If you can look past the sideshow, you will see a player that is dominating the NBA right now. His pull up jumper is the most deadly weapon in the NBA. Just ask Lebron and the Glove.

No doubt about it. He's at the top of my list. I've gone to bat for Kobe plenty of days because a lot of people love to hate on him. I like to give credit where credit is due....he's got game...and plenty of it!

I don't hate anyone, but KOBE is not my best person, he can play but he is not the greatest and will never be the greatest because he is selfish and he does not make his team better, they might have beat Miami, but they will never make it far in the Playoffs because there is no "I" in team...

There is an "I" in winner though and that’s what he's doing. People hate and that alright, you may not like what went down in the past but we really don't know what went down! All we as fans of the game can do is go by what we see on the court and that is the second coming of MJ. Deal with it!

911, I have to agree with you Kobe is taking over the league. For those who say he is selfish take a look at the team he is on and what Phil has asked Kobe to do. He has to carry the scoring load on the team just like AI when the other players have the oppertuinty to step up they choke. Ask Labron what happens when you pass up game winning shots to other team mates you loose. Labron makes his team mates better because they have skills all Kobe has is Lamar Odem who can be Scottie like at time as far as having a complete game. If he plays like he has the last couple of games the Lakers will be hard to stop.

They will never make it far, even if they trade and get some better players, he want pass it to them and he'll probably player hate on them just like he did Shaq..... he had Shaq and they won championships and they could have kept him and won more championships , but he just had to player hate on him and really made him leave and he'll do it to whom ever comes to the team and acts like their a star player too. KOBE sucks!!!!! He will always be just a good player... No more championships for him... Now a real team is Detriot!!!! Just my point of view don't swing on me...

I wouldn't swing on you Ms. Nashville but the NBA is a buisness and no matter how you look at it Kobe is one of the best players in the league and he's younger. The Lakers did what they had to do to keep the franchise going. In a buisness world would you let go of a young employee who is doing good work and keep someone who is about to retire in a few yrs. In a perfect world you would want to keep both if you could but unfortunatly for the Lakers they could not afford to keep both. Do you really think Shaq would still be winningif it was Derek Fisher, Gary Payton, Rick Fox, Brian Cook, Devan George, and the rest of the bunch? You know Shaq is going to miss at least 30 games a season. That team would be horrible and Kobe would be free to sign with who ever he choose to for instance the Spurs. It would have been over for the Lakers and Shaq. So in the best intrest of the Lakers organization the got rid of the old guy. It's a young mans business.

I still don't like KOBE!!!! He has burned too many bridges, he cheated on his beautiful wife for some white ***** and then told the world that Shaq cheats & he just hasn't got caught yet... I just don't like him for that, I just can't see past that , he's a good player, but he is not the best and he is not taking over he league.. Look at Wade, Labron, and Carmello now they are going to be some of the greatest basketball players in the league.

Ok, Ms Nachville but none of that has anything to do with the business of the league, and the fact that he is the leading everybody in points per game. I know what you and others are going to say but it's no different then when Shaq said that the offense should go through him and that he needs to touch the ball everytime on offense. It's no different then AI who shoots just as much either. If you have a scorer whose hot you find a way to get him the ball. If you remove the personal feelings aside then you will see.

Ms. Nashville I have to ask you this question. If you didn't know the personal things that have been written and reported and all you had to go by was what Kobe is doing so far this season would you still feel the same way? Now before you answer swallow your pride and put all that aside. Judge him strictly as a ballplayer ONLY. I think if you do that you will give the young man his due. He is without a shadow of a doubt the best player in the league right now. Not named Duncan

Coach D, I thought about it and I blocked out all the stuff that happened and I looked at him as JUST a basketball player.......................................................... and he ....................... he is one of the greatest. That was hard to say, but I said it and it's over...

Ms. Nashville,

I know it's hard, but it's fair. Being a basketball player yourself, I know you appreciate his skills. His jumper is just deadly right now and at 6'8 he can shoot over anyone.

I gotta give credit where credit is due Kobe is a good ball player. The great ones get there team mates involved (MJ, Bird, Magic, Duncan etc... His defense, mid range and driving ability are by far best in the league at his position...but the one stat that's lacking is ASSIST!!! On to Shaq, it's a proven fact that every team that Shaq goes to becomes a better team. Orlando, Lakers and now the Heat. If there is one man in the league I would start my franchise with it's the Big Aristotle, and then Lebron would be 2nd, with D-Wade and Duncan right behind them. Everyone talks about his freethrow shooting, it's horrible to say the least. But he opens up things for his team mates because you can't play him 1 on 1. Kobe can be played one on one, let him score 100. Like early MJ, he won't win again until he remembers he has team mates

YES, KOBE IS A VERY GOOD BALLPLAYER. BUT CHAMPIONSHIPS ARE WON FROM THE INSIDE. THERE ARE A FEW EXCEPTIONS, BUT MOST CHAMPIONSHIP TEAMS HAVE A DOMINANT FORCE DOWN LOW. KOBE WILL GET WHAT HE AND PHIL DESERVES THIS SEASON, KOBE WILL LEAD THE LEAGUE IN SCORING AND PROBABLY SHOOTS TAKEN, AND THEN HE AND PHIL CAN GO ON VACATION EARLY AND WATCH THE CONTENDERS BATTLE FOR A CHAMPIONSHIP. BUT KOBE IS NOT TO BLAME, LAKERS MANAGEMENT DROPPED THE BALL ON THIS ONE. YES THEY MAY SELLOUT EVERY GAME BUT COME PLAYOFFS WILL THEY BE AROUND. PROBABLY NOT FOR LONG.

So are you saying that if you have a dominate big man you will win ships. Cause the Knicks had one for years and never one. Lots of team have had a good big man and not won. So you cant say that the game is won from the inside. It's all about having people who are willing to do what ever it takes to win. That includes staying in shape and sharing the ball. B-ball is a simple game we make it harder than what it is. It's a team game bottom line.

NO I AM NOT SAYING IF YOU HAVE A GOOD BIG MAN YOU AUTOMATICALLY WIN. BUT IF I AM BUILDING A TEAM, I WOULD WANT A BIG MAN THAT CAN BE A PRESENCE DOWN LOW. HAVING A DOMINANT BIG MAN CREATES SO MANY MORE OPTIONS FOR YOUR TEAMMATES. I DONT KNOW IF THE LAKERS DID ALL THEY COULD DO TO KEEP BOTH OF THEM THERE, BUT FROM THE OUTSIDE LOOKING IN IT DOES NOT APPEAR THEY DID. BUT BELIEVE ME I GIVE KOBE HIS PROPS, BUT HE IS NOT AND WILL NEVER BE A M.J..

in the case of the nicks and patrick they made the finals they just had to go up against another dominate big man akeem. yes championships are won with a dominate big man. go back through history. all championship teams had a dominate big man except chicago but they had mike

So you telling me that Bill Lambeir was a dominat big man, Kevin Mchale was he dominate or just a good role player?

kobe is the best player in the league at this momment but we have not even made it to the all star break. will he go into a slump like he did last year. dont know but **** he is going about his business and has to be the top vote getter for MVP

Now I'm curious What dominant big man did the Knicks have? You can't mean Patrick I Can Out Shoot my Guards Ewing!!! Pat was a decent scorer shot and blocker, but he never created the opportunities for his team mates as Shaq has.

What oppertunities did he creat in Orlando? In LA fromw what I saw Kobe drove to the lane an awful lot and got Shaq easy dunks too. Remember the Portland game 6 or 7 when Kobe drove the lane and gave the toss to Shaq. Even now in Miami doesn't D-Wade do the samething drive to the basket and then dish off to Shaq. He only help guys like Damon Jones or Derek Fisher guys who other teams want to shoot the ball cause other teams are willing to take a gamble on beating them. It aint all Shaq look at the entire game.

Some of you seem to back Kobe just as I do. Personally I don’t care for Kobe’s personal life either, but, it’s not me that he has to sleep with at night and I won’t judge him for that or anything else that he has done either. Hey that’s Kobe and his little red wagon. We all have skeletons in our closet and have done some things that we now regret. It seems a lot of people have similar things to say when it comes to dissing Kobe and that is to say that he is selfish, arrogant, and cocky just to name a few. Yet while I agree that Kobe did possess some of those characteristics earlier in his career, he has grown quite a bit and has gotten away from some of those things. Now he has come into his own and whether you agree or not the Lakers are his team because they are built around him. I was very pleased with the organization when they decided to release Shaq and keep Kobe. Homecoming, I feel the same way you do. My argument is that they had a lot of big names but yet they still didn’t get the championship because overall they were not a healthy team. Kobe is still a young man and I knew that it would take a couple of years to rebuild because they needed some fresher legs on the court and they are still a work in progress. One things for sure is that it doesn’t take a big man to get the ring, MJ didn’t have one, so Kobe doesn’t need one either. They have been doing pretty good lately and I hope that they continue so they can make it to the finals again. All it takes is heart and hard work.. Regardless of how I or the next woman or man feels some of us will always be for Kobe and others against him.

If you watch an entire game or you would see the Impact he has on a game. Take Orlando for instance, that inside outside presence opened things up for D. Scott, Penny, Nick, and B. Shaw. He is an undeniable presence thats why he makes every team he played on better, You would know that since he commands a double team this gives other players opportunities to score from the outside or drive. You couldn't double team Kobe and Shaq, you had to choose your poison(Shaq). He will go down as one of the GREATEST PLAYERS of all time.

He has to be on the court for an entire season to make an imact. Look at this way if you owned a company would you want someone who is going to be there 60 -70 % of the time or would you want someone who is going to be there 90-100 % of the time. As far as him going down as one of the greats there are a lot of great ball players that really didn't do anything take for instance Byron Scott good player made great by others.

Ms. Nashville you've got class. You've made your Coach proud, I know it was hard for you to admit that because you sounded strong in your convictions but, "The truth don't need no support". This is one of the reasons I chose you as the MVP of the All Dyme team, you're real. Stay just as you are and come here it's time for COACH D OUT!

KOBE IS JUST ANOTHER GOOD BASKETBALL PLAYER OF HIS GENERATIONS, YOUR LOOKING AT THE REAL KOBE NOW WITHOUT SHAQ. IN COMPARISON TO DWAYNE WADE, WHO HAS DONE MORE WITHOUT SHAQ. DWAYNE WADE OR KOBE. THAT HOW DETERMINE WHO'S THE BEST, (ACCOMPLISH MORE WITH LESS)

LIKE I SAID EARLIER THERE ARE EXCEPTIONS TO EVERYTHING. THE GREAT PISTONS AND CELTICS TEAMS HAD 3 TO 4 POSSIBLE HALL OF FAMERS ON THEM. THAT IS DEFINITELY CAUSE FOR AN EXCEPTION. YES KOBE IS A GREAT PLAYER, BUT DIFFERENT PEOPLE VIEW SUCCESS DIFFERENTLY. SOME THINK YOU HAVE TO WIN CHAMPIONSHIPS TO BE SUCCESSFUL, OTHERS THINK PATRICK EWING, KARL MALONE, JOHN STOCKTON, AND SEVERAL OTHERS WERE SUCCESFUL WITHOUT A CHAMPIONSHIP. THE ONLY DIFFERENCE BETWEEN KOBE AND MANY GREATS IN THE PAST IS THAT KOBE HAS A REP OF NOT BEING A TEAM PLAYER. I PERSONALLY THINK HE WANTED TO BE BATMAN INSTEAD OF ROBIN WHEN SHAQ WAS THERE. BUT NOW HE IS BATMAN AND WILL LEAD THE LEAGUE IN SCORING BUT THE LAKERS ARE FAR FROM A CHAMPIONSHIP.

I'm sorry I just couldn't sit here and let Mike's name or game be compared to Kobe's its just not right please don't do that.Every time a pretty good young player comes along he's the new Jordan.Kobe forget it he is who he is Kobe.LeBron nope not the next Jordan more like the next Magic for us that remember his game.These are just my opinions so excuse me while I try to stop laughing from that Kobe to the Spurs fantasy why would the Spurs want to screw up their team for a guy that would not improve them.

Kobe IS GOOD BUT HE IS AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN JUST LIKE MOST GOOD PLAYERS WHO TRY TO RUN A ONE MAN SHOW, HE;S GONNA GET HURT THEN WHERE ARE THE LAKERS GONE BE

Now if stop laughing long enough and start wacthing the game instead of one player you would have seen that when the Laker team was about to break up Kobe was entertaing offers to go to the Spurs. Remember that? See I pay attention to the whole game not just what I see on TV or just one particular player. The truth of the matter is Kobe is not my favorite player Labron is but I will give credit where credit is due. I'm not looking at the mans personal history I look at what he does on the floor. As far as compairing him to Mike you cant they are two totally different players but I will say this Mike didn't have this many rings at this age. Kobe has a few lessons to learn but if he gets one more player other than Odem they will get back on top.

If the Lakers sign Artest, look out !

911 you read my mind. lol

kobe is a very good player. me myself would have like to see both of them stay in l.a. but once again you have two brothers that let egos get in the way of what the game is played for. i love shaq because he does make his teammates better,but shaq is no fool. he knows without good perimeter players his game is nothing. i can understand the lakers in wanting the younger player. in a business move imay make the same decision,but as we see right now its alot easier for shaq to find another kobe or penny (wade) than it was for those two guys to find another shaq. i wish kobe the best in l.a.,because i love to see all my brother do well.

Mike didn't have the luxury of having Shaq as a center.I don't mind being proven wrong but I really don't think making Kobe the man was is going to bring the Lakers a championship any time soon.Kobe is just learning the hard way what Scottie Pippen found out when Mike went and played baseball and he tried to assume his role as the man it looks good until you get it.I can't understand why Laker fans just can't admit it Shaq was a VERY important part of their team and yes Ireally think an unstable (trade me sorry I want to stay)Ron Artest is the answer I must have missed something.

You have missed a lot when talking about Scottie, did you not know that when Mike left Scottie took the Bulls to Game 7 of the Eastern confrence finals. They were one shot away from going to the finals without Mike.So it can be done even for the Lakers. Artest will change that team and make them contenders.

no mike didn't have shaq,but he had players that understood there roles and played the well. they were not superstars but they were good players much like the players that kobe and shaq had on there run,but i do agree with you on having to be the man. a lot comes with that and everyone is not capable of pulling it off. ron artest, now thats a hole nother oprah. skills are undeniable but you don't know what you're going to get mentally.

KOBE IS NOT MIKE AND DOES NOT HAVE THE ROLE PLAYERS MIKE HAD NOR DOES HE HAVE THE MENTAL ABILITY TO USE AND MAKE HIS TEAMMATES BETTER. ADD ARTEST AND THE LAKERS STILL ARE A FOURTH OR FIFTH PLACE TEAM IN THE WEST.

911, after watching Kobe last night and Labron a couple nights ago I have to agree with you. Kobe is the best player in the NBA right now. At first I thought Labron due to his overall game and passing, but after watching Kobe last night and seeing his overall game I have to with Kobe. The other night when the game was on the line I saw Labron pass the ball when they were down by two to a role player who frooze. His coaches were all over him. Then he tricked off his free throw to tie the game at the end. I still think he is a great player but not all the way ready yet. Now with Kobe you know that last shot would have been his if his hands were on the ball which it should be at the end. For those that say he shoots to much the boy was like 7-9 from the field in the 1st quater and 6-6 from the line. I will take that anyday. So to me Kobe is the best. Just had to let you know bro.

51 points against a team that is known for good defense. They lost in overtime, but remember this is the same team virtually from last year and they are once again playoff team.

I don't care how many attempt you take, scoring 51 in an NBA game is no small feat.

911 as long as their stats are like that they wont win. Look beyond the 50 points he scored, look at the lack of involvement of his team mates. Let me ask you a question, you're playing a game. You team gets 5 HR and you hit 4(all solos) and your team loses are you satisfied with your own personal stats? Does the team come first? I posted last nights stat line to give you an idea of what I have been saying all along. It a team effort, not a Herculian effort from one

FGM-A FTM-A 3PM-A REB Ast Pts
K Brown, 3-6 2-4 0-0 2 8 2 8
L Odom, 7-15 1-2 1-5 1 10 6 16
C Mihm, 5-9 1-1 0-0 3 8 0 11
S Parker, 4-9 0-0 2-6 2 4 0 10
K Bryant 17-35 13-13 4-13 0 9 4 51
S Vujacic 2-3 0-0 1-2 0 1 0 5
D George 3-8 0-0 2-6 2 6 1 8
B Cook 0-4 0-0 0-1 2 2 0 0
L Walton 0-4 0-0 0-0 1 4 0 0

One more thing 911, The Kings have'nt been known to play great defense or for that matter mediocre defense since they left KC.

ESQ look at their shooting percentages for the rest of the team. They are horrible. Kwame Brown misses easy layups. When Kobe does kick the ball out they miss wide open shots. What's going to happen on the dirt when your team mates cant hit and the only way you can score is when you do hit the solo bomb it's going to be a very short game. Somebody got to get on base.

ESQ#23,

Check this out. The Phoenix Suns lead the lead in FG% at 46%.

Going 17 for 35 gives Kobe a 46% FG avg last night.
If he can do that every night, which his avg. is 45%, I don't care if he shoots every shot.

And to your scenario. If I hit 4 solos, that means the bases are empty and not because the guy ahead of me is hitting HR's. So if I don't hit them, they are just going to be left on the table.

I'd rather use it then lose it.

Thats my point exactly, what about the man behind you if you get on base? Could'nt he hit a two run jack instead of your solo. If you are not getting at least 15 runs off your 5 HR's alloted, you will lose. I personally would rather have 4 singles and set the table for someone else than hit a 500 ft BOMB and lose. Basketball, Softball, Baseball, Hockey, Football are team sports. Could Emmitt Smith get all those rushing yards without his line? Could Jordan collect all his rings without a group effort? Could Gretzky lead the league in scoring and assist without someone to pass or recieve from? Could M. Ramirez lead the league in RBI's without team mates getting on in front of him? 46% is not a bad percentage but it is if you don't get everyone involved.

If I hit 4 solos, then the lineup is screwed up. Obviously I should be the designated HR hitter.

We all know it takes a team when a championship and all of the guys you mentioned had great teammates around them. Look what Kobe has to work with.

How successful was Mike with the Wizards?
How many rings did Shaq win without Kobe?

How can he get everyone involved and them guys cant shoot. He cant pass it to them and shoot it for them. It's is a team game but you have to have guys on the team that contribute. You listed great players who won with a team like Mike, Gretzsky and others but sometimes you have to work with what you got. Look at Barry Sanders he had no line and he worked with what he had which is what Kobe is doing. As far as hitting the homerun. Even if I do make the mistake of hitting the bomb the man behind me had still got to hit if he dont hit then we still loose so why should I continue to hit the bomb. No one else is stepping up.

COME ON 911, 4 SOLOS MEAN YOU NEED TO WORK ON YOUR BAT CONTROL. IF YOU ARE A TEAM PLAYER YOU DONT HIT SOLOS. IF YOUR TEAM IS STRUGGLING YOU NEED TO GET ON BASE AND PUT PRESSURE ON THE DEFENSE AND GIVE THE MAN BEHIND YOU A CHANCE TO COME THROUGH. I HAVE BEEN PLAYING THIS GAME A LONG TIME AND LEARNED MANY THINGS FROM ONE OF THE BEST LONG BALL HITTERS AND THATS WILLIE BROWN. HE CAN GO 4-4 WITH ALL BOMBS ANY GIVEN DAY BUT HE IS NOT SELFISH LIKE THAT, HE WILL KEEP THE BALL IN THE PARK AND GET ON HIS TEAMMATES FOR HITTING SOLOS. BELIEVE IN YOUR TEAMMATES OR FIND A NEW TEAM.

FLA,

Come on now homey. If the HR alotment is 5 HRS, that means we are playing Super Rec, which means hardly we are top to bottom HR hitters. If I get 4 at bats it is safe to assume I probably got up to bat in the 1st, 3rd, 5th and 7th inning. How long does one wait for the other guys to hit them. I'll give you the first two, but if you are still waiting for the right situation in the 5th to hit your last 3, you are taking a hell of a chance.

911 I have one word for you...S-E-L-F-I-S-H!!! Just like Kobe!!!

If that's what you want to call it. I call it common sense.

Hit that blast 911 and then tell the umpire they better call the FAA and tell them that there is a ball floating out there somewhere in orbit.

911, ITS SAFE TO ASSUME IF YOU GET 4 AT BATS IN A GAME TRUST ME YOUR TEAMMATES ARE HITTING SO YOU PROBABLY WOULD NOT HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO HIT 4 SOLOS. BUT I BELIEVE ON THE AVERAGE SUPER REC TEAM 75% OF THE GUYS CAN HIT THE LONG BALL EVEN IF IT IS AN ACCIDENT. WITH THE BATS AND BALLS NOW A DAYS IT DOESN'T TAKE MUCH. BUT WHAT MAKES A BALL PLAYER ABOVE AVERAGE IS WHEN YOU CAN HIT 700 TO 800 WEEK IN AND OUT AND NOT HIT HOMERUNS. THAT TAKES SKILLS AND NOT MANY BALL PLAYERS CAN DO THAT. NOR DO MANY UNDERSTAND THE GAME LIKE THAT. IF TALENTED PLAYERS LIKE A WILLIE BROWN OR A BIG SWOL CAN SLAP THE BALL DOWN AND RUN JUST TO PLAY TEAM BALL, THEN US AVERAGE BALL PLAYERS NEED TO TAKE NOTES. THATS HOW THE GAME SHOULD BE PLAYED, BUT LIKE I SAID VERY FEW OF US UNDERSTAND THE GAME ON THAT LEVEL.

No I do not have the skills that WB or Big Swole have. But even the best of them hit a solo sometimes. And if that happens to be in their first at bat and then there are some left on the table in their last couple at bats then you hit them. Which would give you 3 solos at least. I didn't say I would intentionally hit solos.

Graystone is one of if not the premier team in Super Rec. With some of the best hitters in the game.

Nothing is automatic. Here is a quote from him about not winning the Worlds this year. They are one "selfish" homerun away from being World Champs.

"It was very tough, we felt it was our game to take, down by 1 with 3 Home Runs left in bottom of the 6th Inning, we all still get sick just thinking about it. We’d won so many other tournaments during the year by coming from behind and double-dipping teams that we thought for sure it was a done deal, but, it just wasn’t our time and that’s what keeps us playing this game because no matter how good your team is you can’t win them all…..but we sure do try!!! That’s what’s being a competitor is about!"

OF COURSE NO ONE IS PERFECT, BUT IF YOU HIT 4 SOLOS THEN THAT IS NOT AN ACCIDENT. BUT DONT WORRY ABOUT WHAT IT TAKES TO WIN WORLD, BECAUSE ANY TEAM THAT HAS A PLAYER THAT WILL HIT FOUR SOLOS WILL NOT BE PLAYING FOR A CHAMPIONSHIP. DO YOU KNOW WHAT ONE SELFISH SOLO EQUALS, TWO GOOD BASEHITS. IT IS A TIME AND PLACE FOR EVERYTHING, DOWN ONE WITH THREE BUMPS LEFT IS A TIME TO HIT A SOLO. BUT I WAS RESPONDING TO THE 4 SOLOS COMMENT YOU MADE. BUT ITS ALL GOOD. DIFFERENT STROKES FOR DIFFERENT FOLKS. I AM SURE YOU ARE AROUND ALOT OF BASA SOFTBALL, SO WHEN YOU GET A MINUTE CHECK SOME STATS AND SEE HOW MANY PLAYERS FROM CHAMPIONSHIP TEAMS HAVE EVER HIT FOUR SOLOS. SLOW PITCH SOFTBALL WILL ALWAYS BE ABOUT BASEHITTING UNLESS YOU PLAY OPEN BALL. GOOD LUCK IN THE 06

Kobe Bryant scores 81. Need we take this any farther.

Yes.....Kobe is crying out loud for the owners to get at least one more basketball player on his team, because he has NO help what so ever. And the first person that says he has Lamar Odem should be sent straight to the CRAZY HOUSE. KOBE has game but needs a TEAM.

Rod,
Is that sick or what. You have a deadly jumper, but like I said earlier, his pull-up jumper is the most deadly weapon in the NBA. Speaking of, where the hell were you the other night. We still won by 41.

Remember this could have been Kobe's second 80 point game. 60% from the field and every team knows he is going to shoot the ball. Say what you want about his personal life, but he is simply the best right now.

911, I think there is only one last thing to say….. Kobe is BETTER than MJ making him the greatest player ever. Now before yall jump off a cliff take a minute and digest both of there games. It took MJ a few years to perfect his perimitter game it has not taken Kobe nearly as long. He rebounds, he defends, he leads. He already has 3 rings and he's now just reaching his prime.

Let's be real DM, Kobe will never be the greatest player ever PERIOD. And your comment about it taking Jordan a lot longer to develop a jumpshot is off as well. People don't realize that Kobe is in his tenth season in the NBA, so he's no spring chicken to this league. I'm not trying to be a detractor about his incredible night SCORING, but an INDIVIDUAL performance does not equal championships. Get this through your heads,"NO ONE WANTS TO PLAY WITH KOBE!!! NO ONE!!!"

Esq#23
Artest wants to play with him. And that is the leagues worse nightmare if they team up. Garnett won't admit it publicly, but he would love to play with Kobe.

911 have you talked to Garnett personally...if not don't make statements like that. I back up everything I say with fact not what if's. At this point Artest would play with Lighthouse School of the Blind if they let him. The biggest problem with that scenario is outside of Odom, they don't have anyone that they would want. What if's dont work man come with cold hard facts.

There wasn't a statement in your previous post that was a fact. You said Kobe would never be the greatest. That is an opinion.
You said and I quote "NO ONE" wants to play with Kobe. Now you ask me if I talked to Garnett personally, well I ask you have you talked to EVERY other player in the NBA. Or is that ust your OPINION?

Gotcha!

911, WHAT'S UP. KOBE HAD A GREAT NIGHT, BUT HE STILL WONT WIN A CHAMPIONSHIP NO TIME SOON.

FLA

Homey I'll give you that. But the thread is titled who is the best player in the game today. I don't see anyone beating the Pistons any time soon for a championship. Dumars has done a hell of job putting that team together.

YES, HE PROBABLY IS THE BEST PLAYER IN THE GAME TODAY. BUT THERE ARE OTHER PLAYERS OUT THERE THAT I WOULD CHOOSE TO LEAD MY TEAM BEFORE HIM.

Do you think Artest is going to be happy there getting 8 shots a game? You think Kobe is giong to give it up and not shoot just because he has Artest? 81 points on 28-46 and the highest on the team was 7 assist. Somebody said it earlier, nobody wants to play there. They can have Phil Jackson and Kobe all they want but the two will never win a Championship together. Not without a lot of help

I'm sure a lot of people thought that about Mike when he first came to the league. People forget most people play where the money is and the Lakers will have some after this year. People will come just to play for the Lakers and Dr. Buss wait and see.

Love his talent, however, he does not have a lot of common sense. Good thing he doesn't need it!!!

Lets start with the ""all Kobe needs is a little help"theory.I hate to be the bearer of bad news but what they have now is probably going to be the best they are going to get for a while unless they happen to get lucky with a draft pick or some unexpected output from an unlikely free agent signing.You're probably wondering how I came up with this its called the good old salary cap.Does anyone remember when Shaq left your boy signed a max contract 7yrs 140 million.Couple that with the fact that OJ probably makes more in endorsements than Kobe means he is not going to give up any money so no major player is going to be coming to Laker land unless you dump Lamar Odum about the only valuable trade bait they have to offer and getting rid of him would only mean you got another player too watch Kobe shoot so why trade one guy who gets 10 shots a night for another guy who only gets 10 shots a night.One more thing he's been in the league 10 yrs how much longer do you think he's going to play?

911, Not only is he playing the best basketball right now, he's doing it knowing that every team out their knows if they stop Kobe they stop the Lakers. To take on that challenge every night an have the success he has says alot. We compare him to Mike, but is it fare to say that Kobe is doing it in a much more talented era. In MJ's era their was only MJ, Magic, Bird.Now Kobe has to deal with T-Mac, Lebron, Carmelo,AI,Vince,Ray Allen, Steve Francis,Etc. I may have left a few out on both ends but my point is that the gaurd play is alot better now.

Rod one of the problems the NBA has faced over the years is a lack of talent across the league. Sure the players you named are or will be great players one day, but to say there was less talent when MJ played is not even close to true. There were great players outside of Bird and Magic in his era, and the NBA was a much more exciting game. Nique, Isiah, Vinnie, Barkley, Marley, Dumars, Moncrief, man I could go on and on but you get the point. In Jordans era it took a team concept to win games one that MJ did'nt have in the begining. Kobe is'nt playing against the greatest centers today either which makes the things MJ did more incredible.

The players you named are on par with the players today. Sidney Moncrief is not a hall of famer neither is the "microwave". The NBA hasn't really changed that much. Only the names do. Was Benard King better than Ray Allen of today. Would you take Ben Wallace or Dennis Rodman. Tim Duncan or Kevin Mchale see where I going, players today are just as good. Which is why I put Kobe up there with MJ.

I got mad love for B. Wallace but I would take the Worm any day. I would also take a healthy B. King over the majority of the small and power forwards in the game today. The players I named belonged to a Golden era for the NBA.

Michael Jordan himself said it would be much tougher for guards to come close to Wilts record because of all the other things the guards have to do.

Also, note that Wilts team purposely tried to get him the 100 points. They were up by 34 and kept him in to break the record. The Lakers were DOWN by 18 at one point on Sunday. Wilt played 48 minutes, Kobe played 42. When Mike scored 63, he needed overtime to get his. Kobe scored 55 in the second half. Kareem abdul Jabbar, the NBA's all time leading scorer never scored 55 in a game.

Some one posted earlier that Kobe can't get any endorsements. Are you aware that he currently has a $45,000,000.00 shoe deal with Nike. And his shoe is 130.00 a pair right now.

Kobe's shoe will never sale like JORDAN'S.... KOBE will never be M.J. He is good but NEVER a JORDAN.. Jordan was not only the greatest to play the game but his energy, his love, his attitude, his whole demeanor was that of someone that is considered to be the "greatest"..... The greatest is more than just shooting the ball everytime you get it and scoring a 100 points.... 911

ESQ# 23,
See here we go with this "Golden Era" stuff. What makes that era so golden? The players weren't any better for every guy you name I can name a guy just as good. Of course you would take B.King over Melo or Richard Jefferson right. When B.King was healthy he wouldn't have been able to keep up them cats. If you're putting Ewing in that group I'd take Duncan ova him. Give me Amare over Barkley. With the same talent around him give me J.Kidd over Isaiah.

i was with until you said amarie over barkley. i dont think so

This is just something to think about.... Back in the day when Jordan was playing there was "defense", nowadays only about 10% of the teams play good defense, Detriot being one of the teams.. Most NBA players don't play defense up to their full potential, so nowadays the star players have a better chance at scoring 81 points because defense is not what it use to be.....

AMEN

Ms. Nashville,

I agree Jordan is the greatest of all time. Hands down. Nothing tells me that Kobe will ever be considered the greatest at this point.

There have been so many posts on the subject that the original thread has gotten diluted. Kobe is the best "right now". Kobe doesn't need to sell the shoe, he gets his 45 million regardless.

O.k, O.k...... I just wanted to add from my previous post about the shoe situation... KOBE'S NIKE Shoes don't even sound right to me.... "JORDAN'S" just sound right, when you wear Jordan's you feel like your on top of the world and bet not nobody step on them... KOBE'S sound like a pro-wing brand type of shoe... ...

It's golden because that was the rebirth of professional basketball in this country. It's golden because of the passion players had for the game. Do you realize attendance is down across the board. If it werent for the players I spoke of the endorsement deals out there would'nt be there. It's golden because players played for the love of the sport, not the love of cash. Case in point Mike didn't get a big contract until his last 2 yrs. You never heard the best player in the game complaining about getting paid did you. Ddi you know mike's salary from the Bulls was like that of an intermediate player for his day, He never made over 4 million a season until his last couple yrs. And one more thing...the players of that era would've never lost an Olympic game against anyone...so on keep talking about how good this era is, like my man #15 always says "Stats dont lie".

ESQ#23

You are right about the mentality of the game today. And that was the golden era. As for Jordan's salary, that was a business decision.

Jordan was making 100's of millions of dollars off the court due to the fact that He and the Bulls were so dominant and he was deservingly so getting the credit. So to ensure that, he did not require or request the additional money to keep the team intact.
Any additional salary from the Bulls would be just a drop in the bucket. That big salary at the end was a special rule put in by the NBA to specifically keep Jordan around. You will never see a 2 year 75 million dollar deal.

The NBA knew that when Jordan got paid, they all got paid!

We finally agree on something 911. Now holla at me on the circuit so we can talk about those 4 solos!!!

I guess it's ok for all of us to ............................ now...

Where you at 911, don't act like you dont want to get in on the .............. , we are agreeing with each other and it calls for a ....................

You know I'm here. I gots nothing but love for everyone. I just felt like standing up for Kobe, because we are sometimes held at such a different standard. He is a product of his environment, everything handed to him, but he is still our people.

911 I AGREE WE DID STRAY A LITTLE FROM THE TOPIC. SO I WILL SAY KOBE IS THE BEST RIGHT NOW, BUT I DO WANT TO SAY THIS. THE NBA'S ALL TIME LEADING SCORER NEVER TOOK 46 SHOOTS AND HE ALSO HAD 2 HALL OF FAMERS ON HIS TEAM SO THE OPPORTUNITY NOR THE NEED WAS NEVER THERE.

I would say the best scorer in the game today. I still believe the best player helps his team out in other ways. ie. Lebron, Nash, Iverson, Duncan, Wade...

I FEEL YOU ESQ AND I AGREE.

ESQ23, I respect your thoughts, but Marley, Vinnie, Joe D, these guys were role players the will never be remembered as a NBA Superstar as the ones I mention in my earlier post, carry that lable today. I'll give you Nique and Barkley because I did admit to leaving some out.

KOBE KOBE KOBE

Man to Man vs Zone Defense.......thats all you need to look at...Jordan did his thing with the best defender on him man to man every game....now they play a lot of zone and Kobe can exploit the weakness is he as good in the straight man to man as MJ was? I don't think so

I heard an interesting sound bite from someone this morning, and I felt compelled to share it with everyone. "We(Lakers)need to have more balance scoring to be successful". Who said this ever so true quote? None other than Kobe Bryant. I don't take anything away from his performance the other night, but one stat jumped out at me...17 assist. How does a man score 81 points, the team scores 122 something just doesn't add up. Can someone help me with this?

I feel you STL Player...I wonder if he could've done that with Dumars and or Rodman hanging all over him. Zone defenses have changed the way the game is played.

well the person guarding Kobe should've FOULED OUT!! once he hit 50,and so on...it would not have been pretty..... ,but He just bust the Raptors Ass meaning they are still paid PRO Players and for the record Kobe only had 30 in pre-game shoot-around ,he just Let it Do What it DO.....

Church you are crazy man...so what you're saying is he really had 110.

Umm….The Zone defense was instituted to supposedly hurt players like KB. Defenses are allowed to pack in and collapse on the dribble drive, but if a player is as skilled and can shoot as well as #8 it's nothing you can do. I'm sure KB would welcome one on one every night; with rules in place as they are where you cant hold like teams(pistons,knicks)did in the 90's with MJ, Kobe would foul your best defender out, every time.

That is a great point. There is a lot of backside help now that wasn't in place years ago. And for an "individual" like Kobe, it makes his feat even more phenomenal.

DM#18 and when he does not make the playoffs....would you still consider him to be the best!!!!!1

911, COME ON DOG. RULES HAVE BEEN CHANGED TO STOP BIG MEN FROM JUST TOTALLY DOMINATING GAMES. KOBE IS NOT THE REASON FOR THE LEAGUE TO IMPLEMENT ZONE DEFENSES, ITS TO SLOW PLAYERS LIKE SHAQ AND OTHER BIG MEN DOWN. JUST LIKE RULES WERE CHANGED BACK IN THE DAY TO STOP WILT FROM DOMINATING. WHAT KOBE DID WAS VERY RARE AND MAY NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN, BUT IF YOU SAW ANY HIGHLIGHTS THE RAPTORS WERE NOT PLAYING MUCH DEFENSE, HE TOOK 46 SHOTS, AND ONLY HAD 2 ASSISTS. SO LETS KEEP THIS IN PERSPECTIVE. I GIVE HIM HIS PROPS, BUT LETS NOT GO OVERBOARD.

FLA,

I never said that they changed the rule for Kobe.

All I said was they changed the rules. I don't know what highlight you were watching, but every shot I saw Kobe take, there was a hand in his face. Check it out and get back with me.

YOU DIDNT SEE ALL THE HIGHLIGHTS, I SAW SEVERAL UNCONTESTED SHOTS. RUNNING AT SOMEONE LATE IS NOT CONTESTING A SHOT. KOBE WENT BASELINE ONCE AND STEPPED BY A PLAYER AND THE PLAYER JUST TURNED AND WATCHED. YOU COULD HAVE SCORED 20 WITH THAT TYPE OF DEFENSE.

Hi

#15…Yes he will still be the best even if somehow the miraculously miss the playoffs. I'm not basing him being the greatest on one phenomenal scoring night because any player can get hot. But this dude is unreal he scores at will, he's 1st team all defensive team.
FLA… Those zone rules were to prevent one-one play and to add skilled shooting back in the game. They thought that it would bring in players that look more like the paying fans and time will tell with that. But for great shooters like KB it doesn't matter. He'll score and he's already a champion.

Hold on one sec. First of all none of the teams have ever played any defense, except for the Spurs of today. The west is a run and gun division always will be. As far as the zone is concerned there are only a hand full of teams that even play the zone. Nothing has really changed. Now what has effected the teams is the is the 3 second rule on the defense no longer can a center just hang out in the lane and try to block shots when someone gets into the lane. Other than that the game is still basically the same. When Kobe did his thing for 81 it was a great feat. People down Kobe for not passing the ball but did we forget that Kobe is a shooting guard not the point that is not his role. When Mike was playing he never was the leading assist guy his job was to score.

Jordan didn't win witout Pippen and Kobe will not win without Shaq....
DM my question to you is ( know how you feel about Kobe) Kobe better than AI....They came in the league together and AI has surpassed Kobe in every catergory other than winning the big Championship?????1

#15.. To that I only can say this….If Kobe hadn't shared the ball with Shaq his numbers would be better than A.I.'s but he humbled his self and his skills to win the RINGS. Once he saw that Shaq couldn't help him win anymore rings it was time for him to go.

Hold on DM!!! His assist totals were no higher with Shaq, then without him. Don't you ever mistkae Kobe as a passer because you would be dead wrong. source nba.com

Why are people trying to make Kobe into a point guard he is a shooting guard. His job is to make shots not distribute the ball. Why do you think that the Sixers wanted to make AI the shooting guard he shoots the ball to well. KB is not a point guard

Ex, even when AI who played with less was a SG, he averaged more assist than Kobe. And when you say a SG playing a PG role that arguement doesn't work either. Gasol(PF) averages more assist, not to mention LeBron, D. Wade, Odom, R Davis, B. Miller, Francis, T-Mac, The Big Ticket, P. Pierce, Kirelenko all whom are not PG's. Once again your excuses doesn't hold water.

Once again you dont watch the entire game. All of the people that you named have others on their team who can score. Odem should have more assist than Kobe in the trianlge offense he is the point. Didn't Pippen play the same rold as Odem is right now. Scottie had more assist than Mike on a night basis. If gone talk about the game then watch everything that goes on during the games not just what shows up in the box scores. Did you see Phil complaing the KB was shooting to much. No you didn't reason is Phil knows what Kobe's role is and that is to score. If you dont like him just say that and quit trying to knock the man for what he is. A great baller.

FLA,
Are you implying that Toronto let him score that many. The Lakers have the easiest scouting report in the league. Stop Kobe, you stop the Lakers. Yet, the guy leads the league in scoring.

Calling him selfish is one thing, trying to minimize what he accomplished on that day is totally different.

I GAVE HIM HIS PROPS, WHAT HE DID WAS RARE. AND I ADMIT HE WAS ON FIRE, BUT ONE THING YOU FORGOT. YES HE WILL LEAD THE LEAGUE IN POINTS AND SHOTS TAKEN.