Article ripping Kobe and Praising Lebron

[Mano]

I posted this Washington Post Article on another thread, but it was buried, and most probably won't see it. The article got a lot of play on the Dan Patrick radio show. Do you guys think Sally Jenkins is making valid points, or is she just a Kobe hater? Thoughts?

[AngusThermopyle]

Mark Kriegel's Fox Sports article on Kobe/Lebron

[aeest400]

I'm a Laker and a Kobe fan, but when Kobe refers to himself as a "leader" (which he often does) I think I usually unconsciously insert "team's best player" in its place.

[Ralph Wiggum]

I had some thoughts while skimming the article.

When talking about perimeter players, is having good court vision synonymous with being a good teammate or leader? I can't think of a distributing all-star level player who considered as not making his teammates better.

OTOH, shoot first guards/wings seem to be generally considered selfish players unless they win, like Mike.

I wonder if our view of leadership just something easily measurable as assists per game? Would the public predictably write that Kobe has become a better leader if he had good 3pt shooters around him?

[Taraz]

[ QUOTE ]
I had some thoughts while skimming the article.

When talking about perimeter players, is having good court vision synonymous with being a good teammate or leader? I can't think of a distributing all-star level player who considered as not making his teammates better.

OTOH, shoot first guards/wings seem to be generally considered selfish players unless they win, like Mike.

I wonder if our view of leadership just something easily measurable as assists per game? Would the public predictably write that Kobe has become a better leader if he had good 3pt shooters around him?

[/ QUOTE ]

I agree with the general sentiment that you're raising. Some of the selfishness talk has to do with him being a shoot-first player.

With that said, Kobe isn't very good at relating to other people. And he actually is a very self-centered person by most accounts. I don't think he understands that he has to help his teammates improve. He works his butt off and expects everyone else to do the same. When they don't he gets angry at them instead of convincing them to work harder.

[aeest400]

[ QUOTE ]
I had some thoughts while skimming the article.

When talking about perimeter players, is having good court vision synonymous with being a good teammate or leader? I can't think of a distributing all-star level player who considered as not making his teammates better.

OTOH, shoot first guards/wings seem to be generally considered selfish players unless they win, like Mike.

I wonder if our view of leadership just something easily measurable as assists per game? Would the public predictably write that Kobe has become a better leader if he had good 3pt shooters around him?

[/ QUOTE ]

Well, I was more or less refering to his basic leadership skills. I just don't think he relates well to people and motivates them, etc.

Edit: I wrote my post before reading Taraz's. He said what I meant to say, only a bit better.

[ThaSaltCracka]

No one wants to mention that Kobe plays in the West and Lebron plays in the East?

[Taraz]

[ QUOTE ]
No one wants to mention that Kobe plays in the West and Lebron plays in the East?

[/ QUOTE ]

It's kind of lame that these guys are saying that Kobe can learn from Kobe just because Lebron made it to the finals. The Cavs had a ridiculously easy path to the conference finals.

But there is an element of truth to what they're saying. Kobe isn't a great teammate, Lebron seems to be. This doesn't necessarily mean that he's a better player though. Lebron could learn a lot from Kobe with respect to working hard and putting forth your best effort as often as possible.

[Mano]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
No one wants to mention that Kobe plays in the West and Lebron plays in the East?

[/ QUOTE ]

It's kind of lame that these guys are saying that Kobe can learn from Kobe just because Lebron made it to the finals. The Cavs had a ridiculously easy path to the conference finals.

But there is an element of truth to what they're saying. Kobe isn't a great teammate, Lebron seems to be. This doesn't necessarily mean that he's a better player though. Lebron could learn a lot from Kobe with respect to working hard and putting forth your best effort as often as possible.

[/ QUOTE ]

From all I have heard Kobe does indeed work very hard on his game, but I have not heard that Lebron does not. Is this a common opinion?

[kidcolin]

I think Taraz means how Lebron mailed in games throughout the course of the season.