Kobe Bryant

Opinion: The Lakers SHOULD Retire Pau Gasol’s #16

Pau Gasol and Kobe Bryant Los Angeles Lakers

Like it or not, he played better than Dwight Howard and helped LA win championships.

When your team retires your jersey number, your greatness will forever be immortalized not just by your team and your fans but by the league that you’ve been playing for a long time. A jersey retirement ceremony is definitely an emotional occasion for any player because it means that the team is making sure that your legacy as a player will forever hang among the team’s greats. 
Just last month, the Los Angeles Lakers retired not one but two of Kobe Bryant’s jersey numbers that he wore during his 20-year stint with the Purple and Gold. And frankly, the Black Mamba deserves all of the praises that he continues to receive even though he’s long retired from the NBA. Who could score 81 points in a game? Or, who could finish his career by pouring in 60 points in his final game? Only one player did those things. His name is Kobe Bean Bryant.
Back in the 2007-2008 season, the league was shocked when the Memphis Grizzlies traded Pau Gasol and a draft to the Lakers in exchange for 4 players which include KWAME BROWN and the draft rights to Marc Gasol. That trade benefited the Lakers early on as they went on to the NBA Finals that season only to lose to the Boston Celtics in 6 games. But, the Lakers came back stronger, winning the next two NBA championships, with the last one being against the Celtics in a series that went to a classic Game 7 at Staples Center.
The Lakers then parted ways with their Spanish giant as Gasol bounced from the Chicago Bulls until finding a new home with the San Antonio Spurs where he recently signed a 3-year deal. Unfortunately, Gasol’s numbers have been on a downhill drive as he’s only averaging 10 points and 8 rebounds this season. He’s the 4th leading scorer of the Spurs behind LaMarcus Aldridge, Kawhi Leonard and Rudy Gay.
After beating the Spurs for their third straight win, current Lakers Head Coach Luke Walton has said that the Lakers should indeed retire Pau Gasol’s #16.

Question: Should the Lakers retire #16 beside #8 and #24?

While it’s debatable that Pau Gasol isn’t among the best players to play for the Purple and Gold, just imagine if he wasn’t traded to Hollywood back in 2008, would the Lakers have gone to 3 straight Finals and won 2 NBA championships during that span of time? Nope!
Frankly, this pundit on wheels really thinks that Pau Gasol’s number should be retired by the Lakers for one good reason: he helped Kobe Bryant win 2 more championships while averaging 18 points for 3 seasons. 
Statistically, Pau is ranking among the greats of the Lakers. He’s in the 9th place in the all-time’s rebounding average while he’s also in 7th place in the blocks per game.

Conclusion

While Pau Gasol has been repeatedly criticized for his being “soft” on defense, there’s no denying the fact that he was fully utilized by Phil Jackson during their stint together in LA and it produced 2 championships. Is Pau among the Lakers’ great? Debatable. Does he deserve a jersey retirement ceremony? Definitely. 

Three Reasons why Kobe Bryant’s Jerseys Deserve to be Retired

Like it or not, the Black Mamba will always be among the NBA’s greats

Not everyone in the NBA can last for 20 years or more, do something great for his team and finally, leave a long-lasting legacy that future generations of NBA players will look to.
Today, the Los Angeles Lakers will formally immortalize the greatness of one of its greatest players to ever step into the court of Staples Center. His name is Kobe Bryant. Of course, you’ve probably saw many of his videos over YouTube and Facebook. Of course, you’ve read about his achievements and struggles throughout his 20-year stint with the Purple and Gold. But not everybody understands the reason why he is indeed, one of the greatest players the NBA has ever seen. In fact, some consider him as the closest thing to Michael Jordan.
If anyone questions why the Lakers are retiring not just one but TWO jerseys of Kobe Bryant, below are three of the many reasons:

One of the Most Creative Scorers

Most of you have probably seen his videos scoring notoriously even on seemingly impossible situations. Yep, that’s the kind of scorer Kobe Bryant was during his playing years. He currently owns some of the seemingly unbreakable records which include his 81-point game against the Toronto Raptors. That’s the second-highest scoring game any NBA player reached- only second to Wilt Chamberlain’s 100 points. He’s the 3rd all-time leading scorer in the NBA with 33,643 points during the regular season while ranking 4th all-time in playoffs points with 5,640 points. Kobe Bryant is also a 2-time scoring champion who averaged 25 points per game during his career. To finish off his decorated career, he became the oldest player to score 60 points in his final game- leading the Lakers to a come-from-behind win against the Utah Jazz. 

More than just a Scorer

One of the most common criticisms that some people, most especially his critics are throwing towards Kobe Bryant is that he was a ball hog- that he didn’t pass the ball more often. While his number of assists isn’t as impressive as those of Steve Nash’s or even John Stockton’s, Kobe did more than just scoring. He averaged almost 5 assists per game during the course of his career but he did have 10 assists or more in a notable number of games.  
Kobe Bryant has also been hailed as one of the game’s best defenders as he was included in the NBA’s All-Defensive Team, 12 times. 

A Proven Winner

  • 5-time NBA champion
  • 2-time Finals MVP
  • 2008 MVP
  • 18-time All-Star
  • 4-time All-Star Game MVP
  • 15-time All-NBA Team member
And the list goes on. 

Conclusion

While some people don’t think Kobe Bryant isn’t as great as his fans would claim, the statistics don’t lie. His achievements don’t lie either. Hate him all you want but one thing is certain, folks, Kobe Bryant is indeed, one of the NBA’s greatest players. 

Congratulations on your jersey retirement, champ!

Kobe Needs to Look at Himself First, Asking Lonzo Ball for Something he did not also Achieve in his First Year

Kobe Bryant is already getting impatient with the Lakers and Lonzo Ball

Lonzo Ball Needs to Get Better Now - Kobe Bryant

Make an Impact and Win

Recently, the legendary Kobe Bryant of the Los Angles have spoken about how he feels about the current state of the Lakers and he had some good but mostly criticism about the team and Lonzo Ball.
Kobe Bryant is one of the best players of the Los Angeles Lakers and is considered to be at the same level as Michael Jordan. Averaging as high as 35 points for the whole season, Kobe together had been a leader for the Lakers for a long time together with Shaq and other great players whom he was partnered with.
Now at 39 years old, he got something to say about Lonzo Ball and the Lakers:
“We never thought, ‘OK, we’re gonna win four years from now.’ We really thought, ‘This is our year. We’re gonna get this done. We’re gonna push, push, push, push, push, get better now.’ And in the process of having that kind of impatience, you develop. If you’re just patiently going about it, you’ll never get there. For players, it’s a kind of patient impatience.”- Kobe Bryant
Kobe Bryant wants the Lakers to start winning and with the current record of the Lakers, it isn’t exactly what they thought. Lonzo Ball was one of the players who is considered to be a big piece of that winning team but Ball was just too inconsistent and just didn’t have that fire to take over games, at least not yet. Averaging 8 points, 6 rebounds and 7 assist Lonzo ball isn’t exactly showing up as advertised and the worst part is, his shooting is at a measly 31%.

Kobe Brant was not good right off the gates

Kobe Bryant demands the team to get better now but he himself was not that good of a player to start with, in fact, his points, assists, rebounds and still, averages in his rookie year was lower than Lonzo Ball.  Averaging 7.6 points, 1.9 rebounds and 1.6 assist Kobe didn’t start great.
Through time,  Kobe Bryant has earned his spot and continued to grow and developed that Mamba Mentality that we all know now. Who can blame him,  unlike Kobe, there was just too much expectation and opportunity given to Lonzo Ball and right now he is just not performing to it.
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Will Lonzo Ball be…

One of the greatest players
Be an All-Star
Be a Leader
Be a Good Player
Be an Average Player
Be a supporting player
Be a Bust

created here

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A Wheeler’s Opinion: Lonzo Ball is a Better Rookie than Kobe Bryant?

The numbers aren’t lying unfortunately

Lonzo Ball is actually playing better than Kobe Bryant in his rookie season.
Hold it right there, folks. This basketball pundit on wheels doesn’t mean any disrespect to Kobe Bryant because, like most fans of the Los Angeles Lakers, Kobe has been one of this pundit’s favorite players. Why? For starters, he’s a 5-time NBA champion, holds the second-highest scoring game at 81 points, set tons of records plus other awards in his 20-year stint with the Purple and Gold.
Fast forward to the 2017-2018 season where the Lakers are at 6-10 after 16 games, one guy is constantly disappointing everyone despite the hype that was thrown around him even before his grand arrival in LA. His name is Lonzo Ball. Why disappointing? Below are the numbers:
  • 8.8 points per game
  • 6.6 rebounds per game
  • 6.8 assists per game (Leads the team)
  • 1.6 steals per game (Leads the team)
  • 0.9 blocks per game
While Lonzo Ball had been able to score in double figures multiple times this season, his shooting percentages are one of the ugly things that can be associated to the Lakers’ early struggles to start the new season. How bad is Lonzo’s shooting so far? Check out the percentages below:
  • 30.8% from the field
  • 22.7% from the three-point line
  • 36.4% from the two-point area
  • 46.% from the free throw line
See? They’re horrible shooting percentages even for a rookie. And Head Coach Luke Walton has already stressed that Lonzo Ball will remain as the Lakers’ starting point guard despite his offensive woes which have been hampering the Lakers in many ways.

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However, we all have to keep in mind that despite all the hypes, Lonzo Ball is still a rookie, to begin with. Having mentioned that, let’s also take a look at the numbers of Kobe Bryant during his also well-hyped rookie season: 
  • 7.6 points per game
  • 1.9 rebounds per game
  • 1.3 assists per game
  • 0.7 steals per game
  • 0.9 blocks per game
And yet Kobe Bryant went on to become one of the game’s elite scorers the NBA has seen. In fact, many considered him as his generation’s Michael Jordan. And mind you, folks, then 18-year-old Kobe Bryant entered the NBA straight from high school so that was a big leap on Kobe’s part.

Conclusion

Now, this pundit isn’t saying that Lonzo Ball can replace Kobe Bryant as the greatest Laker of all time because there will always be one and only Kobe Bryant. But if you look at the statistics of both players and compare them,  Lonzo Ball is a better rookie than Kobe Bryant and Lonzo has a long way to go in his rookie season. More points to score. More records to smash. And hopefully, more games to win.

By the Numbers: 7 Majestic Things LeBron James Did against the Wizards

As if we needed to be reminded of the King’s greatness

At 32 years-old, LeBron James is still breaking records
Love him. Hate him for all you want. Hate for his past decisions to leave and later on, return to Cleveland. But regardless of what you think about him, LeBron James deserves your respect not just as a fan of the Cleveland Cavaliers but as a basketball fan in general. 
Why? We haven’t seen a basketball player this “great” since Kobe Bryant in his prime years and Michael Jordan during his championship winning years with the Chicago Bulls. While many people are putting Kobe Bryant over LeBron James owing to Kobe’s 5 championships and LeBron’s sorry 3-5 record in the Finals, we all know that His Majesty still has a lot of fuel left in his tank as his 15th season in the NBA gets going.
The defending Eastern Conference champions have undergone a heavy amount of retooling during the very busy offseason which saw the Cavs got Dwayne Wade, Isaiah Thomas, and yes, even Derrick Rose. While the deals that have landed these players have yet to pay off as evident by the Cavs’ 4-5 standing after breaking a rare 4-game slide in the LeBron James era, one thing has been paying off for the Cavs: LeBron James and his numbers.
After enduring 4-game losing streak, losing 4 games to 4 relatively bad teams, the Cavs woke up against the Washington Wizards and pounded on the points and by the end of the night,  one man stood the tallest: #23.
Aside from getting the Cavs back into their winning ways, LeBron James did tons of things and below are some of them:
  1. LeBron James tied Kyrie Irving’s franchise record of 57 points for the most points scored in a game. Had he scored in the final 52 seconds of the game, he would have broken the record.
  2. He became the 7th player to score 29,000 career points.
  3. He also became the youngest player to reach 29,000 career points. And he’s 32 years-old, folks.
  4. #23 just registered his highest-scoring game while on a Cavalier uniform. What about a 60-point game, ‘Bron?
  5. His 57 points against the Wizards marked the 11th time in his career that he scored 50 points or more, tying Allen Iverson for 6th place for number of 50+ points games.
  6. The record for number of consecutive games when one has scored in double-figures is 866- still owned by Michael Jordan. After his latest offensive onslaught, LeBron James has scored in double figures for the 800th consecutive game. And he’s not slowing down anytime soon. 
  7. Before last night, Kobe Bryant stood as the only player who has been in the league for 15+ seasons to score 50 points. Not more. LeBron James joined the Black Mamba after scoring 57 points in his 15th season.

Conclusion

Regardless of the early struggles that have been bothering his team, LeBron James won’t be stopped in breaking records. If anything, his 15 years in the league have all of us awed in his greatness- if that what you call it. And if anything, don’t get surprised at all if, by the end of his career, LeBron James will have more championships than Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan. Might. 

A Wheeler’s Opinion: Tony Allen Deserves the Jersey Retirement

Because he’s a great defender. Just ask Kobe. You’ll know

Even one of the greatest scorers in the NBA had a hard time playing against Tony Allen.

Who the hell is Tony Allen anyway and why is his jersey getting a retirement in Memphis when the New Orleans Pelicans, a team where Allen is now playing for, visits the Grizzlies for the first time since Allen and Memphis parted ways? 
For starters, Tony Allen is a guy whose points per game average only reached double figures once, during the 2006-2007 season, his 3rd in the league with the Boston Celtics when he normed 11 points per game. Despite being a part of the Celtics team that won the 2008 NBA championship against Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers, despite the fact that Tony Allen has yet to win an MVP award, the one thing which the Grizzlies loved and the opponents’ best offensive players hate and will continue to hate about Tony Allen is the way he makes the player he is guarding frustrated with his defense.
To give you an idea as to how even the NBA acknowledged the fact that Tony Allen is indeed, among the elite stoppers that the league has ever seen, the “GrindFather” a nickname that was given to Allen, was included in the NBA All-Defensive Team, 6 times- 3 with the 1st All-Defensive Team and 3 with the 2nd All-Defensive Team. 
He also led the league in steals per game, twice, the recent one being last season when he stole the ball 3 times on the average. He ranked 2nd among active players in steals and was also in the top 10 in that category, for 5 seasons. If any of you don’t think Tony Allen deserves a jersey retirement ceremony for his great defensive efforts during his playing years with Memphis, then nothing will.
If there is one scorer, one of the best and most creative scorers to step foot in the NBA- who appreciates Tony Allen for the kind of defensive player that he is, that player is none other than the Black Mamba himself, Kobe Bryant. In fact, Kobe even admitted back in 2015 that Tony Allen was one of the few guys who caused him troubles during his 2-decade stint with the Lakers. Kobe has, in fact, considered Allen as the “Kobe Stopper” and even sent the latter a pair of signed sneakers as a token of appreciation and mutual respect.
Tony Allen has yet to win a Defensive Player of the Year award- something that basketball pundits around the world thought he deserves more than any defenders in the NBA. He may never get to win one with the Pelicans but one thing is sure: he will continue to bring in the same level of defensive intensity as well as his winning track once the 2017-2018 season kicks off soon because when you are guarded by a Tony Allen, chances are: you will have a long shooting night. 
There’s no shortcut to being a premier defender especially with the likes of Kevin Durant and LeBron James around. There’s none. Really. If you want to learn how to defend the best player of your opponents and you don’t have the height, look at Tony Allen, folks. 
Watch and learn from one of the best wing defenders in the history of the NBA.
Congratulations, Tony!

UFC Announces New Partnership with Kobe Bryant’s BODYARMOR

UFC®, the world’s premier mixed martial arts organization, today announced a multi-year partnership with BODYARMOR® Sports Drink, establishing the isotonic brand as the first-ever “Official Sports Drink” of UFC.
As part of this ground-breaking collaboration, which covers the United States and begins in 2018, BODYARMOR will supply its line of high-end sports hydration products: BODYARMOR sports drink and BODYARMOR LYTE, to the UFC Performance Institute’s two “BODYARMOR Hydration Stations”.
“BODYARMOR is an industry leader in sports hydration and they are a perfect fit to partner with UFC,” UFC President Dana White said. “Providing UFC athletes with safe, nutritional products while training at the UFC Performance Institute is an important part of helping them maximize their overall performance and BODYARMOR will help us do that.”
“With the explosive growth that BODYARMOR has seen in recent years – it’s an exciting time for the brand to team up with UFC,” said Mike Repole, co-founder and chairman, BODYARMOR. “A partnership between the fastest-growing sports drink and the fastest-growing sports organization creates a tremendous opportunity for BODYARMOR to play an important role in the hydration needs of some of the best athletes in the world.”
In an interview by Eben Novy-Williams of Bloomberg, Kobe Bryant said, the BodyArmor deal became the template for all his investments. He asks himself, in order: Is the company leader qualified and passionate? What is the brand’s position in the market and what are the barriers to entry? And lastly, is it something that I can help? BodyArmor, and Repole, satisfied all those queries.
“I always go through those checkpoints,” Bryant said. “There are a million different terms and conditions, and those come later in the deal. But it always starts with those four or five points.”
Bryant, who bought a stake in Body Armor in 2013, has said that he wants to be known for his desire to help entrepreneurs be successful over his basketball career. He launched $100 million investment fund Bryant Stibel with former Web.com Chief Executive Jeff Stibel in 2016, after retiring from the NBA that year.

In addition to product placement at the UFC Performance Institute, BODYARMOR will also serve as the presenting sponsor of select UFC weigh-in events, along with providing corner branding of stools, towels and buckets inside UFC’s world-famous Octagon® during all U.S.-based events. BODYARMOR will also have a presence on UFC.com and live-event programming, as well as being integrated across multiple UFC-based social and digital platforms.
BODYARMOR is the fastest growing sports drink in its category, having seen a 110% increase in sales from last year. The consumer demand for a better-for-you sports drink has made BODYARMOR the #3 sports drink in the U.S. Kobe Bryant is the number three shareholder in BODYARMOR.
“BODYARMOR offers a better-for-you hydration option at a time when athletes in every sport are paying more attention to what they put into their bodies,” said Bryant. “UFC athletes demand the best in hydration and nutrition, and we’re excited to be partnering with the UFC on such a large scale.”
BODYARMOR has amassed a superstar roster of professional athletes who are also investors in the company, including James Harden, Mike Trout, Andrew Luck and Dustin Johnson, among others.

The Impending Downfall of Dwight Howard

He was one of the most dominant centers. Was.

He has jumped from one conference to another. Twice.
Back in 2009, Dwight David Howard carried his Orlando Magic on his back, defeating LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals – denying us NBA fans the golden opportunity to witness a Finals match-up that would have featured Kobe Bryant going up against the King himself.

Of course, the Magic would eventually lose to the Finals against the Lakers, 4-1. Since then, the Magic has never recovered. Dwight Howard’s career has become a roller coaster ride even when he was traded the Lakers before the start of the 2012-2013 season which ended in nuts, unfortunately.

He signed with the Houston Rockets after a miserable, forgettable stint alongside Kobe Bryant, and enjoyed some significant success as a consistent starter.

Then, he signed with the Atlanta Hawks for the 2016-2017 season which saw his numbers dropping horribly to career lows. He only averaged 13.5 points per game, his 2nd lowest since his rookie season. On the other hand, his field goal percentage has improved. He made 63% of his shots during the 2016-2017 season- 4th in the league in that category. His 12 rebounds per game also put him in the top 5 among the league’s leading rebounders.

Despite his still-respectable numbers and him being an 8-time All-Star, the Houston Rockets once said that nobody would trade for Dwight Howard because he is no longer capable of becoming a dominant franchise player like he once was during his stint with the Magic.

Okay. Let’s say he’s no longer the same “Superman” who defeated LeBron James and the Cavs back in 2009 but ladies and gentlemen, Dwight Howard is still young at 31. Relatively speaking, he still has a few years in his tank and like it or not, he has been working hard to get his dominant self back.Given the chance and the appropriate minutes, he will prove his doubters wrong and he will. 

Now entering his 14th season with his new team, the Charlotte Hornets after being traded, again, “Superman” looks to wear his cape again as he hopes to lead the Hornets, who finished last season in 11th place in the East. Howard may no longer be the same guy we all knew back then but he is still here. He is still healthy. And most importantly, Dwight Howard can still dunk over defenders.

Kobe Bryants Daughter Can Shoot, Plus LeBron James Daughter Just too Adorabe

Kobe Bryant is out of the NBA but it doesn’t mean that he is out of the game.
Wit a full smile on, he plays one on one basketball with his daughter and she isn’t bad at all shooting the ball from the outside to the inside and giving the Black Mamba a dose of his own medicine.
Check out the father and daughter session/s below.

Kobe Bryant to Build a Basketball School in China

Kobe Bryant will help China Basketball

Kobe Bryant to Build a Basketball School in China

The 39-year-old retired basketball legend will continue to influence basketball all over the world and this time he will focus on helping develop the game in China.

Kobe Bryant will build China’s first NBA basketball school.

The NBA Basketball School – Mission Hills Haikou will open in 2019 to male and female players from a junior to a professional level.
China is already a powerhouse in Asian basketball and with NBA players going to China to play, the Chinese players will just get better. Kobe Bryant is committed to helping grow basketball in the country and will put up NBA caliber coaching and facility to help with the growth.

Kobe Bryant’s Jersey Retirement on December 18!

TMZ Sports reported that the Los Angeles Lakers will retire Kobe Bryant’s jersey when they host the Golden State Warriors on December 18, which according to Ramona Shelburne of ESPN sources confirmed.
Now the question is that which of the numbers The Black Mamba wore with the Lakers will be retired, the afro Kobe (no. 8) or bald Kobe (no. 24)? All of his fans want their idol to be the first to have both hanging in the rafters of the Staples Center.
Kobe Bryant will be joining Wilt Chamberlain (13), Elgin Baylor (22), Gail Goodrich (25), Magic Johnson (32), Abdul-Jabbar (33), O’Neal (34), James Worthy (42), Jerry West (44) and Jamaal Wilkes (52) as the 10th Laker to have his jersey retired by the team.
Kobe Bryant has been retired for more than a year already. He played 20 seasons with the Lakers, winning five championships. The man have set the record of eighteen  All-Star. Currently, he is the third all-time on the NBA scoring list behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Karl Malone.
Vino is not yet a Basketball Hall of Famer. Bryant is not yet eligible for enshrinement, but the Los Angeles Lakers is confident he will be inducted.
December 18 is going to be “legendary-est”!

10 NBA Players That Have Kobe Bryant’s Mamba Mentality, Who do you think are on list?

This YouTuber identified 10 NBA players that are the disciples of Kobe Bryant.  Watch the whole video and let us know if you agree with his choices.
10 NBA Basketball Players That Have Kobe Bryant’s Mamba Mentality. Kobe Bryant has been out of the league for over a year now but his influence is still spreading to the NBA’s best young stars. See which NBA players I believe have the Mamba mentality.

Kobe Bryant Challenged Everyone, Including You, Here’s the List so Far

Kobe Bryant issuing Challenges left and right

Kobe Bryant challenged Everyone, including you, here are the list so far

These days, Kobe Bryant is no longer playing competitive basketball but he is still challenging everyone and inspiring a lot of people to do great things.
Kobe Bryant is trying to instill the #MambaMentality on everyone and even other athletes want to also accept a challenge from the future Hall of Famer himself. Giannis Atentokounmpo, John Wall, Demar DeRozan even music artists and fans are getting into the mix.
Below are some of the current challenges Kobe tweeted.
Kobe Bryant Challenging to rekindle a lost friendship from youth in Compton and Kobe Bryant challenges Isaiah Thomas to be an All-NBA first team.
Kobe Bryant Challenges Allyson Felix to coach the special Olympics, Also challenge Kendrick Lamar.
Kobe Bryant Challenges Allyson Felix to coach the special Olympics, also challenges Kendrick Lamar.

Kobe Bryant Challenges Allyson Felix to coach the special Olympics, Also challenge Kendrick Lamar.
Kobe Bryant Challenges Fans to live with #MambaMentality

Kobe Bryant Challenges Fans to live with #MambaMentality
Kobe Challenges John Wall to be a 1st team all defense team

Kobe Challenges John Wall to be a 1st team all defense team

Kobe Bryant Gives Speech to Chargers About Staying Focused & Staying in the Moment

Kobe Bryant maybe out of the NBA but he is not entirely out of the game. Kobe Bryant recently visited the Chargers to give some pep talk.
Kobe has been a fierce competitor during his time and he continues to impart his knowledge, discipline, and attitude towards the new generation of athletes. He has done a lot of talks not just in basketball and football. His talks even went as far as the Mixed Martial Arts community talking the fighters of UFC in the last fighters retreat in Las Vegas.

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My Favorite Reaction from a Celebrity on the Pacquiao vs Horn Fight

With all of the people reacting on the controversial decision of the Manny Pacquiao vs Jeff Horn fight, my all time favorite is that of Kobe Bryant.
Kobe Bryant and Manny Pacquiao go along way, both athlete has endorsed Nike and Kobe has been a common face to Manny Pacquiao’s training at the Wild Card gym in Los Angeles.

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Tayshaun Prince Explains the Differences in Guarding Kobe VS Guarding LeBron

One of the best defensive players of the game discusses with two other legends, Kevin Garnett and Isiah Thomas (the original) as to the difference between guarding Kobe Bryant and LeBron James. Having been able to guard both players he provided simple ways on how these two players are different. 
Do you agree with Tyshaun Prince?
 
(courtesy: youtube/Savagery)

Remembering the Last Dance of the Black Mamba

Kobe Bryant in Manila
Powcast was there when Kobe visited Manila
April 13th, 2016, a day declared as “Mamba Day”, is a memorable day for a die-hard Lakers and Kobe Bryant fans. It was not just the last dance for the ‘Black Mamba’ but also a celebration of Kobe Bryant’s career and all of his highlights and accomplishments. 
There were countless video tributes of Kobe on social media the week before and I can’t help but to feel emotional as I reminisce some good memories of the player I idolize while growing up. I can’t believe that my all-time favorite and the fearless player that I idolize would be playing his final game. 
As a Kobe and a Lakers fan, it felt good that the local TV channel that shows NBA games chose to show the Lakers game instead of the Warriors game who were going for the NBA record of most wins in an NBA regular season which was 73 wins. Before the game even started, my hand was sweating and I felt nervous. The same feeling I had when the Lakers played their game 7 against the Boston Celtics during the 2009-10 season. Then they showed tribute videos and messages from Kobe’s former teammates and current NBA players. An evidence of how much impact Kobe had to the game of basketball. I was waiting for Kobe to be emotional while watching tributes for him but it was the same old Kobe, a competitor who doesn’t show his weakness. Someone who would take his opponents head during 1-on-1 battles. 
I was so excited for the game to start that I forgot to eat my breakfast. Then there was the tip-off, I waited for his first basket but Kobe started cold. I thought it would be another poor shooting night similar to his last few games. In my mind, I was thinking, maybe he’s really good to go, maybe he’s really done after those countless injuries and major setbacks late of his career. But after one basket, he got into his groove. He ended up scoring 15 points in the first quarter. At that point, I thought that was it since the Lakers were still trailing and what’s the point of playing so hard on your last career game when you have showed almost everything during the last 20 years. However, Kobe was being Kobe that day. He scored 22 points at halftime on 20 shot attempts and did not slow down at all in the 2nd half.
For one last time, Kobe showed how great he is. He scored 13 unanswered points in the final two minutes. Kobe then brought the Lakers back to a win from a 10 point deficit with 2:36 remaining in the 4th quarter. I thought I was watching a fairy tale when I realize Kobe was going for 60. While I may not have been at the actual game, I was going nuts while watching him get into that 60 point mark. Three after three, it made me jump on my seat. Then he went to the free-throw line. It was a common sight. I knew he would make it despite looking tired and breathless. He made it to 60. The last play when Kobe threw a long pass to JC who then threw it down for a dunk really got me into tears. It seemed to be a moment that looks like a passing of the torch to the young core of the Lakers.
As I hear the buzzer sounded, it is when it began to sink in. Kobe Bryant’s NBA career was over. It would take some time before we can see a player that would imitate Kobe Bryant’s game like how he imitated Jordan. It will take some time before we will be able to see that nice looking fade away and that perfect shooting form ever again.

Watch Epic Kobe Bryant’s Top 10 Clutch 3 Pointers!

Kobe Bryant recently retired playing NBA basketball but you can bet on it that his highlights will continue to play the airwaves.

The Black Mamba has some epic basketball highlights throughout his career, he is not well known for his three pointers but come to think of it, he is one of the best clutch three point shooters ever.

Check out Kobe Bryant’s crazy clutch pointers from his career in this epic Top 10!


Magic Johnson is Now in Charge of the Lakers and Wants Kobe Back?

It’s a kind of Magic! And just like that, the Lakers who has a measly record this year with with 19 – 39 at the moment decided to shake things up once again but this time they got rid of the seemingly untouchable long time General Manager Mitch Kupchak and the brother of team president and governor Jeanie Buss. Google, it’s true.
The Lakers needed some intervention and Magic is what the doctor ordered. Magic Johnson is a Lakers Great and having him could bring back the glory days and the showtime back to the Lakers.

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Magic Johnson is now in control of the Lakers as the new President of Basketball Operations.
And one of the first things he would do and he was vocal about was to bring Kobe Bryant back not as a player but as a part of the management handling employee relations. By the way, Magic Johnson has no experience whatsoever in managing a basketball operation. Good Luck Lakers.
Was it a good move?

Throwback: Kobe Bryant Playing Streetball at Rucker Park

Back in 2002, Kobe came to Rucker Park to play ball with some of the best streetballers in the world. A throng of people went to watch Kobe as he got acquainted, coached and battled with a group of talents considered to be the best players that New York had to offer. 
The crowd also began chanting and calling him ‘Three Rings” as the Lakers had just won their 3rd straight NBA Championship and he has earned 3 rings at that time. Kobe is a man truly to be admired…you will just wonder how seriously he even took these so called friendly games…displays what he always does best…work hard. 
Legendary Kobe Bryant playing streetball in the legendary Rucker Park.

Kobe, Duncan and KG are gone, however there are a few players from 1990s as yet granulating without end

Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett may be gone, but let’s take a look for some players from 1990s that are still grinding away.

1) Paul Pierce (10th pick, 1998 draft)

After winning one championship and the Finals MVP in Boston, Pierce is now a Clipper. This is now his second year in Los Angeles after spending his 2014–2015 season with the Wizards. On September 26, 2016, the 10-time All-Star announces via the Players Tribune that he will retire after the 2016–2017 season, his 19th in the league.

“This is it, my final season,” Pierce wrote. “It’s time to move on from the game of basketball. Just like any difficult decision, I think you’ve got to be at peace with yourself. I’m at peace with retiring, but I’ve got one more ride left. One more season. One more opportunity.”

2) Dirk Nowitzki (9th pick, 1998 draft)

Nowitzki is known for his signature skill, the one-legged fadeaway shot. The 13-time All-Star has no plan no retire yet, that’s why on July 27, 2016, he re-signed a two-year deal contract with the Mavs.

No doubt, the 7-foot tall shooting big man from Germany is the best Dallas Mavericks player of all-time and could be a hall of famer in the future. On 2011, he led his team to a championship title against LeBron James and the Miami Heat; and also won the Finals MVP award on that championship series. Nowitzki is also a member of 50–40–90 club and the all-time Dallas Mavericks leading scorer.

3) Ray Allen (5th pick, 1996 draft)

Allen is currently a free agent. There are a lot of rumors that the two-time NBA Champion will sign with the Bucks, Cavaliers, Celtics, Clippers, Heat, Knicks, Pacers or Warriors, although there are a lot of teams showing some interest on the 41-year old shooting guard.

On July 2016, Allen began mulling a comeback and conceded he was interested by the possibility of competing for another championship title. The next month, Allen had converses with the Boston Celtics and the Milwaukee Bucks in regards to a possible return.

4) Manu Ginóbili (57th pick, 1999 draft)

Ginobili is one of the greatest international player ever, couple of players taken so low in the Draft appreciate even a large portion of the vocation as Ginobili. On July 14, 2016, the former Sixth Man of the Year re-signed another one-year contract with the Spurs and he isn’t closing the door at returning for 2017–2018 season.

The 6-foot-6 shooting guard from Argentina had won four titles with the Spurs and appeared two times in the All-Star game.

5) Vince Carter (5th pick, 1998 draft)

Steve Nash is the most loved child of Canadian ball, but Carter is the person who developed the game Up North. Carter is known for his moniker “Half-Man, Half-Amazing”, because of his brutal dunks, especially when he performed a memorable dunk called “The Dunk of Death” where he jumped over a 7-foot-2 French center Frederic Weis during the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia.

On July 12, 2014, the athletic swingman out of Florida signed a multi-year deal contract with the Grizzlies. Carter never won a title and any MVP award yet, but he is the 1999 Rookie of the Year, appeared in the All-Star game eight-times and the 2000 Slam Dunk Contest champion.

6) Metta World Peace (16th pick, 1999 draft)

World Peace was known as Ron Artest before lawfully changing his name on September 2011. The former Defensive Player of the Year was famously known for being a bad boy and dirty player on the court; and he was also one of the main man in the Pacers–Pistons brawl on November 19, 2004.

On September 4, 2014, World Peace returns for the Los Angeles Lakers for the second time, he signed a one-year deal contract with the team. In the 2016–2017 season, the 16-year veteran decided to sign again to the team, where he re-signed another one-year deal contract.

7) Jason Terry (10th pick, 1999 draft)

Terry is now officially a member of Milwaukee Bucks. He signed a one-year deal contract with the team on August 22, 2016.

The championship run of the Dallas Mavericks on 2011 would be not that successful without the help of the former Sixth Man of the Year, he is one of the big contributors in their Finals series against the Heat.

8) Jermaine O’Neal (17th pick, 1996 draft)

O’Neal is currently a semi-retired player. On February 17, 2015, he tweeted on his Twitter account that he’s not sure if he will retire or not.

O’Neal is a 6-foot-11 tall that can play both power forward and center position. In terms of his size, the six-time All-Star is also a good perimeter shooter and a great rim protector as well. He won the Most Improve Player award on 2001–2002 season.

9) Andre Miller (8th pick, 1999 draft)

Miller is a great playmaker, he is the 2002 Assists Leader. According to sources, the 40-year old point guard from California is 80, 90 percent sure that he’s retiring. He has no team yet for the upcoming 2016–2017 season.

In Miller’s 17-year career, he is the only player in the league to have 16,000 points, 8,000 assists and 1,500 steals without making an All-Star team.

10) Elton Brand (1st pick, 1999 draft)

Brand was the top pick way back in the 1999 Rookie Draft selected by the Chicago Bulls, where he shared the 2000 Rookie of the Year award with Steve Francis of the Houston Rockets. He averages 20.1 points per game and 10.1 rebounds per game in his rookie year.

The 6-foot-9 New York native is a 2-time All-Star and the 51st player in history to reach 9,000 career rebounds. Brand has re-signed another one-year deal contract with the 76ers on September 7, 2016.

11) Nazr Mohammed (29th pick, 1998 draft)

On October 9, 2015, Mohammed officially retired from the league, but later on March 2016, he left retirement with a specific end goal to come back to the league. He signed a contract with the Oklahoma City Thunder on March 5, effective for the rest of 2015–2016 season.

The 6-foot-10 big man was a member of the 2005 San Antonio Spurs championship squad.

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