Comments on: Video: Kobe on Phelps

By: I R A Darth Aggie

I R A Darth Aggie — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 13:32:30 +0000

The real leader of the “Redeem Team”?

Coach K.

By: Keemo

Keemo — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 13:02:41 +0000

Kobe, LeBron and the Redeem Team really are comporting themselves as dignified ambassadors for our country, much like the first Dream Team. I’m extremely proud of them, and I don’t even like basketball.

spmat on August 18, 2008 at 3:33 PM

Ditto’s spmat….

Kobe and this entire “dream team” makes me proud of them, proud of my country, and hopeful for our future.

By: homesickamerican

homesickamerican — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 04:48:01 +0000

and the nike ad on that page ROCKS!

so ready to be back home!

one more month, one more month, one more month…

By: homesickamerican

homesickamerican — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 04:40:57 +0000

two words: class act.

By: fossten

fossten — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 02:53:09 +0000

Thacker,

Kobe’s on a team of role players. His role is elite defender and play facilitator. Chris Paul’s role, along with DWade’s, is scorer. If you watched any basketball you’d understand the importance of roles.

By: Mormon Doc

Mormon Doc — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 22:53:41 +0000

What’s been the big beef against him anyway? Is he any more of a prima donna than most of the NBA athletes. I don’t know why there was so much hatred of him in the first place.

By: eski502

eski502 — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 22:46:43 +0000

Before this year I nevr really liked Kobe. Then my Celtics played him in the playoffs- and though he lost, he was impressive and a team player in defeat.

Now with these past couple weeks, I’m proud of him.

By: exhelodrvr

exhelodrvr — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 22:13:37 +0000

Thacker,
The problem is you are only looking at the stats. Bryant is having a huge impact setting the defensive tone, which is why the U.S. is performing at the level they are.

By: SouthernGent

SouthernGent — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 22:05:20 +0000

I hate Kobe, but I like what he’s saying and doing in China. Go, USA!

By: Cindy Munford

Cindy Munford — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 21:34:14 +0000

Allen Iverson was from my neck of the woods and he was one wild child. It was like he and Alonzo Mourning(also a local) were polar opposites. But let’s all give a hand to all those who grow up and work on becoming good citizens.

By: kirkill

kirkill — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 21:18:09 +0000

clearly it’s carsmello anthony that brought the good stuff.

By: Tennman

Tennman — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 21:10:37 +0000

I don’t really care where he places as either the leader of the redeem team or the best dunker, the best defensive player or the lowest scorer. I don’t even care that he had problems in his past.

I only know that as an American, he definitely struck a proud chord of Patriotism.

By: baldilocks

baldilocks — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 20:58:31 +0000

The 2004 team was composed of the Allen Iverson-lead Bronze medalists

By: baldilocks

baldilocks — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 20:57:48 +0000

Same here. In previous olympics, the BB players were a bit too ‘celebrity’.

Think_b4_speaking on August 18, 2008 at 3:31 PM

You might be thinking of a different year. The 2004 team were the Allen Iverson-lead Bronze medalists who were much maligned by arm-chair patriots even though they stepped up to represent the USA after the “big stars” like Shaq were too afraid to leave the country because of terror threats against the Athens Olympics.

The 2004 BBall team was the most admirable and patriotic of them all.

By: JonPrichard

JonPrichard — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 20:40:56 +0000

WRONG.

If you look at the stats, basically all he does is shoot. He generally only scores when he dunks. He doesn’t get the minutes because he’s not the ‘de facto leader’.

Eh no. In the words of Bobby Byrd, you’re WRONG WRONG WRONG!

Look, the U.S. didn’t need a bunch of hot dog scorers to show up at this Olympics. They needed a true commitment to defense and the willingness of superstars to play together as a real team. Kobe brought both of those aspects and has lead in that commitment for the last three years. The guy who put up 81 against Toronto and is the reigning league MVP brought stifling defense and parked his ego at the water’s edge.

Your ’stats’ meter is precisely the wrong way to view Kobe’s contributions to both the team and the country.

By: lionheart

lionheart — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 20:35:10 +0000

I dislike the guy for a lot of reasons, but I have to tip my hat to him here. As a life-long cynic (especially of professional athletes), I’m inclined to believe that this is a calculated move to improve his image (and if so, he just hit an 89 foot jumper). On the other hand, it could be genuine- he has seen America at its best in his troubled past, being acquitted of rape after an attempt at extortion by a white wh*re. We’ve come quite a ways since the days of “To Kill A Mockingbird”, huh?

By: Spirit of 1776

Spirit of 1776 — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 20:34:33 +0000

These team would be winning sans Paul. Paul maybe the greatest player you’ve ever seen, but until he either wins championships or plays for a long period of time at the absolute highest level, he doesn’t even deserve to be in the GOAT conversation.

By: jimmy the notable

jimmy the notable — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 20:21:00 +0000

Well you guys can’t really get mad at people who choose to go with their ancestry to play for another team. Considering the depth of talent in the US, they might never have gotten a chance to play in the Olympics. If I had either the choice of not playing for the US, or playing for Ireland, I would play for Ireland.

By: Mallard T. Drake

Mallard T. Drake — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 20:19:17 +0000

Yes Kobe is presenting well and saying what needs to be said. I sort of kinda half-remember he was involved in some scandal and lewd sex acts but it is all fading away under the glow of the images coming out of my TV. (while a PR director somewhere is giving a fist pump and a big “Yes!”)

On the other hand, Marvin Gaye Anthem with a Ray Charles America the Beautiful chaser: goosebumps, baby.

By: reaganaut

reaganaut — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 20:12:42 +0000

Spike72AFA on August 18, 2008 at 4:02 PM

There some other guy who applied for German citizenship to play. His grandparents came from Germany. I can’t remember his name, he’s not that great.

His dad is pissed about it, though.

There are a ton of foreign athletes who actually live and train in the US, I think it’s funny.

By: abinitioadinfinitum

abinitioadinfinitum — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 20:10:01 +0000

I’m no Lakers fan but with Bynum healthy and improving they’ll be very tough to beat.

BuzzCrutcher on August 18, 2008 at 3:32 PM

CP3 and the Hornets are up for the challenge

By: Spirit of 1776

Spirit of 1776 — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 20:09:33 +0000

Aside from the Golden Boy himself, has anyone done more to improve his image at the Olympics than Kobe?

No. He also did great with his Costas (or other NBC sportsman, don’t remember) interview along with LeBron.

By: Nahanni

Nahanni — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 20:09:16 +0000

I see it everytime a United States athlete takes the medal stand, or hears the National Anthem, they ALL have their hands over their hearts.

That is something that Barak Obama refuses to do unless he is desperately trying to pander for votes.

Barak’s friends and supporters do not respect the flag of the United States, they burn it. Their anthem is the “Internationale” not the “star Spangled Banner”.

By: Spike72AFA

Spike72AFA — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 20:02:04 +0000

I saw Kobe’s interview where he said he was proud to wear the USA team uniform, and that was the first time I really respected him (I am a Spurs fan). He grew up in Europe where his father played ball, and is a world wide star. So when he says that he believes America is the best country on earth, you know that he has been around and seen the competition.
I contrast that with Becky Hammon, the WNBA player who became a Russian citizen earlier this year so that she could play on the Russian Olympic team. Granted, the Russians are giving their team a big cash bonus if they win a medal, but as the joke goes, “we’ve already determined what you are; right now we are just haggling on the price.” I don’t know when I have ever been more disgusted.

By: EJDolbow

EJDolbow — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 19:55:41 +0000

Great American.

Not so great man, husband and father.