Kobe has lost 19lbs...

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Hey cannonball, wait for lebron to hit his jumpers and freethrows before you enter a debate ok? you even acknowledge that duncan has a better jumper than Lebron. Fcuk maybe even eric snow has a better 15footer than lebron. Lebron is good, in fact very good but he's not yet the best player in the league right now

Lebron's arguably not the best player in the NBA right now, but he's a better player than Kobe (and I'm a Kobe fan) right now. I would've put up an argument for Kobe at the start of last season, but when a man leads his team to the Finals, you have to give him respect. Kobe hasn't done that yet - not as the leader of the team. Maybe if he gets his wish and goes to the East, he can prove otherwise, but as of now, he's a first-round-and-out type of leader.

[gb8]

Lebron's arguably not the best player in the NBA right now, but he's a better player than Kobe (and I'm a Kobe fan) right now. I would've put up an argument for Kobe at the start of last season, but when a man leads his team to the Finals, you have to give him respect. Kobe hasn't done that yet - not as the leader of the team. Maybe if he gets his wish and goes to the East, he can prove otherwise, but as of now, he's a first-round-and-out type of leader.

19 lbs is a lot, he must have been eating a hell of a lot of cellery in the sauna in a black paper bag. It will affect his range.

[John Starks]

Generally players lose weight during the season -- wear and tear, activity. Now he is going into this Olympic tourn which wears EVERY player down for the NBA season lighter that he was.

Its impressive that he lost so much, I'm not so sure I'm celebrating if I'm a Lakers fan.

[Samurai Swoosh]

Maybe Kobe Bryant can finally have a 2nd round playoff ticket.

Word to the not so wise ... the guy has 3 NBA rings gleaming on his fingers. WTF are you talking about the second round for? haha

[Lebron23]

Word to the not so wise ... the guy has 3 NBA rings gleaming on his fingers. WTF are you talking about the second round for? haha

Word of the Day Shaquille O'Neal the most dominant NBA Center in the last Decade, give Lebron James a prime Shaquille O'Neal and this team might even break the Chicago Bulls 72 wins in 1996.

Lebron James and Shaquille O'Neal is a match made in heaven this is even a better tandem than Wade-Shaq, Shaq-Penny and Shaq and Kobe.

[IGOTGAME]

Generally players lose weight during the season -- wear and tear, activity. Now he is going into this Olympic tourn which wears EVERY player down for the NBA season lighter that he was.

Its impressive that he lost so much, I'm not so sure I'm celebrating if I'm a Lakers fan.

Kobe has been able to gain and lose weight and muscle very quickly throughout his career...I trust that his trainers and Kobe are smart enough to do what is best

[Poseidon]

Lebron James and Shaquille O'Neal is a match made in heaven this is even a better tandem than Wade-Shaq, Shaq-Penny and Shaq and Kobe.

How many titles has the tandom of LeBronze-Shaq won....or is this all in your head?

[funkylikemonkey]

Now he just has to lose his 19 pound ego.

[SRZ66]

since when does losing all that (probably muscle) translate into an automatic better player. hardly anyone in the nba has any muscle, and that gave kobe an advantage. he's still not gonna be incredibly quick, what helped him a lot before was his strength over other players. oh well, we'll see what happens

[Mr_Basketball#1]

going for that wilt record

I hope not..But why is he losing that much weight...He isnt that big...If he keeps on he is going to be looking like tayshaun prince with shorter arms..

[Heilige]

since when does losing all that (probably muscle) translate into an automatic better player. hardly anyone in the nba has any muscle, and that gave kobe an advantage. he's still not gonna be incredibly quick, what helped him a lot before was his strength over other players. oh well, we'll see what happens

How do you know he was alot stronger than many players?

[John Starks]

Kobe has been able to gain and lose weight and muscle very quickly throughout his career...I trust that his trainers and Kobe are smart enough to do what is best

I am sure there is a reason for it - maybe stress on his knee, maybe less weight = more energy come the 4th. I just find it odd to lose weight to play more games.

I always worry (maybe not worry but that's the best word) about the guys who participate in the summer games. They consistently follow the summer with slow starts, or injury plagued seasons.

[hotsizzle]

LAS VEGAS -- A seriously slimmed-down Kobe Bryant sat at a steakhouse table at the Wynn resort here with Team USA coach Mike Krzyzewski and head honcho Jerry Colangelo on Tuesday night and made one simple, strategic request.

"Coach, I'm ready," Bryant declared, according to Colangelo. "And I want the best player on the other team every single night."

[SRZ66]

How do you know he was alot stronger than many players?

from watching him play, u could clearly tell he was stronger than most of the guys who guarded him.

[Admiral]

he was a little over weight last year...but 19 seems like a lot.. I think we are going to see a much better defensive Kobe, a quicker Kobe and a much more explosive Kobe than we saw last year...

so this year they can give him the DPOY award!