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Bryant's message comes through loud and clear
October 25, 2006
FINALLY CAUGHT up with The Tanker on Tuesday, and for some reason we didn't hit it off.
I'm always a little surprised when someone doesn't take to their new nickname well, in this case offering Kobe Bryant the opportunity months ago to change my opinion when I suggested he went into a Game 7 second-half pout against Phoenix to end the Lakers' season.
Never heard from him. His agent referred me to the Lakers, who referred me to Bryant's personal PR agent, who didn't respond to requests to chat.
I invited him to come on the Sunday morning father/daughter gabfest to explain in his own words that I was clueless, off base and otherwise an idiot, but I never heard from The Tanker until I caught up with him Tuesday.
"I'm not going to go on the radio and explain myself," he said in a raised voice. "I can't believe you'd write that I was throwing a game."
"I'm not suggesting you threw the game, as much as I'm saying you were pouting just like you've done before," I said in a raised voice.
"I've never done that," The Tanker exclaimed.
I mentioned a game against Sacramento, and he began to argue specifics, and frankly at my age I can't remember the names of everyone in my family all the time let alone the specifics of every game that Bryant has shown a streak of immaturity.
"You should do your homework if you're going to write that stuff," he said, and he has a point, so I looked it up and one of his former teammates said after he took only one shot in the first half of a 2004 game against Sacramento, "I don't know how we can forgive him."
Maybe it's best I don't do my homework.
I TRIED to explain to The Tanker that most people think of me as a jerk, so if the jerk asks you about possibly tanking, it's the jerk who gets criticized while you get to give your side and once again glow in the spotlight.
I had a similar discussion with Kevin Brown a few years ago, but he knew he was a jerk, and so he had trouble following my line of reasoning.
"I don't have to explain anything," The Tanker said, and that's usually true, because who is going to ask him a tough question around here without fear of being banished from his inner circle of trust?
That reminds me, I had to wait until Jim Hill was done interviewing him.
"You've made it clear if someone criticizes you they are no longer in your inner circle of trust or whatever you call it," I said.
"That's right," The Tanker said, while indicating he thought I had written about him possibly tanking "out of spite."
And I agreed. There's no question there was probably some spite in there, since this is a very personal column most days, and just be glad you're not the Bagger.
"Even if there was some spite in there," I added, "in my opinion, you were pouting," and I would have been more than happy to discuss it.
Well, I had no idea he had that loud of a voice, but the security guard at Staples Center closed the door so our little spirited discussion didn't interrupt Phil Jackson's news conference down the hall.
"Did you watch the seventh game?" The Tanker snapped.
"I was in Oscar De La Hoya's dressing room watching him get ready for his big fight which he won," I said, and I was grinning in the hope of changing the tenor of our little session, but The Tanker wasn't in the grinning mood.
And I hadn't even asked if he had called Shaq to wish him congrats.
THE TANKER was in no mood to make peace. "Did you watch the way I played the whole playoff series?"
"Some," I said, and I didn't want to upset him any more by letting him know I really had my eye on the Clippers. That's just me, I like to watch the best teams in town.
"I was playing the way I had played the whole series," he said.
But I told him from what I had seen on TV of the seventh game, he never penetrated in the second half, never made an aggressive move to the basket and didn't save the day with the season on the line. That's not the Bryant I know.
"You impugned my character," Bryant said. "You've watched me compete here for 10 years and there's no way you can write what you wrote."
I told him there have been a number of incidents in the last 10 years in which we've disagreed, but in the past we've been able to meet and hash them out.
But now it takes a curtsey and a signed affidavit that nothing negative will be asked or written to gain admittance to the Bryant camp.
I wanted to press him for the real reason he's changing to No. 24, but I've got a bad knee, and genuflecting these days is out. I wanted to ask if he could see a Lakers championship anytime soon to coincide with the prime of his career, but it was obvious two tough questions was pushing it.
We couldn't get past the first question.
"So, for the record, did you tank against Phoenix?" I wanted to know.
"Are you kidding me?" he snapped. "I'm not going to talk about that."
A simple "no" might have sufficed, but when I urged The Tanker to give it one more try, he was gone.
I can't wait for the season to begin.
FRED ROGGIN is joining the father/daughter gabfest, which is moving to drive-time radio Monday on 570 every morning from 6 to 9, and I'm guessing The Tanker won't be among our first guests.
If you ever listened to the Mancow Morning Madness, which previously occupied the same time slot, dead air would be considered an improvement.
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T.J. Simers can be reached at
t.j.simers@latimes.com. To read previous columns by Simers, go to latimes.com/simers.
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harsh from TJ but Kobe should have to answer those questions. Maybe Kobe will attack TJ one day like Everett did to Rome.
Kobe isn't above criticism and I say he tanked it also.
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Maybe Kobe will attack TJ one day like Everett did to Rome.
Or like Kobe did to that girl. :)
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Or like Kobe did to that girl. :)
lol...you know she wanted his dick in her ass.
:)
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lol...you know she wanted his dick in her ass.
:)
and 50 million. :wink:
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harsh from TJ but Kobe should have to answer those questions. Maybe Kobe will attack TJ one day like Everett did to Rome.
Kobe isn't above criticism and I say he tanked it also.
TJ is an Idiot he likes to hear himself type....
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TJ is an Idiot he likes to hear himself type....
Agreed, he is just trying to get a rise so he can actually have a story to write about.
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Kobe isn't above criticism and I say he tanked it also.
You probably learned how to tell from watching the Clipps tank the last several games of the season to get that easy playoff seed. :D
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I miss Chick Hearn. He had the sense to realize that sport was not politics and that athletes were not making public policy or life and death decisions, so therefore, there was no need to subject them to adversarial interviews with (mostly stupid) pointed questions. :)
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You probably learned how to tell from watching the Clipps tank the last several games of the season to get that easy playoff seed. :D
Thats it. I am removing BajaMikes name off of my asshole list and adding you in his place
:argue:
:)
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Thats it. I am removing BajaMikes name off of my asshole list and adding you in his place
:argue:
:)
I guess the truth hurts huh? :D
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I guess the truth hurts huh? :D
Hey, don't you have a package to open on the shitter...
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You probably learned how to tell from watching the Clipps tank the last several games of the season to get that easy playoff seed. :D
lol....It's starting already!! :) :) :)
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lol....It's starting already!! :) :) :)
It started about a month ago. Little shots accross the bow...and shit :)
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Hey, don't you have a package to open on the shitter...
lol...the next one will not be here until Friday.
:)
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Little shots accross the bow...and shit :)
Like the clippers franchise... ;)
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Like the clippers franchise... ;)
Bottom line...two years running better record than the Lakers. Now, before you go digging up BS from the past remember my facts are current.
It will be three years running after this year
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Bottom line...two years running better record than the Lakers. Now, before you go digging up BS from the past remember my facts are current.
It will be three years running after this year
What does it mean though? :D Do you think in 10 years NBA fans are going to say "Remember back in 2004-2006 the clippers won a few more games than the Lakers? ;) lol. Dont count on it this year, The Lakers are locked and loaded, it will be a showdown for sure. I just hope the clippers can make it in to the playoffs, it would be sweet for the Lakers to shatter their dreams and kick them out of the playoffs!
:)
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What does it mean though? :D Do you think in 10 years NBA fans are going to say "Remember back in 2004-2006 the clippers won a few more games than the Lakers? ;) lol. Dont count on it this year, The Lakers are locked and loaded, it will be a showdown for sure. I just hope the clippers can make it in to the playoffs, it would be sweet for the Lakers to shatter their dreams and kick them out of the playoffs!
:)
With all of the Laker injuries, I don't think that they (the Lakers) are going to start very strong. You are correct about nobody remembering who ended up with the better record though, all people remember is the champs.
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The Lakers are locked and loaded, it will be a showdown for sure. :)
The "Lakers are locked and loaded"??? Did they get a whole bunch of great new talent I haven't read about?? :confused: Or is it pretty much the same cast of characters as they lost with last year? :cry:
:rollside: :)
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The "Lakers are locked and loaded"??? Did they get a whole bunch of great new talent I haven't read about?? :confused: Or is it pretty much the same cast of characters as they lost with last year? :cry:
:rollside: :)
Mike...You have to give Don a free pass every now and then. He likes to take a shit while smoking crack and reading his LF bible.
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With all of the Laker injuries, I don't think that they (the Lakers) are going to start very strong. You are correct about nobody remembering who ended up with the better record though, all people remember is the champs.
Shit...they better start strong as the majority of their games are starting out at home. If they don't win at least around 14 of those first 20 their season can unravel very quickly. If they win 6-8 of those first 20.....lol
Did I mention I will be there opening night for the Lakers against PHX. I hope PHX focks them up bad :)
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Shit...they better start strong as the majority of their games are starting out at home. If they don't win at least around 14 of those first 20 their season can unravel very quickly. If they win 6-8 of those first 20.....lol
Did I mention I will be there opening night for the Lakers against PHX. I hope PHX focks them up bad :)
They just need to stay at .500 and they will be alright, as all the guys should be back within the first two weeks of the season.
Pretty sad that you have to root for PHX to make yourself feel better, if your team (the Clipps) had any championships, you would not have to do that.
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They just need to stay at .500 and they will be alright, as all the guys should be back within the first two weeks of the season.
Pretty sad that you have to root for PHX to make yourself feel better, if your team (the Clipps) had any championships, you would not have to do that.
I sure am not going to root for the friggin' Lakers. I root for anybody that plays against them. Nothing sad about it actually. Besides yourself and a few others I am one of the most level headed fans out there. I just dislike the Lakers but give them their due when they earn it. Doesn't mean I am going to root for them though. Weather the Lakers lose or win on a daily basis does nothing as far as impacting my life. Don lives and dies by them during the season. I guess you could say he is more of a hardcore fan than I am. He is also myopic
By the way...playing .500 ball at home will not cut it. The Lakers will not play .500 ball on the road
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I sure am not going to root for the friggin' Lakers. I root for anybody that plays against them. Nothing sad about it actually.
Enjoy the game and don't look up at the rafters. :)
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Enjoy the game and don't look up at the rafters. :)
I won't. I will be looking at the stars around us and an occasional glance at the game :)
Thanks
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I sure am not going to root for the friggin' Lakers. I root for anybody that plays against them. Nothing sad about it actually. Besides yourself and a few others I am one of the most level headed fans out there. I just dislike the Lakers but give them their due when they earn it. Doesn't mean I am going to root for them though. Weather the Lakers lose or win on a daily basis does nothing as far as impacting my life. Don lives and dies by them during the season. I guess you could say he is more of a hardcore fan than I am. He is also myopic
By the way...playing .500 ball at home will not cut it. The Lakers will not play .500 ball on the road
I didn't mean for the whole season, just the first couple of weeks till the rest of the players come back from injury.
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I won't. I will be looking at the stars around us and an occasional glance at the game :)
Thanks
What, no stars at Clipper games? Guess we know what LA team they like to fallow. :D
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What, no stars at Clipper games? Guess we know what LA team they like to fallow. :D
I get Lakers tickets easier than Clippers tickets Juan. Hmmmmmm...............
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The Lakers will be fine, they should have most of the guys back in the first week of play. With Walton and Kwame playing 10x better than they were, the addition of Farmar (who is an excellent guard), Raman, Williams and Evans, they have only gotten stronger. Just wait, all you haters will soon see!!! mwuahahahaha. :crossx: :)
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I get Lakers tickets easier than Clippers tickets Juan. Hmmmmmm...............
Why is it the clippers are always pushing their season tickets? and the Lakers dont even have to advertise them? lol. Look at the clippers site "BUY OUR TICKETS NOW PLEASE". :) :rollside:
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I get Lakers tickets easier than Clippers tickets Juan. Hmmmmmm...............
Give it a couple of years, they will be letting people in free to the Clipps games after the first quarter, like in the old days. :D
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I get Lakers tickets easier than Clippers tickets Juan. Hmmmmmm...............
Someone must really like you
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I wonder if Phil will play Farmar.... Doesn't usually play rookies to much
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I get Lakers tickets easier than Clippers tickets Juan. Hmmmmmm...............
Are they (the Clips) still marketing their games by advertising who they're playing against... lol :hammerhea They've peaked. :crossx:
Lakers are still rebuilding and will be exciting to watch this season w/the young energy on the team, now. Still the hot ticket in town. :rollside:
