Kobe agrees to stay with Lakeshow

[westkoast]

http://www.nba.com/

[spursfan101]

He basically disenfranchised HALF of that city (Clip fans, all 2 of them including WOW) versus Laker fans (varies, 50%-85% of the city depending on how well they are playing.)  

[WayOutWest]

I think knowledgeable fans can understand the Shaq trade while at the same time being extreemly bummed about it.  The fans owe Shaq for the 3 titles he brought L.A. but no fan can honestly say Shaq didn't start to decline in desire, work ethic, conditioning and performance RIGHT AFTER their first title.  

The Lakers are bigger than Shaq, always have been always will be, that's what seperates the Lakers from EVERY other NBA franchise including the Celtics.  They have always been bigger than any one particular players. Celtics all but one of their titles to Russel and Bird.  Lakers have won titles with greats like Mikam, West, Kareem, Magic, Shaq and Kobe.  They will continue to move (at least that's what I tell myself before I cry myself sleep.)  :cry:

Good luck Shaq!

[SPURSX3]

I think knowledgeable fans can understand the Shaq trade while at the same time being extreemly bummed about it.  The fans owe Shaq for the 3 titles he brought L.A. but no fan can honestly say Shaq didn't start to decline in desire, work ethic, conditioning and performance RIGHT AFTER their first title.  

The Lakers are bigger than Shaq, always have been always will be, that's what seperates the Lakers from EVERY other NBA franchise including the Celtics.  They have always been bigger than any one particular players. Celtics all but one of their titles to Russel and Bird.  Lakers have won titles with greats like Mikam, West, Kareem, Magic, Shaq and Kobe.  They will continue to move (at least that's what I tell myself before I cry myself sleep.)  :cry:

Good luck Shaq!

man, Wow, i really feel bad for you guys...to see your team dismantled this way, how sad.

Shaq went for the money, he has his rings, he is the most dominant big man in the game today he will shake things up in the east i think.  as for Kobe....i think you guys might be crying all the more when he tries to become a Jordan and falls WAY short on his own there in LA.  on the bright side, his deal is null and void if he is sentenced to prison, so if he DOES go to jail that should free up 36 mill in cap space for your team!!  There IS hope out there Wow!   :cheers:  

[westkoast]

I think knowledgeable fans can understand the Shaq trade while at the same time being extreemly bummed about it.  The fans owe Shaq for the 3 titles he brought L.A. but no fan can honestly say Shaq didn't start to decline in desire, work ethic, conditioning and performance RIGHT AFTER their first title. 

The Lakers are bigger than Shaq, always have been always will be, that's what seperates the Lakers from EVERY other NBA franchise including the Celtics.  They have always been bigger than any one particular players. Celtics all but one of their titles to Russel and Bird.  Lakers have won titles with greats like Mikam, West, Kareem, Magic, Shaq and Kobe.  They will continue to move (at least that's what I tell myself before I cry myself sleep.)  :cry:

Good luck Shaq!

man, Wow, i really feel bad for you guys...to see your team dismantled this way, how sad.

Shaq went for the money, he has his rings, he is the most dominant big man in the game today he will shake things up in the east i think.  as for Kobe....i think you guys might be crying all the more when he tries to become a Jordan and falls WAY short on his own there in LA.  on the bright side, his deal is null and void if he is sentenced to prison, so if he DOES go to jail that should free up 36 mill in cap space for your team!!  There IS hope out there Wow!   :cheers:

As much as Kobe has been bashed in his press confrence yesterday he said that he is happy and sad at the same time.  Hes sad that his partner in crime left and he understands how hard it is going to be without him (which suprised me that he admitted it) but hes happy that hes back as a Laker.

Right now everyone is expecting the Lakers to not make the playoffs so at least the expectations at this moment are not out of reach.  They can still make the playoffs at a low seed.  As for Kobe being Michael, he may choose to be a player maker....just like Shaq can choose to get into shape just for Miami.  

Im sure we are all bummed but at the same time this day was going to happen sooner or later.  We werent going to have them both forever, just happend a little earlier than we all thought.  Like I was telling everyone at work earlier this week,  I was a fan before Shaq and Kobe came and ill be a fan long after.

[jn]

Even with all the squabbling I fully expected Shaq to finish his career with the Lakers and Kobe to be there when it happened.  I'm just stunned.

 

[Guest_Randy]

I think knowledgeable fans can understand the Shaq trade while at the same time being extreemly bummed about it.  The fans owe Shaq for the 3 titles he brought L.A. but no fan can honestly say Shaq didn't start to decline in desire, work ethic, conditioning and performance RIGHT AFTER their first title. 

The Lakers are bigger than Shaq, always have been always will be, that's what seperates the Lakers from EVERY other NBA franchise including the Celtics.  They have always been bigger than any one particular players. Celtics all but one of their titles to Russel and Bird.  Lakers have won titles with greats like Mikam, West, Kareem, Magic, Shaq and Kobe.  They will continue to move (at least that's what I tell myself before I cry myself sleep.)  :cry:

Good luck Shaq!

man, Wow, i really feel bad for you guys...to see your team dismantled this way, how sad.

Shaq went for the money, he has his rings, he is the most dominant big man in the game today he will shake things up in the east i think.  as for Kobe....i think you guys might be crying all the more when he tries to become a Jordan and falls WAY short on his own there in LA.  on the bright side, his deal is null and void if he is sentenced to prison, so if he DOES go to jail that should free up 36 mill in cap space for your team!!  There IS hope out there Wow!   :cheers:

EVERY team goes through a rebuilding phase -- it's simply a matter of whether you do it from the bottom of the heap or from the middle.  Personally, I'm glad that the Lakers decided to trade Shaq and move to the middle of the heap rather than waiting and watching Shaq continue to decline in ability (and desire) and then watch the Lakers mire in the bottom of the league.  

As for Kobe, I wish everyone would stop the comparisons with MJ and just allow Kobe to be Kobe.  Kobe is a GREAT player -- the best backcourt player in the league and one of the top 5 players in the league, IMO.  He hasn't been allowed to show a tremendous part of his game -- his post game because of Shaq and now he will get that chance.  I hope the Lakers begin to move a LOT more with Shaq out of the middle.  The West is a tough place to get into the playoffs (in the East you can make it without even playing .500 ball) but I think I'm going to ENJOY watching the Lakers play next year -- even IF they don't make the playoffs.

[ziggy]

I think knowledgeable fans can understand the Shaq trade while at the same time being extreemly bummed about it.  The fans owe Shaq for the 3 titles he brought L.A. but no fan can honestly say Shaq didn't start to decline in desire, work ethic, conditioning and performance RIGHT AFTER their first title.  

The Lakers are bigger than Shaq, always have been always will be, that's what seperates the Lakers from EVERY other NBA franchise including the Celtics.  They have always been bigger than any one particular players. Celtics all but one of their titles to Russel and Bird.  Lakers have won titles with greats like Mikam, West, Kareem, Magic, Shaq and Kobe.  They will continue to move (at least that's what I tell myself before I cry myself sleep.)  :cry:

Good luck Shaq!

I understand the trade, but it was STUPID.  There is no way the Lakers made themselves better, NOT EVEN CLOSE.  The Lakers may not have been able to win another title with Shaq, but they did reach the finals, and they have a much better chance with Shaq than without him.  What they did though was take on 4 salaries, which will make rebuilding much more difficult.  Tthe best thing to have done, would have been to hold onto him, and then just let him walk in 2 years, and then with all that free cap space build your next team.

Shaq though wasn't bigger than the Lakers, and that is as it should be.  Kobe though thinks he is, and that is the problem.  Kobe forced Phil out, and Shaq out.  Kobe tried to pick the coach.  
As far as the Lakers being bigger than anyone player, which makes them different than everybody else, I say what a load of crap.  They have shown they are not bigger than Kobe.  They have given over the team to him.  In LA there was one constant from the mid-60's through today, who was there for lots of titles, and built 2 great teams, and played on another one, and that was Jerry West.  Phil pushed him out, and Dr. Buss let it happened.  Jerry West WOULD NOT HAVE LET HIS BELOVED LAKERS IMPLODE.  Jerry West would have rebuilt them the right way.   Jerry West was the Lakers, and they sorely miss him.