Kobe reflects on time with Kwame and Smush

[AboveLegit]

There's a video at the link, but here's the transcript:

“I got to say, it was tough doing it that year. I was playing with guys, God bless them—God bless them—but Kwame Brown. Smush Parker. We had one game right before…by the way, what I say here, I say directly to them, see what I’m saying, I don’t talk behind people’s back. Things that I say to you, I’m comfortable saying this to them and I’ve said this to them... But like, the game before we traded for Pau, we're playing Detroit and I had like 40 points towards the end of the game. This is back when Detroit had Rasheed (Wallace), Chauncey (Billups) and those guys, so we had no business being in the game. So down the stretch of the game, they put in a box and one. So I’m surrounded by these players, Detroit players, and Kwame is under the basket, all by himself. Literally, like all by himself. So I pass him the ball, he bobbled it and it goes out of bounds.

 

“So we go back to the timeout and I’m (upset), right? He goes, ‘I was wide open.’ ‘Yeah, I know.’ This is how I’m talking to him, like, during the game. I said, ‘You’re going to be open again, Kwame, because Rasheed is just totally ignoring you.’ He said, ‘Well, if I’m open don’t throw it to me.’ I was like, ‘Huh?’ He said, ‘Don’t throw it to me.’ I said, ‘Why not?’ He said, well, ‘I’m nervous. If I catch it and he foul me, I won’t make the free throws.’ I said, ‘Hell no!’

 

“I go to Phil (Jackson), I say, ‘Hey Phil, take him out of the game.’ He’s like, ‘Nah, let him figure it out.’ So, we lose the game, I go the locker room, I’m steaming. Steaming. I’m furious. Then, finally I get a call, they said, ‘You know what, we got something that’s happening with Pau.’ I was like, ‘Alright. Cool.’…That’s what I had to deal with the whole year.”

http://aol.sportingnews.com/nba/story/2011-10-07/kobe-bryant-reflects-on-time-with-nervous-kwame-brown-smush-parker

 

Makes that MVP season even more impressive.

[Guru]

lmao hahahaha "I'm nervous."

[Jenneral]

Not really any more impressive since we all already knew this...

[ChosenOne]

‘I’m nervous. If I catch it and he foul me, I won’t make the free throws.’ OMG thats Hilarious!

[Flash]

Throwing former teammates under the bus? Never. I like Kobe but this wasn't necessary.

Edited October 8, 2011 by Flash

[GamerGuy]

Throwing former teammates under the bus? Never. I like Kobe but this wasn't necessary.

Oh, the humanity!

[?QuestionMark?]

People forget how HORRIBLE those teams were. Kwame - Starting center is a bench player on a bad team now. Smush Parker - Starting PG for LA and is currently out of the league. Luke Walton - Starting SF who now is developing hemmroids sitting on the bench. Brian Cook was their 1st big man off the bench, he's practically out of the league now. Sasha Vujacic - Back up PG getting a lot of minutes his rookie year, still sucks.

 

It's one thing to be surrounded by bad players, it's another to be surrounded by guys who aren't even NBA calibar. The fact LA even made the playoffs in the West was pretty amazing.

 

 

But this also shows Phil's stubboness. Turiaf and Bynum were both rookies, so yeah they'll make tons of mistakes, but even then they were so much more talented than Kwame and Cook that they should have gotten way more PT. But instead of putting a shot-blocker like Turiaf or Bynum, we watch the Suns run a lay-up drill against the Lakers.

[misterx]

wtf what kind of player is that. 'im nervous' seriously

[Real Deal]

But instead of putting a shot-blocker like Turiaf or Bynum, we watch the Suns run a lay-up drill against the Lakers.

No way to Turiaf. He may have blocked shots, but he did absolutely nothing else, especially on defense (ask Knicks fans), and the real reason why he didn't play was because he averaged 6.7 PF/G per 36 minutes in both of those seasons we're talking about (pre-Gasol). He hacked people and sent them to the line because he couldn't play defense, and on a lot of those blocks he did get, he got away with bumps and STILL was in foul trouble the entire time he was in there.

[Sħãlïq™]

People forget how HORRIBLE those teams were. Kwame - Starting center is a bench player on a bad team now. Smush Parker - Starting PG for LA and is currently out of the league. Luke Walton - Starting SF who now is developing hemmroids sitting on the bench. Brian Cook was their 1st big man off the bench, he's practically out of the league now. Sasha Vujacic - Back up PG getting a lot of minutes his rookie year, still sucks. ...

My man, it's hemorrhoids. Shaliq can see whatchu mean tho'. Shaliq agrees.

[EastCoastNiner]

Oh, the humanity!

 

Lets just overlook what an ass he can be. Please, don't even try to defend his comment because you can't.

 

He's a great player, but you don't say stuff like that.

[?QuestionMark?]

No way to Turiaf. He may have blocked shots, but he did absolutely nothing else, especially on defense (ask Knicks fans), and the real reason why he didn't play was because he averaged 6.7 PF/G per 36 minutes in both of those seasons we're talking about (pre-Gasol). He hacked people and sent them to the line because he couldn't play defense, and on a lot of those blocks he did get, he got away with bumps and STILL was in foul trouble the entire time he was in there.

 

I don't care if Ronny fouled out. In no rational universe should Brian freakin' Cook get more PT than Turiaf. Was Ronny bad defensively? Yes. Brian Cook was on an entirely different universe when it came to bad defense. If I had the choice of subtituting a wet spot on the floor for Cook, I'd take the wet spot. At least it'll provide more defensive resistance. As bad as Ronny was, he's nowhere near as bad Cook. Cook is the definition of a defensive liability.

 

Brian Cook is/was the most useless player on the Lakers and probably the league.

[YugoRocketsFan]

I'm Nervous, should be a meme tbh

[ChosenOne]

Lets just overlook what an ass he can be. Please, don't even try to defend his comment because you can't.

 

He's a great player, but you don't say stuff like that.

 

What did Kobe say that was really wrong? He explained what happened during a timeout, and said that it was rough playing with Brown and Parker.

 

I didn't find it to be necessarily wrong to say. Could it have been avoided yes but is it completely wrong since he said it no.

[?QuestionMark?]

 

Couldn't find a less annoying video, but this is what Kwame will be remembered for in LA. Granted this was only a span of 5 minutes or so where he was at his absolute worst, but his typical games weren't that far off from this.

 

It's still amazing that Kwame was able to get traded for two seperate all-stars.

[Real Deal]

I don't care if Ronny fouled out. In no rational universe should Brian freakin' Cook get more PT than Turiaf. Was Ronny bad defensively? Yes. Brian Cook was on an entirely different universe when it came to bad defense. If I had the choice of subtituting a wet spot on the floor for Cook, I'd take the wet spot. At least it'll provide more defensive resistance. As bad as Ronny was, he's nowhere near as bad Cook. Cook is the definition of a defensive liability.

 

Brian Cook is/was the most useless player on the Lakers and probably the league.

For one, Ronny Turiaf was a center. He wasn't going to play the four...no way, no how. It's Mihm and Kwame you should be upset about, not Cook, because Cook and Odom were rounding out the starting frontcourt trio when Phil finally realized he coudn't play Kwame and Mihm together.

 

In 2005-06, Cook was very useful. He was the most efficient shooter (from 23 feet in) that we had, and the second most efficient player on the roster (51% FG, 43% 3PT). At some point, you have to play those guys. Kyle Korver is no defensive stud, pretty bad at that end of the court, but he gets playing time to spread the floor and give more space to guys like Rose and Kobe, so they can operate.

 

Like Mihm and Kwame, Turiaf clogs the paint and doesn't know when the hell to move out of it.

 

Turiaf over Kwame or Mihm was a no-no, though. Kwame is a much, much better defensive player, and Mihm provided better offense. Both Kwame and Mihm are also better rebounders, and are true centers.

 

Phil made the right decision. We couldn't afford finding ourselves in the penalty early against a Suns team that was winning 54 games despite being dead last in free throw attempts, but at the very top of the league in free throw percentage. He hurt us more than he did help. Swatting a couple of shots a night doesn't make up for six fouls, no assists, giving up double-digit rebounds, clogging the paint and keeping a prime Kobe outside of it, and not spreading the floor and being a legitimate threat on offense.

[htownborn]

Throwing former teammates under the bus? Never. I like Kobe but this wasn't necessary.

 

Well Smush Parker did have somethings to say about Kobe back in the day so I can understand him talking about Smush. Kwame on the other hand really didn't need to be mention, what he said is pretty much what alot of people already knew about Kwame. It's already bad enough he's one of the worst #1 overall picks in NBA history.

[?QuestionMark?]

For one, Ronny Turiaf was a center. He wasn't going to play the four...no way, no how. It's Mihm and Kwame you should be upset about, not Cook, because Cook and Odom were rounding out the starting frontcourt trio when Phil finally realized he coudn't play Kwame and Mihm together.

 

Turiaf should have been given more of Mihm's minutes after Chris got hurt. Instead, they rolled out Puppy Crap, a 6-10 shooting guard, as the first big off the bench. No way that should ever happen. For all his faults, Turiaf would have provided some shot-blocking that LA lacked with Mihm gone, and Bynum buried on the bench.

 

In 2005-06, Cook was very useful. He was the most efficient shooter (from 23 feet in) that we had, and the second most efficient player on the roster (51% FG, 43% 3PT). At some point, you have to play those guys. Kyle Korver is no defensive stud, pretty bad at that end of the court, but he gets playing time to spread the floor and give more space to guys like Rose and Kobe, so they can operate.

 

On the other hand, when Cook couldn't make a shot, he was the most useless waste of height. Can't board, can't defend, can't block, can't set screens, can't pass, poor hoop IQ, can't run the floor, can't rotate. He was a one trick pony, that would give up as many points and he'd get. Korver is bad defensively too, but you can hide him with Chicago's defense. Cook just made a bad defense just that much worse.

 

 

Like Mihm and Kwame, Turiaf clogs the paint and doesn't know when the hell to move out of it.

 

Turiaf over Kwame or Mihm was a no-no, though. Kwame is a much, much better defensive player, and Mihm provided better offense. Both Kwame and Mihm are also better rebounders, and are true centers.

 

I'm not suggesting Turiaf should have played instead of Mihm. And he shouldn't have gotten more PT than Kwame, but Turiaf should have gotten more run and definately should have been playing more than Cook.

 

Against the Suns he specifically should have gotten more PT. Kwame's strengths (his defense), was pretty much negated since he didn't have anyone to defend (no Amare in 2006). I'd have given Turiaf more PT (and all of Cook's minutes), so that LA would have at least one big on the floor willing to rotate and try to block a shot, instead of Cook and Kwame who literally stood and watched as Nash and Barbosa ran a layup line because neither Kwame or Cook could take one step to their side to cut off penetration.

 

Phil made the right decision. We couldn't afford finding ourselves in the penalty early against a Suns team that was winning 54 games despite being dead last in free throw attempts, but at the very top of the league in free throw percentage. He hurt us more than he did help. Swatting a couple of shots a night doesn't make up for six fouls, no assists, giving up double-digit rebounds, clogging the paint and keeping a prime Kobe outside of it, and not spreading the floor and being a legitimate threat on offense.

 

Instead, we had Cook who couldn't defened Marion or Diaw, couldn't rotate, and offensively didn't really do much. At least not enough to justify him being a major defensive liability. Next to a Shaq or a Dwight Howard or even Bynum now, you can keep him out there. But not when you pair him up with Kwame Brown, who doesn't swat either and is a poor help defender himself. And it's especially dangerous when you have Smush Parker playing turnstile defense all series.

 

For all his faults, I'd go with Turiaf over Cook every day of the week. I'd rather have 1 or 2 block shots and have him foul out than have Cook just stand there and watch as LA give up easy layup after easy layup after easy layup.

[Real Deal]

Two blocked shots per game isn't going to be more significant than the scoring Brian Cook gave us, and Turiaf wasn't going to be THAT big of a deal on the defensive end of the floor. Sure, Cook couldn't rebound, but he actually boxes out better than Ronny, and without looking, he probably averaged around the same RPG in 36 minutes.

 

We needed someone to spread the floor. Cook was the best shooter on the team, hands down, no argument. I'll stick the best shooter on the floor before I put a guy that does nothing but block a couple shots a game out there.

 

If we're talking just the playoffs...okay, that's a bit different. Maybe Ronny should've played more against the Suns. I don't even think Mihm played at all, if I recall correctly. But, if we're looking at the entire 2005-06 season, Phil made the right decision to play Cook more.

[?QuestionMark?]

Two blocked shots per game isn't going to be more significant than the scoring Brian Cook gave us, and Turiaf wasn't going to be THAT big of a deal on the defensive end of the floor. Sure, Cook couldn't rebound, but he actually boxes out better than Ronny, and without looking, he probably averaged around the same RPG in 36 minutes.

 

We needed someone to spread the floor. Cook was the best shooter on the team, hands down, no argument. I'll stick the best shooter on the floor before I put a guy that does nothing but block a couple shots a game out there.

 

If we're talking just the playoffs...okay, that's a bit different. Maybe Ronny should've played more against the Suns. I don't even think Mihm played at all, if I recall correctly. But, if we're looking at the entire 2005-06 season, Phil made the right decision to play Cook more.

 

 

Disagree. Two blocked shots + Ronny's energy far outweights Cook's single skill. Especially when he gave up as many and often more points than scored. Not to mention Ronny was the only big (besides Bynum who was benched) who could catch and finish. Kwame couldn't, Cook, couldn't, Mihm on the road couldn't, and Lamar for some reason couldn't finish in those days.

 

I don't want a big man whose only skill is shooting. Specifically when it's only spot up shooting; he couldn't shoot coming off a screen or off the dribble, though he tried and it was almost always a brick, might as well just have been a TO. On a team lacking talent like the Lakers did, you have to play your better players. Brian Cook brought a skill that was overrated because he literally could do NOTHING else on the floor. Even Kwame was able to set solid screens (his only contribution offensively), but Cook was worthless if he wasn't catching and shooting.

[Real Deal]

Dude, lol, if he was being played at the center position, it's different, but he was in the roster as a small forward in the triangle. When he was starting, he was at the SF position, with Mihm/Kwame and Odom at the five and four.

 

Phil is not dumb enough to take Odom out of the starting five, and he's not dumb enough to put Turiaf at the PF position in the triangle. Cook was a SF that season, and saying that Turiaf needed to play more minutes than Cook is saying that Kwame and Mihm needed to play less (or Odom less), and there's no way on Earth that Ronny was better than those two.

 

I'm not sure what you were wanting. There were three centers on the team. Turiaf was one. Once Mihm was hurt, Cook was starting at the SF position, with Odom and Kwame at the four and five. Cook was never playing center. Kwame was up to about 40-43 minutes a game without Mihm, and Odom was at the five at some points of the game (very few minutes there).

 

So, again, it was either play Odom at the five for about 3-4 minutes, or play Turiaf 3-4 minutes more. It had nothing to do with Cook. He was pushed up to the PF position, and Walton was getting around 35 minutes a night because of it. You can go check the games if you'd like, but the triangle doesn't operate with a center pulling out to the three-point line every play, and Odom was the only guy that could take the low post on the roster (other than Drew, who didn't play, and Mihm being injured).

[Real Deal]

Just an example of how much Kwame played after Mihm went down...

 

http://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/200604060DEN.html

[Nitro]

No way did Turiaf deserve PT over Kwame...Kwame is a stellar defensive player and can rebound. Turiaf provided energy, but that's about it, and often times he is out of control (over 6 fouls per 36min his first 2 seasons). Cook, despite being one-dimensional, was actually the 2nd highest scorer per 36min on the 05-06 Laker squad, and had the highest TS% and 3pt% (by a large margin) on the team. Those Laker squads were pitiful offensively, and he was the 3rd most important player on the team on that side of the ball. So no, I wouldn't have given Turiaf the majority of his minutes, either.

[Nitro]

Dude, lol, if he was being played at the center position, it's different, but he was in the roster as a small forward in the triangle. When he was starting, he was at the SF position, with Mihm/Kwame and Odom at the five and four.

 

Phil is not dumb enough to take Odom out of the starting five, and he's not dumb enough to put Turiaf at the PF position in the triangle. Cook was a SF that season, and saying that Turiaf needed to play more minutes than Cook is saying that Kwame and Mihm needed to play less (or Odom less), and there's no way on Earth that Ronny was better than those two.).

 

According to 82games.com, Cook played 0 minutes all season at SF.

[Real Deal]

According to 82games.com, Cook played 0 minutes all season at SF.

They have to be wrong. The experiment that sent Odom out there at SF ended very quickly, around the time Kwame was pulled because he couldn't maintain spacing between him and Mihm, and it was in between the time Cook was starting. Probably 30 games in. Cook was supposed to take the post, and he was an absolute train wreck down there, and Odom was bumped up because he was also the better rebounder, and having him far from the rim was hurting LA.

 

If Odom was at the four, and Mihm and Kwame were starting (Mihm first, then Kwame after the injury), Cook was at the three after about 30 games, when Phil made the adjustment, because he was also starting.