Yea well you may want that, but if i was a team coach I wouldnt, and would sit the player for it.

Basketball is a team game, not a I game, and as far as Kobe is concerned he is a me me me player, and that doesnt bold well with team chemistry.

Blah, blah, blah.

Kobe's coach is smart enough to know that the other 4 on the floor with him - especially last night - know that he's the only one that can consistently score.

You want to flame a guy who scored 81 and single handedly brought a team back that was down double digits in the 3rd quarter?

Basketball is a win game.

When Jordan scored 69 he was a hero. When Kobe scores 81 he's a goat.

You wouldn't sit a superstar player who was on fire down the stretch. If you did, you wouldn't be a coach very long.

I honestly thought this thread was going to be about kobe putting it where he shouldn't, again.

You obviously haven't been watching at all this season. Sometimes he has really tried to get others involved but when they keep missing he takes over. When the 4th quarter comes and the game is in question he takes over so they get the W. When they get ahead Phil has been pulling Kobe all the time to try and get the rest of the team to quit counting on him so much. Lamar continues to improve and his on the court chemistry with Kobe is getting better all the time. He wasn't scoring at all to start the season but has pulled his PPG up to 15 in spite of that. Smush Parker has also started slow but is scoring more now as well. They ARE becoming more of a team and we ARE seeing them win more games because of it. In picking Bynum they were basically writing off the near term for the future. With all that said they are still only 4.5 back from winning the division outright.

BTW the comment about what you would do if you were the coach over what Phil Jackson has done isn't arrogant it's just stupid. The rise of the Lakers is on it's way AGAIN like it or not and your going to be seeing a whole lot more of Kobe Bryant.

They have to pass it though. The rest of the team is the Laker's secret weapons for the playoffs. This is of course why we have yet to see Kris Wilson brought out into the open as the superstar he is. The playoffs.

The negative comments from all the Kobe haters in here are too ****ing funny. ROFL The man scores the 2nd most points in the history of the game and blows out a team but people can find something negative in that. Look at the film clip on NBA.com it's freaking amazing. You have an entire team trying to stop him but they can't. How many times do you get a chance to see that? Driving the lane, pullups and 3 pointers the complete package. Still we get ridiculous comments about rings like he doesn't have them already or hear how Phil should bench the most talented player in the game. I haven't seen this many ridiclous comments since rape allegations. The guy could win 3 more rings and you haters will still find some negative shit to post and fail to acknowlege anything he has done. Kobe has issues we all know that. Kobe has certainly needed to grow up at times but give me a break these posts just make you guys look silly.

I have lost all respect for Kobe.

Jordan was a ball hog when he first came up, and then he learned the concept of team work, same with Chamberlin.

Team work wins games, not just one player.

Except against the Raptors, apparently.

Roy, I understand what you're trying to say, but in this case you're wrong. If you have a guy hitting that many shots, you let him shoot.

Kobe has 3 rings. He didn't get them by being a ballhog his entire career.

You're right. Kobe should have passed when he hit the 50 point mark, because his teammates were doing so well in the first half when they were down by double figures.

Yea the main reason he got those 3 rings are cause of Shaq.

How many rings has Shaq won without Kobe?

Ok look at it this way. Kobe is makin all the shots now, his players arent gettin any shots at all, and when he gets a double team put on him, who's goin to make the shot for the lakers.

Kobe is the main guy that runs that team now compared to Shaq bein the one that ran it before he left.

On the rise. Lol. You need to get your players more involved before this team can be considered on the rise.

One player doesnt make a team. 5 players does make a team.

If Kobe didn't already have 3 rings prior to this, Kobe with Jackson now is the same as Jordan was to Jackson.....Someone to build around. It took Jackson some time to do so, will Jackson stick around long enough to see this one through ?

If he wants to beat Red out of those # of chapionships, he will. I say at least 2 more years after this one. Can Phil do it ? Maybe.

As for Kobe..... I have lost all respect for him, it wasn't so much the girl sh*t, it was that elbow he threw. Intentional, to injure that player on purpose..... He is a punk, he should have been kicked out for the year.

How many rings has Kobe won without Shaq ?

Good for Kobe...I guess things kind of equal out. I dont catch much NBA news, but didnt he have a really bad night a week or two ago, making like 4 of 40 or something nutty like that?