thread

The Kobe Bryant Retirement Thread

Postby 3Peatkb24 » Mon Nov 30, 2015 11:42 pm

5 World Championships including a 3Peat. Won 2 without Shaq and this needs to be noted in Bold!
2 Finals MVP's, 1 of only 5 players to win backtoback Finals MVP's (Jordan, Shaq, Hakeem, LeBron the others)!
1 League MVP.
3rd All-Time NBA Leading Scorer, nearly 33,000 Points. He will pass 33,000 by years end easily, Should end up with around 34,000!
81 Point game, 2nd highest total in NBA history!

KOBE BRYANT
LOS ANGELES LAKERS
Dear Basketball,



From the moment
I started rolling my dad’s tube socks
And shooting imaginary
Game-winning shots
In the Great Western Forum
I knew one thing was real:

I fell in love with you.

A love so deep I gave you my all —
From my mind & body
To my spirit & soul.

As a six-year-old boy
Deeply in love with you
I never saw the end of the tunnel.
I only saw myself
Running out of one.

And so I ran.
I ran up and down every court
After every loose ball for you.
You asked for my hustle
I gave you my heart
Because it came with so much more.

I played through the sweat and hurt
Not because challenge called me
But because YOU called me.
I did everything for YOU
Because that’s what you do
When someone makes you feel as
Alive as you’ve made me feel.

You gave a six-year-old boy his Laker dream
And I’ll always love you for it.
But I can’t love you obsessively for much longer.
This season is all I have left to give.
My heart can take the pounding
My mind can handle the grind
But my body knows it’s time to say goodbye.

And that’s OK.
I’m ready to let you go.
I want you to know now
So we both can savor every moment we have left together.
The good and the bad.
We have given each other
All that we have.

And we both know, no matter what I do next
I’ll always be that kid
With the rolled up socks
Garbage can in the corner
:05 seconds on the clock
Ball in my hands.
5 … 4 … 3 … 2 … 1

Love you always,
Kobe

KOBE BRYANT / LOS ANGELES LAKERS



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Last edited by 3Peatkb24 on Tue Dec 01, 2015 5:20 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: The Kobe Bryant Retirement Thread

Postby KobeMVP888 » Tue Dec 01, 2015 7:49 am

I still can't figure out how to post videos. So lame. HELP!

Thanks for starting this necessary thread, Tate. KOBE FOR 50! would have worked, but this will stay top of mind.


Click here to learn how to add YouTube Videos to your phpBB forum
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Re: The Kobe Bryant Retirement Thread

Postby 3Peatkb24 » Tue Dec 01, 2015 8:26 am

Watching 1st Take, Skip and Stephen A. both have Kobe in their Top 10 all-time. Everyone's list I have seen has him Top 10 from those 2 to Simmons to the people that made up the list of the new Top 50. Kevin Durant says he is our Michael Jordan, high praise from a Top 5 player in todays league. Kobe will be missed more as the years go on. They don't make players like Kobe anymore, he is oldschool in a newschool league so yes I think it is the perfect time for him to hang it up now. Depressing but nobody beats father time. He carried the torch for us for many years after Magic's era, he held his end of the bargain. Not only that he kept holding it after Shaq was gone too by winning 2 more Championships and winning MVP of the Finals over the hated pukes in 7.
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Re: The Kobe Bryant Retirement Thread

Postby KobeMVP888 » Tue Dec 01, 2015 8:54 am

3Peatkb24 wrote:They don't make players like Kobe anymore, he is oldschool in a newschool league ...


Don't kid yourself, he would have been more dominant in today's "small ball" bullshit than he was when he was dunking over the trees. He would have mastered the long ball, too. Today's game is inferior to what Kobe had to navigate through. The Western Conference was even stronger then than it is now. The obstacles that he had to overcome are nothing like Jordan and LeBron have navigated through. The Eastern Conference was watered down during Jordan and has remained weak through LeBron's journey. Never mind the vitriolic hatred that David Stern had toward Kobe post-Colorado and the way he had to win back the fans. He would have been the greatest court player in any era that he was born into,
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Re: The Kobe Bryant Retirement Thread

Postby 3Peatkb24 » Tue Dec 01, 2015 9:01 am

KobeMVP888 wrote:
3Peatkb24 wrote:They don't make players like Kobe anymore, he is oldschool in a newschool league ...


Don't kid yourself, he would have been more dominant in today's "small ball" bullshit than he was when he was dunking over the trees. He would have mastered the long ball, too. Today's game is inferior to what Kobe had to navigate through. The Western Conference was even stronger then than it is now. The obstacles that he had to overcome are nothing like Jordan and LeBron have navigated through. The Eastern Conference was watered down during Jordan and has remained weak through LeBron's journey. Never mind the vitriolic hatred that David Stern had toward Kobe post-Colorado and the way he had to win back the fans. He would have been the greatest court player in any era that he was born into,


Actually I thought I was complimenting Kobe more than anything. Oldschool players love the physical play, were more fundamentally sound, and the West with a young Duncan, Dirk, and Garnett was even better than, then now. This newschool stuff sucks IMO, LeBron gets barely hit going to the paint and throws a fit like he is getting clobbered. Also I am sure Kobe hates this AAU bullshit. So my point was it's perfecting timing for him to retire. I really didn't think I was implying he couldn't dominate in his prime in todays league because of course he could, he did in 2013 before his injury.
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Re: The Kobe Bryant Retirement Thread

Postby KobeMVP888 » Tue Dec 01, 2015 10:45 am

3Peat

Every so-called "old school" player thinks his era was more physical than the succeeding eras. The NBA is every bit as physical today as it was in the 00's, 90's or 80's. It cracks me up when I hear these retired stars talk that way.
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Re: The Kobe Bryant Retirement Thread

Postby 3Peatkb24 » Tue Dec 01, 2015 10:50 am

KobeMVP888 wrote:3Peat

Every so-called "old school" player thinks his era was more physical than the succeeding eras. The NBA is every bit as physical today as it was in the 00's, 90's or 80's. It cracks me up when I hear these retired stars talk that way.


No it isn't I disagree with you 100% because players could get away with more back in the old era's, see below:

Yeah but you could get away with more back in the 80's and 90's without being called for a Flagrant Foul or getting kicked out of a game. Todays game isn't even close to what it was in the 80's or 90's. There isn't any team that plays the type of ball that the Pistons played in the late 80's or the Knicks of the 90's. These cry babies today couldn't handle it. Hell LeBron thought the Pacers were too physical in the Playoffs with Hibbert and West LOL. The Celtics of the 80's were nasty as well. In todays game what McHale did to Rambis with the clothesline would've probably got him at least a 2 game suspension if not more. Back then all it was, was a hard Playoff foul. The Athletes today may be better as a whole but back then the play was much more physical WITH WHAT THEY LET PLAYERS GET AWAY WITH and I just gave you 3 teams to prove my point that were really dirty IMO. Kobe always loved that type of play too because the Nuggets were pretty dirty in the 2009 WCF's hammering him pretty good but he never complained and acted like he fed off of Birdman, Martin, Jones, and the others playing dirty. One last thing Robert Parish punched Bill Laimbeer in Game 5 of the 1987 ECF's and didn't even get ejected. In todays game he would be gone for the season.
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Re: The Kobe Bryant Retirement Thread

Postby 3Peatkb24 » Tue Dec 01, 2015 11:14 pm

tate793 wrote:
KobeMVP888 wrote:I still can't figure out how to post videos. So lame. HELP!

Thanks for starting this necessary thread, Tate. KOBE FOR 50! would have worked, but this will stay top of mind.

https://youtu.be/a-2OEmi9_34



I didn't start it, Ken, Mr Og did. Nevertheless.....


Image


Ken's been so busy he didn't even realize I started the Thread LMAO. Ken, the video worked I watched it, great stuff.
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Re: The Kobe Bryant Retirement Thread

Postby KobeMVP888 » Thu Dec 03, 2015 10:29 am

I LOVE BASKETBALL! GO LAKERS! #18 COMIN' UP STRONG!!! TOO EASY, JUST WAAAAY TOO EASY!!!!! NEXT! :rollyellow:
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Re: The Kobe Bryant Retirement Thread

Postby KobeMVP888 » Thu Dec 03, 2015 11:02 am

I LOVE BASKETBALL! GO LAKERS! #18 COMIN' UP STRONG!!! TOO EASY, JUST WAAAAY TOO EASY!!!!! NEXT! :rollyellow:
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Which number to retire?

Postby NuggetsCountry » Thu Dec 03, 2015 11:34 am

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Re: The Kobe Bryant Retirement Thread

Postby KobeMVP888 » Thu Dec 03, 2015 12:07 pm

I LOVE BASKETBALL! GO LAKERS! #18 COMIN' UP STRONG!!! TOO EASY, JUST WAAAAY TOO EASY!!!!! NEXT! :rollyellow:
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Re: Which number to retire?

Postby 3Peatkb24 » Thu Dec 03, 2015 1:14 pm

NuggetsCountry wrote:Image

http://www.foxsports.com/nba/story/los-angeles-lakers-kobe-bryant-debate-which-number-to-retire-24-8-120115

For my money #8 is the Mamba, and how I will remember him! :pissedkobe: :LOBtrophy: :standingO:


I think I would retire both numbers. That has never happened in the history of the NBA and would set Kobe apart from any other player regarding that. He was more explosive/athletic being #8 but when he was #24 it was clearly his team and he became more of a leader and a smarter player. Winning those 2 Titles without Shaq defines or I should say justifies his greatness more than anything else IMO. He could always score in huge numbers and of course win with Shaq but once Shaq left, he had to take on a whole new leadership role and carry the team much more and he did.
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Re: The Kobe Bryant Retirement Thread

Postby lakerevolution » Thu Dec 03, 2015 8:59 pm

You retire the number you left with. Question is . . why did he switch from 8 to 24 (as if we all didn't know).
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Re: The Kobe Bryant Retirement Thread

Postby NuggetsCountry » Wed Dec 23, 2015 11:02 am

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2601389-why-there-will-never-be-another-kobe-bryant?utm_source=twitter.com&utm_medium=share&utm_campaign=web-des-art-top-203

Bryant's impending retirement, then, could be the death knell to the league's storied tradition of guards and wings—from Jerry West and Julius Erving to Jordan and Iverson—shouldering such extreme scoring loads.

But what truly makes Bryant both one of a kind and the last of his kind isn't just his freewheeling form, but the equity he built up to go down firing.

"He’s got 20 years in this league. We might not have six guys with 20 years in this league combined," Lakers head coach Byron Scott explained in November, per the Los Angeles Daily News' Mark Medina. "He has that privilege. From a coaching standpoint, I want Kobe to be Kobe. Other guys haven’t earned that right yet."

The NBA may never see the likes of Bryant in that regard again. He's the first and only player in league history to spend two decades with one franchise.
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