Barnes finally talks about that moment.

[xx.]

This one..

 

http://www.gifsoup.com/imager.php?id=207123 (wont let me post the gif wtf)

 

There is also that ineffable something known as will. Earlier this season Orlando's feisty Matt Barnes was standing close to Bryant when he feigned throwing a ball at Bryant's face. Bryant never even flinched. "That scared me a little," Barnes said later. "I mean, that wasn't even human."

 

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/writers/jack_mccallum/05/28/kobe/index.html

[Real Deal]

Excellent article, by the way. Take note of what Grant Hill says.

[Tyler81]

I agree with everything said in the article, Kobe is the better basketball player and LeBron is the better athlete

[Multi-Billionaire]

Not to discredit Kobe, but in the heat of the moment, if you're a superstar and some punk wannabe role player like Barnes is getting testy at you, you wouldn't be afraid. Because he's just Matt Barnes. He's not crazy as Artest.

 

I really think Kobe's mindset at the time was, "I'm a superstar, you're a role player, I'm 100x rich-er than you are, you're nothing to me, you don't intimidate me one bit."

 

I'm sure that would be my mindset if I was Kobe, I'm sure that would be anyone's mindset if they were Kobe.

 

 

I mean cmon Kobe is like Donald Trump who is a multi-billionaire stud who builds hotels, condos, skyscrapers, bloody golf courses (one project reportedly cost $1 billion to build in Scotland) all over the world, and Matt Barnes is like a common millionaire who owns 2-3 houses and talks trash to the Trump. If you were Trump in this case what are you going to do? Flinch when the little millionaire shows his money? No.

 

The same Kobe doesn't flinch when small time like Barnes tries to intimidate him with... out of all things, a basketball.

Edited May 29, 2010 by Snake

[Kobe24]

Its human instinct to react when that happens. Even if you know the ball will not hit your face you will flinch.

[Guru]

Not to discredit Kobe, but in the heat of the moment, if you're a superstar and some punk wannabe role player like Barnes is getting testy at you, you wouldn't be afraid. Because he's just Matt Barnes. He's not crazy as Artest.

 

I really think Kobe's mindset at the time was, "I'm a superstar, you're a role player, I'm 100x rich-er than you are, you're nothing to me, you don't intimidate me one bit."

 

I'm sure that would be my mindset if I was Kobe, I'm sure that would be anyone's mindset if they were Kobe.

 

I mean cmon Kobe is like Donald Trump who is a multi-billionaire stud who builds hotels, condos, skyscrapers, bloody golf courses (one project reportedly cost $1 billion to build in Scotland) all over the world, and Matt Barnes is like a common millionaire who owns 2-3 houses and talks trash to the Trump. If you were Trump in this case what are you going to do? Flinch when the little millionaire shows his money? No.

 

The same Kobe doesn't flinch when small time like Barnes tries to intimidate him with... out of all things, a basketball.

That might be the stupidest analogy I have ever heard.

[bigdog17k]

That might be the stupidest analogy I have ever heard.

 

I was thinking the same thing. I was gonna say something, but couldn't comprehend it...

[Multi-Billionaire]

^You guys will understand it sooner or later...

 

Money is power... everywhere you go. Even on basketball court. Kobe probably has $500 mil in his bank... in comparison, how much does Matt Barnes have? Probably about $30 mil.. judging by what they make in their ball career. Obviously, they don't ask each other "how much you make", etc... but info on players salaries is public now. In short, obviously Kobe and Matt Barnes himself know Kobe's a $500 mil guy, and they both know Matt Barnes is really only a $30 mil guy.

 

Now I ask, if you were a $500 mil guy (genuinely picture that for a moment, you're half way to the billion mark), would you be intimidated by any "intimidation act" by a "small fry" $30 mil guy? Of course not man... intimidated by what? His money? You got money, a lot more.

 

Money is power... that's why LeBron can dance all he wants because he has a chance to be the second pro athlete to become a Billionaire in sports earnings after Tiger Woods. Have you seen some minimum salary players dance? Maybe once... but almost every game in the regular season? No, that's mockery. LeBron? That's art, just because he has money.

 

 

I'm sure, money is power to most players' eyes... it's an inevitable thing. It's everywhere you go. I can guarantee, max players have their mental edge over role players like, "I'm gonna kill you on this possession, I am a max player, you're just an MLE." somewhere along those lines.

 

 

Because like it or not, rich or poor, male or female, any race, any state of ability or disability, superstars, celebrities, or just the average Joe, in any country, we are ALL in this game of money. Eventually, it all comes down to this game of money. Embrace it and you have a chance win the game, deny it and you will never win the game.

 

So when you have more money than the other guy, obviously you feel like your life is not restricted in areas that the other guy might feel it would be. That's power to you. All I'm saying is money matters in NBA and in their mental wars between players.

[Real Deal]

Kobe didn't flinch because he's not intimidated by anyone, and his head is always in the game. If it had anything to do with money, Tyreke Evans would be intimidated by Adam Morrison, and almost everyone in the league would be intimidated by Gilbert Arenas and Antawn Jamison.

[Multi-Billionaire]

^I'm just saying money is one of the factors... but probably a big one. That's part of everyone's life. When they step off the court after games, they head to restaurants/ clubs to chill out (like Shaq "I don't know how we won that championship" in Miami lol), everything is money. If they're smart and not like Antoine Walker who is on the "expense" side, but tries to build even more assets with their money, then they'll try to build restaurants, that's why there's a Yao restaurant, a failed restaurant by Wade, and numerous other players in the future who will surely go to that route... it's all about money.

 

It's one of the factors. If you're a $120 mil guy like Lewis, it doesn't mean Dwight Howard is your [expletive] just because he makes less... but nevertheless, you still have the power of a $120 mil guy on the court, however way it is taken by other players.

 

 

lol Adam Morrison is a good one but in that case, if you were Tyreke, you know then Morrison is a $12 mil guy, cuz he sure as hell won't get signed by any team any league after this season, for that matter. And then you look at yourself, "I'm one of four players in NBA history to finish a rookie season with 20, 5, and 5... I sure am gonna be a max player more than that bust makes in his entire life. Right now he makes more than me, but I know I'll get my max soon"

Edited May 29, 2010 by Snake

[Multi-Billionaire]

Its human instinct to react when that happens. Even if you know the ball will not hit your face you will flinch.

 

You block it out, it's in your system. If you're as good as Kobe, you better have it. But what do we mere mortals know? That's why you have to put yourself in Kobe's shoes... and imagine. You can't say "it's impossible" just because you think it's impossible. Try to see it from Kobe's perspectives... if you're Kobe, who's Matt Barnes to you?

Edited May 29, 2010 by Snake

[Real Deal]

Ah, so if I'm playing baseball and I'm someone like A-Rod, and some no-name minor league pitcher throws a fastball three inches from my head, I'm not going to quickly duck because I'm rich and I'm great?

 

It wouldn't have mattered who had the ball. Matt Barnes, Shammond Williams, Omar Cook, Shaq, Wilt or Jordan...Kobe wasn't going to flinch. It had nothing to do with the person itself, and everything to do with the moment at hand: in the game, angry, focused and determined, cold-blooded and dominant. This nonsense about money and fame...that doesn't mean anything. If you don't want to get hit in the face with a basketball, you flinch. Kobe's attention was 100% in the game and on Matt Barnes (or whoever he would've been defending), and nothing more.

 

EDIT: If I were A-Rod, I would just duck and make sure I wasn't hit by the pitch, then drill him in the side of the head with a line drive the next pitch.

[magicbalala245]

Ah, so if I'm playing baseball and I'm someone like A-Rod, and some no-name minor league pitcher throws a fastball three inches from my head, I'm not going to quickly duck because I'm rich and I'm great?

 

It wouldn't have mattered who had the ball. Matt Barnes, Shammond Williams, Omar Cook, Shaq, Wilt or Jordan...Kobe wasn't going to flinch. It had nothing to do with the person itself, and everything to do with the moment at hand: in the game, angry, focused and determined, cold-blooded and dominant. This nonsense about money and fame...that doesn't mean anything. If you don't want to get hit in the face with a basketball, you flinch. Kobe's attention was 100% in the game and on Matt Barnes (or whoever he would've been defending), and nothing more.

 

This.

[Multi-Billionaire]

^Just because you're rich, it doesn't mean you're arrogant you become dumb not to duck, it just gives you the access to areas of life other guys otherwise would be limited to. But I understand some rich guys are dumb because they think they're invincible and they forgot to duck... like Jayson Williams who killed his own chauffeur and Antoine Walker filing for bankruptcy. But you can't think all rich people are dumb like that, because the truly rich people are the smart ones who know how to exercise their "power" effectively without creating the attention or objection by other people.

 

And... I would like think if it had been MJ who did that, Kobe would have flinched... at least a little surprise because MJ would never do any punk [expletive] move only a "small fry" $30 mil guy would do.

[YugoRocketsFan]

Its human instinct to react when that happens. Even if you know the ball will not hit your face you will flinch.

 

Not exactly, Kobe was prob running high on adrenaline.

[xx.]

Not to discredit Kobe, but in the heat of the moment, if you're a superstar and some punk wannabe role player like Barnes is getting testy at you, you wouldn't be afraid. Because he's just Matt Barnes. He's not crazy as Artest.

 

I really think Kobe's mindset at the time was, "I'm a superstar, you're a role player, I'm 100x rich-er than you are, you're nothing to me, you don't intimidate me one bit."

 

I'm sure that would be my mindset if I was Kobe, I'm sure that would be anyone's mindset if they were Kobe.

 

 

I mean cmon Kobe is like Donald Trump who is a multi-billionaire stud who builds hotels, condos, skyscrapers, bloody golf courses (one project reportedly cost $1 billion to build in Scotland) all over the world, and Matt Barnes is like a common millionaire who owns 2-3 houses and talks trash to the Trump. If you were Trump in this case what are you going to do? Flinch when the little millionaire shows his money? No.

 

The same Kobe doesn't flinch when small time like Barnes tries to intimidate him with... out of all things, a basketball.

HAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHA WHAAAAT?

 

http://i900.photobucket.com/albums/ac201/Maltuz/notsureifsrs.jpg

Edited May 29, 2010 by NeTs15VC

[kingfish]

Not to discredit Kobe, but in the heat of the moment, if you're a superstar and some punk wannabe role player like Barnes is getting testy at you, you wouldn't be afraid. Because he's just Matt Barnes. He's not crazy as Artest.

 

I really think Kobe's mindset at the time was, "I'm a superstar, you're a role player, I'm 100x rich-er than you are, you're nothing to me, you don't intimidate me one bit."

 

I'm sure that would be my mindset if I was Kobe, I'm sure that would be anyone's mindset if they were Kobe.

 

 

I mean cmon Kobe is like Donald Trump who is a multi-billionaire stud who builds hotels, condos, skyscrapers, bloody golf courses (one project reportedly cost $1 billion to build in Scotland) all over the world, and Matt Barnes is like a common millionaire who owns 2-3 houses and talks trash to the Trump. If you were Trump in this case what are you going to do? Flinch when the little millionaire shows his money? No.

 

The same Kobe doesn't flinch when small time like Barnes tries to intimidate him with... out of all things, a basketball.

http://i660.photobucket.com/albums/uu330/cthulhu19887/forum/facepalm/facepalm-face-palm-facepalm-demotiv.jpg

[Multi-Billionaire]

Cmon guys it's a simple thing...

 

If you were $500 mil rich, would you be intimidated by a $30 mil guy?

 

 

Would you be intimidated?

 

 

Really?

 

 

I'm not saying Kobe is all about money but the subject of money is ingrained in any mega super athlete. It's a big factor of their life.

[xx.]

You took it too far, the whole thing is about having a basketball an inch away from your face without flinching.

[Multi-Billionaire]

^To us, $500 mil is probably too far because we're not a millionaire, not close to it... at least we're not there yet To us, it's only basketball and we can't see the money.

 

But to Kobe, $500 mil is his daily life. To Kobe, it's basketball and money.

 

 

If we want to understand why Kobe didn't flinch, we first have to stop seeing things from our perspectives... because I'd like to think our and a multi-million superstars' perspectives are different. We can start putting ourselves in Kobe's shoes, and try to see it from his perspectives... and emulate not only the situation, but also the character of Kobe, and therefore his lifestyle and background.

 

The easiest one thing (clear cut) what we don't have and what Kobe has, is the damn $500 million.

Edited May 29, 2010 by Snake

[EastCoastNiner]

This incident was blown out of proportion.

 

Also, Kobe tried elbowed him ,and smacked Matt Barnes balls, so I don't see the big deal

[Big Penny]

Not to discredit Kobe, but in the heat of the moment, if you're a superstar and some punk wannabe role player like Barnes is getting testy at you, you wouldn't be afraid. Because he's just Matt Barnes. He's not crazy as Artest.

 

I really think Kobe's mindset at the time was, "I'm a superstar, you're a role player, I'm 100x rich-er than you are, you're nothing to me, you don't intimidate me one bit."

 

I'm sure that would be my mindset if I was Kobe, I'm sure that would be anyone's mindset if they were Kobe.

 

 

I mean cmon Kobe is like Donald Trump who is a multi-billionaire stud who builds hotels, condos, skyscrapers, bloody golf courses (one project reportedly cost $1 billion to build in Scotland) all over the world, and Matt Barnes is like a common millionaire who owns 2-3 houses and talks trash to the Trump. If you were Trump in this case what are you going to do? Flinch when the little millionaire shows his money? No.

 

The same Kobe doesn't flinch when small time like Barnes tries to intimidate him with... out of all things, a basketball.

so.... if a 4"6, 80lb cross-dressing Millionaire got held up at gunpoint in a back alley by a 7"7 340lbs bodybuilding homeless serial killer, he wouldn't be intimidated? Edited May 29, 2010 by UnoCinco

[Multi-Billionaire]

^That's why I said Matt Barnes isn't crazy like Artest.

 

Kobe knows Barnes wouldn't do anything crazy/ mentally unstable things. Like I said in my previous post, some rich people are dumb, but I'm not talking about them.

[Guru]

How in the hell do you think this has anything to do with money lmao

[Multi-Billionaire]

^Why couldn't Kobe think (consciously or sub-consciously), "I am a $500 mil man through salaries, endorsements, properties, you're just a $30 mil small fry from purely salaries."

 

Would this give a mental edge? Absolutely.

 

 

Why is there "star" treatment in the NBA? And not "role player" treatment? Because stars have money, they have flair in their conducts on/ off the court and in their game... and they make the L money.