Smush Parker responds to Kobe Bryant

[Money 23]

He still had the most stacked team in 2012.

Except he didn't.

Thunder's team age makes no difference. Their talent and the complete basketball roster outweighs the rest of their issues. They have superstar power, they have really good role players / niche guys. They can play offense, and defense.

They're one of the best built rosters in the league, by a wide margin.

Why can't it be said the same way for Kobe? He finally got a good point guard, and another great center.

He had a very good center per league average. And as we know, in basketball that is inherently one of the most valuable positions. So on those merits alone, along with league wide shortage of players at that position, Kobe had an extremely capable roster last two years.

He now needs a great PG as well? Kobe had enough weapons to get to the Finals the past two years, let alone the addition of D12 and Nash.

If he makes it this year, it would be blatantly obvious it is because of the additions they made, not because of Kobe improving his play and basically being a legit MVP contender.

Whatever you said can all be applied to Kobe. You just refused to, because you are a fan of Lebron and hate Kobe.

I don't hate Kobe at all, I more than respect his abilities and place in the game and hall of history ... it's obvious you hate LeBron.

That's why you're constantly making insecure threads about him, and not acknowledging it was his high level of play that allowed the Heat to advance, and win a ring.

Wade on paper is obviously a top five player, but he was hurt all season. He showed flashes and fleeting moments of his normal self, but it wasn't consistent.

Thus, LeBron had to play at a very high level ... every game for them to advance or have a chance at winning.

You still haven't told me your thoughts on LeBron's game 6 in the ECF ???

If Kobe wins his 6th, he's definitely over Shaq and Hakeem, whether you like it or not.

LOL ... ok? I would put him over them if he's clearly the best player on the floor. Like the way LeBron was clearly the Heat's most dominant player in 2012.

If he's not, I do not think it's that cut and dry.

(and if Kobe wins, Lebron is dropping big time. 1/4 in the finals, winning only once in 3 years with a stacked team, even with the addition of Ray Allen.)

Nah. Not unless he chokes away a series by being casper status like he did in 2011. If he balls out of his mind, or just plays really well and they lose to a better all around and more stacked roster, IE the Lakers. He doesn't drop at all, let alone big time.

And odds are he will probably get his 4th MVP this year, so his legacy has no where to go but up. And he will advance further with every ring. It's not like there is a built in deterrent like there was in 2011 when it seemed the Heat would be the best roster in the league for years to come.

The Lakers are a more stacked roster, and OKC has a better overall roster as well. So LeBron just playing MVP caliber ball and winning rings, while having a stud like resume only matched and exceeded by players like MJ, Kareem, Bird, and Magic ... he will be in ELITE company if he continues this recent 2012 trend.

[ripthekik]

The Lakers are a more stacked roster, and OKC has a better overall roster as well. So LeBron just playing MVP caliber ball and winning rings, while having a stud like resume only matched and exceeded by players like MJ, Kareem, Bird, and Magic ... he will be in ELITE company if he continues this recent 2012 trend.

And the heat don't have a stacked roster this year with the addition of Ray Allen? ohhhh boy.
He's going to climb up the ranks while having a stacked roster like this, while Kobe won't? Great logic. Where would he be without such a stacked roster?

And I've always given him props on Game 6. Great game. But it was one game.

[Heavincent]

If Kobe wins it all this year and puts up something like 25-5-5, he'll probably move up to 5 or 6 on my list.

I'm not one of those people that punishes players for having good teammates. I simply look at the player's level of performance. For example, I think Kobe's 01 title run is just as good, if not better than his 2010 title run. All of that "the man" stuff is just corny if you ask me.

[Money 23]

And the heat don't have a stacked roster this year with the addition of Ray Allen? ohhhh boy.

Obviously the Heat have a stacked roster. I think it's the 3rd best roster in the league. Lakers and OKC are better, IMO.

He's going to climb up the ranks while having a stacked roster like this, while Kobe won't? Great logic.

Correct. Difference? MVP count, and the fact that LeBron is clearly his team's best player. For the Lakers, it's not going to be near as obvious.

If the Lakers make the Finals, the immediate reason is the obvious. They added the best center in the game, the 2nd best player in the league since 2011 ... at a position that is near extinct through out the league.

Oh, and a 2x MVP, HOF PG in Steve Nash being a key contributor.

Where would he be without such a stacked roster?

He did his best for seven seasons with no legit 2nd option. Almost got to the Finals with Mo Williams as his Scottie Pippen / Frobe type sidekick.

Went to the Finals with Boobie friggin Gibson has his second best player ... w/o the stacked roster he'd be a top five talent / player all-time, rotting away giving his all for an organization that couldn't do enough to get him the proper pieces to compete at a high level.

Leaving CLE the way he did was chicken shit, and IMO cowardly. It's not what I would've done. But ultimately, it was the correct decision. The Celtics were a super team at the time. The Lakers were stacked. LeBron and Wade were buddies ... possibly the two best players in the league, rotting on horrific rosters with no signs of help. They called each other up and said lets join forces and take on the Lakers and Celtics of the world.

And it's a good thing they did ... OKC turned into a stacked team. Clippers turned into a stacked team. Boston decline, but the Lakers once again surrounded Kobe with ANOTHER SUPER TEAM.

The second one he's been on in his entire career.

And I've always given him props on Game 6. Great game. But it was one game.

He had a great playoffs all around as well, though.



That one game 6 was so clutch, and even before going into it was RESUME / REPUTATION defining.

He didn't choke, he went out and put on a historic performance. Even Kobe hasn't done anything like that ... the closest he could've come to a legacy defining game was that game 7 v.s. Boston in 2010.

And he choked, big time.

[swag2011]

If Kobe wins it all this year and puts up something like 25-5-5, he'll probably move up to 5 or 6 on my list.

I'm not one of those people that punishes players for having good teammates. I simply look at the player's level of performance. For example, I think Kobe's 01 title run is just as good, if not better than his 2010 title run. All of that "the man" stuff is just corny if you ask me.

Agree. Everybody in the consensus top 10 has played with amazing casts, yet Kobe is the ONLY player who is put down because of it. He's no different from MJ, Shaq, Magic, Kareem, Bird, etc in terms of playing with great players. People forget Shaq won no ring, FMVP or MVP without Kobe becoming a starter. Nash, Dwight, Pau, MWP, ALL of them won NO RINGS before playing with Kobe. Now Nash and Dwight could possibly become champions. People like to say Kobe needed them to win a ring. But they never flip it around and realize they ain't win shit until being paired with Kobe.

The fact that the Lakers organization still feels they can build a title contending team around a 34 year old is a testament to Kobe's greatness.

I'd personally put Kobe at number 5 or 6 on my list too, depending on his run. Right now i have him in the 7 to 9 group, with Duncan and Shaq.

[KB2009Champ]

I all I have to say is that there is a reason Pat Riley had him stay away from the team when he was in Miami. And this was in the middle of the season.

[AlphaWolf24]

If Kobe wins it all this year and puts up something like 25-5-5, he'll probably move up to 5 or 6 on my list.

I'm not one of those people that punishes players for having good teammates. I simply look at the player's level of performance. For example, I think Kobe's 01 title run is just as good, if not better than his 2010 title run. All of that "the man" stuff is just corny if you ask me.

sounds good.....


1 more Chip and Kobe moves to the #2 or #3 for me......and the rest of the basketball community

[Money 23]

If Kobe wins it all this year and puts up something like 25-5-5, he'll probably move up to 5 or 6 on my list.

If he does that, while being the Lakers clear cut best player.

I have no problem moving him up my all-time list over the likes of Duncan / Shaq / Hakeem.

Those three were clustered together anyway, nothing to really separate them. That would have him as #7 or #6 on the all-time chart.

[dyna]

"told me out his own mouth that I couldn't talk to him. That my accolades under my belt weren't deserving enough for me to talk to him."

That nikka is just sensitive, He should have never called Kobe overrated

Irony

[SpecialQue]

Decided to pop in here to see what's going on and, surprise surprise, it is now a Lebron thread.

[Legends66NBA7]

Reality is finally setting in for Kobe that he was never as good as he thought he was, so the bitterness is setting in. Peeps here at ISH keep bringing out the cold hard facts on how he never measured up to the hype (voted behind Billups in MVP voting. Damn....) and Kobe, now looking back on his career and not really foward as much, simply can't handle it.

As far as the MVP voting goes, didn't Kobe the 2nd most #1 votes behind Nash ? Thinking about it back then, I was shocked to see Kobe not Top 3 at least.

Either way, Kobe or LeBron should have gotten MVP for 2006, IMO. Hell, I thought Dirk was also more deserving than Nash that year.

And while he didn't live to the hype of the next Jordan or the GOAT (I kinda new this by his second year, so...), he carved a fine legacy himself... He should start focusing more on the season now, he's sounds like an old grump these days.

[TheMarkMadsen]

Decided to pop in here to see what's going on and, surprise surprise, it is now a Lebron thread.

This. How does it go from Smush and Kobe beefin to Lebron vs Kobe for the 100000x.

[longtime lurker]

This. How does it go from Smush and Kobe beefin to Lebron vs Kobe for the 100000x.

Kobe topics even irrelevant ones like these attract even the most hardened haters. Lol we have people defending Smush Parker and playing arm chair psychologists. Then we have Lebron fans who love to turn almost every thread into something about Lebron like they need to constantly remind people he exists.

[FlashDwyaneWade3]

Never liked Smush. He was a headcase when he was on the Heat.

[NASH = BEST]

I don't really know what the F Kobe is talking about. He wasn't the runner up, or even second runner up, to Nash for MVP in 2006.

http://www.basketball-reference.com/...ards_2006.html

1. Nash: 924
2. Lebron: 688
3. Dirk: 544
4. Kobe: 483
5. Billups: 430

...he was barely ahead of Chauncey Billups. LOL.

LOL

We were all mad hating on Kobe back then, he didn't even come close to Nash votes, WTF?

I'm not saying Nash shouldn't have won but geez, wasn't this the year Kobe went APE SHYT on the league? This was the 81 point game season right?

4th place? lol

Truth is he should have gotten more votes. Looking back at it now and the media really did hate on Kobe back then. Most of them sided with Shaq. We were all wrong, lol.

Anyways, I got curious and looked Smush Parker up.

This is from wiki...

On July 26, 2007, Parker signed with the Miami Heat. For the Heat, Parker wore jersey number 21. His production dropped off dramatically while with the Heat, with averages of 4.8 points, 1.7 assists and 2.1 rebounds, compared to his 11.1 in 164 games with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Smush should be grateful he was even able to collect a check cause of Kobe.