{"id":1710,"date":"2010-02-05T07:00:34","date_gmt":"2010-02-05T14:00:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/attractwomenanywhere.com\/blog\/?p=1710"},"modified":"2010-05-31T21:50:15","modified_gmt":"2010-06-01T04:50:15","slug":"kobe-bryant-a-social-anomaly-in-sports","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/attractwomenanywhere.com\/blog\/2010\/02\/05\/kobe-bryant-a-social-anomaly-in-sports\/","title":{"rendered":"Kobe Bryant – A Social-Anomaly In Sports"},"content":{"rendered":"

Kobe Bryant – A Social-Anomaly In Sports<\/span><\/h2>\n
.<\/div>\n
\"\"
Kobe Bryant<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

.<\/p>\n

\u00a0Kobe Bryant is the most intriguing social-outcast in Los Angeles Sports history.\u00a0\u00a0 Seldom will you run into a player who has so much success and yet is so detested by his own hometown crowd.\u00a0\u00a0 People from various walks of life dislike Kobe. You talk to the average L.A. resident and you’ll often hear casual fans say, \u201cI used to like the Lakers, but I just can\u2019t stand Kobe.\u201d\u00a0 Women specially dislike Kobe, and I used to think it was due to his rape trial, but then I learned, it wasn’t even that. \u00a0<\/p>\n

Many women will concede that it\u2019s possible that was an extortion plot to milk some money out of a rich athelete superstar, so they\u2019re not angry about the rape trial.\u00a0 It just seems that their sixth sense\/intuition tells them that this guy can be a bit of scumbag.\u00a0 It is an anomaly to see an athlete so dislike in his own hometown, sometimes by the very fans of the team he plays for.<\/p>\n

\u00a0Kobe is the exact opposite of Magic Johnson whom everyone loves.\u00a0 Magic is an anomaly in that he breaks color barriers.\u00a0 Regardless of whether someone is White, Black, Asian or Eskimo, they can identify with Magic. Think about it and you\u2019ll find it to be true.\u00a0 You don\u2019t see Magic as a \u201cBlack guy\u201d or this or that.\u00a0 You just see him as a good guy you\u2019d like to meet.\u00a0 Perhaps that\u2019s the way it should always be, but clearly, it\u2019s not how things unfold in the real world.<\/p>\n

Magic appeals to the non-basketball fan.\u00a0 Kobe is detested by that same non-basketball fan despite his attempts to appear as the nice sweet caring family man.\u00a0 Somehow, there is a voice in your mind that screams, \u201cHey, Kobe, I am NOT buying this act you\u2019re putting on!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0 Which brings it to ME: The Los Angeles Lakers Fanatic.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In 20 plus year as a Laker Fan, never have I been so frustrated watching a superstar that played for my team.<\/p>\n

\u00a0Kobe has been the best player in basketball for years.\u00a0 You can make a case for Lebron being better now (and I\u2019d agree) , but then, you\u2019d still have Kobe at a very close 2nd<\/sup> best player in the entire league.<\/p>\n

To me, the game of basketball\u2019s objective is simple:\u00a0<\/p>\n

    \n
  • Offense: Get as many high-percentage shots as you can.<\/strong>\u00a0<\/li>\n
  • Defense: Prevent other team from high percentage shot attempts. Force them into low percentage shots.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    That\u2019s all the game of basketball is when you break it down to its most simple component.\u00a0 Sometimes, it really is that simple.<\/p>\n

    So, when you watch a game, (and when it\u2019s done properly within a team concept, it\u2019s beautiful to watch,) you\u2019ll see Pick\u2019n Rolls<\/em>, Give & Gos<\/em>, Weak Side Picks<\/em>, Backdoor cuts on the baseline<\/em> off of those weakside screens\u2026.. all designed for one purpose: To get you a high percentage shot<\/strong>: Preferably a \u201cLayup\u201d or a \u201cSlam-Dunk\u201d from 2 feet away.<\/p>\n

    \u00a0Which is why as a Laker fan, it\u2019s so frustrating to watch Kobe single handedly throw games away shooting the ball 13 for 34, losing the games.\u00a0 It\u2019s not just that he shoots the ball poorly, but that attitude and selfishness deflates his teammates.\u00a0 They\u2019re no longer willing to move around on offense because what\u2019s the point?\u00a0 \u201cThe Jackass isn\u2019t going to pass anyway.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

    They\u2019re not going to hustle back on transition defense because they\u2019re disgusted with the state of the game.\u00a0 This is what Kobe doesn\u2019t get, or maybe he does.\u00a0 I am sure he does get it, but he doesn\u2019t care.\u00a0 It\u2019s apathy.
    \n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

    \"\"
    Jerry West - The Logo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    \u00a0<\/p>\n

    \n

    \u00a0A (very) brief history on the Lakers<\/p>\n

    \u00a0 As a kid, I grew up watching NBA basketball in its golden age.\u00a0 Magic, Kareem, Worthy, Cooper, and company versus Bird, McHale, Parish and Co.\u00a0 I could watch Magic score a mere 12 points in a game and completely control the tempo and \u201cFeel\u201d of of the game.<\/em>\u00a0 It\u2019s hard to explain or grasp on paper.\u00a0 It has to be watched and seen.<\/p>\n

    \u00a0In High School, I got my hands on every piece of basketball literature I could find.\u00a0 I\u2019d read about the older teams and study Laker History in particular.\u00a0 I\u2019d read about George Mikan in the Minneapolis Lakers to Jerry West.<\/p>\n

    \u00a0 I\u2019d learn about how Wilt Chamberlain, one of the greatest physical specimen\u2019s to set foot on a basketball court also had just as big a ego to match.\u00a0 I\u2019d learn how the man who average 50 points per game for an entire season put his scoring aside when he joined the Lakers and Jerry West.\u00a0 He focused on defense, rebounding and passing the ball.\u00a0\u00a0 In the 71-72 season, Lakers won the championship (not to mention 33 games in a row) with Wilt scoring only 15 points a game on 9.3 shot attempts as he average 19.2 rebounds.\u00a0\u00a0 (Jerry West and Goodrich each average 26 pts per game that season.)\u00a0<\/p>\n

    \u00a0He put his ego aside to win.\u00a0 That\u2019s the Lakers\u2019 way<\/span>, and the way it\u2019s always been.\u00a0 People seem to put ego aside when they join this franchise because they know winning comes first.\u00a0 Bob McAdoo is another such example, a problem player league MVP who finally found a home with the Lakers.<\/p>\n

    \u00a0 The end of last season, the NBA officially finished its 60th year anniversary.\u00a0 In those 60 years, the Lakers have been in the Playoffs for 56 of them, 30 times to the finals, with 15 championships to show for it.\u00a0 They\u2019ve been to half the finals and have won 25% of the championships.<\/p>\n

    In 60 Years, 56 Playoff Appearances, 30 NBA Finals, 15 Championships for the Lakers.<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

    \u00a0Because the organization historically, from top to bottom, is about winning, not about indiviual accolades.<\/strong><\/p>\n

    \u00a0 Which brings us to one Kobe Bean Bryant, the man who is all about himself.\u00a0 The man who has not one, but TWO starting 7 footers who can play the low-post to dominate, but still can\u2019t get himself to run a team offense.<\/p>\n

    \u00a0 Watch the games, specially in the 4th<\/sup> quarter:\u00a0 There are times when Kobe dribbles up the court and you know damn well, he has absolutely no interest in passing it.\u00a0 He decided he is going to shoot before he got to the half court line and nothing is going to get in his way.\u00a0 It won\u2019t matter how terrible of a shot he takes, he is going to do it anyway.<\/p>\n

    \n

    \u00a0<\/p>\n

    \u00a0\u00a0This is the Kobe\u00a0WE [The Lakers fan] are\u00a0stuck with.\u00a0 The same Kobe who makes spectacular buzzer beaters is the one who is going to lose games because he wants to make the game a \u201cPlayground\u201d game at times.\u00a0\u00a0 You take the bad with the good.\u00a0 He can’t just give us the good.\u00a0 His self-absorption is too great for that.\u00a0<\/p>\n

    \u00a0One thing needs to be said for that.\u00a0 What a lot of casual fans don\u2019t fathom is that if Kobe has orchestrated a little better, there\u2019d be no need <\/span>for those last second buzzer beaters.\u00a0 They\u2019d be up by double digits at the end of the game.\u00a0 The fact that they\u2019re in that position to need a buzzer-beater at home versus a mediocre team\u00a0 is also often times due to Kobe\u2019s ulra self-absorption.\u00a0 It’s frustrating to watch games and not see professional analysts and commentators not mention this.\u00a0<\/p>\n

    \u00a0This is why we lost the recent game at Cleveland.\u00a0 Kobe consistently loses games to Lebron because he wants to have a 1 on 1 battle.\u00a0 In the first quarter, they ran the offense properly and had a 12 point lead.\u00a0 In the 4th<\/sup>, Kobe needed to prove, he can score.\u00a0 We know he can score.\u00a0 He averaged 35points per game for a whole season, not to mention 81 points in a single game.\u00a0<\/p>\n

    \u00a0Kobe has Gasol, Bynum, and Odom off of the bench. Lebron has mostly bums and a fat sloth named Shaquille.\u00a0\u00a0 Lebron has to try to force the issue.\u00a0 Kobe Doesn\u2019t.\u00a0 Lebron does not have what Kobe has: A strong supporting cast.\u00a0 Yet, Lebron does his best to encourage his teammates.\u00a0 Kobe annoys them!\u00a0<\/p>\n

    \u00a0Watching a recent game at Madison Square Garden drove me crazy.\u00a0 So much so, that I went back, rewatched the 4th<\/sup> quarter, and wrote down what took place on every single possession in the Laker offense:<\/p>\n

    LA @ NY.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Jan 22nd<\/sup>, 2010<\/strong><\/p>\n

    4th<\/sup> Quarter Laker offense:<\/p>\n

    -11:49\u00a0 Gasol goes to the line to shoot Free-Throws<\/p>\n

    -11:21\u00a0 Kobe free throw.\u00a0 Note:\u00a0 Kobe fouled on a back-door cut from a screen.\u00a0 Pass from Gasol playing high post)<\/p>\n

    -10:45\u00a0 Odom hits 15ft baseline jumper- Pass from Kobe\u2019s drive & kick<\/p>\n

    -10:19 Kobe hits jumper off of 1 on 1 move, hand in his face.\u00a0<\/p>\n

    -9:44\u00a0 Kobe Misses forced jumper from 1 on 1 move. Odom rebounds, passes to Kobe.<\/p>\n

    -9:28\u00a0 Kobe Misses another jumper, forced 1 on 1 move from baseline this time<\/p>\n

    -8:50 Shannon Brown makes a 3-pointer<\/p>\n

    -7:59 Odom makes open jumper. Pass from a Double-teamed Gasol.<\/p>\n

    -7:36\u00a0 Gasol Posts up & makes Shot<\/p>\n

    -7:09\u00a0 Brown Misses 3-point attempt.\u00a0 Odom another Offensive board<\/p>\n

    -7:04\u00a0 Gasol tips in Odom\u2019s offensive board tip in attempt<\/p>\n

    -6:36 Kobe Misses 3-point shot<\/p>\n

    -6:12 Kobe forces it.\u00a0 Called for Offensive Foul<\/p>\n

    -5:35 Gasol travels on what would have been easy lay up<\/p>\n

    :5:10\u00a0 Kobe shoots free throws, after being bailed out by refs<\/p>\n

    -4:30\u00a0 Kobe makes a 3-pointer off of Gasol Double-Team<\/p>\n

    -4:03: Gasol post up. Beautiful spin move. Bucket + foul<\/p>\n

    -3:32: Kobe blatantly ignores Gasol posting up.\u00a0 Misses 3-pointer badly.\u00a0 I yell profanities out-loud at Kobe on this possession.\u00a0<\/p>\n

    -3:07 Gasol shoots free throws- Open in post.<\/p>\n

    -2:25 Kobe never considers passing to anyone in this possession.\u00a0 Shoots free throws after refs bail him out on a horrible drive<\/p>\n

    -1:52 Kobe misses another jumber- Off board to Lakers.<\/p>\n

    -1:19\u00a0 Kobe misses lay up off in bounds pass.<\/p>\n

    -00:40\u00a0 Kobe airballs a very deep 3-pointer.<\/p>\n

      \n
    • Recap of 4the quarter:\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      Gasol makes 3 baskets, and also attempts 5 free throws.<\/p>\n

      Odom, and Kobe make shots off of Gasol double-teams.<\/p>\n

      Kobe: 2 for 7 shooting.1 offensive foul.<\/p>\n

      Kobe: Shoots 6 free throws. (4 of which were bail outs he may not get in a playoff game.)<\/p>\n

        \n
      • Final line for the entire game:<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

        Kobe shoots: 8 for 24, an unflattering 33.33%<\/p>\n

        Pao Gasol shoots: 7 for 10\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

        Andrew Bynum shoots: 7 for 11\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

        Gasol & Bynum combine for a total of 14 out of 21.\u00a0\u00a0 67% – Shooting percentage, (not to mention GOOD Things happen when they get double teamed in the post.)\u00a0Stats do not tell the whole story here.\u00a0 When your post player gets double-teamed, it leads to over all good fuzzy-feeling things on the court.\u00a0<\/p>\n

        \n

        \u00a0<\/p>\n

        \u00a0This is the Kobe we\u2019ve got.\u00a0 We need him on the team to win the championship, and yet we can\u2019t get over that he is selfish, self-absorbed individual only out for himself.\u00a0 Some people say Michael Jordan was the same way, but then again, Jordan is also well known for being a douchebag (and he never played for the Lakers, so I don’t care.) You can also make the case that Jordan\u00a0had stiffs as big men.\u00a0 He never has a Shaq in his prime, and never had two solid\u00a0post-men in Gasol &\u00a0Bynum.\u00a0<\/p>\n

        \u00a0A simpleton may yell out: \u201cBut Kobe wins<\/em>.\u201d\u00a0 This is true, but he wins because he is on teams that have by far the most talent in the league.\u00a0 Magic & Kareem could not have beaten formidable competion against the Celtics or the 76ers playing self-absorbed ball.\u00a0 They had to involve every essence of team, and even then, it was tough.\u00a0<\/p>\n

        \u00a0Kobe\u2019s championship teams have by far the most talent in the league.\u00a0\u00a0This year in particular, anything less than a championship is a failure for the Lakers.\u00a0 And yet, as a Laker fan, you\u2019re worried……..\u00a0\u00a0 You\u2019re worried about that playoff series where the series\u00a0stands at\u00a02 games to 1, and in that pivotal 4th<\/sup> game, the series can either be tied 2-2, or one team can go up 3-1.\u00a0 The series’ fate can be determined in this game crucial game.\u00a0<\/p>\n

        During that<\/em> Game, will Kobe decide to take 35 shots, forcing bad shots, and neglecting his two talented post-up big men in Gasol and Bynum?\u00a0 Will Kobe\u2019s desire to be Mr. Hero be greater than his desire to want to win the game?\u00a0 This is what’s frustrating with Kobe.\u00a0 You admire that he is by far the hardest worker in all of the NBA, and that he is so focused.\u00a0\u00a0 Without him playing, we don’t have a chance of winning the championship.\u00a0 Yet, he drives you crazy with his selfishness.\u00a0<\/p>\n

        \u00a0That is the essence of Kobe.\u00a0 He is the poison you\u2019re stuck with<\/span>.\u00a0 Will he administer the poison to the opposition or to our own team?<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

        Kobe Bryant – A Social-Anomaly In Sports . \u00a0 . \u00a0Kobe Bryant is the most intriguing social-outcast in Los Angeles Sports history.\u00a0\u00a0 Seldom will you run into a player who…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[193,20,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1710","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-general-dating-advice","category-human-social-psychology-and-behavior","category-uncategorized"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/attractwomenanywhere.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1710","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/attractwomenanywhere.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/attractwomenanywhere.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/attractwomenanywhere.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/attractwomenanywhere.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1710"}],"version-history":[{"count":18,"href":"http:\/\/attractwomenanywhere.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1710\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1720,"href":"http:\/\/attractwomenanywhere.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1710\/revisions\/1720"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/attractwomenanywhere.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1710"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/attractwomenanywhere.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1710"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/attractwomenanywhere.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1710"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}