Protecting Kobe from himself
Kobe Bryant has done an amazing job behind the scenes reviving his sorely battered Los Angeles Lakers teammates to get them ready to compete for this year’s championship.
Most people don’t understand the huge challenge of that job following the team’s devastating loss to the Boston Celtics in last year’s championship series.
That’s the opinion of Lakers assistant coach Brian Shaw, who has spent years working with Bryant and observing his unrivaled work ethic.
Bryant has long been inhuman in his efforts to make himself a great player. Shaw has spoken admiringly of the studying, the conditioning, the practicing, all part of the intense amount of effort Bryant has put into his own game.
“He still has all that discipline, all that attention to detail,” Shaw said.
But over the past year Bryant has turned a similar effort into building his team and teammates, Shaw explained recently.
“The area he has grown in the most has been his leadership and his trust of the other players on the team now. He has complete trust. He’s more open with them than he’s been with any group that we’ve had here in Los Angeles to this point. That is why we’re here in the Finals.”
Shaw said people don’t understand the tremendous effort and leadership it has taken by Bryant to help the Lakers recover from their embarrassment at the hands of the Celtics last year.
“He manned up,” Shaw said of Bryant. “He said at the end of the Boston series last year that they were the better team. They were tougher. They were more physical.”
Bryant told his teammates that they all — including himself — needed to become physically and mentally stronger, according to Shaw.
“Kobe said, ‘We can’t make guys tough that aren’t tough. But they can physically prepare themselves, and we can cover for each other’s weaknesses.’ And that’s what we focused on. That’s something he made a point of saying.”
Once the season started, Bryant showed a newfound ability to measure the team.
“He’s done a good job all year of gauging things when our team comes out in a game and we’re a little sluggish. He’s more aggressive then to get us into a game. If guys are up to the task right at the beginning, then he defers. He’ll set guys up and play more of a facilitator role. Then we always know that we can go to him in the fourth quarter and get what we need.”
Bryant’s tremendous determination helps explain his difficulty in Game 3 of this year’s Finals against Orlando. The Magic opened the game with torrid shooting, and because Bryant is so determined to close out this championship, he answered with his own scoring outburst in the first half that kept the Lakers in the game.
However, he may have worn himself down, which helps explain his struggles and the key late turnover that cost the Lakers in the fourth quarter. Bryant also showed signs of extreme fatigue in the Lakers conference finals battle with Denver.
Jerry West saw this scenario developing months ago, after Bryant played for Team USA in the Olympic Games last summer, after having carried the Lakers through the long march to the 2008 Finals.
As a former Laker vice president and the man who acquired Bryant as a 17-year-old rookie, then mentored him to stardom, West began expressing concern to associates about the heavy burden the team’s star was carrying.
Speaking privately to a member of Phil Jackson’s staff, West fussed about the wear and tear on Bryant and the need for the team to be vigilant about leaning so heavily on him. West has observed that the time that Bryant gets on the bench each game to rejuvenate is critical at this stage of his career.
The coaching staff has been vigilant about the issue this season, Shaw said, but added that it’s difficult because of Bryant’s great competitive nature. In Game 3, Lakers coach Phil Jackson left Bryant on the bench for a stretch of the fourth quarter in hopes he could recuperate.
“He always wants to stay in the game,” Shaw said. “As a coach, you have to give him rests. You have to protect him from himself. There are times when he’s really pleading on the sideline, ‘Leave me in. Leave me in.’ We do that, but for the most part you have to fight that and give him rests.”
Managing Bryant’s minutes and trying to pace his tremendous competitiveness will be a key to the remainder of the championship series, which resumes Thursday night with Game 4 in Orlando.
DÉJÀ VU
West raised hackles and eyebrows recently when he announced that LeBron James had supplanted Bryant as the best player in the NBA.
On one level, West was simply doing something he’s been paid to do for the last thirty years — he was stating the obvious about the talent he observed on the court.
James is simply bigger and stronger and more powerful than Bryant, and as a result, can do more things on the court than Bryant.
West is quite familiar with the circumstances. He himself spent his entire career being compared with the bigger, stronger presence of Oscar Robertson. In fact, West was more than a little obsessed with these comparisons and used them to drive and motivate himself.
Robertson could do more on the court, and as a result, he won many of the comparison battles, especially those made by West himself. West often said Robertson was better, although those who worked with West said he spent his career determined to outdo his rival.
Even in retirement, Robertson still chaffs at these comparisons, by the way. He has been known to grow angry at writers even making the comparisons. However, Robertson can be excused for not getting the fun. He came along in an age of unfathomable racism.
But West has long known that these comparisons are never truly resolved, that they are the lifeblood of an NBA career, that they drive fan interest and player performance. If you don’t believe him, ask Larry Bird and Magic Johnson, who spent their careers locked in a competition that drove both to the heights of the game.
Is James better than Bryant?
West also made this observation: You can see what a player can do on the floor, his physical abilities, but it’s almost impossible to read a player’s heart.
This much is clear about Bryant: At age 30, in the NBA championship series, he’s determined to make the full effort, leaving nothing undone.
So heart is not an issue.
Asked about Bryant’s turnover at the key moment of Game 3, Jackson observed afterward that the star is only human.
Jackson’s longtime mentor, Tex Winter, liked to point out that Bryant and Michael Jordan possessed a similar competitive nature that made each game an adventure.
Would they try to do too much by themselves, or would they find the right balance to help their teams win?
That was first the central drama of Jordan’s career, just as it’s now the central drama of Bryant’s career — and the central issue of these NBA Finals.
Ahmad Nafe Said,
June 10, 2009 @ 9:38 pm
Kobe Bryant is a great paradigm to follow in the basketball world as well as in life as a whole. His dedication to the game is remarkable. His passion and preparation are unique. We should be very appreciative of his greatness and contribution to the game of basketball. It’s never easy to be compared to Michael Jordan. Bryant had accepted that challenge and presented to us a player to remember, with his creativity and hard-working.
Bhavik Patel Said,
June 11, 2009 @ 2:30 am
Kobe is still the better player in my opinion. All the critics will call me crazy, but if you take James off of the cavs and replace him with bryant. Would that team have beat the Magic? I think they would have easily. I still think Kobe is a better defensive player, more clutch, and shooter. James has certain aspects of his offensive game that he is better at, but Bryant overall is the better offensive player. That said and done Kobe is the better player. Remember this a young Kobe bryant played on a team stacked with All stars and played most of his career with Shaq. He wasnt the number one option in fact until he was 26 years old when shaq left. Kobe would have put up better numbers and developed alot faster if a team had built a team around him alot earlier in his career. I think kobe is underated. I hate all this Lebron James Hype. Other factor why Lebron has, so much hype is because Lebron pursues himself as a marketing factor and we all know kobe doesnt. Lebron this Lebron that. The media hypes him up so much. Early in his career Carmelo and James were probably even basketball skill wise ,when they first came into the league and their rookie years were about equal, but lebron still managed to take the rookie of the year trophy. Why is this? This is because Lebron is smart about marketing himself. How could him and Anthony not win co rookie of the years, when Grant Hill and Jason Kidd won co rookie of the years together. Steve Francis and Brand won co rookie of the years together. Lebron is overated. Kobe is still the best basketball player on this planet. If Kobe was 24 years old right now as Lebron. People wouldnt give lebron the benefit of the doubt.
RobTaipei Said,
June 11, 2009 @ 2:38 am
Kobe made almost the exact same turnover in (I think) the Rockets series where he tried to split two defenders, lost the ball, Gasol dived for it, it went to Ariza who eventually lost it. At that time, Kobe seemed to blame Ariza for his own mistake; something I’m afraid Kobe is prone to do. This time, he appeared to blame himself. I think he is finally growing up to realize that basketball is a team game, and one should take responsibility when it’s your fault (which most players do).
If he hasn’t learned and tries the 3-on-1 of yore, the Lakers will lose some games that they should have won.
RobTaipei
Joey Deegeling Said,
June 11, 2009 @ 9:43 am
If Kobe doesn’t learn to enjoy himself on the court they will not win anything this year.
Craig Bailey Said,
June 11, 2009 @ 10:16 am
Oh come on ppl. How often do the Lakers run that pick n roll and Kobe splits the double team? They run it quite often and successfully, so why is it all of a sudden a bad play when kobe gets ripped. How bout it was a great defensive play by Howard.
But yea Kobe’s game is still light years ahead of Lebron. Point blank. I jus hope the Lakers are able to rest him more b cuz he is clearly exhausted. End this series, get this ring and Kobe should take about month off (which he probably won’t do) lol
januko Said,
June 11, 2009 @ 10:54 am
In Game 3 in the fourth quarter, Kobe was doing too much that is why he committed turnovers. They could have won Game 3 had not for the turnovers. I agree that maybe it was the fatigue factor and his competitiveness just wore him down. I hope that his teammates, with the exception of Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom, and Trevor Ariza, should make their strides and make shots, defensive plays and do the “small” things. Some of them are not just answering Kobe’s call. Some of them make unnecessary passes that lead to steals or turnovers to Orlando Magic. The other players must always assume that Kobe really needs them, cannot do it alone, and cannot just bring them along to the championship without them contributing and just standing there like WITNESS..
Lance Said,
June 11, 2009 @ 12:20 pm
Kobe @ 24 and Lebron @ 24? kobe is better and will take lebron? remember lebron hasn’t even scratched his prime and peeps are talking about him as if he were 28-30 years of age. lebron already has an mvp,scoring title, and a gold medal just like kobe. i guess kobe has one scoring title more. but he was 28 when he first won a scoring title and 29 when he got his first MVP. but you would throw back kobe has three rings and lebron has none. then i would say…fisher has three rings as well and robert horry has SEVEN rings and dennis rodman has three rings as well. Lebron took a fluke cavs to the finals @ 22 years of age. kobe took a stacked lakers team to the finals @ 29 and 30. can you imagine what lebron will be like @ 26 years of age? just put lebron on the lakers and instead of kobe and I GARAUNTEE THAT THEY WILL PUT THE CHICAGO BULLS 72-10 RECORD IN JEPORDY! FISHER, ARIZA, LEBRON, ODOM, BYNUM, GASOL! THEN LEBRON, ODOMM BYNUM, AND GASOL ALL IN @ THE SAME TIME AND A 6′7 SHOOTER SASHA?! YOU CAN ONLY IMAGINE WHAT COULD HAPPEN. LEBRON WILL MAKE THOSE PLAYERS BETTER.
MRGQ Said,
June 11, 2009 @ 12:34 pm
Dear Kobe,
Please remove the defensive split from your arsenal. Most of the time you do that it doesn’t work. Please don’t do it when the game is on the line. Fundamental basketball will help win. With all that said. I think you are the greatest basketball player today in my generation. Don’t worry about LeBron, we can never take a guy with a headband seriously. Besides, people are using you and mentioning your name in the same breath to get recongition. Its like ugly girls who hang with good looking ones so they can get noticed. But when the good looking girl gets all the attention anyway then jealousy becomes. Don’t worry about the white guys at ESPN or other writers… most don’t ball so they don’t know what they are talking about. They just sit behind a desk and criticize (remember the ugly girl). Thanks for all you have done for the nba the last 13 years. It has been entertaining and I look forward to every game. Haters don’t realize what you do for the game. They don’t see that arena’s are sold out every time you come to town. It’s all for a reason. People don’t spend money on a product they don’t like. I think the nba and each of the other teams should give you a commission check for all the revenue you have brought in because of that. If the Lakers played at the rose bowl or coliseum every game would be sold out. Make the tickets 20 bucks for noise bleeds with jumbotrons people will still come to celebrate every game. It doesn’t matter. I know Laker fans will pay a Laker’s tax just so a good team stays together. We don’t need any other sport besides the Lakers in LA. Even with the Clippers number 1 pick, they will still manage to screw it up. I remember they used to give away Clipper tickets at the gas stations. People still didn’t take them. I have been to a few Clipper games. I stop going, that Clippers Darrell guy is annoying so I stopped going back. What a fruit. I am glad you didn’t sign with them. Keep up the good work. Hope to enjoy you in a Lakers uniform another 10 years. That’s 10 more rings man.
Craig Bailey Said,
June 11, 2009 @ 1:01 pm
Lance what u need to understand about Lebron is the role he plays on the Cavs is he has to do everything, which is why he leads his team in every category. With players as good as he and Kobe in that position they would put up monster numbers. But thats jus wat they are. Numbers. I personally thing Lebron is overhyped, i mean yea the man is a beast. But he gets to much love for doing absolutely nuthing. The MVP award has become a media popularity contest, and the scoring title, come on. Kobe could win it every year in his sleep if he wanted. Lebron wont be a better player than Kobe until he learns better fundamentals, he relies primarily on his freakish athletic ability. Kobe makes the crazy impossible shots, not b cuz he is jus that good but b cuz his shooting stroke is picture perfect.
And stop all this put this guy on this team and they’ll win. That is the dumbest argument, the Lakers are built around Kobe and his abilities, and the Cavs are built around Lebron and his abilities. Lebron wont win a Championship until he gets a decent big man that can be a force on the inside. Jump shooting teams dont win championships, which is why Orlando wont win it, they live & die by the 3. But with Lebron all im asking is let him accomplish sumthin big before we crown him best in the league. Its a joke to say he’s better than Kobe, he knows Kobe is better, most of the league knows Kobe is the best, hell Lebron’s momma knows he’s better. lol. stop all this Lebron talk, Lebron is fishing, no matter the reason, they didnt live up to the hype. Maybe next year. OR NOT!! lol
yackity yack Said,
June 11, 2009 @ 1:13 pm
kobe is a pardigm for sodome.
Hes a great player. A great worker. But he’s still aint no paradigm for the world or life as a whole.
Cut the rope and quit swinging from his nuts Ahmad Nafe.
Styles Said,
June 11, 2009 @ 3:24 pm
First let me say Kobe is my fav. player since MJ, he is in my eyes when its all said and done will be top 5 greatest players of all time… As of this year i would have to say LBJ skill wise overall has just passed Kobe. First, Lbj came into the league and instantly made a huge impact. Second year out of HS the man took over as the leader of the team and improve them drastically with practically nobody on the team. When big Z is ur second best player u should be nowhere near the playoffs especially the finals. Lbj has done nothing but improve every aspect of his game and team each year. First they said he didnt have that killer instinct to finish games, the following year he becomes every teams 4th qtr. nightmare(Pistons no that very well). They said he couldnt shoot FTs, the follow yr tho not great improves. They said he couldnt shoot 3’s this yr he improves that drastically. Kobe has never averaged 8rebs 8ast in his career Lbj almost did that 2 yrs in a roll. I may be going to far here but i really believe this, Lbj at 24 is a smarter player then Kobe, we already no Lbj is a better passer and tho he does try to do to much sometimes its defiantly not as bad as Kobe, Kobe tries to do to much way to often(with two legit allstars on his team, thats not smart) and tends to fall in love wit his jumper alot. It took Kobe 4 yrs to reach that elite level it took Lbj his 2nd yr. I might be wrong but i dont think the Lakers wit Shaq&Kobe ever won 66+ games. Lbj makes extremely medicore players like Varejeo, Z, West, Sasha, Gibson better, also put them on the Lakers none of them would Start. Gasol makes Gasol better, Odom makes Odom better not Kobe. Lbj took these bums to almost a record season and better record then LA. Swap Lbj for Kobe and LA would win at least 5 more games. There has never (remember im a huge Kobe and Mj fan so plz dont think im hating or w.e) but I will go as far as to say there has never been a more physically gifted basketball player then Lbj at his age. If the man gets a constist jumper and FT% and stays healthy he would literally literally have no flaws in his game. Yes Kobe has the rings, 81pts, 61@MSG, prettiest jumper in basketball and is a living legend but if were jus talking about there game and the impact each player has on there team lets be honest Lbj has surpassed Kobe and at the age of 24 thats scary good.
Craig Bailey Said,
June 11, 2009 @ 5:01 pm
Styles u failed to include all aspects of the game when comparing Kobe & lebron’s game. When u bring in the teams that they play on then u have to eliminate the 1 on 1 comparisons. The fact is Kobe’s game is much deeper than Lebron’s. Kobe’s footwork is unmatched, he can still shut u down on defense, his jumpshot is pure, great free throw shooter, dangerous in the clutch, great post game, i can go on 4ever. Lebron has yet to develop a consistent jumpshot, his free throws are still so-so and he has absolutely no post game @ all. All of these go back to fundamentals and Lebron is lacking in that department. Also there is nuthin Lebron can do that Kobe cant do. Comparing teams is jus stupid b cuz ppl continuously downplay the abilities of the Cavs players. They have 3 players other than Lebron that have been All Stars before, while the Lakers have jus 1. Lamar Odom may be an all star talent or have that potential but he has never been an all star. So maybe the Cavs arent that bad, maybe its their style of play that doomed them. How can u call a supporting cast weak after they have the best record in the league? Come on ppl, all this is stupid, All of these biased opinions (mine included)
Lets get sum expert analysis on who the best player in the game is. From other NBA players.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anoqbgOZrEg
NBA Finals News Roundup — Part Three « nbaroundtable Said,
June 11, 2009 @ 7:44 pm
[...] Roland Lazenby — Protecting Kobe from himself — click here [...]
Arka Said,
June 12, 2009 @ 12:43 am
he’s become a great leader on the court. as in less of a ballhog and more a facilitator, leader, decision maker, and closer when it counts.
still don’t like the guy. full of himself. I don’t enjoy watching guys that take themselves too seriously. They’re lucky that basketball makes them rich and powerful. So I enjoy watching players that don’t take themselves seriously - Shaq, Lebron, Barkley, DHoward, Divac.
So I appreciate Lakers talent and poise but I don’t care about Kobe’s success and I’d rather not follow the hype from ABC, ESPN, NBA.
Mark Said,
June 12, 2009 @ 2:07 am
Lance, that’s stupid. Yes LeBron is a great player, but as Phil and Tex said, LeBron won’t even fit in the traingle offense - so how the hell can you guarantee 72-10? lol, you know it won’t happen that’s why you guarantee it. Its more like, if you put Kobe on LeBron’s team, he would steamroll the Eastern Conference with ease.. Well this only makes sense for people who actually know something about basketball, so goodluck!
Bhavik Patel Said,
June 12, 2009 @ 5:08 am
lance and dennis rodman has 5 rings not 3.
justinmeilers Said,
June 12, 2009 @ 11:09 am
Lebron dominates the ball and plays more minutes than Kobe. People point to Lebron’s stats as the separating factor. It’s so stupid. Lebron might be better but the offensive system the Cavs run is based on letting Lebron get his. You can point to his assits but thise always come as a third option. This obviously doesn’t translate to winning rings. The Lakers are more disciplined and steady. Kobe doesn’t need to put up the numbers that Lebron does. Kobe is smarter which goes a long way.
jay o. Said,
June 12, 2009 @ 11:12 am
Stan Van Gundy is a stupid coach, because of his incompetence the Laker’s will win another championship thus further boosting Kobe’s already bloated ego!!! No one except him will understand his coaching logic. i think majority of his brain is in his over-sized belly!!!
By the way, Howard is no Superman, he should just be a role player like Rodman. He shouldn’t demand for the ball when he can’t shoot his freethrows. Shaq may be a worse freethrow shooter but atleast put him in the finals and he will win you games!!!
“Magic is not real, it’s just an illusion”
Dave Said,
June 13, 2009 @ 12:10 am
As far as giving Kobe rest it is very simple….
Next year Andrew Bynum will be at full strength, be playing 30+ minutes per game, and the team will make the adjustments to have more depth at C and PG, and have a lights out 3 pt shooter added…and good rookies…
When this happens the Lakers will break the Bulls 72 win record…Kobe can go from playing 40 mpg to 36 mpg and will have less of the scoring burden….
They will have 4 All-Stars….Kobe, Odom, Gasol, Bynum…they will be unstoppable..
This article talks about last year with Boston…last year with Boston the lakers were without Bynum…They only had one legit post player…nobody to match up with Garnett…
The Lakers will be great for years to come…
The focus should be winning the finals..if that means Kobe playing 48 mpg fine….He will have rest in the off-season..
Kobe has a short window (3 yrs?) to win another MVP award because he is 30 and there are lots of great young players..
What will happen with the style of play? Phil Jackson will be out at the end of next season…he is too beat up as well to continue after that…will the team continue to run the triangle offense? Will Byron Scott become coach? Curt Rambis? Brian Shaw? What will happen…
Look how close these games are …2 of the last 3 went to overtimes…if they played Kobe 2 less minutes each game they would be 0-3 in the finals….they had to…
Mobiz Said,
June 13, 2009 @ 12:07 pm
Justinmeilers,
Paleeeze. Try to think your argument through first. Lebron averages the assists of a point guard! From the forward position! He obviously is looking to share the ball in a manner that reflects far more than simply looking to pass as a third option. The guy doesn’t have half the offensive options Kobe does. Place Kobe on the Cavs and they wouldn’t have nearly as good a record, and would have struggled more in the playoffs. Lebron does an amazing job with that team, and at a much younger age already shows comparable game management skills to Kobe. Up until this season Kobe has done nothing to show himself as a capable leader. In the past, more times than not, he has gotten in his and his team’s way, and lost them championships. It remains to be seen whether he can keep it together this year against a much younger and inexperienced Orlando.
KG stays healthy, and Boston would have spanked the Lakers again.
dru tripathi Said,
June 14, 2009 @ 4:11 pm
kobe is the best player on the planet.
if kg played in the playoffs.. celtics would have won the championship again.
kobe is still the best player on the planet.
whether you hate him or love him, you have to pay your respect.
alonzo mourning was right… all phil did his entire career is call timeouts. i could’ve coached jordan kobe and shaq. but anyways,
mobiz.. kobe is better than lebron, and you’re right about celtics w/ kg.
jo.. gundy is a good coach, howard DOES suck at offence and magic is just an illusion., craig bailey… you’re 95% right… u seem like u have the most b.ball IQ out of everyone here….styles… don’t get your hopes up.. kobe is a FAR better player than lbj… (unless lbj proves me wrong in the next 10 years).. rest of yall wrote too much for me to read.
kobe is the best player in the league than lbj, wade, kg etc…
next year.. kobe is still gonna be the best player.. but the year after that… it could be anyone’s year… even Danny Granger.
peace to all my b.ball fans….
NBA.. where bad calls consistantly happen.
Drew Laury Said,
June 15, 2009 @ 11:33 am
I am so happy for Kobe Bryant and the LA Lakers. They have carried on the winning tradition, and for Kobe he is the most skill and clutch player I have ever saw. He has made the adjustments to win if he continues to trust his teammates, the Lakers I could see getting a few more championships. I Love The Lakers. Thanks Kobe….Drew from Indy
Mobiz Said,
June 15, 2009 @ 3:39 pm
Dru tripathi,
Glad to see that I have your approval. But I have to say, if you can’t see that LeBron surpassed Kobe this year, I’m not sure you are watching the NBA close enough to declare yourself the final word on all matters.
When you combine LeBron’s talents, and leadership qualities with the fact that he has such a physical advantage in size and strength over Kobe, it’s clear he’s already the best player in the NBA.
Carl from cleveland Said,
June 22, 2009 @ 1:48 am
it’s time for people to stop the silly comparisons. kobe is winning ringswhile lebron leads in some dumb stat called “per”… fvck per give me the rings. at 30 kobe doesn’t seem to be slowing down,that is bad news for my cavs and bad news for the rest of the league. kobe took a team with only one former all star to the championship,and he got that team to the finals two years in a row. if his team had a pair last year the lakers would be back to back champs. until lebron can lead us somewhere he should not even be in the same breath as kobe.