Kobe Bryant Calls 'Players Only' Meeting To Discuss Trade Rumors
by SB Nation NBA News on Feb 22, 2012 9:01 AM PST
in News
Email
Print
(SB Nation Los Angeles, Scott Coleman) The Los Angeles Lakers picked up a big victory on Monday night as they knocked off the Portland Trail Blazers with a stellar defensive effort. While players-only meetings typically come after a tough loss or amid a losing streak, Kobe Bryant and Derek Fisher called for one anyway.
As for why, reports are indicating it was for nothing more than to set the tone for the second half of the season, especially with trade rumors likely to surround the team in the coming weeks.
Here was a tidbit from the latest update, courtesy of ESPN's Chris Broussard:
Their message was clear: Trade rumors do not matter; your feelings about management or the coaching staff don't matter; all that matters is that the 14 men in that locker room support and believe in one another. If they stay together and stay on the same page, they can get to where they want to go as a team.
The Lakers have a tough stretch of games coming up, including showdowns with Oklahoma City and Dallas this week, and it will be interesting to see how the team responds after the meeting. There is definitely no lack of leadership with this team and Lakers fans can only hope the strong defensive play continues.
44 comments
|
Add comment
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
steven A smith was on espn this morning...
and was asked about this very same topic and hes said that…“kobe bryant HATES jim buss right now…he absolutley cant stand him”. we all know about the team meeting and what not, about keeping things in house, but its pretty clear the stamp jim buss put on his franchize is not good.
I dont believe anything that man says.
He’ll say pretty much anything to get people to listen to him.
"What we want to remember—what we will remember—is the indelible vision of Kobe, his arms outstretched, delirious with joy and disbelief, running after and grabbing hold of Lamar Odom’s floating downcourt pass, while all the purple and gold streamers in the world are raining down on the hardwood." - Brian Tung
by LakersFoEva on Feb 22, 2012 10:17 AM PST up reply actions
That ^^^^
"I keep telling everybody we’re going to be fine," Bryant said. "This is the start of the year and it’s tough to kind of get out on the road. We had some very tough opponents to start the season with on the road. It’s kind of getting used to everything with no practices. We’re going to be A-OK."
by Zen and Tonic on Feb 22, 2012 12:41 PM PST up reply actions
^^ Those ^^
If you can't laugh at yourself... laugh at someone else
by x Nightwing x on Feb 22, 2012 1:43 PM PST via mobile up reply actions
^^^^^ These
"I don't mind being the goat. I don't mind being the villain, hated. I've been that my whole career, so it's not like that's anything new. I don't mind people jumping on the bandwagon or jumping off. I just focus on playing the game." -Ron Artest
"Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall." -Confucius
FWIW, Stephen A Smith also said.....
that his sources told him “Kobe called Jim Buss to tell him he would help with the coaching search but call wasn’t returned and that two still haven’t talked yet.” This supposed call happen over the summer.
by E-ROC on Feb 22, 2012 3:28 PM PST via Android app up reply actions
It's so obvious, this season is..... Helms Deep
we got the big 3; Aragorn(Kobe), Gimli(Bynum), and Legolas(Pau…obviously); and a bunch of dudes on our team who have seen too many winters or too few. We’re surrounded by all these issues; condensed season, trade rumors, a bad new coach, no phil jackson (gandalf), losing lamar to temporary insanity(boromir), not getting chris paul(the work of david sarumon), and pretty much every other team getting stronger(a new power rising with the orcs). This is the part where the gang gets on their horses together and rides out in a blaze of glory; hopefully someone shows to help before they all get hacked to pieces though.
this wasn’t nerdy at all shuttup.
Maybe I'll just fade into Bolivian
by Uncle Leo on Feb 22, 2012 10:36 AM PST reply actions 12 recs
ROFL
I will die a Lakers fan; but first I want at least 10 more championships
"All glory is fleeting" - Gen. George S. Patton, Jr.
by midnightrider1961 on Feb 22, 2012 11:38 AM PST up reply actions
Nope, not nerdy at all.
Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe. - Albert Einstein
Captain Obvious, er, MagicJohnson: Kobe, Bynum & Gasol all must step up big to beat the @DallasMavs.
Tweetness
Hopefully Gandalf comes back
Just like in the movie
Gandalf = Phil Jackson?
Already came back once.
by conejito on Feb 22, 2012 12:07 PM PST up reply actions 2 recs
And brings Eomer with him, just like in the movie
Eomer = random NBA league average point guard
by The Dude Abides on Feb 22, 2012 12:26 PM PST up reply actions
I can't believe this Helm's Deep post is not green :)
by The Dude Abides on Feb 22, 2012 12:28 PM PST up reply actions
Like the Shire
Great post
"I keep telling everybody we’re going to be fine," Bryant said. "This is the start of the year and it’s tough to kind of get out on the road. We had some very tough opponents to start the season with on the road. It’s kind of getting used to everything with no practices. We’re going to be A-OK."
by Zen and Tonic on Feb 22, 2012 12:42 PM PST up reply actions
lol...All I know is that we still have a fighting chance.
btw..the new power rising has to be the Clippers.
THE BANDWAGON: Championship? lol you’ve gotta b kidding. - Emmceee /we aren't winning anything this year man - BlueXfalcon / We arent winning anything this year - Lakergirl / we aren’t winning anything this yurrrrr - Tkuang /I expect them to make it past the first round, but I will be very happy if they make it past the second.- Gil M. / We aren’t gonna win anything this year, dude - Aethereal / don't think we will win anything this year. Seriously-CLDPC / I’m not expecting something big from this Lakers team this season - Yoshifan
Then...WHO IS SAURON??
I shudder at the thought that something worse may still be lurking in the future…
by Number Nine on Feb 22, 2012 10:00 PM PST up reply actions
They can call all the meetings they want but if guys cant play they just cant play
Which is the problem we have. We have some guys who just cant play worth a damn. Meetings wont help it. Pats on the back wont help it. Shipping them out and replacing them with guys who will get it done is the only option. The trade deadline cant get here fast enough.
See me on Twitter follow me @ EddieCheeze, Catch me on FB friend me Eddie Cheeze, See my group on youtube listen to us Hood Platinum, want me ta kill a track email me Cheeze2k11@gmail.com....Im errwhere
by EmmCeee on Feb 22, 2012 10:54 AM PST via Android app reply actions 1 recs
Thank you!
THE BANDWAGON: Championship? lol you’ve gotta b kidding. - Emmceee /we aren't winning anything this year man - BlueXfalcon / We arent winning anything this year - Lakergirl / we aren’t winning anything this yurrrrr - Tkuang /I expect them to make it past the first round, but I will be very happy if they make it past the second.- Gil M. / We aren’t gonna win anything this year, dude - Aethereal / don't think we will win anything this year. Seriously-CLDPC / I’m not expecting something big from this Lakers team this season - Yoshifan
Lol
Sad but true
"I don't mind being the goat. I don't mind being the villain, hated. I've been that my whole career, so it's not like that's anything new. I don't mind people jumping on the bandwagon or jumping off. I just focus on playing the game." -Ron Artest
"Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall." -Confucius
Requesting:
Excerpts, or the gist of the Hollinger: Per Diem piece where he argues the Lakers should trade Pau.
Lakers and Patriots forever.
Here was gyst of it...
The Lakers are mediocre by every definition (he then quotes a half dozen stats supporting the position)
The Lakers have a great big three but the rest of the cast is awful outside of Matt Barnes (uses PER and his new “BAD” statistic to support the point).
The Lakers have no tradeable assets outside of Gasol as Bynum won’t be traded (unless straight up for Howard) and Kobe can nix any deal.
The general rule is to never trade a blue chip player (Gasol) for a bunch of red chips but upgrading three or four players from awful to decent could yeild a significant improvement (see the Knicks PG situation as an example).
The trades he throws out two examples: Gasol for Scola, Dragic, Morris, and Buttinger from Houston or West, Hill, and Jones from Indiana.
by Actuarially Sound on Feb 22, 2012 12:42 PM PST up reply actions
and both of those trades are interesting....
"What we want to remember—what we will remember—is the indelible vision of Kobe, his arms outstretched, delirious with joy and disbelief, running after and grabbing hold of Lamar Odom’s floating downcourt pass, while all the purple and gold streamers in the world are raining down on the hardwood." - Brian Tung
Anybody listen to Magic on power106 this morning?
He said Mitch is only doing what Jim Buss wants him to do.
http://twitter.com/lalnever
There was never any doubt about that.
Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe. - Albert Einstein
Captain Obvious, er, MagicJohnson: Kobe, Bynum & Gasol all must step up big to beat the @DallasMavs.
Tweetness
It's Magic talking, remember?
If you can't laugh at yourself... laugh at someone else
by x Nightwing x on Feb 22, 2012 1:44 PM PST via mobile up reply actions
Wonder if Kobe went Glenngary on them
Put that coffee down!!….First place—the championship, Second place—second round exit and a set of steak knives, third place—you fired. Do I have your attention now?
"It seemed that Brandon's financial manager had speculated in some kind of futures and lost everything...Mary could not rid her mind of the word "speculate." It meant to guess, in terms of money to gamble. How could a man gamble a college?"
From the short story, In the Garden of North American Martyrs--Tobias Wolff
GET TO THE RIM HEAT (and SKY)! ATTACK THE PAINT!
by mjtig on Feb 22, 2012 11:27 AM PST via mobile reply actions
I'm waiting for the old man to wake up and come into Jim's office to say
You’re Fired!
by Chaz, make that a gin and tonic on Feb 22, 2012 11:32 AM PST reply actions 1 recs
ur SN is ridiculous
"What we want to remember—what we will remember—is the indelible vision of Kobe, his arms outstretched, delirious with joy and disbelief, running after and grabbing hold of Lamar Odom’s floating downcourt pass, while all the purple and gold streamers in the world are raining down on the hardwood." - Brian Tung
by LakersFoEva on Feb 22, 2012 12:21 PM PST up reply actions
Jim Buss
Why was this man put in charge ?…….LA is NOT ready for this !!!!!!!……
Jim Buss is a FOLLOWER, not a leader!
We are in trouble with this dude at the helm.
We need to bring someone in, whom he can follow.
Not!
Won’t happen.
We are becoming the Clown organization in sports.
Jim should switch places with his Sister,
who has more pull around the league than he does.
She’s also not a FOLLOWER.
Sometimes Jerry Buss, what we want, doesn't come through for us.
Sorry Jerry,
I just don’t see it in Jim.
It’s not a crime, choices we make sometimes just Fail.
The best part is that Kobe and Fish called the meeting telling everyone not to worry about being traded. One guy will never be traded. The other can’t be traded because nobody wants him.
Yup, that's what it was all about.
Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe. - Albert Einstein
Captain Obvious, er, MagicJohnson: Kobe, Bynum & Gasol all must step up big to beat the @DallasMavs.
Tweetness
lol
So it probably fell on deaf ears…Thas like a millionaire telling someone living check to check not to worry about money lol
See me on Twitter follow me @ EddieCheeze, Catch me on FB friend me Eddie Cheeze, See my group on youtube listen to us Hood Platinum, want me ta kill a track email me Cheeze2k11@gmail.com....Im errwhere
by EmmCeee on Feb 22, 2012 3:22 PM PST via Android app up reply actions
Kobe
was quoted at shoot around saying he did not call a players meeting and also quoted saying it was Fish who called the meeting.
by SKOOBZ805 on Feb 22, 2012 4:45 PM PST via iPhone app reply actions
Something to say? Choose one of these options to log in.
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
NBA Playoffs Content Module
Related FanPosts on Silver Screen and Roll
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Recommended FanPosts
Recent FanPosts
Featured Stories
FanShots
Quick hits of video, photos, quotes, chats, links and lists that you find around the web.
Recent FanShots
In Association With
Ball Don't Lie - NBA - Yahoo! Sport
- Shaquille O’Neal is in a Chinese beer commercial, too (VIDEO)
- ‘Deep Thoughts’ and Cheap Thoughts: San Antonio Spurs vs. Oklahoma City Thunder
- C-a-C: This is probably as close to LeBron James working with John Waters as we’ll ever get
- Dwyane Wade’s hot pink pants: The kind of thing you can get away with when you drop 41
- Lamar Odom to New York? Dwight Howard on the move? For now, it’s all talk
