Bear Down Wildcats

Main Event wrote:

JMarkJohns wrote:Orlando seems like a contract dump. Likely trying to clear more space to leverage Florida's no state income tax into a MAX FA or two this summer.

MrBug708 wrote:Harden and Howard are trying to get each other traded

Main Event wrote:Steph Curry is the best player since Jordan, and I don't care what anyone says anymore about it

Kobe Bryant has been extra nice since he announced his retirement in a letter via The Players Tribune. He has given extensive answers in press conferences, he has constantly been smiling, and has just been in an overall good mood.

But Shelley Smith told the New York Post that she, and many of those around her in the field, can see past Bryant’s niceness that he has been displaying.

Her interview started off discussing her cancer and the treatment she endured, along with becoming a voice for cancer care. When asked about anyone’s reaction to it surprising her, she mentioned Bryant, and gave quite an interesting answer:

Kobe and I started speaking after 10 years. I am not sure if it’s because I had cancer or if it’s because he is in a weird place right now — he’s being nice to everybody right now because he wants to go out being beloved. I covered his rape trial in Colorado and there were things I reported that he disagreed with. He told me he’d never speak to me again, and this was 10 years ago. It was real nasty and awkward. At media day this year, Lakers PR came over and said he’d do an interview and he came up to me and gave me a big hug. My jaw hit the floor.

When asked if his niceness was working, Smith said that she didn’t buy into it. “Everyone I talk to, no one believes it, because he wants to go out beloved like [Michael] Jordan did,” Smith said. “He wants to go off into the sunset as a superhero, but we all remember how badly he treated a lot of us.” Smith reported extensively on Bryant’s rape trial in Colorado over ten years ago for ESPN.

On top of her comments in regards to his niceness, it appears that the media might not be the only people he has rubbed the wrong way since his entry into the NBA.

When questioned about where he would go in his life after the NBA, Smith said, “I would be surprised if he stayed in basketball because he burned bridges coming up with players, coaches and front-office personnel.”

“I think he’ll go into some sort of business,” Smith said. “He’s very smart business-wise and he has a great brand.”

Bryant’s sudden niceness has been something that has somewhat gone unnoticed, and it’s interesting to hear somebody such as Smith talk about the details of it and bring certain situations to light. One could imagine somebody wouldn’t be as nice as she was when discussing it, either.

“Dating back to last year, I’ve been told that Kyrie Irving ain’t too happy being in Cleveland,” Smith stated on First Take this morning. “The situation is not ideal for him. I don’t know the particulars, I haven’t spoken to him personally. It’s something that I’ve been hearing for months; that under ideal circumstances he would prefer to be someplace other than Cleveland.”

This isn’t the first time that we’ve heard rumors about Kyrie being unhappy in Cleveland. Before LeBron James returned in the summer of 2014, there were rumors that Irving wanted out and wasn’t going to re-sign with the team. That whole fiasco ended with a max deal for Irving, but the problems seem to be persisting.

He has clashed with LeBron James on numerous occasions, dating back to last year when following a blowout loss he was called out by LeBron for not passing. That’s been a major problem for Irving, as his assist totals have never been great, and it’s starting to affect the offense in Cleveland. He’s also defensively challenged, which has been an issue that has shown no signs of changing.

If Irving wants out, there are a handful of teams that would take him on. But he’s in the best position to win in Cleveland, and moving anywhere else would be transparently personal.

rgdeuce wrote:Well, Warriors can kiss the record goodbye.. Home losses to the Celtics and Wolves? Guess it really is getting to them

San Antonio Spurs legend Tim Duncan continues to add to his legacy and he became the third player in NBA history to reach the 1,000-win plateau on Tuesday night against the Utah Jazz.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1,074) and Robert Parish (1,014) are the other two.

In Duncan's 18-plus seasons, the Spurs have made 18 consecutive postseason appearances and won five NBA championships.

Chicat wrote:It's not so much that I want to see the Golden State Wildcats break the Bulls record. It's more that I really just want to see Matt Barnes and Jordan Farmar lose tonight.

MrBug708 wrote:No Vince McMahon here but Snyder was a former Laker assistant IIRC

Chicat wrote:Kobe has shot the ball 42 times. He's got 45 points.

JMarkJohns wrote:I'm starting to think the Warriors are doomed. This will be a season of lament. The great "What If?"

I mean, the quirks of that play.

You needed so many things:

1. Iggy forcing the issue, getting the dunk.
2. Houston not calling timeout.
3. Monte running like a toddler.
4. Monte slipping and sliding right by Curry.
5. Curry playing defense rather than simply waive arms, despite bum ankle.

I mean, shit.

I'm hoping it's just a day to day thing, but even that will kill them eventually.

UAEebs86 wrote:

84Cat wrote:Damn, up to 2 weeks for Steph.