Thursday, January 5th, 2012 at 3:30 pm  |  86 responses

Kobe Bryant Would Shoot Even More if Chris Paul Was His Teammate


Kobe Bryant’s shooting has been the main topic of discussion for the Lakers this season — just like, um, every season — and in a hilarious interview with ESPN, he boasts that he’d take even more shots if he had a Hall of Fame distributor like Chris Paul on his squad: “Driving the lane but stuck with no room to shoot, he tossed the ball off the bottom of the backboard, caught it and laid it in. Who says Kobe doesn’t pass the ball? ‘I should get an assist for that,’ Bryant said. ‘It’s an intentional pass to oneself, so it’s an assist. That way people can’t say all I do is shoot.’ [...] ‘Look, I’ve played 15 years. I’ve won world championships. I’ve done all these things. And people still want to talk about this stupid-a** [stuff]? I’m a scorer first … I’ll try to make the good play, the good pass, kick it out when my teammates are open, but I’m a scorer first. I may shoot 27 times. I may shoot 20 times. Nobody complains when I shoot 10 times. You don’t hear ME complaining when I shoot 10 times. It just depends on the game, you know?’ Yes, but Kobe, with your right wrist swollen like a miniature Macy’s float, wouldn’t this be a good time to pass on a few. ‘I’ve shortened up my follow through,’ he says. Yes, but Kobe, according to ESPN research, you have the highest ‘usage rate’ — that’s the number of possessions a player uses per 40 minutes — in the NBA. In fact, your usage rate (38.9) would be the highest in the 3-point era of NBA. ‘Yeah,’ he says. ‘And I also have five rings.’ Yes, but Kobe, stats show that the Lakers are 29-4 when rising star center Andrew Bynum scores 20 points. Shouldn’t it be a high priority for you to. ‘That’s great. How many of those shots come from me kicking it to him for good looks when I’m being doubled?’ [...] Besides his coming divorce, which he doesn’t talk about, nothing is going to change Kobe Bryant. Whether Phil Jackson is his coach or new Lakers coach Mike Brown. (‘Right now, Kobe Bryant allows me to coach him,’ Brown said the other day, and not kiddingly.) Whether Chris Paul is his teammate or Paul is playing across the hall for the Clippers. ‘Not true,’ says Kobe. ‘Chris would’ve created shots for me. I wouldn’t be shooting 29 times a game. I’d be shooting 40. Man, what would people be saying THEN?’”

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  • 15Rangz&Counting!!!

    If he shoots too much there’s a problem If he doesn’t shoot more than 10 shots when his team is down 20 in the fourth he’s being selfish? Can’t satisfy the world so why not satisfy that 5 rang ego? AI did the same thing but it was cool and he doesn’t have a ring to show for it? Jordan shot more than Kobe and has one more ring! I think THE MAMBA should start launching canon balls is you ask me!

  • ClydeSays

    It’s funny to hear Kobe say those things, but it’s not anything new. Win or lose, he’s always been that player. Brown though, can’t seem to get out of his own way…

  • http://www.slamonline.com Tarzan Cooper

    Bean has been using a lot more profanity in recent years, and it does seem contrived, like most things bean does.

  • Kadavour

    You guys gotta be kidding me with this profanity nonsense.

  • Mburb321

    Hmmm lets think about it, hes closing in on the end of his career. Hes the king of his little domain, very little can touch him except for an occasional fine from stern. Unlikely anymore endorsements are coming his way since hes probably done in 3 years. Would you still talk through a filter with the same reporters you’ve been dealing with for 16 years? PROBABLY NOT

  • http://ZOGS.COM ZOGS

    QUIT THE HATE
    —-

    KOBE GETS DOWN, GETS BACK UP…

    —-
    AND WILL SNEAK THROUGH YOUR WINDOW, AND SHlT IN YOUR MOUTH WHILE YOUR SLEEPING!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • dazzy

    Kobe is annoying. Great ball player, but annoying personality. Tries to hard. “We don’t believe you, you need more people!”.

  • http://Slamonline.com nbk

    That’s what happened to you zogs?

  • plagarismfinder

    This is complete plagarism from a Rick Reilly (of ESPN.com) article earlier today. Whoever wrote this even stole the jokes. Come on, you can’t even write original material on an overly abundant subject?

  • Teddy-the-Bear

    ZOGS, thanks for sharing your personal experiences, but… Next time please don’t swear when you do it, okay?

  • Spades

    High IQ basketball= getting it to your bigs and stop chucking. If Bynum got his fair share of touches he’d make Dwight Howard look like weak sauce. I hate Jordan for making people think that a wing is supposed to be the Alpha and not a big. Wilt is weeping in his grave.

  • Spades

    I really hope Bynum gets traded to the Magic so we can see his true talent and not some teaser-trailer. I wish Kobe would stop being a selfish prick and embrace the Twin Tower offense. Look at how well the Spurs did with it!

  • http://obsessioncollection.wordpress.com grgeblck

    he still don’t get it. he didn’t earn the rings by himself. so let him be arrogant.

  • dazzy

    ^Word. He was a sidekick for 3 of those 5 rings but I guess he forgot about that part.

  • ripslam

    This was valid maybe 2-3 years ago, but it’s getting more and more clear that Kobe is aging fast. He’s not the player he was, and he refuses to believe it. The Lakers are headed for another second-round exit if Kobe continues to jack up shots like this. He knows Brown won’t do anything to stop him.

  • http://www.kb24.com The Seed

    Still some dumb fans up here, everything yall are saying against Kobe, MJ had the same thing said about him. MJ cursed for no reason, teammates hated him, not the leader people thought, kids hate him, no wife will hate him in 5 years and he has run the Bobcats in the ground, doesn’t care about the people making shoes in his sweat shops, remember his statement Republicans buy shoes too, he has never stated anything to help out the human race or even his race, wanted the lockout to last longer. Also anybody thinking Bynum is a force are dumbies, Bynum is getting easy shots because Kobe is still getting double teamed at 32 years old. Kobe got 5 rings, ask Shaq. Anybody who thinks Kobe didn’t win the WCFinals to get those rings, need to pull up some old tapes or articles of Coach Popovich stating Kobe is the key to Lakers winning, ask Blazers and Sacromento coach too. SEE dumbies see the NBA Finals and think Shaq did everything-THE EAST NEVER HAD ANY CENTERS WHEN SHAQ PLAYED AGAINST THEM. Kobe was player of the decade not shaq or tim duncan. Kobe has 5 rings and was clutch in first three rings, when you could not give Shaq ball at end of games-people forget that. KOBE CAN DO WHAT HE WANTS, HE EARNED IT. WHAT PLAYER IN NBA HISTORY LED HIS TEAM TO WIN TWO RINGS WITH OUT ANOTHER FUTURE HALL OF FAMER ON HIS TEAM. KOBE, KOBE, KOBE, KOBE, KOBE, BOOK THAT.

  • dazzy

    You’re 100% right about MJ, but wrong on Kobe&Shaq. If you’re starting a championship team back then you’d start with prime Shaq before Kobe 10000/10000. Period! Kobe was an extremely important player, but he was the sidekick. BOOK THAT ish

  • http://cnbc.com JTaylor21

    kids hate MJ? millions upon millions of J’s sold beg to differ.

  • tonyknorr

    @ The Seed, your complete and utter ridiculous ramblings are always up there with the dumbest, ignorant, biased crap I have ever read. This fool Kobe Bryant really can do no wrong in your eyes can he? Well enjoy supporting a rapist, chauvinist pig Seed. And do all the MJ bashing you want, any intelligent human being knows that what your doing is a classic flawed tactic in a debate.

  • LebronSucks

    If Kobe was a facilitator he would not have won 5 rings. just ask Steve Nash & John Stockton. Since He has the ability to score, he should make the most out of it.

  • http://slam.online house

    dude is gonna get RSI from stroking his damn ego so much

  • Hobbes

    Kobe should pass more the big fella, unless he proves he can win another championship with his ego and broken hand which is not likely to happen. If Miami stay health, they going to crown this year.

  • flipnoyce

    Kobe already got his 6th ring just ask his wife,she gave it back!!!!. Kobe’s doing more shooting this time around because there’s no more Vanessa to shoot at anymore. Kobe’s championship chase are done since last year,Lakers got SWEPT. Watch the tape!!!. I hope he continue to keep shooting because it makes me laugh every time he miss. He needs to take some acting class cause all that whining he does only makes him look foolish.No Phil, No Ring!!!! Oh before I forget, this Laker squad are still better than LBJ when Bron was a Cav. Best record in the league and almost went to finals. I’d like to see how Kobe stack with Mike Browns scheme.

  • AD

    lmao ^^

  • http://slamonline.com Tae

    My opinion, Kobe n Shaq were equally important in their championship run. Probably Kobe a lil more important

  • Jai

    I don’t know about Kobe shooting more if he played with Paul, but he would definitely lead the league in scoring. Actually, come to think of it, Kobe wouldn’t need as many shots with Paul at PG. So he would score more, but shoot less. For example, right now Blake griffin is taking a lot of shots. But that will change as soon as Paul gets more and more acclimated. Just sayin

  • Red Star

    Whether you love him or hate him Kobe always has something interesting to say about himself that gets people talking. LMAO, 40 shots a game! KOBE!! LAKERS 4 LIFE!!!

  • dazzy

    Only a Kobe Stan would think he was more importtant than Shaq in those chips.

  • http://slamonline.com Tae

    ^ So im guessing u didnt watch any of those championship runs. N i did say equally important but Kobe did have a slight upper hand, cus witout him in those runs, Shaq wasnt gettin all 3

  • dazzy

    I watched them. Nobody in their right mind would say Kobe is more important, and Kobe fans are too delusional to be taken seriously. Shaq was MVP because he was the most important piece of those runs.

  • TP

    2000-2003: Shaq got 3 consecutive Finals MVPs. Only Shaq and Jordan have done that. Kobe was Shaq’s backup for those titles.

  • jose santiago

    yeah come and feed the hate for Kobe Bryant the best player ever in NBA history and he doesn’t had to have 6 rings or mvp’s about shaq go and see the best plays you will see Kobe saving more games than shaq including 81 point did shaq did that ? the only reason that shaq had those mvp’s was because he was the captain of the team and a veteran 5 years in NBA over Kobe. i can only say in my opinion Kobe should have at least 1 of 3.

  • jose santiago

    i quot the only thing that MJ has better than Kobe was his body and his hands was bigger then Kobe. Kobe have more skills than MJ but MJ has better shooting percentage than Kobe commentary by phil Jackson. :) in other words Kobe is better lmfao

  • lakerfan

    Kobe avgs over 5 assists a game most on team and he is a shooting guard. So kobe haters go f. K yourself.

  • Bou

    Kobe is Killin the F league right Now at 33 and 16 seasons and hundred injuries in her carrer operations and a bad wrist he only had 1 bad game what this haters talkin about ?

  • aktion

    MJ had more talent to pass to. I’ve seen Barnes and Arrest miss tons of lay-ups. And Bynum and gasol has long bad shooting streaks. And fisher just lost everything.

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