141 replies to this topic

[Red94]

New post: Lakers believe Kobe Bryant has torn his Achilles
By: rahat huq

This is unreal.  I'm still literally in shock.  After Rockets-Grizzlies ended, I switched over to watch Lakers-Warriors in its entirety.  I bought League Pass two months ago, and while they were playing horrific, I picked the Lakers in my 5 just to watch Kobe play.

You can't even put the emotions into words.  You felt sadness for Rose and Rondo.  But this is something else - another world.  I'm watching the reactions come in on Twitter from various media personalities, and the entire basketball world at this moment is in a coma.  One of basketball's most iconic figures ever may have just walked off the court for the last time.  Simply unreal.

I can't even collect all of my thoughts completely right now.  First, it's almost as if, the way this guy pushed himself, you almost knew this was how he would end up going out.  Second, it seems almost more incredible that Michael Jordan somehow managed to not suffer any major injuries later in his career.

I just watched Kobe's postgame lockerroom interview and he said that he knew the injury had occurred because he heard the pop.  Not an achilles, but I tore my ACL completely three months ago and also heard "the pop."  Let me tell those of you who have been fortunate enough to have never torn any ligaments: "the pop" is the single loudest sound a person can hear in their life.  It sounds literally like a firecracker, or a bullet being shot out of a gun.

Kobe will rehab and come back.  But at 34, he will never be the same and this is not how it should've ended.  Regardless of how you feel about the man himself or even his flaws as a player, he is and was undeniably the hardest working man to have graced the hardwood and a modern day artist.  This game will not be the same in his absence and we were privileged to have witnessed his greatness over these last two decades.

[Mason Khamvilay]

He was already talking about possible retirement, this might actually be it. One of the greatest of all time, a real cool cat and a real hard worker.

[phaketrash]

I had the same reactions as you Rahat. I never thought I liked Kobe that much, though I always respected his game, his attitude, his work ethic and drive. Wow, that sure sounds like I should like the guy, and tonight showed me I definitely do. I am in shock that he might be done...I'm sad if he is just done for this season!...much less his whole career. One of the best track records when it comes to health/avoiding injuries, but it finally got him.

 

A legend of a player who is a tough cat. He'd play through that injury if he physically could haha. Will be missed.

[Mario Peña]

I personally am not moved very much by Kobe's injury, maybe it is because of my age but I came up watching Hakeem and the guys in the 80's and early 90's. I imagine for some of you younger guys the end of Kobe's career is the end of an era if you will. It is definitely unfortunate for the NBA to lose some star power but when you play with fire you gonna get burned. He played too many minutes plain and simple, about 47 a game the last half dozen games. Tip of the hat to the hardest working man in the Association but this show goes on. I am more interested in the repercussions. How does this effect the Lakers' front office strategy? How does the landscape in the Western Conference change next year?

[Rahat Huq]

I personally am not moved very much by Kobe's injury, maybe it is because of my age but I came up watching Hakeem and the guys in the 80's and early 90's. I imagine for some of you younger guys the end of Kobe's career is the end of an era if you will. It is definitely unfortunate for the NBA to lose some star power but when you play with fire you gonna get burned. He played too many minutes plain and simple, about 47 the last dozen games. Tip of the hat to the hardest working man in the Association but this show goes on. I am more interested in the repercussions. How does this effect the Lakers' front office strategy? How does the landscape in the Western Conference change next year?

That's a good point.  I'm 28.  I only watched the tail end of Jordan and Hakeem's careers.  (post 30's.)  The top-15 all time caliber stars I've seen from start to finish are Garnett, Duncan, Shaq, and Kobe.  The difference here is how sudden it was.  Those first 3 guys all have been on a steady decline whereas Bryant may have just had his best season ever.  

[timetodienow1234567]

Here's just a few points I thought I'd make.

 

Two things can happen....

 

1) The Lakers amnesty Kobe, trade Pau, re-sign Dwight, pick up Mayo/other guys who can do well in D'Antoni's system and reload and win 65 games next year(assuming Nash stays healthy).

 

2) The Lakers hang onto Kobe, Dwight leaves to Dallas or Houston(he has a plausible excuse now). Kobe doesn't come back until late next year or the year after. The Lakers contend for the 6th spot(if Nash stays healthy) or miss out on the playoffs again(if Nash isn't). They won't have any salary cap room to pick anybody up unless they amnesty Kobe.

[Mason Khamvilay]

What happens if Kobe retires? Does he still get that last year of his salary? 

[PKM]

Here's just a few points I thought I'd make.

 

Two things can happen....

 

1) The Lakers amnesty Kobe, trade Pau, re-sign Dwight, pick up Mayo/other guys who can do well in D'Antoni's system and reload and win 65 games next year(assuming Nash stays healthy).

 

2) The Lakers hang onto Kobe, Dwight leaves to Dallas or Houston(he has a plausible excuse now). Kobe doesn't come back until late next year or the year after. The Lakers contend for the 6th spot(if Nash stays healthy) or miss out on the playoffs again(if Nash isn't). They won't have any salary cap room to pick anybody up unless they amnesty Kobe.

65 wins?  The SSOL Suns at their peak never won 65 games, and you think a team of Dwight Howard, a half-dead Nash, and a bunch of other random dudes can make a 65 win team?  That's ridiculous.

[Cooper]

Kobe will be back next year, he's not going out like this and there is a zero percent chance they amnesty him.

[Mason Khamvilay]

https://twitter.com/...3926785/photo/1

[timetodienow1234567]

Those Suns never had Dwight. I think a fully healthy Dwight and that's why I said Nash had to be healthy. I don't know if he'll ever be again. But Dwight at full strength is deadly. They would have the room to add a Toney Allen, Mayo, lots of other guys. They would retool their roster to fit D'Antoni's system. They'll make the playoffs if they amnesty Kobe and trade Pau. They could get some PFs from us for Pau. Other teams would want Pau as well. Probably not 65, more like 57-60.

[phaketrash]

I think FS makes a good point on why I have such a strong emotional reaction to Kobe's demise. I am definitely on the younger side and grew up watching him. I have always appreciated how hard he worked, and of course the natural talent he had, but really how hard he worked! His training programs are legen...wait for it...

 

The stories of his training programs are legendary. Six-hour shooting sessions in the middle of the night. Three-hour bike rides or swim workouts before practice. 

 

I  mean, the guy fights, and even now, I am pretty sure he'll have the will to fight through this and come back at 35. But for LAL ramifications, I don't think it is so black and white that they won't amnesty him.

 

If the injury is bad and he is out for ALL of next season (instead of him healing fast and being ready by the end of all star break), I think amnestying him might make the most sense. I mean, emotionally it is a hit, so they'd have to discuss it with him. But even for Kobe it just makes more sense. He still takes home the $30M. No other team will take him if he is out all of next season, and even if they did, his contract ends at the end of the season (and he can essentially refuse to play by saying he's still rehabbing). Then bam, sign him to the MLE or something for his comeback. LAL would be soooo much more dangerous, and they would save $80M off their payroll for next yr. Absurd. They could try to get equal value back for Pau if they decided to move him (or whatever equal value is for him) since they aren't dealing him under the gun now. Re-sign Dwight easily and sign some other players as well. 

 

It is just...will they incur the wrath of their fans by amnestying Kobe. Kobe would not suit up w/ another team in the interim, and would still come back, at a great discount, which helps the franchise. Kobe still gets his $30M, but LAL saves $50M out of the $80M they would have otherwise had to pay.

[Mario Peña]

I imagine if Kobe isn't with the Lakers next year because of some decision by Buss and their front office there will be a revolt in Los Angeles and the suits know that. I think he will be back but won't consistently be the factor he once was.

[Jeby]

<br /><br />I've never felt so conflicted about an athlete before. <br />
Kobe Bryant is my least favorite personality in all of professional sports. I've rooted against him in every game he has ever played (my dad is a Celtics fan, so I inherited some sports hate). I'm convinced that for much of his career, he has been protected by the league's vested economic interest in his (Lakers) success--there hasn't been a player since Jordan that opponents tried so hard *not* to foul, giving him the space he needs to pull off his countless heroic, infuriating jumpers. <br />
At the same time, his work ethic, fitness and commitment to winning are undeniable. If he began his career in a Rockets jersey, he would probably be my favorite player by now. He works and competes the way that every fan wishes every player on their team would do. It's nice to think that things go right for people who do right thing. We want sports to reflect what we hope is true in our own lives--that hard work equals success. That fickle fate won't destroy our dreams. Kobe's ability to defy his age through relentless work was validation of that hope.<br />
Last night, with poetic cruelty, Kobe's Achilles' tendon proved how naive that hope can be.

[phaketrash]

I imagine if Kobe isn't with the Lakers next year because of some decision by Buss and their front office there will be a revolt in Los Angeles and the suits know that. I think he will be back but won't consistently be the factor he once was.

 

I too think there would be a mini-revolt, and that by itself is why they might not do it, but that revolt is an irrational one. Technically, it changes nothing, so I am not sure why fans are upset. Kobe still gets paid his money, fans now get a better team as LAL saves on $80M, and Kobe comes back, at a discount, a yr later, which makes their team even better! Assuming he was going to be out for all of next season anyways, or most of it, and that Kobe actually agrees to this (I think he has to be okay with it).

 

I don't see the rational reason why it'd be the wrong move.

[rockets best fan]

sadness, shock, are my two biggest emotions. no one can deny what the man has been over his career. kobe is a warrior plain and simple. it always saddens me to see a warrior go down. kobe has been successful in avoiding this type of stuff in his career, but like feelingsupersonic said and I concur with.....he was playing to many minutes.....he's not superhuman. you play with fire you get burned. I wanted to see the lakers fail. but not like this. it does however change the landscape for the lakers this off season. the problems are mounting by the day for the lakers......can't wait till I see the fallout

[Cooper]

Even with amnestying Kobe they have no cap space, it's not worth the backlash

[phaketrash]

Even with amnestying Kobe they have no cap space, it's not worth the backlash

 

This is true, but it'd make using MLEs and the like more palpable as it would not be over the luxury tax yet. $80M is a LOT of money.

[Cooper]

They are 41mill over now, take away Kobe's 30 and they are still 10mill over, I'm fairly certain that's still in the tax. Plus Howard's paus and mwps Nash's salarys will all increase.

[phaketrash]

They are 41mill over now, take away Kobe's 30 and they are still 10mill over, I'm fairly certain that's still in the tax. Plus Howard's paus and mwps Nash's salarys will all increase.

 

Depends on who you think they'll actually renew. They don't have to bring Devin Ebanks back, and Chris Duhon's contract is non-guaranteed. Jamison's and Clark's contracts are done too. They only have $68M guaranteed next season. Take away Kobe's $30M, and they are at $38M...plus Howard's ~$20M and they are back at $58M. Of course, they'll have to renew some and sign some scrubs to get to a 12 man roster, but they don't necessarily have to be over the tax at all.

 

Pau and Nash's salaries BARELY increase. Like a few hundred thousand combined. Any amount over the luxury tax they shave off is an exponentially different amount, and makes spending some of it back much more doable.