Nice to see the Lakers slipping into a dysfunctional state that makes the current Pacers situation appear like an easy fix. But, please, no more interviews of Kobe until something actually happens. He wants to go. Well, not really. No, there's nothing the Lakers can do, he has to go. Well, he talked to Phil and the Lakers are his team. I think we're well past getting a straight answer from Mamba. The drama down at Conseco is nothing compared to the plot unfolding at the foot of the Hollywood Hills.
While we're at it, let's compare the Kobe/Lakers situation to the J.O./Pacers situation. Kobe and J.O. are hands down each team's franchise player but they are both unhappy with the current state of their respecitive teams. So, J.O. remains quiet only saying that he wants to remain a Pacer, when in reality he wants out of town. Meanwhile, Kobe doth protest too much, loudly demanding a trade, but he'd really rather stay with the Lakers. So in the end, the dream scenario for both players is to end up playing together for the Lakers. Whatever happens I hope we know soon because this act is getting tired.
UPDATE: Uncle Buck at Pacers Digest mentioned a Peter Vescey interview on NBA TV tonight in which he reported that Phil assured Kobe that the Lakers were getting J.O. The parts involved were J.O. and Tinsley for Bynum, Odom, another unnamed player and the Lakers first round pick. This was not offered as speculation. The smoke continues to puff out of this situation, I'm ready to see the fire.
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