Kobe's always been one of the greatest competitors the sports has ever seen. He's an arrogant asshole (like many athletes of his stature), sure, but never doubt his competitiveness.

There's no question he'll come back from this. Just probably not as effective as he was before.

Not sure how a team loses one of its few prolific scorers and isn't taught defense is going to be better without said prolific scorer.

the Patrick Ewing theory of course

also,

the Patrick Ewing theory of course

also, I'm the only guy in the world that is an NBA fan and called, before the season, that the Lakers wouldn't be title contenders.

The team that was constructed made no sense.

I have facebook evidence.

I'm a genius.

But I also said the team would be a lot better without either Nash or Kobe...because the two of them together made no sense.

now had Kobe not been injured and Dwight not been such a bitch...

I'm pretty sure a competent GM would have gone out this offseason and got a straight spot up 3 point shooter and this team could have been a 50 game winner in 2014...

which means nothing because they are never going to get past the Thunder with an old Kobe as their best player

and the Thunder are never going to get past LeBron

LeBron is going to rattle off the next 5 championships no matter where he's at. He's just too good. The only thing that could stop him would be a freak injury and I think he's one of those athletes that is just too athletic to get injured.

and after LeBron wins 5 in a row with relative ease I'll comfortably have to call him the greatest basketball player ever...and it won't bother me

because MJ will always be the best killer/closer sports will ever see

last night my friend asked me if I thought LeBron could shut down Jordan defensively and I admitted he probably could have

and the only way MJ had a chance was because of that ridiculous competition gene he had where he wouldn't be able to rest until he figured out how to beat LeBron

Their team makeup isn't their problem.

It's the way they are coached.

Jim Buss is hell bent on pathing his own way and avoiding any and everything that is proven to win.

He completely threw out the triangle by not even acknowledging Shaw, who had be an assistant under Jackson for like 7 years or some shit. He then went out and hired a moron named Mike Brown who only knew how to get out of LeBron's way. Once that failed he ignored Phil Jackson and went after another moron name Mike D'antoni who doesn't know anything beyond 1 offense and no defense with 0 ability to adjust.

The team was too old. You don't win being that old. Phil wasn't going to win with this team, either. No matter how good the coaching was they weren't getting past the 2nd round at best this year.

Making a prediction for the next 5 years is a go chiefs type statement. You have no idea what the landscape of the NBA will be like next year much less 5 years from now. I'm sure LeBron avoiding injury will be the best player still 5 years from now but who is to say he's even in Miami 5 years from now? Who is to say Wade doesn't go down like Kobe in the next 5 years? Miami is the overwhelming favorite this year, but you are just talking out of your ass predicting anything besides that or 2 years max. You watch enough sports to know shit changes real fast.

That we can agree on. Phil could have gotten more out of them, but injuries would have still been there. Had the team stayed healthy they could have been really good, but when you put that many old dudes together shit happens.

LeBron can win without Wade or Bosh. He is simply THAT good.

If LeBron doesn't suffer any injuries (and again, I think he's one of those FREAKS that simply isn't ever going to be seriously injured) he's got the rest of the decade on lockdown.

I don't agree...

Kobe, Nash, Howard, Gasol and Artest DON'T MESH AT ALL, FOR ANY COACH.

How does that team make ANY sense? At all?

I looked at it at the time and laughed...I knew they weren't going to be title contenders.

I didn't think they would end up having to fight for a playoff spot bad...

but I predicted they wouldn't make it past the 2nd round at best when everyone was saying the Howard acquisition meant title or bust.

Did you know that Howard had the best efficiency in the NBA for big men last year when he was involved in the screen roll?

Kobe's shot at 6 will be if LeBron switches coasts and Kobe reinvents himself as strictly a spot up shooter and being LeBron's Wade Uber-Light in two years.

I believe the Thunder can get past LeBron. I just don't think it will happen this year. The pieces around Westbrook and Durant will change some, and they will only get better. It doesn't mean they will, but no one has any idea how these 2 teams will change the next few years. Miami could very make all the right moves and run off several or other teams could get pieces and take some from them. I would be very surprised if Miami doesn't repeat this year though.