**Official PJ @ Tweeter Center RV Tailgate Pre-Game Party Thread**

Bubba wrote:

Thank God the Suns won....I cant stand the Lakers and Kobe. All this talk of him being better than Jordan, I think not! One thing separates Jordan from all the players these days and that is his work ethic. Not one player in the league today works on their game to improve themselves every year like Jordan did. I remember when they said all he could do was dunk, next year he came out hitting jumper after jumper....told him he couldn't play defense, next year leads the league in steals and defensive player of the year! Granted some of these guys have the talent, but that work ethic is what will keep MJ head and shoulders above anyone!

OK, sorry about that, I had to let that out! LOL

Who's ready to rock out tonight!?!?!

I never hear anybody say he's better than Jordan. I've never heard that once actually. The comparisons are definitely there though, and rightfully so. I do hear people say his game is similar skill set wise, and it is. They are identically fluid with the same text book jumper from any angle, and cotortion, etc. The mechanics are mirrored all the way through. Defense, long range, foul shooting, all the way down the line. I wish their era's overlapped more because I would have loved to have seen more one on one matchups with them both in the league. He's a pleasure to watch, esp since I was such a big Jordan fan. I wasn't a fan of Kobe's when the Shaq/Jackson thing happened and then the kid realized he talked himself out of more rings in the immediate future. When Jackson came back after they worked things out I started watching again. People like to not like Kobe the same way they don't like the Yankees in some respects. Some because he is that good, but most I feel because of the past 3 seasons. Some of what he said and did is still affecting his marketability for sure. He definitely sees what he did now, and hindsight always sucks. He is a great player with a lot of great moments ahead of him. They have a young team. He might take some shots that people don't agree with, or say that he doesn't involove his teammates...the same things were said about Jordan when that team was still young. A year or two later, with the same core still intact, it all came together. The Lakers are a young team now as well and noone has the experience on that team that he does. He may have some growing pains after being used to blowing through the playoffs and atleast getting to the Finals, and not making them last year I'm sure was an eye opener. He's their best player and the team leader, a delicate balance for sure, and makes him an easy target for criticism as well when they lose.

GarrettSocling wrote:

balloons! excellent idea...

sweet...what time is too early?

Balloons...BAD idea! Sorry friends, but not my cup of tea! But you all enjoy it while I drink a cold beer!

Barely Alive wrote:

I never hear anybody say he's better than Jordan. I've never heard that once actually. The comparisons are definitely there though, and rightfully so. I do hear people say his game is similar skill set wise, and it is. They are identically fluid with the same text book jumper from any angle, and cotortion, etc. The mechanics are mirrored all the way through. Defense, long range, foul shooting, all the way down the line. I wish their era's overlapped more because I would have loved to have seen more one on one matchups with them both in the league. He's a pleasure to watch, esp since I was such a big Jordan fan. I wasn't a fan of Kobe's when the Shaq/Jackson thing happened and then the kid realized he talked himself out of more rings in the immediate future. When Jackson came back after they worked things out I started watching again. People like to not like Kobe the same way they don't like the Yankees in some respects. Some because he is that good, but most I feel because of the past 3 seasons. Some of what he said and did is still affecting his marketability for sure. He definitely sees what he did now, and hindsight always sucks. He is a great player with a lot of great moments ahead of him. They have a young team. He might take some shots that people don't agree with, or say that he doesn't involove his teammates...the same things were said about Jordan when that team was still young. A year or two later, with the same core still intact, it all came together. The Lakers are a young team now as well and noone has the experience on that team that he does. He may have some growing pains after being used to blowing through the playoffs and atleast getting to the Finals, and not making them last year I'm sure was an eye opener. He's their best player and the team leader, a delicate balance for sure, and makes him an easy target for criticism as well when they lose.

Plus Kobe keeps it real.

(Talking about Raja Bell's foul)

As for that rough style, Bryant said bring it on.

"That's how I grew up playing basketball in Philadelphia," he said. "I
love playing that style. It excites me more than anything."

Another lie from Kobe "Fraud" Bryant - native Philadelphian - unless Philadelphia is a new city in Italy he used to play ball at when he grew up there. Because we know for damn sure no rich kid from Lower Merion who's been pampered his whole life would ever be playing street ball in North or West Philly.

Barely Alive wrote:

I never hear anybody say he's better than Jordan. I've never heard that once actually. The comparisons are definitely there though, and rightfully so. I do hear people say his game is similar skill set wise, and it is. They are identically fluid with the same text book jumper from any angle, and cotortion, etc. The mechanics are mirrored all the way through. Defense, long range, foul shooting, all the way down the line. I wish their era's overlapped more because I would have loved to have seen more one on one matchups with them both in the league. He's a pleasure to watch, esp since I was such a big Jordan fan. I wasn't a fan of Kobe's when the Shaq/Jackson thing happened and then the kid realized he talked himself out of more rings in the immediate future. When Jackson came back after they worked things out I started watching again. People like to not like Kobe the same way they don't like the Yankees in some respects. Some because he is that good, but most I feel because of the past 3 seasons. Some of what he said and did is still affecting his marketability for sure. He definitely sees what he did now, and hindsight always sucks. He is a great player with a lot of great moments ahead of him. They have a young team. He might take some shots that people don't agree with, or say that he doesn't involove his teammates...the same things were said about Jordan when that team was still young. A year or two later, with the same core still intact, it all came together. The Lakers are a young team now as well and noone has the experience on that team that he does. He may have some growing pains after being used to blowing through the playoffs and atleast getting to the Finals, and not making them last year I'm sure was an eye opener. He's their best player and the team leader, a delicate balance for sure, and makes him an easy target for criticism as well when they lose.

I just dont like the guy! LOL, but I do agree, he does have all the talent in the world. I still Jordan's work ethic was far away and above anyone playing today. To quote one of Philly's finest "We're talking about practice man, practice!"

Mark Jackson was on ESPN the other night and said that when Kobe retires, everyone will think of him as the best player instead of Jordan. After that Ive been hearing it on all the sports radio show discussions...but that was before Avocado came out, since then it hasnt left either CD player of the cars!

Solat13 wrote:

Plus Kobe keeps it real.

Reeeeeeeeeeeal dumb.

When you don't like someone it's not hard to find fault. That's the easy part.
I will say that no one should be "clotheslined". Talk to the refs. You think you're getting beat up then say something. You stay in there and play your game and hope that in the end the right calls or made or that in the long term you break even. More times than not things will go the way they should be as far as calls. You don't wrangle someone around the neck.

He played quite a bit around Philadelphia "extended" I'm sure during his HS years. I know, I got dunked on by him in a pickup game.

Yeah, he didn't grow up inner city, but take his statement about it as you will.

...and as I said, he did put his foot in his mouth many times a few years ago. I think he's more aware and acutely atuned to the consequences of his words. I never liked Iverson for many of the same reasons you all don't seem to like Kobe...once he tuned down the mouthy BS I started to appreciate the player more and not the talk.

Barely Alive wrote:

When you don't like someone it's not hard to find fault. That's the easy part.
I will say that no one should be "clotheslined". Talk to the refs. You think you're getting beat up then say something. You stay in there and play your game and hope that in the end the right calls or made or that in the long term you break even. More times than not things will go the way they should be as far as calls. You don't wrangle someone around the neck.

He played quite a bit around Philadelphia "extended" I'm sure during his HS years. I know, I got dunked on by him in a pickup game.

Yeah, he didn't grow up inner city, but take his statement about it as you will.

Suburbs are a whole different game then the city. I remember this one court on Bigler Street we used to play at that you never drove to the hoop on one side of the court. Because there are no layups in the city without what we call a little love tap. The one end of the court was littered with crushed and broken glass from the homeless guys who used to live in the stands by the football field and drink on the courts at night and trust me it didn't make for a pleasant landing.

Those were good times.

this time next week ill be sitting at my desk at work, probably doing what i am doing now, wondering why i didnt take the day off and go to albany....fuckers!

danielle, just told bob and tim that im picking them up around 9ish, so everything is still as planned for tonight!!!!

Sat May 13 Showers
66°/48°