Has Kobe Won Bill Simmons' Respect?

by PURPLE AND GOLD FOR LIFE on Dec 11, 2009 7:27 AM PST Comment 26 comments

The Godfather- Respect Poster

I am not sure if any of you have read this article that was published back in November of this year. Personally, I am not as well versed as some of you are on Bill Simmons. Some swear that you will never read his articles while others respect his writing skills but hate the shots he takes at Kobe and the Lakers. Also, there are some writers whose references are too intelligent for me. That being said I am wondering if he is being sarcastic or if he is being honest with his new found respect for Kobe. You guys tell me.

FYI...This article is not just about Kobe but Bill's "sports-hate" and how that hate is diminishing for those he enjoys taking shots at in the world of sports.

3. Kobe Bryant won a title his way -- by establishing a Kobe and the Kobettes dynamic that actually worked -- becoming one of the ten best NBA players ever and proving he could prevail without Shaq. If that wasn't jarring enough, Shaq's exit from Phoenix marked the fourth time he left a team on bad terms, making everyone re-evaluate the whole "Was Kobe really the bad guy in the Shaqobe Divorce?" saga that had been buried years ago. Maybe Kobe wasn't as much to blame as we thought. Maybe Shaq was the problem. Maybe the hotel clerk lied about him. Maybe he took a ton of flak for no reason. Maybe he's … (gulp) … a good guy and a family man who works his butt off and never seems satisfied and kills himself to get better every summer and maybe … (gulp) … was greater than we thought. Damn it all.

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmonsnflpicks/091113

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i think he just finally ran out of reasons

to hate on kobe. hes a winner, cant hate on that.

" I'm a human, not a sandwich"

by true_lakerfan on Dec 11, 2009 10:04 AM PST reply actions

We need Bill Simmons

He is the person I love to hate, not literally “hate” him but sports hate. How many times do many of us on SS&R use his quotes to fire us up. I’ve seen him on a late show saying “I want Laker fans to hate me because I hate Kobe and the Lakers”. But added “that’s sport hate and it belongs in sports” I agree with him and we do need it. I feel if we didn’t have the C’s to hate on, life would be boring. I actually do think he was being sincere with a hint of sarcasm thrown in. He can’t hate on Kobe for all the reasons he used before such “selfish”, “he ran shaq out of town”, “can’t win without shaq”, “he doesn’t know how to lead”, “his teammates don’t like him”. Which Kobe proved him wrong with winning a chip, shaq going on his fourth team and being a great team leader.

by Ray DLC on Dec 11, 2009 10:24 AM PST reply actions

I was looking at your picture (of Kobe's puppet fingers) and it reminded me....

Wouldn’t that t-shirt he wore at the parade have been better if it said “check my fingers” below the hand? It was around the same time as LeBron’s “check my stats” t-shirt.

Just something that went through my head.

Billy Mac: "Lamar, can you see yourself actually getting in the (boxing) ring"?
Lamar Odom: "No. My face is too pretty."

by pslakerfan on Dec 11, 2009 1:23 PM PST up reply actions

Yeah

I was thinking of something similar but just the pix of the rings says it all.

by Ray DLC on Dec 11, 2009 2:40 PM PST up reply actions

I think

I’d rather not have Kobe seem as thick and absorbed with himself as Lebron

by Marty Mart on Dec 11, 2009 9:23 PM PST up reply actions

ditto

by altree on Dec 12, 2009 12:01 AM PST up reply actions

At least he isn’t doesn’t cry rape or believe in all the conspiracies like many other haters do. Simmons hates the Lakers, period. But at least he openly confesses to his biases and I think his readers fully understand that.

If Kobe were a 13 year Celtic and Pierce were a Laker, I bet he’d love Kobe every bit as much as he loves PP, and hate Pierce almost as much. It’s not hard to find reasons to root for/against players.

by brianfbb on Dec 11, 2009 12:59 PM PST reply actions

that?

thats just poetic justice in vivid color my good man…

Lakers, Hurricanes, Dolphins
Imagine my sports world in the 80's. They're almost back, 'ceptin the Dolphins

by LAKESHOWrydamee on Dec 11, 2009 1:23 PM PST reply actions

i remember this

hes kinda bitterly admitting this
but still, brilliant!

Leave Chad Billingsley alone!!!

by shaqfor3 on Dec 11, 2009 4:37 PM PST reply actions

Kobe doesn’t need to Win anyone’s respect. His accomplishments speak for themselves.

by West-Coast21 on Dec 11, 2009 5:17 PM PST reply actions

I enjoy Bill Simmon's work

One of the most entertaining writers out there. He’s just a Boston guy, it doesn’t bother me that he takes shots at Kobe of being selfish and blah. If I were in his position, I’d take shots at his team, too.

by Julio Nievas on Dec 11, 2009 6:40 PM PST reply actions

I defenitely agree as far as doing the same thing if I was in his position.

"These young guys are playing checkers. I'm out there playing chess" - Kobe

by PURPLE AND GOLD FOR LIFE on Dec 11, 2009 9:57 PM PST up reply actions

The machine

The best is by far is his utter undying hatred Sasha. The greatest irony of the world would be if sasha somehow ended up on the C’s

by HaloFanInDC on Dec 11, 2009 7:03 PM PST reply actions

I avoid all Bill Simmon's work on ESPN.com

as I do any writer who has bias or hate for the Lakers and that little sample at the top about his article(cause I didn’t catch it in Nov. either) but that little piece smells like sarcasm to me and I don’t by his new found brain….

There are basic Fundamentals that are needed to move forward in this game. Always keep your guard up at all times to avoid being caught in a trap. Overcome the fouls that will be commited against you REBOUND AND PRESS ON. ADJUST to the LimeLight: ALL-STAR PLAYERS ARE ALWAYS THE CENTER OF ATTENTION. Know what your role is and play your position. Find a game plan and execute it. REMEMBER YOU ONLY GET OUT OF THE GAME WHAT YOU PUT INTO IT.

by BrittneyM on Dec 11, 2009 7:38 PM PST reply actions

Hey Brittney

I suggest reading his stuff. Sort of like “getting to know thy enemy”. All the beanie baby’s (boston fans) think his words are Gospel. Just a suggestion not required reading.

by Ray DLC on Dec 11, 2009 10:30 PM PST reply actions

Sorry, I've caught some of his work(1 or 2 articles) and wasn't impressed so I'll pass on anything New

by BrittneyM on Dec 12, 2009 4:16 PM PST up reply actions

The Two Bills

Plaschke and Simmons are very good writers as far as sportswriting goes, but their still bobbleheads. The only way to keep interest is to have a strong point of view, it doesn’t mattter whether you change your mind later. So I wouldn’t put much thought into what his opinion’s are, however positive or negative they may be.

It’s how he says it, not what he’s saying that makes his writing entertaining. But that’s not very filling, as there’s not much substance behind his words.

"This is not a game for boys. This is a game for men." - Phil Jackson

by Gils_Keloids on Dec 12, 2009 12:07 AM PST reply actions

Simmons is a good writer

While Bill Simmons will readily admit many of his shortcomings, a certain LA Times writer will continue to make the same, tired points.

Over and over again.

No finesse in his writing. A repetitive style. Over and over again.

His name is Bill Plaschke.

by The Dude Abides on Dec 12, 2009 6:32 AM PST reply actions

I don't like him either

by Julio Nievas on Dec 12, 2009 4:49 PM PST up reply actions

i and chad billingsley dont like bill plaschke.

Leave Chad Billingsley alone!!!

by shaqfor3 on Dec 12, 2009 9:03 PM PST up reply actions

After reading that

I can see most likely that kobe finally did what he never expected him to which was win a championship. So he’s probably begrudgingly accepting the fact that he’s good, but still has enough sports-hate that he is waiting for a reason to point out something bad about his favorite players to hate.

by Marty Mart on Dec 12, 2009 11:38 AM PST reply actions

A big theme of my book is The Secret of winning basketball, something Isiah Thomas explains to me at a topless pool in Las Vegas. (The Secret, in a nutshell: Teams only win titles when their best players forget about statistics, sublimate their own games for the greater good and put their egos on hold.) Another big theme of my book: Kobe Bryant’s inability to grasp The Secret. He wanted to win a title, but only on his terms. That’s what made him the most fascinating player of his generation. In the book, I even spend three pages comparing him to the wolf in Teen Wolf.

by Julio Nievas on Dec 16, 2009 1:25 PM PST up reply actions

Fast-forward to a few weeks ago: A reporter asks Kobe if he still has room to grow as a player. Kobe responds, “I do, I do. I think there’s so much more to understand. A lot of it just has to do with winning. When you first come into the league, you’re trying to prove yourself as an individual, do things to assert yourself and establish yourself. But once you’ve done that, there’s another level to the game that’s more complex than figuring out how to put up big numbers as an individual.” (That’s right, The Secret! He finally gets it! Man, I wish this were in my book.)

by Julio Nievas on Dec 16, 2009 1:25 PM PST up reply actions