Remember this post

The day is coming sooner than expected. Kobe Bryant WILL leave the Lakers. And all of you Shaq lovers will be eating your words!!! It is simply going to come down to one or the other. Kobe is sick of being boy wonder in the dynamic duo. And with Shaq here he will never be more than #2 man. The Lakers front office better realize this before it is too late. Trade Shaq!!! It has to be done, in order to secure Bryants future with the team. Shaq is just too lazy and bored to remain a Laker. Trade him away for "Kobe friendly" players! There are so many possibilities. I know the Garnett for Shaq trade has been beat to death, but with the recent statements made by Kobe, this trade looks better and better everyday. I know I am going to catch alot of [Swearing is not permitted at Clublakers. You must edit this post prior to submitting.] for this. But before you go typing away, think of if you had to chose for just one to stay who would it be??? Because that is what it has come down to...like it or not!!

Kobe isn't goin anywhere anytime soon... this shouldn't even be a posibility... we should be thinkin about next season, not about Kobe becomin a FA after next season... Stop gettin too far ahead of urself... We all obviously have our own opinions about why Kobe hasn't picked up an extention. A lot of us feel like he's doin so to motivate Shaq that they need eachother to win championships... and then Phil signs for 3 more years. Kobe HATES losing, and I'm sure he doesn't have a big ole ego like ur makin seem he has... I'm sure he doesn't mind bein second as long as he can contribute to the team, like he's bein doin.

well If you put it that way...... I am a Laker Fan first, Kobe fan second.
Even though a player like Shaq only comes around every 15 years I would much rather keep KOBE. KOBE's work ethic, demeanor, charisma represents this Laker organization well. KOBE was born to be a LAKER and he should retire a LAKER. SHAQ's the most unstoppable, most irrisistable force in the NBA when he puts his mind to it. The key word is "when he puts his mind to it". He is a big KID which needs all the attention. If 30 million a year is not motivation enough for him to stay in shape throughout the year... then I just don't know what will... I think he needs people to get on his [Swearing is not permitted at Clublakers. You must edit this post prior to submitting.]... much like his free throw shootting. He is finally making more than half of them now... thanks to a lot of criticism. When things don't go his way SHAQ likes to finger point and never admits the blame. (I can post his comments but all of you already know just by reading other threads.)
KOBE is completely the opposite... he puts the whole team on his shoulders every year. He never gets credit. All the accolades goes to SHAQ thus the MVP's. SHAQ wouldn't have been MVP if KOBE didn't pass him the ball. KOBE is the most unselfish player in his team and maybe even the league. He is a man about pride... he prides himself in everything he sets his mind to. He is first team all NBA and all defensive team. KOBE is just so passionate about this game... you can tell it from his eyes this last playoff series where they fell to the SPURMS....I can go on and on...
So the question was asked..... who would I rather keep... KOBE, any day.

Lakers Gyrl, I think you totally misunderstood the post. Kobe is not a selfish player and not an ego maniac. That is not what I am saying at all. I am saying that Shaq is the one with the problem and If the Lakers continue to baby the bigman they are going to let Kobe slip away. Kobe is disgusted with Shaq, I do not care what he says in the media. He is sick and tired of improving his game while Shaq lets himself fall further outa shape. And if you think the only reason Kobe has decided not to sign the extension is to help negotiate for a larger payday, you are wrong!! This guy wants to be the best ever!! If the Lakers make the same mistake you are, by not realizing that he wants the personal accolades than you can start getting used to a Kobeless Lakers team. And when he is gone and Shaq has gotten fatter and slower and the Lakers have fallen to mediocrity than like I said...you will remember this post.

He's going nowhere...

He primarily opted not to sign the extension because the players agreement with the league expires at the end of next season. When that happens he can renegotiate for what could be a significant amount more.
He's a smart business guy and he's a winner. There is no other place he can go to get as much publicity, money and wins as he can here.

I'll remember the post but not for what you want us to remember it for.

But Mike, we both know that with Shaq gone, Kobe can't do it alone. Even with a few games of Shaq bein gone cuz of his surgury, Kobe was a leader, and provided for the team. He went on that mean streak and broke tons of records. Ur right, I'm sure Kobe hates havin to motivate Shaq, cuz he should already have that in him. But even Shaq said that he was so used of winning, he forgot what it took to be a champ. Hopefully he realizes that now, cuz Kobe didn't sign for an extention, and we didn't win it last season.

Lakers G I hope your right. I do not want to see Shaq go...if he can prove that the hunger to win is back!! I do not want to lose Kobe because of Shaq. That is the main message behind my post. If we can kep those two happy as Lakers than I am behind it. But if we cannot keep one because of the other than we have to let Shaq go!

Yea, i know what u sayin... we gotta keep both happy, cuz I dont wanna lose one because of the other too. I can't choose which one I'd rather keep, but if i was lookin towards the future I'd keep Kobe.. Shaq's dominant, and we need his dominance for the presence, cuz he's aging.

MIKEDOG u are an @$$ whole, the Lakers would be $hit w/ out Shaq.







Shaq and Kobe complament each other, one sux w/out the other.

hey Shaq fan you obviously dont know what the [Swearing is not permitted at Clublakers. You must edit this post prior to submitting.] you are talking about. You have your head so far up your [Swearing is not permitted at Clublakers. You must edit this post prior to submitting.] you cant see the light of day. Take a minute to remove Shaqs meat from your mouth before you start talking [Swearing is not permitted at Clublakers. You must edit this post prior to submitting.]. If Shaq does not get back into the Shaq we knew throughout his career and Kobe continues to grow and improve there will be noway that those two players can coexist on the same team. And your a moron if you think that these two players as individuals would not be superstars. Kobe is arguably the best all around player in the league and Shaq(in shape) is the most dominent in the NBA, and that would not change if they were on different teams.

Shaq Fan wrote: one sux w/out the other.

Uh, I wouldn't go as far as to say that. They [/i]are[/i] great together without a doubt. I'm a Shaq fan. I think he has alot of charisma and without a doubt IS the most dominent player in the NBA in shape or out of shape. Kobe is in a league by himself and he's just getting better. Combined they can do great things but without each other they are still who they are. Shaq would still be the Most Dominent and Kobe would still be in a League of his own. I don't know how I would feel about seeing them playin against each other though. It would be really strange to see Kobe posterize Shaq with a "Yoa Ming" type Slam in a playoff game.

Can somebody please answer my question?
Here it is: From what I know Lakers are planning to extend Shaq's contract and many of you guys think Kobe becomes FA because he wants more money. So where the hell are we going to get any more money to sign anyone besides those two? Like this season we only have enough cash for one or two good FA's. What will happen next season?
Thanks

Role Player you are exactly right!!! If we max Shaq out at 35-40mil a year what is there going to be left after Kobe gets his contract...NOTHING!!! That is exactly why I am saying that at this point the Lakers are going to have to decide on what direction they want this team to go! If you stick with Shaq you will more than likely end up losing Kobe. But if you hand the team over to Kobe for th next 10 years and add a Garnett and a couple other players than you yield alot more success in the long run.

MIKEDOG,
I see your point of view. I don't see Shaq as reliable anymore. I don't think we should trade him yet, but please DO NOT extand his contract unless next season he proves he still takes his responsibilities seriously. If we extand his contract, I don't think we'll have enough to hold on to Kobe and may end up with nothing at the end.
One more thing. Would everybody stop talking trash about our role players. With Kobe/Shaq going for all the money, we can't afford anybody else, so maybe we should give DFish, DGeorge and everybody else some credit.

I dont think kobe wil leave but next season is very influential to his decision to stay or leave.

Well, Mitch better get his act in gear to appease Kobe. And I don't think it's too early to think about Kobe's free agency. If certain issues aren't addressed this coming season, I wouldn't be surprised if Kobe wants to walk. Anyhow, if push comes to shove we should keep Kobe and trade Shaq, but let's not get ahead of ourselves.

Reddy, ur right... Whatever happens next season is gonna determine where Kobe's gonna end up. Hopefully he's just using his FA as an influence to the others, but then again, he could be lookin for another way out, where ever the opportunity may be.

Shaq is what seperates the Lakers from being a good team and a great team.

Lakers Dynasty 2000 wrote:Shaq is what seperates the Lakers from being a good team and a great team.

For some reason, I think if the Lakers win it next season, either Kobe or Shaq will take a paycut to allow the other to remain signed as a Laker ......

Or at least i'm hoping they do that.

I hope so... Kobe will be a FA after next season, so we'll see where that is after then... And Shaq will hopfully take a cut, cuz winning championships changes the perspective of things.

Mikedog,
One bad season does not make the player. Shaq rededicated himself the first year that PJ came to the team, tore up the league, and has been nursing injuries or surgery ever since.

Don't let the media ype get you, they'er trying to sell papers, not tell the truth.
Let's see how he comes into shape before you ship him out, after all he was the main reason we got those three championships.

Besides, bigmen don't grow on trees these days, and even an out of shape, fat, lazy Shaq is STILL better than most of the centers in the game today.
Shaq for KG? I think not. The Lakers sent Minny packing with a gimpy fat Shaq and Kobe with a bad shoulder.
Let him prove that he wants it, and if he doesn't, who else is going to want him anyway?

And when you think of dedication think of this:
During the playoffs last year (ring #3) Shaq would limp to the plane, limp to the game, dominate the game, and then limp back out. AND he took the endocin, even though it may have been the reason that Zo went down.

And he has also erased his other achilles heel, his freethrow shooting, so the Hack A Shaq is officially dead.

One more thing:
Remember TMac? He didn't want to be #2 , so he went to where he is #1, and still lost in the first round.