In the winter of 2004, a lot of people started calling me Cheddar Ted on account of my exceptional rapping abilities. It's a nom de guerre I didn't initially take to, but I'm really warming up to it now. This is the Blog of Theodore "Cheddar Ted" Bressman. You think you know, and you probably do.
It’s insane that Lakers fans can, in earnest, claim that this season marks Kobe’s transformation as a team-oriented leader. “Kobe’s matured so much in the past six months,” they’ll have you believe. “Who cares if it’s his 12th season in the NBA? He’s finally becoming the leader we knew he could be.” That's right, it's Kobe's 12th season, and he's still a horrible teammate and a shabby captain. His on-the-court leadership is haphazard at best, his post-game remarks are transparently calculated, and his rooftop stunts are just plain boring. He’s like King Midas’ evil twin. Everything he touches has an adulterated air of selfishness.
I've felt this way for many years, but this season is more annoying than most since I now live in LA and never realized how much people here idolize him and respect him as a leader. Listen - no true leader would start a championship season, or any season for that matter, demanding a trade. Such a demand reflects an intrinsically selfish approach to the game that isn’t erased by a few extra passes and some on the record comments about how much the young players have developed. If you want an example of how a disgruntled player should behave, take a look at Kevin Garnett. He hated playing in Minnesota, but he kept his mouth shut and played like a gentleman. And the truth is, if Kobe were as good as he would have you believe, why would he need a trade? Shouldn’t the most arrogant player in the history of the game be able to put together a respectable post-season campaign with whatever hand he’s dealt?After last night’s sweep over the Nuggets, the first thing I thought was, “wow. I’d rather be J.R. Smith than Kobe. At least that dude’s fire is real.” I tend not to idolize anyone (and that includes J.R. Smith), but at the end of the day, J.R.’s a Duck and Kobe’s a Hawk. And no one wants to see such an on-the-court scumbag win an MVP title.
By all objective accounts, Kobe should be the MVP. He led a decent supporting cast to the number 1 seed in arguably the most difficult conference in the history of the league. He is the best offensive player this century, and he’s chillingly clutch in the fourth quarter. But here’s my point: No one cares Kobe. No one wants you to win. Kids probably don’t even like you.And people are putting together pretty convincing arguments for Chris Paul and Kevin Garnett. Maybe it’s because every time either of them step to the foul line fans aren’t shouting "MVP" like they were at a 1946 political rally for Juan Peron. Maybe it's because neither of them really seem to care about the award. The same cannot be said for Kobe.LA fans will now claim that Kobe has finally learned to play within the context of the team, but it’s clear he hasn’t. His efforts to foster offensive cohesiveness are so blatantly forced, it’s like he’s selfless out of necessity – so he can finally shed his image of being a selfish player.Chris Paul and Kevin Garnett play a team game out of instinct. They pass at the right times; they shoot when they’re open or feeling it, and they don’t force their own personal agenda against double teams and traps. They don’t vacillate between periods of excessive passing and stretches of fade-away threes and head-down dribbling. They play the right way all the time, and that’s why they are leaders. That’s why people get behind them.Kobe Bryant and Lakers fans may have been somewhat successful in perpetuating the myth within Los Angeles that he’s magically become a selfless player, but anyone who understands the game realizes that basketball is not about sometimes playing within a team concept and sometimes just deciding not to pass. It’s not about smugly calling “J.R. Smith a good young player,” or pretending you love a team you hated less than nine months ago just because of Pau Gasol. Kobe has been in the NBA now for twelve seasons. It’s time for him to grow up and realize basketball is played five-on-five.
THANK YOU! I feel like I'm taking crazy pills having people in LA all over his jock after watching this asshole popping his jersey and akwardly screaming at the home crowd after hitting an 18 foot jumper against a WOEFUL #8 seed.Act as if Kobe, act as if....Also, let us not forget that he opened this season by throwing Bynum under the bus after the non Bynum-Kidd trade and then began lobbying for a trade. Then when he realized his young/role players really developed (no thanks to him) he went along for the ride playing a horribly forced "Team Leader" role.He makes me so sick simply because he's one of the fakest players in Association.Ugh, now I'm riled up.....
cheddar is a scum bag. this argument makes no sense.
You may have a point but you are mean! If you were from LA, you might get it. It's not all about Kobe, it's about the Lakers. Gasol, Odom, Fisher + the entire Lakers bench have all stepped up - You gotta give Kobe SOME credit! Imagine how great they're gonna be when Bynum is healthy next season! Let's also remember it's HOLLYWOOD ...and peeps like to see the drama and Kobe likes to serve it up and give it to them. So you can SUCK IT! :)Found you via Huge in Asia . com
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3 comments:
THANK YOU! I feel like I'm taking crazy pills having people in LA all over his jock after watching this asshole popping his jersey and akwardly screaming at the home crowd after hitting an 18 foot jumper against a WOEFUL #8 seed.
Act as if Kobe, act as if....
Also, let us not forget that he opened this season by throwing Bynum under the bus after the non Bynum-Kidd trade and then began lobbying for a trade. Then when he realized his young/role players really developed (no thanks to him) he went along for the ride playing a horribly forced "Team Leader" role.
He makes me so sick simply because he's one of the fakest players in Association.
Ugh, now I'm riled up.....
cheddar is a scum bag. this argument makes no sense.
You may have a point but you are mean! If you were from LA, you might get it. It's not all about Kobe, it's about the Lakers. Gasol, Odom, Fisher + the entire Lakers bench have all stepped up - You gotta give Kobe SOME credit! Imagine how great they're gonna be when Bynum is healthy next season! Let's also remember it's HOLLYWOOD ...and peeps like to see the drama and Kobe likes to serve it up and give it to them. So you can SUCK IT! :)
Found you via Huge in Asia . com
Post a Comment