SportsNation poll on whether Kobe is keeping stars away from the Lakers:

[Westbrook0]

[RightTwoCensor]

California even knows it

[9erempiree]

Collusion is becoming the norm in the NBA. This is exactly what I feared. It was never like this and fans now expect stars to join because XYZ player didn't come to a certain team then its obviously Kobe's fault.

Where is the Melo poll or the Durant poll? Nobody went to their team either.

Nobody didn't want to play with Jordan or Magic either no?

[ZMonkey11]

Collusion is becoming the norm in the NBA. This is exactly what I feared. It was never like this and fans now expect stars to join because XYZ player didn't come to a certain team then its obviously Kobe's fault.

Where is the Melo poll or the Durant poll? Nobody went to their team either.

Nobody didn't want to play with Jordan or Magic either no?

[DaSeba5]

Nowadays, there's a ton of ways for players to make money. They don't need to go to lottery teams to make money. Players want to win now and make money off their success in deep playoff runs. Neither LA or NY offers that. The whole Kobe thing is being overstated. What's killing LA is that their main selling point is Hollywood culture and not basketball. Their team does not appeal to people because they aren't good. But they do have good young pieces for the future.

[chazzy]

Their team does not appeal to people because they aren't good. But they do have good young pieces for the future.

This sums it all up. People act like the Lakers are a team on the cusp of a championship and just one piece away, but it's big bad Kobe scaring everyone away with his scowl and contract

[Mr. Jabbar]

small di.ck era

[fiddy]

This sums it all up. People act like the Lakers are a team on the cusp of a championship and just one piece away, but it's big bad Kobe scaring everyone away with his scowl and contract

His contract? He got one year left and then his off books, people act like he got Deron Williams/JJ type of contract

[DaSeba5]

This sums it all up. People act like the Lakers are a team on the cusp of a championship and just one piece away, but it's big bad Kobe scaring everyone away with his scowl and contract

The media fuels it. I've been watching ESPN all day and it's been all about Kobe and hardly the point that I mentioned. That's why you see these player stans everywhere. People fall for the BS.

[RoundMoundOfReb]

Their team does not appeal to people because they aren't good. But they do have good young pieces for the future.

Part of the reason we "aren't good" is because we have a net-negative Shooting Guard making 25 million per year. Real Laker fans realize that Kobe is a cancer.

[fiddy]

The media fuels it. I've been watching ESPN all day and it's been all about Kobe and hardly the point that I mentioned. That's why you see these player stans everywhere. People fall for the BS.

Spot on

Part of the reason we "aren't good" is because we have a net-negative Shooting Guard making 25 million per year. Real Laker fans realize that Kobe is a cancer.

Real Laker fan realizes that you are fakkit wasting our air.

[r15mohd]

It's two fold...lakers pitching irrelevance is a huge reason, but also no major free agent is really wanting to waste a year in LA with Kobe's contract and inability to field a competitive team and two, his demeanor in which he must "eat first"

Then there's the issue that Kobe will be back after next season, just at a lesser amount but likely the same attitude and demeanor.

As much as it's not Kobe's fault, much of it is too

[DCL]

they've all seen what happened to every other star who tried to play with kobe.

they don't want that shit.

[fiddy]

they've all seen what happened to every other star who tried to play with kobe.

they don't want that shit.

What happened? Pau won two rings and has a nice relationship with Kobe.

[ArbitraryWater]

Cali lol