WayOut,
Yes. We should ignore the people who have a vested interest in painting a picture of themselves that looks the best way it can, and listen to a person who has an interest in the TEAM more than the individuals.
Magic, Buss, Cupcake, etc.. all have vested interests in painting the best picture for the franchise as well. I have a problem with people thinking their side of it is fact when in reality nobody on this board knows for sure what really happened. From the outside looking in, it did look like Shaq got the shaft from the Lakers. Shaq successfully recruited Payton and Malone and he got traded for his efforts. The Lakers have not made ANY legit moves to build around Kobe post Shaq. RadMan is not exactly the blockbuster aquistion any Laker fan was looking for, there are teams making real moves to improve themselves yet L.A. seems to stand pat with the Kobe show. IMO the Lakers are the most prominant team in the NBA, why won't Buss spend some extra bucks to give the Lakers a legit reason to hold that tier? Boston looks poised to make a splash on a national level but they are very far removed from really mattering to the average NBA fan. The Lakers are still a big draw but they are losing ground to teams like Cleveland and the Suns. While IMO Kobe and Shaq are arrogant, selfish and destructive SOB's for thier relationships with the Lakers, I still see that the Lakers are not blameless.
And if you won't listen to Magic, listen to Bill Russell. Shaq stated that he tried to mend fences with Kobe because "the great Mr. Russell" told him to. Why would Russell tell Shaq to mend the fences with Kobe if there were no broken fences in the first place?
I have NEVER stated there were no problems between Shaq and Kobe, I've known about them long before it became a topic on any message board. The problems with Kobe started when the Lakers lost to Utah and those infamous "air ball" three's Kobe took. Tex Winter said the first problem he had to deal with when the PJ coaching staff took over the Lakers was the animosity towards Kobe from everyone except Fisher. That is not what caused the situation with the Lakers now, no doubt it contributed but the main reason is the problems between Shaq/Kobe and the Lakers front office. I have stated over and over again that the Lakers are bigger than any one or two players, that is still the case today but the Lakers are not without blame/fault.
Or better yet, listen to the logic that you yourself would use if you were the teammate of the two...talking privately about the 6v11$#!+ way the two act on the court...and comparing that to the things Robert Horry said after leaving.
Think about this Joe, two players who could barely stand each other still took the Lakers deep into the playoffs and where a championship contender every year, much like Bird and McHale, and now the Lakers would be considered lucky to even make the playoffs. I'd rather have those two egomainiacs on the court winning then single happy campers losing.
When a Laker executive and Hall-of-Famer, the greatest player in history, and the ex-teammate who has more rings WITHOUT Shaq and Kobe than he has WITH Shaq and Kobe all are saying the same kinds of things, I'd have to think there's something to it.
IF Kobe had told Buss it's me or Shaq, I would agree the Lakers made the right decision. I thought that might be and probably was the case when it happened but now I highly doubt it. What it comes down too is the Lakers front office burned bridges with both Kobe and Shaq, and now Kobe feels he has to get out and move to a contendor. If the bridges were not burn Kobe might be more accomodating but since things are so bad he's not going to do the Laekers any favors.
I blame both sides EQUALLY in this matter.
