How much disrespect would you accept just because someone is better at ball?

[Kblaze8855]

The general disrespect people are expected to swallow from coworkers because their profession is sports is wild to me. Smush Parker was recently interviewed and was asked about the Kobe situation again.



https://youtu.be/ZWFEMq7prXc?si=4J2NRpCWnCOPjKot


Starts about 22 minutes 30 seconds. Goes on for quite a while.

That you can sit with your locker directly next to a coworker for two years of them refusing to talk to you is crazy. You try to break the ice and they tell you you don’t have enough accolades to speak?

At work. You being better than me at it doesn’t make me less of a man. If such things are common, I don’t know how they aren’t more fights. You don’t talk to people like that. I’m only gonna get hazed so much before you have to deal with me. And I’m not talking about a fight necessarily but you talk to him like a man and make him talk to you like a man.

I have respect for role players like Vernon Maxwell, who don’t put up with shit like that. Bill Cartwright and old Robert Parrish standing up to Jordan as well. You’re better at basketball than me. Doesn’t make you a better human being.

I have to think some of these ultimate competitor types would respect you more for standing up for yourself.

[SaltyMeatballs]

Imagine how much that shot Smush's confidence and motivation to be there. Having the best player on the team not even acknowledge you for 2 years and not wanting to talk to you because you don't have any accolades to your name. Kobe was an asshole and is the reason why people clowned Smush even more. Of course more people were going to side with Kobe only because he was a fan-favorite and a much greater player. And then you're going to have those weirdos say this was "Mamba Mentality". **** outta here. That's dickhead mentality

[Full Court]

Nah, I wouldn't take that from anybody. We'd have a heart to heart, and if it came to it, I'd knock him off his high horse. The only reason a-holes like Kobe act like that is because people allow them to.

[Kblaze8855]

in the course of a game if you’re busting my ass OK. You got me. If you’re calling for the ball and we all acknowledge this is your team? OK. Here’s the ball. We’re at work and we all have a status within this company. but I just walk up to you and ask if you saw some game you try to use work to place yourself above me as a human being?

how do you just let somebody bitch you like that? I suppose there’s a power dynamic difference that could affect your financial situation. If Kobe goes to Jeanie and says cut him or we have a problem? Yeah, I would be cut. But that’s a level of bitch I would have to see you display before I just assume it. Speaking truth to power is a life skill, and it doesn’t mean you’re trying to be tough. The power often respects it long as you don’t go overboard. Kobe isn’t about to get into a brawl in the locker room. You just tell him to speak to you like a man.

Basketball is basketball, but life is life. You talking to grown men who have children and lead a family if not a community in cases.

Your jumper being better than mine doesn’t put you on a higher level of humanity.

[Full Court]

in the course of a game if you’re busting my ass OK. You got me. If you’re calling for the ball and we all acknowledge this is your team? OK. Here’s the ball. We’re at work and we all have a status within this company. but I just walk up to you and ask if you saw some game you try to use work to place yourself above me as a human being?

how do you just let somebody bitch you like that? I suppose there’s a power dynamic difference that could affect your financial situation. If Kobe goes to Jeanie and says cut him or we have a problem? Yeah, I would be cut. But that’s a level of bitch I would have to see you display before I just assume it. Speaking truth to power is a life skill, and it doesn’t mean you’re trying to be tough. The power often respects it long as you don’t go overboard. Kobe isn’t about to get into a brawl in the locker room. You just tell him to speak to you like a man.

Basketball is basketball, but life is life. You talking to grown men who have children and lead a family if not a community in cases.

Your jumper being better than mine doesn’t put you on a higher level of humanity.

Fully agree.

[bison]

This is how I treat my co workers at the public health department. Its called being alpha as FVCK.

[Wardell Curry]

The reason that this is different from most other employment situations is two fold.

1) It's about as tribalistic as an environment as you can possibly get with "tribes" regularly battling against each other.

2) It's a highly physical profession and testosterone is flowing.

[Full Court]

The reason that this is different from most other employment situations is two fold.

1) It's about as tribalistic as an environment as you can possibly get with "tribes" regularly battling against each other.

2) It's a highly physical profession and testosterone is flowing.

Which is even more reason why you shouldn't conduct yourself as a beta biatch.

[Lebron23]

I didn’t blame Chris Childs for punching him.

[iamgine]

Have you ever had a team where there's a useless guy who is the reason your team lost game after game after game despite you performing MVP level stuff? And the guy act normal like nothing happened, he tried his best but oh well. And the bitterness just build game after game as you realize it's not his fault but you can't help but hate him for it?

Good thing Smush didn't push for it or they might actually throw hands.

[Baller234]

Never forget there are always two sides to every story. This is just his side.

Maybe Kobe was teasing him and he didn't pick up on it. Maybe it was some type of fraternity shit. Maybe Smush is just a soft ass dude.

He is tight with Pablo Torre after all.

[ImKobe]

KB was a POS no doubt, but Smush was given the opportunity of a lifetime on the Lakers and got to play all 82 at 34-30 mpg in those 2 years and didn't stay in the league much longer after that. He just wasn't good enough. It's not his fault that the FO did a horrible job of building a team around KB which led to SP being in that starter role for 2 years, even though he had the best seasons of his career and put up decent numbers for a role guy at the time.

KB was wrong for treating him the way he did, I'm sure in his mind he was trying to test the guy and do his MJ impersonation on him in the locker room but that shit doesn't fly when you got a mediocre ass squad. Smush responded well to it so this wasn't some Kwame Brown situation where the kid folded due to the way he was being treated by the star player on the team so you gotta respect him for at least being a serviceable player.

When he got a chance in Miami in '07, he sucked ass and they were trying to get rid of him before he got waived 3 months into his 2-year deal due to allegedly assaulting a female valet. The Clippers signed him later that season and he sucked there too and never got another chance in the league again. None of that is on KB if anyone here wants to blame him for Parker not having a long career.


Have you ever had a team where there's a useless guy who is the reason your team lost game after game after game despite you performing MVP level stuff? And the guy act normal like nothing happened, he tried his best but oh well. And the bitterness just build game after game as you realize it's not his fault but you can't help but hate him for it?

Good thing Smush didn't push for it or they might actually throw hands.

Good point. It wasn't his fault that the team sucked tho. Smush was just happy to be there & make a living for himself, he outperformed whatever his talent level was if we're being honest. He went undrafted.

[Kblaze8855]

He didn’t speak to him the first time they met. The first time he was coming onto the team day one to show what he did or did not have. That isn’t resentment over performance. Besides Smish wasn’t the worst teammate Kobe ever had. He wasn’t good and he didn’t last long after the lakers but there are a hundred of those guys at any moment.

[tpols]

I dont think Kobe viewed basketball as a work place, most people don't really care about their jobs beyond a paycheck, but to him it was everything. Still not right to do that to smush. Phil calling him smooch and smack was more disrespectful imo. :lol

[GOBB]

Real life work force you’re protected. In Smush situation Kobe has the advantage. You’re pretty much deciding my respect vs my pro career which I dreamed of. Not an easy situation to be in. Because you go at Kobe that’s pretty much career suicide. Hindsight Smush career didn’t last too long after LA. I probably handle it trying to prove him wrong vs getting into a verbal, man exchange. And by proving wrong worker even harder on my craft and understanding the game more to be better. That when I am legit in your eyes? I’ll tell you to EAD when you extend that handshake + compliment.

[GOBB]

I dont think Kobe viewed basketball as a work place, most people don't really care about their jobs beyond a paycheck, but to him it was everything. Still not right to do that to smush. Phil calling him smooch and smack was more disrespectful imo. :lol

Phil did that to test his mettle. If you being a dude that walked on a team like the Lakers. Fold because Phil is purposely calling you the wrong name? Then you’re not tough mentally.

[Kblaze8855]

Real life work force you’re protected. In Smush situation Kobe has the advantage. You’re pretty much deciding my respect vs my pro career which I dreamed of. Not an easy situation to be in.





No it isn’t. It’s hard for me not to look at it from my perspective though. How I handle things. You know I talk. I don’t care if you’re the president or a crackhead. I’ll talk to you. The financial side would be tough as a young guy looking to make enough on a contract to be set…but shit.

Id have a hard time biting my tongue.

This whole thing makes me wanna get a hold of Shammond Williams. I’ve not seen him in years but I see his people now and then. He was on the 07 Lakers playing behind Smush. I wanna know if Kobe did that to everyone.

Be some weirdo shit to ask though. Not like I have a podcast or something to bring him on. I’m curious though.

[egokiller]

Think about it from Kobe’s perspective. You got a whole olympic team walking in from partying and kobe is leaving the hotel as these guys are walking in at 3-4am to go to the gym. This guy was all business. A few days later he had the whole team on his schedule. If Smush wanted respect from kobe, stick around after the games with him and shoot around for an hour. Arrive at the arena well before others and shoot around. Show an ounce of mamba mentality and earn your respect instead of crying about not receiving it. Otherwise your role is to get that man the ball and get the **** out of the way.

[warriorfan]

Imagine how much that shot Smush's confidence and motivation to be there. Having the best player on the team not even acknowledge you for 2 years and not wanting to talk to you because you don't have any accolades to your name. Kobe was an asshole and is the reason why people clowned Smush even more. Of course more people were going to side with Kobe only because he was a fan-favorite and a much greater player. And then you're going to have those weirdos say this was "Mamba Mentality". **** outta here. That's dickhead mentality

Only the strong survive

[Kblaze8855]

Think about it from Kobe’s perspective. You got a whole olympic team walking in from partying and kobe is leaving the hotel as these guys are walking in at 3-4am to go to the gym. This guy was all business. A few days later he had the whole team on his schedule. If Smush wanted respect from kobe, stick around after the games with him and shoot around for an hour. Arrive at the arena well before others and shoot around. Show an ounce of mamba mentality and earn your respect instead of crying about not receiving it. Otherwise your role is to get that man the ball and get the **** out of the way.



all of which does nothing to explain not speaking to somebody you’re going to be working with the first time you meet them. Shooting around at three in the morning, isn’t a prerequisite for basic human decency.

[Baller234]

edit: wrong forum

[tpols]

Phil did that to test his mettle. If you being a dude that walked on a team like the Lakers. Fold because Phil is purposely calling you the wrong name? Then you’re not tough mentally.

I'd rather be ignored than have another man call me smooch. That would cause a fight in any playground pickup game.

[tpols]

all of which does nothing to explain not speaking to somebody you’re going to be working with the first time you meet them. Shooting around at three in the morning, isn’t a prerequisite for basic human decency.

I think you're exaggerating it heavily. I'm sure he said what's up at some point when he met him and then when he realized how trash his help was he became angry and bitter over it. This was the 1st time Kobe had a chance to be a leader and everybody was teasing him that "he'd never win without Shaq".

Kobe sure had a great relationship with guys like Pau, Fisher, Odom (probably saved his life), Artest, etc.

And let's not forget Dennis Rodman said he never spoke to MJ for years when they played together. Some of these dudes were just like that.

[Kblaze8855]

Smush may be but I have no way to know. Hes said again and again guy just wouldn’t talk to him at all.

And even if he did resent having a bad player on his team that isn’t a reason to ignore someone 3 feet from you for 2 years. I don’t like a lot of people. No need for that kinda tension though. Especially if you have to work with them towards a common goal.

[egokiller]

all of which does nothing to explain not speaking to somebody you’re going to be working with the first time you meet them. Shooting around at three in the morning, isn’t a prerequisite for basic human decency.

It’s called setting the tone. Im sure MJ didn’t think Larry Bird was being a decent human when he asked for the ball and Larry threw it over his head to the other side of the court….

[egokiller]

I think you're exaggerating it heavily. I'm sure he said what's up at some point when he met him and then when he realized how trash his help was he became angry and bitter over it. This was the 1st time Kobe had a chance to be a leader and everybody was teasing him that "he'd never win without Shaq".

Kobe sure had a great relationship with guys like Pau, Fisher, Odom (probably saved his life), Artest, etc.

And let's not forget Dennis Rodman said he never spoke to MJ for years when they played together. Some of these dudes were just like that.

Rodman didn’t talk to Pippen or MJ about anything that wasn’t basketball related. But when the shit hit the fan, only MJ could get Rodman to leave his hotel room in vegas and come back in time for the next game lol…

[Kblaze8855]

It’s called setting the tone. Im sure MJ didn’t think Larry Bird was being a decent human when he asked for the ball and Larry threw it over his head to the other side of the court….

before the game they were getting ready for when it was the US team playing NBA players. You don’t have to talk to opponents. A guy 2 feet from you on your team for 2 years? It’s just being petty. It’s an active effort to not be normal.

[tpols]

Kwame broke it down perfectly @ 2:15.


https://youtu.be/Gr-U8UYjr_Y?si=zwT-MQDfbzX6Sahu



People are people. People ain't perfect. The same thing that what made Kobe great... is what make him some times not so great of a person.

[warriorfan]

before the game they were getting ready for when it was the US team playing NBA players. You don’t have to talk to opponents. A guy 2 feet from you on your team for 2 years? It’s just being petty. It’s an active effort to not be normal.

klay thompson supposedly didn’t say a word to anyone his first year

[1987_Lakers]

klay thompson supposedly didn’t say a word to anyone his first year

I suppose you don't understand the difference between someone quiet because it's their personality and someone being quiet just because they feel they are above you. I've never heard stories of Klay being an ass, shit Kawhi doesn't talk, but is still pretty liked by teammates.

[warriorfan]

I suppose you don't understand the difference between someone quiet because it's their personality and someone being quiet just because they feel they are above you. I've never heard stories of Klay being an ass, shit Kawhi doesn't talk, but is still pretty liked by teammates.

guess you didn’t see klay’s meltdown he had a few weeks ago :lol

[Kblaze8855]

klay thompson supposedly didn’t say a word to anyone his first year


I know a lot of quiet people. But that isn’t in the same realm as telling another person they are beneath you in status and not allowed to speak. Thats the kinda thing you only do with the protection of power allowing you to be a bully. People get slapped talking to other men like that. Thats some lame ass manager talking to a new kid on his first job at McDonald’s type of disrespect.

[bdonovan]

It's complicated. You could make things worse and be disrespected even more. The guy is not listening to you so if you walk up and start trying to get in his face and he just freezes you out, you'll look even weaker. And if you get physical with him, what is going to be your answer to the team- that you were mad because he didn't talk to you? People will just think you're weak and emotional.

This is why freezing someone out is difficult to contend with. The person is not going to speak to you even if you lose your temper with them. And if you get physical, chances are you're gone- esp. given the power differential.

What I think Smush could have done is give Kobe a hard foul during practice. Something indirect. Then if Kobe wants to fight over that, you have license to deck him since he started it. Sometimes relationships have to get worse before they get better, but you also have to be strategic about it.

That said, I think Smush handled it fine. I've had co-workers I don't get along with, or talked to socially. We didn't duke it out or have a "heart to heart" talk about it lol. You just do the work and then hang out with your own friends after work.

[Kblaze8855]

That said, I think Smush handled it fine. I've had co-workers I don't get along with, or talked to socially. We didn't duke it out or have a "heart to heart" talk about it lol. You just do the work and then hang out with your own friends after work.



There are lot of people I don’t talk to much but if they attempted to make small talk and I told them they’re beneath me and aren’t good enough to speak to me I’d brace to get punched in the face in some settings.

[90sgoat]

Depends on how the situation is, what is unsaid, how it's said.

There's a difference between being told to shut the **** because you suck, but otherwise that guy not bothering you. If I had other good coworkers, friends on the team, who cares, let him be the top dog.

Then there's someone like MJ who would get on you, try to break you, being a real psychopath. That kind of guy you need to deal with, like how Kerr, Cartwright, Parish etc dealt with MJ and Kwame didn't.

Then there's the absolute worst, people like Demarcus Cousins or Marc Jackson, notorious malcontents, who will drag you down with them, turn an entire team into a drama. That's by far the worst situation.

[bdonovan]

Depends on how the situation is, what is unsaid, how it's said.

There's a difference between being told to shut the **** because you suck, but otherwise that guy not bothering you. If I had other good coworkers, friends on the team, who cares, let him be the top dog.

Then there's someone like MJ who would get on you, try to break you, being a real psychopath. That kind of guy you need to deal with, like how Kerr, Cartwright, Parish etc dealt with MJ and Kwame didn't.

Then there's the absolute worst, people like Demarcus Cousins or Marc Jackson, notorious malcontents, who will drag you down with them, turn an entire team into a drama. That's by far the worst situation.

Really? Marc Jackson was the guy who creates the worst situation?

[Xiao Yao You]

Really? Marc Jackson was the guy who creates the worst situation?

he got Stockton to retire so yeah **** him! I liked him the year he was here too without knowing what was going on behind the scenes until years later

[ILLsmak]

You've never met people like that? lol.

It's a bit rare that someone would come out and say it, but often people will kind of just brush you off until you 'figure it out.' If you're a real pest like me, you can get them to come out and say some stuff like that. I feel like that's a W tho.

I'm not gonna fight someone over their opinion of me. I mean people lack creativity. Be like Kobe Kobe (without pronouncing the e,) I'm gonna make the all star game this year so you'll talk to me. And if he gives you that @Chris Rock look, just bust out laughing. I'm more the kind of dude that people would punch in the face than ignore haha.

Proving people wrong is fun. People generally think stuff in the beginning and it turns out to be wrong. How they will handle that is anybody's guess.

ON THE COURT THO, in practice? I'm gonna play physical as hell with him. I'm gonna work so hard just at fundamental, physical basketball that he will have to take me into account. Even if he sheds me often. Even if I don't do anything else, gonna be leaning on that dude. I'm gonna let him know that I do know he disrespected me and I don't like it, but I'm not gonna take it out of that context. If he's a real dude, even if I don't have the accolades, he will man up and admit he was wrong. I'm not gonna be his friend (not immediately,) but we'll see what happens. Like I said, this is not uncommon among people, esp in situations where they have accolades. I'm cool w/ letting people play themselves. There's nothing I'd really need to tell Kobe. But he's gonna find out how I can sleeve someone + matrix dodge if they try to get me with a shoulder/elbow. And if he doesn't respect that, then **** em.

There are people who are just like that. 100s of others are cool. It's like being mad cuz 1 pretty girl won't give you the time of day. It's like there are other pretty girls so... who knows. You'll never really know what someone's issue is, but yea, I will use it to motivate me, but not take it too seriously. Unfort, you aren't really able to choose whether or not to accept disrespect in a lot of real life scenarios. That's why you need a stock reply like "heh." And always look at shit as a test. The real question is... why would you back down from that. It's like some high school shit.

-Smak

[90sgoat]

Really? Marc Jackson was the guy who creates the worst situation?

He was also weird in Golden State and almost created a mutiny against the ownership. They get rid of him for Kerr and the rest is history.

[FKAri]

Kobe was probably thinking: It would motivate Smush to want to prove himself and his worth. And if it doesn't then he's just not the kind of guy that's worth the time anyways. Probably treating him like he would have his younger self.

It took some time for Kobe to adopt different leadership styles for different players. Until his final season in LA, where he was just not going to bother with Nick Young and co.

[bdonovan]

He was also weird in Golden State and almost created a mutiny against the ownership. They get rid of him for Kerr and the rest is history.

I don't buy that. Owner propaganda and Bogut fragility. Until I hear it from someone with some credibility like the main players on the Warriors, it's an empty accusation far as Im concerned.

[Kblaze8855]

https://youtu.be/OTJP57SMv_U?si=Pi71XPgt7q8LDps9


I saw a little discussion about this as well. Kobe isn’t playing and he comes out to the bench and makes Larry Nance get up and sit on the floor so he can sit down.

This, I don’t have a problem with. You’ve been in the league 18 or 19 years. A rookie is supposed to give you a seat. That isn’t a personal disrespect to me. Thats the young guy showing respect.

[rawimpact]

I think there's more to the story... we hear Smush's side every so often but I don't recall Kobe ever talking much about him.

I know Kobe pushed a lot of people away from him, but there were role players that he played alongside that did very well and the friendship was there Ex. Slava Medvedenko (sp?)

[SATAN]

It's hilarious the way Kobe went full PR mode all of a sudden and people suddenly thought he was this amazing dude. Cult of personality shit.

He was an asshole, a try hard and a chucker regardless of being an all time great.

[FKAri]

It's hilarious the way Kobe went full PR mode all of a sudden and people suddenly thought he was this amazing dude. Cult of personality shit.

He was an asshole, a try hard and a chucker regardless of being an all time great.
What kind of a ****ing loser tries hard at a ****ing GAME? Out here supposed to be having a good time and these Kobe kind of ****ers really ruin the whole vibe. Bitch ass hoe.

[AlternativeAcc.]

:roll:

Respect to Kobe on this one. Telling a dude frankly to not talk to him because his accolades aren't up to par is hilarious. Sounds like he just rubbed Kobe the wrong way from the get-go, and honestly I would bully him too. Something seems off about him. Annoying presence.

[SATAN]

What kind of a ****ing loser tries hard at a ****ing GAME? Out here supposed to be having a good time and these Kobe kind of ****ers really ruin the whole vibe. Bitch ass hoe.

Trolling aside, not just the game. It's a personality issue.

[Baller234]

I think there's more to the story... we hear Smush's side every so often but I don't recall Kobe ever talking much about him.

I know Kobe pushed a lot of people away from him, but there were role players that he played alongside that did very well and the friendship was there Ex. Slava Medvedenko (sp?)

Smush was probably just a shy introvert who couldn't get on Kobe's level.

If you watch The Last Dance, Jordan is constantly checking Scott Burrell and trying to get a rise out of him. He admits this was all intentional. He sensed that Scott was a soft dude so he was trying to awaken the beast within. Steve Kerr even admitted that after their physical altercation at practice, Jordan treated him differently from that day on because he saw that Steve stood up for himself.

Here is Kobe doing the same thing to Sasha Vujacic:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cRSeRJJHuJc

Kobe wanted everyone on the team to be in constant killer mode. He wanted you go back at him.

Smush probably just couldn't get the message.

[fsvr54]

I don't think there is anyone better at basketball than me.