[::2009 Champion LAKERS OFF-SEASON THREAD Vol. Boring Non-News Days Causing In-Thread Tension::]

[goukiteg]

Originally Posted by DontStepOnMyShoes

I feel what yall are sayin and all that but its on the Lakers to figure out how to get this done..not Kobe...yes yes yes I know it can all be easier if he just opts out and does what everybody wants him to do, but why shouldnt most of the burden be put on Buss. Id rather Buss give up the extra 4-5 mil than Kobe.

Ultimately it rest on the shoulders of all parties. I think Kobe and Buss need to have a heart to heart, even though I neither really like eachother. This is especially true with JIM Buss and Kobe.

 

[wings90]

I would agree that it falls on both of them. I think Kobe will be giving people a legitimate reason to question him if he doesn't opt out. Everyoneknows it's important to try and get both Trevor and LO back, and it will definitely be seen by some as Kobe not doing his part to keep this team together.

 

[kal ripped ken]

cmon kobe you #!$^hole! take one for the team

 

[knightngale]

I don't see kobe taking a pay cut and it will be funny when we are in the playoffs with either no lamar or ariza. He is gonna look like a fool.

 

[mjsaver]

KOBE is already the most hated player in the LEAGUE...arguably sports...

Now HE HAS TO TAKE A PAYCUT TO KEEP THE TEAM TOGETHER...

After LEADING THE WAY TO A CHIP he can still come out as the badguy...

Only in the world of KOBE, could this happen......

 

[lalakerfan213]

Greed vs Winning

I think Kobe chooses winning.

 

[darth dnzy]

--All this Odom/Ariza talk and all the angles is stressin me out more than the Rockets series did...
--I hope we can keep both.

 

[darthska]

goukiteg:

---

i hope Kobe surprises me and takes a pay cut.
I all but guarantee he won't. Bookmark this response or something.

 

[81ackmamba]

I really don't see how people can blame Kobe if he doesn't take a paycut.

It's not his fault that management has pretty much overpaid for everyone on their roster.

SHOULD he restructure his contract? Yes. But I won't be mad at him if he doesn't. I'd put more blame on the front office for overpaying playerslike Luke, Sasha, and even Bynum.

I think the Lakers should just sell their draft pick for some cash or something, a la Phoenix.

 

[Sam Darnold Heisman #8]

 

[mco85]

Why should Kobe take a pay cut? Buss has tons more money than Kobe why shouldn't he just pay the extra 10 million or whatever it will be, he can afford it,Im sure the Lakers are grossing a ton of money

 

[kal ripped ken]

^

"you're not old enough" shows he doesn't have obama's brain

 

[kb8sandiego]

Originally Posted by LiCeNseD To BaLL

damn guys my dads been calling my relatives that lives in Tehran and they havent been picking up or calling back. My family is super worried, all that protesting and killing going on in Iran, i hope my relatives are okay.

Keep your head up.

My prayers are with you and your Fam.

 

[goukiteg]

Originally Posted by 23ska909red02

goukiteg:

---

i hope Kobe surprises me and takes a pay cut.

I all but guarantee he won't. Bookmark this response or something.
I'm with you Ska. I remember an interview sometime last year where he wouldn't take a paycut. I forgot the reason why, but it was somereasoning that Buss had more money than him or something.

 

[mjsaver]

Originally Posted by mco85

Why should Kobe take a pay cut? Buss has tons more money than Kobe why shouldn't he just pay the extra 10 million or whatever it will be, he can afford it, Im sure the Lakers are grossing a ton of money

Agreed...

But nobody will blame BUSS, if the team doesnt return in tact...

Its easier to blame KOBE, that never goes out of style...

I'm 90% sure he'll take the paycut, Hes still trying to repair his image....

 

[frenchblue23]

I can see the future...

Kobe will be blamed for not taking a pay cut, if the Lakers are unable to re-sign both Odom and Ariza.

Haters rejoice.

 

[k2theablam]

Originally Posted by 81ackMamba

I really don't see how people can blame Kobe if he doesn't take a paycut.

It's not his fault that management has pretty much overpaid for everyone on their roster.

SHOULD he restructure his contract? Yes. But I won't be mad at him if he doesn't. I'd put more blame on the front office for overpaying players like Luke, Sasha, and even Bynum.

I think the Lakers should just sell their draft pick for some cash or something, a la Phoenix.

I agree with everything. Well said.

 

[presequel]

its not on kobe to make jerry buss pay the luxury tax.

lakers being in the finals, in the playoffs, got the lakers an extra $50 mil easily, if not more when its all said and done.

its up to jerry buss and fam, not kobe, on whether the players come back or not. kobe is not involved in the process and should not be. what management decidesto do should be entirely independent of what kobe does with his contract.

Someone already pointed out to you that all Kobe taking a pay cut would do is save Buss a luxury tax hit. The Lakers are already over the luxury tax limit....which Buss is free to spend against at his pleasure.

All Kobe taking less does is pad Buss' bottom line. Why exactly does he do this? Him taking less does not increase the chances of signing Trevor and/or Lamar....that's still up to Buss. No league rule prevents Buss from going over the tax limit as much as he likes.

He's also profited massively from the playoff run this season....he has the money to afford the hit....and it will be a worthy investment for future profitable playoff runs as well. You have to pay to play. The only thing that stops Buss from keeping the team intact is greed really. And I know he won't back away from the investment if he feels it's worth it.

If this was the NFL, where there's a hard cap, I can see how Kobe taking less and "spreading the wealth" makes sense. Here it only benefits one party....the owner.

 

[dyyhard]

hilight of the issue - one western conference coach(not named) said Kobe maybe the greatest to have played the game...

 

[jtwo8ight]

Originally Posted by dyyhard

hilight of the issue - one western conference coach(not named) said Kobe maybe the greatest to have played the game...

That cover is way better than the other one.

And as for the Kobe contract situation, we live and die by him. Management got us into this situation not Kobe. I can't be mad if he decides not to take apaycut which I think is most likely but I would rather he did.

 

[tupac003]

Well I can be mad...

He won't lose a dime if they restructure the deal. He will make all that money back on the back end of the deal and hell he could still make 20 MIL ASEASON....

I know in some peoples eyes kobe can do no wrong...

But if Timmy and KG can do it I don't' see why he can't.

He can either make this team or break this team. Management can only do some much if some dumb team gives Ariza 10 a year and some dumb team gives LO 12 to 14mil a year.

 

[wings90]

There's no doubt that management made mistakes overpaying guys. But the way I see it, that's in the past. Kobe can do something in the present tohelp the team out. I'll be mad at him too if he doesn't restructure.

 

[darthska]

Considering that he wouldn't get along with Shaq anymore (and Shaq wouldn't get along with him, either, so chill with the responses about it not beingall his fault), and that cost us potential championships and resigned us to mediocrity, I definitely think he should restructure his deal to allow the keyplayers to all return.

The team already made a choice for you when you (and Shaq) forced the team to choose either ou or not you; now make a choice for the team.

 

[CP1708]

Ok, we an talk about this now, cuz I coulda swore I was talkin about this last week and ya'll told me to shut up.

 

[presequel]

Originally Posted by tupac003


He can either make this team or break this team. Management can only do some much if some dumb team gives Ariza 10 a year and some dumb team gives LO 12 to 14 mil a year.

If Kobe restructures his deal, and some team offers those 2 that much money, they still aint coming back to LA. It really has NOTHING to do withKobe.