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Originally posted by Porsche-O-Phile
The problem is, Kobe wants to be the "supa-stah" but then he b*tches and whines that he's not getting any support. Well, which way does he want it? Does he want to integrate himself and his playing into a "team" setting or does he want to showboat and continue to make it "all about Kobe"? He can't have it both ways.
Anyway, Kobe needs to grow up and start figuring out what his place is. If the team REALLY sucks and he's calling for the team to be gutted and rebuilt, then he needs to recognize that getting other talent around him is going to change and compartmentalize his role on that new team and his ego better take a back seat to the good of the team. I doubt he'd let that happen. At his heart, he's a showboating goon.
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At this point of his career, Kobe just wants the team to win. He has nothing left to prove to anyone as an individual player, and he knows that.
He is able to integrate himself into a team, he's done that already with this current team in the last couple of years. Problem is, it didn't work. Because the players surrounding him stink. Who are you going to have taking the last shot of the game, Smush Parker?
To contend for a title, a modern NBA team needs to have TWO superstars, a solid third player, and then some very good role players. The lakers have one superstar and a bunch of inexperienced and/or unskilled players. That's where the laker's front office screwed up. They let a lot of good people get past them in the last couple of years - Carlos Boozer, Baron Davis, etc. were all in their reach.
Another thing a modern top team needs to have is a good coach AND a respected "player/enforcer." That player has to be fully on the same page as the coach and willing to crack down on behalf of the coach. Jordan/Jackson, for example. A current example is Duncan/Popovich. And Nash/D'Antoni. Kobe and Jackson respect each other, but the relationship between them is not strong enough to work well, esp. during tough times.