Kobe Bryant: Legend on the court...and on Twitter. A user on the microblogging site recently asked the 17-time All-Star a question that he probably hears a lot. ... Read more » |
Prior to L.A.’s game against Miami last Thursday, we had a few minutes to chat with Pau Gasol in a discussion that was initially about the improved play of Andrew Bynum, centered upon his willingness to focus on defense and rebounding. "I think it’s a very mature thing for Andrew to understand,” said Gasol. "Just like when I got to this team, you have to understand, where can you contribute the most, what can you do to be the biggest contributor. What do we need out of a player the most?” That got us to thinking. What does Gasol consider to be the areas in which he can most contribute? Our ensuing discussion involved his mindset in general with the team, his ever-developing relationship with Kobe Bryant (Black Swan, Black Mamba?) and more. Below is a transcription of the conversation: MT: Versatility and efficiency are two things upon which I know you pride yourself. Do you have to re-eva ... Read more » |
Could Kobe Bryant’s 12th All-Star game, in which he locked up his fourth MVP award to match Bob Pettit’s all-time record, have been his finest? His first came way back in 1998, when at 19, he was the youngest All-Star in NBA history. On Sunday afternoon at STAPLES Center it was 13 years later, but his legs looked explosive like they had in the late 90′s. No. 24 looked more like No. 8 as he rose for an array of dunks from various angles, including a baseline reverse early in the first that may have been the best dunk of a game in which he tallied a personal career high of 37 points. "He’s one hell of a player,” said Western Coach Gregg Popovich. "He’s Kobe. He does things like that, we shouldn’t be surprised.” Five dunks, an array of jumpers and drive ... Read more » |
While clicking through some hoops articles before the Lakers tipped off in Memphis on Monday night, I noticed the following stat from a Yahoo.com post by Joe Dorish on the players who’ve played the most games in NBA history: Right now, Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan have played the exact same number of NBA games: 1,072. Bryant has actually already played more playoff games, 198-179, but the regular season number seemed worthy of its own post. |
26,972 Points scored in the career of Kobe Bryant, which places him at No. 8 on the all-time scoring list. With his 13th point in the first quarter that came on a one-handed dunk, Bryant surpassed Hakeem Olajuwon (26,946 points). |
That Kobe Bryant will be elected as an All-Star starter for the 13th consecutive season was a foregone conclusion, particularly after the NBA announced that he led all players with 1,757,216 votes after the fourth round of ballot returns. During Thursday night’s special All-Star Selection Show on TNT, it was announced that Bryant will indeed start at guard for the Western Conference, where he’ll represent the Lakers in front of a hometown crowd for the second time in his career (2004). Bryant finished with 2,380,016 votes, and with his 13th straight selection, is only one behind record holders Jerry West, Karl Malone and Shaquille O’Neal, earning 14 consecutive nods apiece. It will be the 12th A.S. game in which Bryant plays, as he missed last year’s contest due to a sprained left ankle. To account for the other two seaso ... Read more » |