November 30th, 2009 by Chase

This is actually a really cool story. The New York Times recently wrote a piece titled “Titan’s Young Rebounds, With Help From a Friend – Kobe Bryant”. The article talks about how the NBA superstar Kobe Bryant reached out to Vince Young several times the past 2 seasons to help him out a bit. By giving him a vote of confidence and some words of advice from one successful athlete to another.

“He has a passion to be great and a willingness to improve,” Bryant said last week in a telephone interview. “He just wants to get better.”

Apparently the two athletes exchanged phone numbers during the NBA All-Star weekend a few years back. Ever since then Kobe Bryant has made sure to extend any needed advice Vince Young’s way. In hope of it helping.

“I’ve been asking him different questions to help me get through the process I’m going through because he’s been through a whole lot of adversity and things like that,” Young said of Bryant. “So why not try to get in his ear and see what he did to get back to the top where he is right now?”

Kobe is primarily teaching Vince Young not to care so much about what others opinions are of him. A hard learned lesson Kobe Bryant has had to learn throughout his NBA career. “I don’t care what people say about me, and that’s what he’s kind of learning,” Bryant said. “At the end of the day, he has to perform. Kick butt and let them jump back on the bandwagon.”

Whatever the advice Kobe Bryant is giving Vince Young, it’s working! Young has single handedly led the Tennessee Titans to a 5 game winning streak since he has been back as the starting quarterback. Doesn’t hurt to get some practical athlete advice from the greatest athlete on the planet!

November 29th, 2009 by Chase

Recently aired their annual People of the Year show with Matt Lauer. This year one of those people was NBA star guard Kobe Bryant, who sat down with Matt Lauer for a short but sweet interview. The only frustrating thing about the show is the time they dedicated featuring the rest of the “people of the year”, while dedicating only about 3 minutes to Kobe Bryant. But we will take it. Here is the video snippet of Kobe Bryant from NBC’s People of the Year:

You knew with Matt Lauer that Kobe Bryant was going to have to answer some questions pertaining to old matters, particularly 2004 and the rape allegations. But Kobe handled the questions well, giving purely honest questions in response. I think overall the video was great for non-basketball fans who watched the show, to get a better idea of who Kobe Bryant really is, and what he has had to overcome as an athlete and as a person.

As for Kobe haters well, they will just keep on hating. While Kobe keeps on winning!!!

November 26th, 2009 by Chase

Senior Writer Ryan Alberti at Bleacherreport.com recently wrote a fantastic article titled ‘Why I’m Thankful for Kobe Bryant’. It was so good that I thought it was important to share with everyone here on this blog. Much thanks to Ryan for putting together this great piece. Here it is:

The most authentic Pilgrim is the one who never stops sailing.

Kobe Bryant is a hopeless perfectionist. He should also be an honorary Puritan. When our forefathers came ashore at Plymouth Rock, they sowed the seeds of history’s mightiest civilization—which would have been better news if they’d taught their children how to drop anchor and savor the harvest.

Satisfaction means relishing the new ring on your finger.

Success, on the other hand, means reaching for the next wrung on the ladder.

I’m not suggesting that Bryant has anything left to prove. His résumé speaks for itself, and his passion for the game is beyond question. But it’s precisely that passion which prevents him from basking in his own glory. In a league where complacency so often breeds mediocrity, the best players are those who refuse to settle for mere excellence.

You can’t always get what you really want.

You can’t ever find what you really seek.

If there’s a lesson in Kobe’s questing, it’s simply that the pursuit of happiness is an endless trip.

NBA legends aren’t conditioned for contentment. Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird—they were pathological champions, competitors whose most lasting peace came in the conflict of competition. The implication, of course, is that restive longing can be its own reward. Critics of American culture will argue that Bryant’s inherited inquietude is symptomatic of a national disease. I’d counter that national dis-ease is the single most important source of this country’s resilient health.

It’s good to count your blessings.

It’s better to lick your chops.

Kobe may go to bed hungry on this and every other Thanksgiving, but at least his ravenous dreams will always whet his appetite.

Satiation is the enemy of human progress. Food in the stomach inclines a man to old habits; fire in the belly drives him on to New Worlds. I’m thankful for Kobe Bryant because he’s as American as ambition and apple pie, and because we all ought to be more appreciative of those cravings that won’t stay quenched. Every pilgrimage is born with a prayer for blissful days in the future. The one that’s still vital after almost four centuries owes its endurance to the curse of restless nights in the present.

November 25th, 2009 by Chase

Hey Kobe Bryant fans! Kobe Bryant was on ESPN’s Sportcenter recently and helped hosted the Top 10 plays of the day with the Sportcenter anchors. Here’s the video in cased you missed it. Kobe explains that his circus shot from behind the backboard as all luck. Here’s the video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

November 24th, 2009 by Chase

Sunday night against Oklahoma City Thunder, Kobe Bryant had a ridiculous circus shot where he was pumped going baseline, and in a desperate attempt to get a foul call, threw the ball over from behind the backboard in a Larry Bird style manner and sinked it nothing but net. Yet again, rather than me trying to explain it to you, check it out for yourself.

Click here to view the embedded video.

November 19th, 2009 by Chase

It’s clear that the Lakers are not getting as much help off the bench as they did a year ago. Although as of late, guards Jordan Farmar and Shannon Brown have stepped up their play, other players such as Sasha Vuyacic & Luke Walton have not. And now with the recent injury news of Walton with a bad back, it appears that the Lakers are going to have to make a move. And that is what leads me to this very appealing trade scenario. Here we go!

Adam Morrison to New Jersey for Keyon Dooling & Sean Williams

Okay here is how this breaks down. Adam Morrison is terrible. Everybody knows this. But he has something that many teams, including the New Jersey Nets want. An EXPIRING CONTRACT! Morrison has only this year left on a contract that is worth $5.2 million. So as terrible as he is, that contract frees up some serious cash for interested teams.

Why Keyon Dooling?

Keyon Dooling is fiesty defensive/athletic guard. He’s 6-3 and he can play the point guard position. In fact that is what the Nets and his last team the Orlando Magic have played him at. Phil Jackson loves tall point guards. Keyon fits that profile. And the Lakers are in desperate need of an athletic defensive presence at the point guard position, to come off the bench for Derek Fisher. Keyon Dooling would fit this role perfectly.

Keyon has 2 years left on his contract worth about $3.5 million. Remember the contract total amounts have to be equal in order to make a trade. So the remaining ammount of cash would equal out by throwing PF Sean Williams into the trade. He has 1 year $1.6 million left on his contract. So yet, he too is an expiring contract. But by making this trade the New Jersey Nets would clear $3.5 Million off their salary going into next season, giving them even more room to make some big free-agent signings this off-season.

A Little About Sean Williams

Sean Williams could be a helpful contributor off the bench for the Lakers similar to how D.J Mbenga is. He’s a big at 6-10 and is very athletic. The guy has ups and can blocks shots and finish around the rim. I couldn’t see him getting very much playing time for the Lakers, but he could get some garbage time to give bigs Gasol and Bynum some rest.

This trade makes sense for both teams. The Nets need cap room so they can sign Lebron James, one other star like Chris Bosh, and any other key contributer to their squad to help Lebron win. The Lakers want to win now! And they have a contract in Adam Morrison who they are getting absolutely nothing out of. A win win for everybody!