Kobe Wants Out of LA... Who Among You Wants Him to Come Home?

By now you've heard all the back and forth, flip-flopping, and rumors regarding Kobe Bryant's status in Los Angeles. It seems like every day this week, there's been another story, often conflicting with the headline of the previous day. Well, Kobe has thrown down the big words, asking for a trade out of town, in large part due to something that happened years ago. The tender piece of beef was apparently pissed to hear that "a Lakers insider" told the press that Shaq was traded due to Kobe's request (it didn't help that he re-signed the next day), and he says nothing could be further from the truth. Bryant claims that it was owner Jerry Buss who wanted rid of Shaq, and further, that the Lakers would go to great lengths to cover for themselves. Now, it seems that Kobe is ready to make trade demands that would end his own tenure in LA.

It's no secret that Kobe is not beloved in his home NBA town of Philadelphia. The Lower Merion product is still booed regularly here, and there are few players who are more hated among Sixers fans. Still, it can't be argued that he's anything less than the highest-caliber player (the three rings are a good indicator), so there are bound to be many teams in the mix for his services, despite the considerable cost of acquiring him. So my question to you is, despite all the baggage he brings, would you welcome a trade that brought Kobe Bryant to Philadelphia?

>>Kobe Bryant Says He'd Like to be Traded [TrueHoop]
>>Bryant fires back at Lakers [Stephen A.]

Comments

[Joe Manning]

I would trade anyone (and really everyone) on the Sixers current roster for Kobe - along with whatever present and future draft picks it would take.

That being said - he would never come here. I think he hates Philly as much as we hate him.

[hone]

Hell no. Considering we would have to depart most likely with Iggie, Dalembert & Miller (to match salaries), plus probably a pick, it's simply too much to give up. He has another 4-5 years of prime ball left in the tank, and we'd be gutting our team once again. Didn't we just run a more bad-ass, Philly-type player out of town (AI)? Now we want a West Coast Diva? No thank you, I'd rather build through the draft and try and get a prime free agent (Rashard Lewis anyone?)

[Charlie]

Isn't the whole point to win championships? I'm not sure we could win one with him + everyone on the sixers right now. So we would be trying to win one with him and without draft picks and iggy or something. Plus, he would probably opt out after the season anyway. So what would be the point of winning 15 more games next year and then falling back to the point we were at this year, but without the draft picks.

it would be fun, but not fun enough to compensate for all we'd lose.

I'm pretty sure, though, if he did come, everyone in philly would forget why they hated him and it would be fine

[jim]

I would rather go to church than have him on my team. Why would we want a f@g like him when we just let loose one of the toughest players in the league. He is similar to Iverson anyway, keeps the ball all to himself and is a one man show. When he won all of those championships, it was Shaq, not him.

[Walklett]

I'd take him in a heartbeat. The Sixers aren't going to win anything in the next five years at least, so why not acquire someone who will fill the seats again.

[bryan b]

abso-f'ing-lutely!

[Michael]

Kobe's not going anywhere.

Listen to this interview he had on the lakers radio station.

Click listen on Kobe on with Loose Cannons.

http://www.am570radio.com/cc-common/podcast/single_podcast.html?podcast=interviews.xml

He's not going anywhere, and the sixers wouldn't have nearly enough to give up for him.

[Chris]

Come on guys, we finally get this franchise headed in the right direction and we want to trade our 3 best players for a guy who has single handedly DESTROYED the LA Lakers?

We just dealt one cancer, why bring on another?

Let's stick with the guys we got, get better with the draft picks and keep improving! let Kobe go to Boston and finish off that franchise.

[Baker Bowl]

"The Sixers aren't going to win anything in the next five years at least, so why not acquire someone who will fill the seats again."

The Sixers kept A.I. five years too long just to "fill the seats," even when it was clear that people wouldn't come out to see a losing, one-dimensional team if Dr. J himself was on the floor. Why go through that again? This team could be very competitive next year, especially considering the relative weakness of the Eastern Conference.

[Kobe beef cheesestak]

It would be a total waste. The sixers finally started playing like a team and winning games after the AI trade. Despite dropping in the draft it was good to see. Bringing Kobe in would not be benificial. He's not a team player. While he's arguably the best player in the league he doesn't make his teammates better. That's why the lakers haven't won a playoff series since Shaq left. Seems like we're heading in the right direction and we have 3 1st round picks this year...I'll eat my words later...

[Rob]

No chance I'd want Kobe. We finally got headed in the right direction, and because Kobe needs burping we should gut our team? Pass.

[Chamomiles Davis]

I'm conflicted on this question. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't thrilled that a superstar like Bryant was coming to play for the Sixers, but my enthusiasm would be tempered by what we'd have to give up to get him. He's still in his mid-20's, so he's not out of gas yet. If Kobe brought this city a championship, I'm fairly certain that all would be forgiven (see: Pete Rose).

[johndewar]

The model of winning with one dominant player and a bunch of role players has been proven to be a recipe for failure since Michael Jordan retired. Larry Brown got it to work once with the Sixers (2001), but that's it. Simply look at the 4 teams left in the NBA playoffs....the team that is built around 1 superstar and 10 guys off the street is Cleveland and I'd bet the Sixers as presently constituted could beat them in a 7 game series. Kobe is selfish in the same way that AI was selfish.

The only way you take a guy like Kobe is if the Lakers practically give him to you or if you're an emerging NBA market who needs a big name to market to season ticket holders and sponsors (i.e.--Charlotte, OKC, NO, etc.).

Unless Kobe sublimates his game (which he can do, but just doesn't want to), he will be relegated to also-ran teams.

[fry]

Never. Kobe is an ass. I'm a proponent of rooting for the Sixers as a team over any one player but if Bryant were to join them I don't think I could be a fan anymore. I hate him. He's a rapist, a liar, a benedict arnold, a all around bad person.

[GreggyD]

I definitely would NOT want Kobe on this team. First of all, I agree with an above comment that Shaq brought all those titles to LA. If he were not in the picture, the Lakers would be MAYBE a little better than they are right now.

Also, even though it made me angry to see the Sixers winning down the stretch and slipping down the lottery board, it still was a spark that got me excited for the future. This lineup seems a lot like the one from 2001 when the team wasn't all about extremely skilled players, but a team that just had amazing chemistry and enjoyed playing the game together. If you throw Kobe into that mix, while getting rid of the three "centerpieces" in Iguodala, Miller, and Dalembert, that chemistry will disentigrate.

Lastly, Kobe is hated in this city and even if he was wearing "Sixers" across his chest, I will never ever forget his comment about "ripping Philly's heart out." Keep Kobe on the west coast and let's hear him cry and whine a little more.

[Greg Johnson]

Philidelphia would be retarded not to take Kobe on that team. What are we talking about?

Also, Steve A is still The Manchild.

[Ricky - Sixers4guidos]

no

keep the coure of young players that went 30-29 afetr the AI trade, add a rebounding PF and a decent SG with the picks and we're back in the playoffs easily

keep Kobe in LA collecting more first round exits and watching the Finals on tv like us, that's the best thing...

[T]

Good call on the rebounding PF... I think we should be more focused on the Paul Millsaps of the world (Perhaps Nick Fazekas in this draft at 30) than the Rodney Carneys.

As for shooting guard... maybe wait another year, and just get the best guys available with the earlier picks since this draft is stacked with big men, the shooting type and post playing type. There's a Spanish guard in the mold of Ginobili from what I understand and he's the only guy I see in our pick range with the potential to become a great shooting guard.

[Mike H.]

For all of the reasons stated above, and then some, let me be clear. Absolutely, unequivocally, by no means ever, in the present and/or future history of the Philadelphia 76ers, should Kobe come here.

[Ricky - Sixers4guidos]

T, u r talking about Rudu Fernandez. he's a nice player

also our Belinelli could be ok at #21 I think.

check a breakdown of him on my blog. Click on "guidos" category, left

Ricky

[Ricky - Sixers4guidos]

T, u r talking about Rudy Fernandez. he's a nice player

also our Belinelli could be ok at #21 I think.

check a breakdown of him on my blog. Click on "guidos" category, left

Ricky

[Ricky - Sixers4guidos]

T, u r talking about Rudy Fernandez. he's a nice player

also our Belinelli could be ok at #21 I think.

check a breakdown of him on my blog. Click on "guidos" category, left

Ricky