Was Kobe Bryant's rant against low talent surrounding him on his LA Laker's NBA team justified or not?

No

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by Thomas White

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The Los Angeles Lakers have held a reputation for being one of the best overall basketball franchises in the history of the NBA. Decade after decade they manage to find talented players to add to the team to make it a constant threat. From Jerry West to Magic Johnson to Wilt Chamberlain to Kareem Abdul Jabar. Never have the Los Angeles Lakers been a team to be ignored. That is, until Kobe Bryant decided to throw high school quality hissy fits on more than a regular basis.

In the late 1990's the Lakers made one of the best acquisitions in the history of the franchise. Adding The Big Aristotle, Shaquille O'Neal to their young and talented roster. Paired with a young and promising Kobe Bryant, O'Neal once again made the Lakers a strong western presence and a likely championship contender. It seemed that the Laker tradition was going to continue yet again. As amazing as it was, they seemed to be back on track to create a modern day dynasty yet again.

Prior years had left the well known Los Angeles team in the waters of mediocrity; a team struggling to find itself. They had the talent they needed in place to win. The unfortunate fact was they simply had no way to collaborate that talent into a team. Kobe and Shaq displayed a relentless struggle for power and leadership. Each one believing that without the other they could still win. Each had a chance to prove their points as they traded off short periods of injury leave. Each one led their team to about a .500 record in the absence of their counterparts. As the struggle continued, Los Angeles fans became irritated and impatient. Following the retirement of one Michael Jordan, hope was found.

Phil Jackson resigned as head coach of the Chicago Bulls following the departure of the entire core of his team. Salivating, the management team in L.A. frantically knocked down Jackson's door practically begging him to lead their team. After negotiations and a little front office sweet talking, the master of zen agreed to a deal to be the head coach of the Lakers. In the obscure darkness, Phil Jackson became a guiding light to salvation. Taking two fiery clashing talented players and making one well rounded set of team leaders of them was merely his opening act. For his finale, he led the team to three NBA titles. Facing impossible odds, Phil Jackson, once again found himself leading a promising team. With two of the most talented players in the game getting along and firing on all cylinders there was no end in sight. But as always appearances can be quite deceptive on the surface.

The Laker brothers had once again found themselves in the midst of a power struggle. Eventually leading to O'Neal giving the Laker organization an ultimatum basically stating that they either get rid of Bryant or he would leave the team. Seeing as how O'Neal now calls Miami his home, it's no secret as to the choice of the Laker management. Some decisions just cannot be undone; no matter how badly you want them to.

Since the departure of O'Neal the lakers have become the laughing stock of the western conference. The Lakers are by no means short on the talent end of the spectrum. Kobe Bryant, the teams leader, has undoubtedly chased away several potential prospects though. It's pretty easy to say that no one wants to play on the Kobe Bryant Lakers. The Lake Show has now been reduced to the Kobe Show. A petty, whining, sniveling, laughable and pathetic excuse for the team it once was. Kobe received great reviews for putting 82 points on the board against a young and lost Toronto team. The only thing people tend to overlook is how many times Kobe Bryant shot the ball. Not only in that game, but in most of the season. Any night that Kobe Bryant takes 20 shots or less can be considered a slow day at the office. It really isn't that hard to lead the league in scoring when you average over 27 field goal attempts per game. Michael Jordan averaged 27 attempts per game one year and led the league in scoring. He also averaged 2 more points per game as well and his team made a strong playoff run. The saddest part is that he didn't have as much talent at the time as Bryant does now.

Kobe Bryant is his own worst enemy. With each ensuing diva fit, he loses respect among his peers. He also loses another prospective teammate. Nobody wants to be a part of a team with a ticking time bomb. Regardless of whether the Lakers had the most talented players in the league around Bryant or placed him with high school hacks, they would still be horrible. Kobe Bryant will never again win an NBA championship no matter what talent he has around him. The Lakers have a solid core of young talent around Kobe and all he does in whine about it. Kevin Garnett never had a talented core of players and never once complained. He left it all on the court every single night. He understood what was out of his hands and only dealt directly with what he could control. If Kobe spent less time complaining about his team and more time passing the ball to them when they are open they might actually win a few games. Kobe is not in any way justified in his rants. It's time for the Lakers to set a pick and roll Bryant out the door.

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