NBA agents open up about players not wanting to play with Kobe

[Mr Feeny]

About Sessions leaving :

Sessions has been somewhat evasive as to why, but he has been quoted as saying it was "definitely different" playing with Bryant. Internally, the Lakers were rattled by his departure and came to believe that Kobe was the key. It meant little as a transaction but everything as a sign of how players with options view this team.
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"Peek behind the banners," says one longtime NBA agent, "and it's rotten."

"Kobe is like the big rock in their front yard," says an agent who has had a Lakers client in recent years. "You can't mow over it, so you just have to mow around it."

Another agent with current Lakers clients was asked whether Bryant undermined the team's rebuilding by alienating would-be free agent recruits. "Well, duh," he replied. "Isn't that obvious?"

"I've had a lot of clients in the last five years, good players, who didn't want to play with Kobe," says an agent.

"It's horrendous. It's evil. It's a hard drug to quit when you're winning," says a front office executive from a rival team who knows everyone involved well. "Kobe has cost the Lakers dearly in human capital. Kobe has hurt a lot of people. In some cases jeopardized careers."

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The Lakers' meeting with Dwight (Chris Broussard & Colin cowherd):

Bryant, on the other hand, offered a crash course in developing thick skin and a mini lecture on learning how to win. Sources told ESPN Insider Chris Broussard that Bryant's lecture was "a complete turnoff" for Howard.

"It wasn't an easy meeting to be involved in," Kupchak later said on Cowherd's radio show. "And I decline to go into great detail." Howard shortly thereafter chose to leave for the Rockets, even though it cost him roughly $30 million in guaranteed salary.

Colin Cowherd would later reveal on his radio show that Kupchak privately pointed the finger of blame at Kobe for the lakers' failure to keep Howard.

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[COLOR="Sienna"]The most scathing criticism came from Lakers insiders[/COLOR]

"The problem is, he's just not as good as he thinks he is," says one source in the Lakers' inner circle. "He's just not as efficient as he thinks he is. If he had the other intangibles, like LeBron, or if he was any kind of different person, it would have been easy for us to attract talent, retain it and win."

[livingby3's]

tbh, I had always felt bad for Pau Gasol. Guy was a vital piece but got treated like shit

[Mr Feeny]

tbh, I had always felt bad for Pau Gasol. Guy was a vital piece but got treated like shit

They tried to shop him in 2012 and the trade didn't go through. After that, you could see that he was dejected and broken. He just wasn't the same guy anymore.

[LostCause]

"The problem is, he's just not as good as he thinks he is," says one source in the Lakers' inner circle. "He's just not as efficient as he thinks he is. If he had the other intangibles, like LeBron, or if he was any kind of different person, it would have been easy for us to attract talent, retain it and win."

This is just silly to me and whoever said it clearly has an agenda. No matter whether you like Kobe or not, the guy won 5 Championships. Equal to the amount a glorified "winner" like Tim Duncan has. Main guy or not. Finals MVP or not, doesn't matter. He's been an integral part to all 5 of them

The "Not as good as he thinks he is" comment can only be referring to a Kobe post-achilles injury, as that comment would get this "insider" laughed out of any credible discussion for a healthy Kobe

As far as attracting and retaining talent, that's also unfair. What team other than the Spurs has managed to do this while competing for championships across decades? Lebron left Miami for a reason. He left Cleveland the first time for the same reason. How many rings does Bron have now if he never left Cleveland? Or if he remained in Miami, does he win last years Finals?

Kobe wasn't the best teammate. Wasn't easy to play with, everyone knows that, but to blame him for the team going bad when for the majority of his career they've been winners is just dumb. I'm sure if Bynum never went down they would've remained competitive for years to come

[Smoke117]

"The problem is, he's just not as good as he thinks he is[/B]," says one source in the Lakers' inner circle. "He's just not as efficient as he thinks he is. If he had the other intangibles, like LeBron, or if he was any kind of different person, it would have been easy for us to attract talent, retain it and win."

This has always been true...Kobe has always needed to play with the best player in the league (shaq) or have stacked teams to be successful. They say you build around your star...well...with kobe...you build around his various deficiencies since he's incapable (or just doesnt care) have ability to make his teammates better.

[Mr Feeny]

This has always been true...Kobe has always needed to play with the best player in the league (shaq) or have stacked teams to be successful. They say you build around your star...well...with kobe...you build around his various deficiencies since he's incapable (or just doesnt care) have ability to make his teammates better.

I think so. I think that's the biggest criticism of the guy. He's not what he thinks he is. He just isn't on that transcendent level as an individual player and him freezing the offense in a myopic take on what constitutes winning basketball probably hindered the his team in many circumstances where the his team should have won comfortably. The 2004 finals comes to mind.

[SexSymbol]

tbh, I had always felt bad for Pau Gasol. Guy was a vital piece but got treated like shit

not by Kobe though, he was always by Pau's side and defended the dude when everyone in the world was criticizing him.

Kobe's a great leader and a terrible teammate, no wonder that some of the more sensitive men didn't want to play with him. But tough guys like artest, bird, MJ echo the same message, that they would want to play with Kobe.

[AintNoSunshine]

not by Kobe though, he was always by Pau's side and defended the dude when everyone in the world was criticizing him.

Kobe's a great leader and a terrible teammate, no wonder that some of the more sensitive men didn't want to play with him. But tough guys like artest, bird, MJ echo the same message, that they would want to play with Kobe.

Stupid azz Kobetard

[chazzy]

As indicated by the flood of free agents that entered the gate the moment Kobe retired this summer

[MaxPlayer]

As indicated by the flood of free agents that entered the gate the moment Kobe retired this summer

Clearly Kobe tainted the brand

[GimmeThat]

so do these NBA agents have influence on where their players choose to sign or not?

[Doranku]

Wait, so your examples are "anonymous agents", Ramon Sessions, and Dwight Howard?

Is Ramon Sessions even still in the league? How has Dwight progressed since leaving LA? Who are these "anonymous agents"?

Oh, Colin Cowherd too? The guy who said that big men deserve zero credit because they simply happened to be gifted with height?

Feeny, just kill yourself. You're an awful poster, and an even worse human being.

[BlkMambaGOAT]

Most ppl complain about how hard it is to get into/stay in MIT.

Then there are some who got in and choose to endure the suffering and strive for greatness.

Same thing with playing for Kobe.

Some ppl want to be babied though.

That ain't Kobe's fault.

[Mr Feeny]

Wait, so your examples are "anonymous agents", Ramon Sessions, and Dwight Howard?

Is Ramon Sessions even still in the league? How has Dwight progressed since leaving LA? Who are these "anonymous agents"?

Oh, Colin Cowherd too? The guy who said that big men deserve zero credit because they simply happened to be gifted with height?

Feeny, just kill yourself. You're an awful poster, and an even worse human being.

[livingby3's]

http://deadspin.com/anonymous-nba-ag...-br-1648725291

Article's from 2 years ago