The Lakers 4-Peat Thread!! (1 Viewer)

[Brian Lawrence]

Looks like George Kaplan, need not update his sig anytime soon :p)

 

[Tom Brennan]

There is a God!!

The Lakers are gone!!!

So glad to see Phil walk off the court with his head down! Made my day...so sorry Phil. Haha!!

 

[Robert Crawford]

Let's cease with the personal references towards each other. If you can't discuss this subject matter without getting personal then don't participate in this discussion.

Regard this as the only warning you will receive on this matter.




Crawdaddy

 

[Henry Carmona]

Wow! A Laker 4peat thread

Count me in as a person VERY glad the Lakers are no more

I agree with many Laker Haters, but i also know that they are/were good. I also agree that they are arrogant.


Anyway, Im so glad to see them lose, and at HOME Bwahahahahhahaaaahahaha!

Ok, enough

I dont agree that people hate the ones that are on top. Example being i absolutly loved the Bulls when they were on top, yeah i would loved to see my SPURS win, but i did love the bulls and Michael. Michael was certainly a class act!

Tim Duncan and David Robinson are the epitomy of Basketball Class!!

 

[Dan Keefe]

What can I say:frowning: No four peat...oh well. The Spurs were the better team all year. They deserved to win. Congrats. To all the Laker haters: we will be back next year, no doubt about it. To say this team is arrogant is just dumb. They are the World Champs three years running...I rarely see them being cocky about it they just believe in themselves. To me arrogant is Allan Iverson, who disrespects the fans, his coach and his team and STILL thinks he is the best. The Lakers are a very hard working team, they earned what they have.
As far as the crybaby remarks, I was glad to see the Kobe and company with tears running down their face. I got the impression they didn't really give a crap one way or another. Seeing them cry tells me they cared very much about losing and blowing their spot in history.

As far as class, Kobe after the game said they could make a million excuses, but the only one he was giving was that the Spurs outplayed them and deserved to win...

Next year baby Next year
"The Official Lakers Return to Glory Thread"...I promise

later,
dan

 

[Bill_D]

Somebody tell that fat lady that she can stop singing now.

 

[Carlo_M]

Michael was certainly a class act!

Depending on which reports you listened too...

Well I'll personally take the high road on this one. Congratulations to the Spurs. They displayed the killer instinct to finally put the Lakers away. That was good for them because I didn't hold hopes for them beating Sac (although I think they can beat Dallas regardless) without that mental toughness that defines championship teams.

And for all of us Lakers fans who are frustrated with Laker-haters. Don't be! Success breeds contempt (not universally, but it does happen). But do any of the snide comments take the banners off of The Staples Center? Does it tarnish the three-peat? Think about how many banners are hanging in most other NBA arenas and just be proud of your Lakers. Dr. Buss better open up that checkbook in the years to come, though, or this may become a familiar sight.

One last thing: I think the ultimate respect paid to the Lakers was the fact that the Laker haters didn't show up to this thread until it was all over. If they didn't respect the Lakers' talent, they would have shown up when the Spurs took the first two games at home, since teams that win Games 1-2 win over 80% of the time! But people still respected the skills of the Lakers and didn't want to eat crow until it was all over.

 

[Carlo_M]

Oh, this one's for the Horry haters, from this article:
Family comes first for Horry

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Ashlyn Horry is 8, and she can hear her daddy, Robert, on a telephone pressed to her ear.

She can hear him tell her that he loves her and misses her. She can hear him talk about his Los Angeles Lakers and the game and how he'll be coming home soon.

As hard as it is to face, Robert Horry doesn't believe Ashlyn understands a word he's saying to her. "To be honest," he said Monday, "I don't think so." But he continues to fill her ears with his voice.

There's only one way Horry knows that Ashlyn hears him: His wife, Keva, gets on the line afterward and recounts their daughter's colorful facial expressions during her one-way conversation with daddy.

Ashlyn Horry cannot speak. She cannot walk. She cannot eat on her own and mostly is fed through a tube in her stomach.

There is no guarantee she will be able to ever function normally.

She was born without part of her first chromosome.

Horry knows the genetic defect has a name. But he can't relay it and frankly, he didn't think it was important to commit it to memory. But he and his wife have been told that Ashlyn has a neurological syndrome that mimics cerebral palsy. The Horrys' other child, Camron, 3, is perfectly healthy.

"It has to be hard, but Robert doesn't talk about it much," teammate Brian Shaw said. "The thing with his little girl obviously has given him a perspective that gets lost out here sometimes. He knows it's just a game. It's like he's living in two different worlds."

In one world, Horry, 31, is known as a winner, a clutch shooter who has had a knack for being at the right place at the right time. He won two NBA titles while with the Houston Rockets, and is now seeking a fifth overall ring with the Lakers after being traded to L.A.

"People say, 'He's just been a lucky guy to be on good teams,' " Horry said. "But all I know is that no matter what, my family will still love me."

 

[Michael Ballack]

I don't hate Horry, I don't hate Shaq, and I don't even hate Fischer. But, if you're going to tell me that Kobe is not cockey, then what is cockey? I can give you tons of examples of Kobe's cockyness. As far as I'm concerned, the Lakers losing was the best thing for Kobe and the Lakers. Maybe now they'll be humble and won't take winning championships lightly. MJ was probablly a pr**K behind the scenes, but on the court and in press conferences, he knew how to say things. Even times when coaches like Van Gundy and Karl pissed Jordan off, he scored 50 points on them, he didn't make some comment like Kobe would. Kobe is a perfect example of what is wrong with sports today. Sure he has the talent, skills, and body for greatness, but he is a punk. Look at the Spurs last night, they hugged the Lakers, then and only then when they made it to the locker room did you see them start to celebrate. I have no problem with the Spurs winning a championship at all. Duncan and Robinson are gentlemen. They deserved it last night.

 

[Dan Keefe]

MJ was probablly a pr**K behind the scenes, but on the court and in press conferences, he knew how to say things

That is what is wrong with sports today...all about the image...I am glad Kobe shows emotion and says what he wants. I am sick of hearing athletes say what they think they have to say. It is good for the sport, if you hate Kobe because you think he is cocky, it builds interest in the game because you root against him. Who wants to watch a bunch of robots? Not me, Kobe busts his ass to get to the level he is at. Look at someone like Iverson...to me he is a waste, doesn't practice, disrespects his coach, plays when he wants...who wants to pay money to see that. Kobe runs his mouth sure, but his dedication to the game allows him that much...


dan

 

[Hunter P]

I don't have a problem with Kobe crying on national TV. I wish that I had his drive and determination to be the best in the world. It's just too bad for him that his teammates didn't put in even half of his effort this year.

As for the Laker arrogance reputation, I think the biggest contributor is the fans (not all of them but the vocal minority.) They are the ones that made the Lakers the most hated team in the nation.

 

[chris rick]

I have no problem with gret sports franchises. An example-- I am a Flyers fan, and while I do hate the New Jersey Devils-they are a class organization that is never cocky. The true champions have not only the championships but the ability to be humble. The Lakers completely lack this last part, especially Shaq- who makes more ignorrant comments than any "superstar" in the nba. And no to clarify I'm not talking about "confidence" which is on a completly different level than arrogance- arrogance is when Shaq makes comments about how Dekembe Mutombo should just try playing him in checkers instead because he can't guard him. This guy is a joke. Michael Jordan (yes cocky but not arrogant), Wayne Gretzky, Julius Irving, Mario Lemieux- they are the class of sports- true champions and humble. There is no room for this in sports as it smacks of complete and utter ignorrance.

 

[Jeremiah]

Actually Kobe and MJ don't act much diffrent infront of the media, MJ said all the same things Kobe has said. "Nobody can gaurd me" etc, but the thing is, everyone knew MJ was the best so it was just out there as "well, yeah MJ, nobody can stop you and you are going to do whatever you want." After MJ dropped 50 on Karl and the Sonics everyone else did the talking for Michael, talking about "don't tug on Supermans cape." and things like that. Maybe it's b/c Kobe is only like 25 and MJ was late 20's early 30's and more people respect MJ abilitiesmore than Kobes. IMO it just comes out wrong with Kobe, that he is trying to hard to be like Mike in the interviews and media sessions with his speech and imo he comes of a little fake. Kobe is still may favorite Lakers though.

 

[Carlo_M]

First, I never said Kobe wasn't what you'd call "cocky" - just talking about Horry and putting his story out there so that people who have made judgments about him can see there's another side to his story.

Second I have found one thing to be true watching sports: confidence, arrogance, and cockiness are separated by very thin lines that are ultimately decided by the viewer/fan. So it's pointless to argue who is cocky/arrogant, etc and who wasn't because you will never get a consensus (except for maybe Keyshawn "Give Me The Damn Ball" Johnson). Ultimately all we know about these guys is what we see in the tube, and to make judgments about that is inappropriate in most cases, argumentative and divisive at worst.

And finally, I love how now that the Lakers have lost, here come the accusations of not being "true champions" because of their attitude. I don't know where "perceived attitude" is tracked in the box scores or Win-Loss column, but damn if three-time champion isn't enough to be a "true" champion...

 

[Carlo_M]

I don't have a problem with Kobe crying on national TV. I wish that I had his drive and determination to be the best in the world. It's just too bad for him that his teammates didn't put in even half of his effort this year.

Wow, from a Sacramento fan, I'm touched!

And I agree wholeheartedly. Actually, if only SHAQ would adopt his off-season regiment, they'd still be unstoppable. I'm tired of Shaq's off-season training schedule of shooting a bad movie, Crunch commercials (where I'm sure he eats them during breaks), and whatever else. He is so reliant now on his size and trying to dominate in the low block that he forgot there's a whole other side to being a great center - the high post and using mobility as a devastating changeup to size and strength. Kobe has never once come into the season out-of-shape and there's something always improved about his game every year. Shaq seems to be regressing, health issues I know are a concern, but if he were lighter on his feet he wouldn't have as many of those injuries!

 

[Hunter P]

Exactly. Shaq has become lazy by thinking his size will always overcome another man's heart. If you put Kobe's or MJ's heart in Shaq then every person in this world would agree that he is the greatest center (or player) ever to play the game.

I don't mind cocky as long as you're willing to back it up or take the backlash if you don't back it up. Hell, I have been known to talk the trash when I play sports or video games. Shaq and Kobe, they earned the right. What I don't like are the scrubs who do it. Fox talks the trash but can't back it up with his play. He hides behind the big two as he takes cheap shots. He's not alone but he's made himself the most visible trash talker of all the scrubs on the team.

 

[Justin Lane]

And no to clarify I'm not talking about "confidence" which is on a completly different level than arrogance- arrogance is when Shaq makes comments about how Dekembe Mutombo should just try playing him in checkers instead because he can't guard him. This guy is a joke. Michael Jordan (yes cocky but not arrogant), Wayne Gretzky, Julius Irving, Mario Lemieux- they are the class of sports- true champions and humble.

This is the truth though. Mutombo cannot guard Shaq. Watch some tapes from the finals two years ago and see the pain Sixers fans had to go through. I wouldn't say most of the Wizards players from this year considered MJ humble. They hated the guy for his arrogance and ran one of the greatest players of all time out from their team because of it.

People seem to forget that over the past 4 years no one has played as many games as the Lakers. Three straight championship runs takes a toll on a team physically and emotionally. Shaq was never a hundred percent this year when it came to his feet. I agree that he probably does need to work harder in the off season as he gets up in age, but he was still the best center and most dominating player in the league this past season, so how much work does he really need to do.

If they can land another stud for their starting lineup, or more preferably their bench as well as a couple roll players, look for them to be back on top. Fisher has got to go from the starting lineup. He has killed them all season with his defense. You would think he would learn to go over a screen by now instead of leaving players to shoot uncontested jumpers all day.

J

 

[Robert_Z]

Lakers, you are dismissed.

I think Jim Grey (Gray?) is a total loser, but he would have scored points with me, and possibly others, if, when Kobe was crying during the post-game interview, Jim would have handed Kobe a can of Sprite.

He could also have pretended to have trouble opening the can, and said "Hold on Kobe, let me get the Spurs to open this can of Sprite since they obviously had no trouble opening up that can of whoop ass on you."