Kobe Gets A Shoe

[JohnXDoe]

Weird thread tiltle, yeah? Anyway, reports have it (I have no link) that Nike will be designing, producing, promoting, and selling a Kobe Bryant basketball shoe before the end of this season. I believe this is either to make good on a previous contract or in relation to new one. But whatever the case may be, they are giving him a shoe, so I guess they think he is marketable. And I do believe the contract is new. Or at least they are picking up the option on an old one.

What are the feelings of some of you? Can his image recover? Are people interested in buying a Kobe shoe? Do kids still want to be like him like they used to want to be "Like Mike". Seems like a long time ago because his star has fallen so much, but it was really just yesterday he was the "heir apparent", as they used to say.

Still, I notice Kobe isn't liked for a variety of reasons now. Not just the rape thing. So I guess the question is do you think his image can be resurrected as it once was, or is it simply too late? It would ssem he still wants to portray the good guy, but I'm not too sure that will work. He does have a shoe going for him, though...

Anyway, I'd buy 'em if I wore basketball shoes. I have no problem with Kobe and I think Nike has made a good move. I think Kobe will shine once again. At least to some degree. What do you guys think of him right about now? As a player and a marketable commodity? Does he still have "it".

[seanman99]

I can't comment on his basketball skills because i dont really watch basketball but i dont thnk his public image will ever recover. Between his fights with Jackson, Shaq and then add the rape on top of it. Everybody will always remember the bad things he did with the amazing things he did on the court. An example of this is Todd Bertuzzi in hockey. Although he is one of the better players in the league (id say top 60) people always remember the dirty suckerpunch from behind that he pulled on Steve Moore. Most Canadians were pissed off that he was on the Canada Olympic team. Either way Kobe's public image is not going to clear up ever.

[Illmatic]

It's about time for Kobe to start adopting a "villain" persona, because people are going to forgive him about as much as they will forgive OJ.

Maybe that's a little harsh, but there's no way his public image is ever going to be saved.

Would I get his shoe? Probably not, but I recently got a pair of D-Wades, so I don't have a need for shoes.

[Kurtz]

Kobe has a huge ego and destroyed the Lakers.

I'd never buy his shoe.

[Illmatic]

Shaq and Phil Jackson have huge egos and destroyed the Lakers.

I'd never buy his shoe.

fixed.

[Kurtz]

Has much of a baby Jackson seems to be, it has Kobe who kept complaining to Jerry Buss how he wanted to be separated from Jackson just because he was getting tired of the triangle offense.

And I could care less that Jackson badmouths hip hop culture. He might be an idiot, but I don't see how he's arrogant.

[Illmatic]

Not to mention he's an egomaniacal, condescending jerk who always finds one person (Jerry Krause in Chicago, Kobe in LA) to rally everyone against. You'll notice that whenever the Lakers won, the press attributed it to Shaq and Phil, and when they lost, they attributed it to Kobe. Phil buys into his own hype and always, always carries himself with a self-anointed "fuzzy genius" mystique. Kobe wasn't tired of the triangle offense (that was Gary Payton, for the record), Kobe was tired of Phil Jackson, and I don't blame him; Phil Jackson is a new-age Larry Brown, a man who gets results but is impossible to get along with. And is it any coincidence that the two championship runs (the Bulls in the 90's, then the Lakers in the 00's) all ended in miserable breakups? You don't think he had anything to do with this?

And Shaq was the insecure baby who found it impossible to believe that Kobe would even dare to be considered his equal, much less not like him (Like him or hate him, Kobe made a valid point that Shaq shouldn't claim that the Lakers are "his team", then show up to camp hideously out-of-shape). Shaq stubbornly refused to concede even a little spotlight to Kobe, his jealousy had to have had some part in tearing part the Lakers, am I correct?

Jerry Buss realized it was one or the other, so he decided to keep the 25 year old superstar instead of the 32 year old superstar with a history of injuries and questionable offseason training.

[Kurtz]

Phil had to deal with one of the most difficult players to control, ever, Rodman. Did he ever complain about Jackson?

I don't think Kobe has the capability to lead a team like a Shaq or a Wilt could. I always thought that when would be comparisons to whenever the Lakers lost, it was to Shaq, not Kobe. Especially last season. And also, why were the Lakers so open to resigning Phil after a terrible season with Tomjanovich?

///

One the note of the whole rape thing, I couldn't stand how he tried to keep his old image up. Crying during every interview, buying his girl the million dollar ring, ect. It got old, yet the LA media bought it.

[Illmatic]

Phil had to deal with one of the most difficult players to control, ever, Rodman. Did he ever complain about Jackson?

Let's not kid ourselves, Jordan was in charge of reigning in Rodman. Jackson really isn't into the whole "getting involved with players" thing, in Chicago he maintained a close relationship with Jordan, who led the team and in LA he maintained a close relationship with Shaq, who led the team (or at least tried his hardest to). He drew up plays every now and then and maintained an image for the media, but he did very little governing of players.

I always thought that when would be comparisons to whenever the Lakers lost, it was to Shaq, not Kobe

Oh no, whenever the Lakers lost it was because of Kobe's poor shot selection and because Kobe wouldn't pass.

One the note of the whole rape thing, I couldn't stand how he tried to keep his old image up. Crying during every interview, buying his girl the million dollar ring, ect. It got old, yet the LA media bought it.

He shaved his head, stopped smiling, and named himself after a deadly snake (the Mamba!)...how is that trying to keep his old image?

I don't think Kobe has the capability to lead a team like a Shaq or a Wilt could.

You probably picked the two worst examples of 'leaders': Wilt, a man notorious for always falling short when his team needed it the most, and Shaq, a man who needed to be traded to be properly motivated to get in shape. You couldn't have said Jordan, Bird, or Russell?

And also, why were the Lakers so open to resigning Phil after a terrible season with Tomjanovich?

Why did the Knicks go after Larry Brown even though he has a known reputation for being disloyal to his employers and untrusting and cold to his players?

[Kurtz]

He shaved his head, stopped smiling, and named himself after a deadly snake (the Mamba!)...how is that trying to keep his old image?
Shaving your head doesn't mean anything unless you're white.

You probably picked the two worst examples of 'leaders': Wilt, a man notorious for always falling short when his team needed it the most, and Shaq, a man who needed to be traded to be properly motivated to get in shape. You couldn't have said Jordan, Bird, or Russell?
You know, you're right. I used the wrong use of words. I meant dominating players. What the hell am I talking about?


Why did the Knicks go after Larry Brown even though he has a known reputation for being disloyal to his employers and untrusting and cold to his players?
They were desperate for wins; they want to be in the postseason. Look how much they paid him. But then again, the chemistry must obviously be horrendous in New York because they're not going to the playoffs this year.

[Illmatic]

Shaving your head doesn't mean anything unless you're white.

You'd be surprised.

[Kurtz]

You'd be surprised.
How?

If a Hispanic gets his head shaved, he'll automatically get the cholo label attached to him. In a city that is especially known as being the hotbed of Latino gangs, being a cholo isn't as anywhere near as taboo as being a skinhead.