Kobe Calls Bargs & Marco Special

[rdiaz101]

Its all in Italian but they ask him what he thinks of the italian players

Reporter asks : what do u think of Barganani, bellinelli and Danilo ?
Kobe : I hope everyone back home in Italy are watching they are very special players and very brave players


I dont know what he meant as "special" maybe he meant special needs lol but he ovbiously doesnt watch many Raptor games as we do. He also says he wants to play in Italy someday.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UvImLGei6eI

[Bendit]

Kobe has been around the block. If he was in Italy (when he made the remarks) he is giving the paesans exactly what they want to hear about their nba countrymen. I think Kobe has ownership in a basketball team there and other business interests. He spends part of his summers there.

I wonder what he meant by "brave" though. Maybe it's an Italian badge-of-honour thing. Or, he wants them to layoff on defending him too closely??? Drumroll please.

[Hotshot]

It means they get to ride on this bus:

[rdiaz101]

It means they get to ride on this bus:

LOL thats helarious !! the interview was done in Africa btw when he and Bynum were there for the US game a couple of days ago. He also says that if was to go play in Italy it would be like in 5 years or something.

[Arsenalist]

It means they get to ride on this bus:

Haha...

Kobe's just being a politician. He thinks Bargnani and Belinelli are shyte.

[LBF]

It means they get to ride on this bus:

don't forget the helmet.

[Krix]

I don't think it would be that big of a stretch to see Kobe in Europe after a few more years.

[Arsenalist]

I don't think it would be that big of a stretch to see Kobe in Europe after a few more years.

Disagree. I think when he's 35 and finally done with the NBA, he'll want to spend time with his family and relax, not chase players 1/5th his caliber in Europe. He's a competitive guy that'll want to play competitive basketball at the highest level, I don't care if his dad played in Italy.

[Hotshot]

Kobe will still be chasing groupies when he retires.

[dn66]

All three of them are talented offensive players.
Some people appreciate that, for a simple reason that
you cannot teach talent more than you can teach
your girlfriend to grow tits.

[LBF]

Disagree. I think when he's 35 and finally done with the NBA, he'll want to spend time with his family and relax, not chase players 1/5th his caliber in Europe. He's a competitive guy that'll want to play competitive basketball at the highest level, I don't care if his dad played in Italy.

he won't be done til he's 40 he'll take 5 or 6 yrs off adn then he'll go play in europe for a few years into his mid to late 40's.

he'll be the next michael ray richardson except for the kicking out of league because he does to much coke part.

[James Ballswin (Realizar)]

Bargs, Belli and Dani are indeed truly "special" given that they're 3 of very best basketball players in the entire world for having established legitimate, long-term careers in the very best basketball league in the entire world.

Look at it from a biggest possible context: they are 3 of approx. 300 legitimate NBA players among the 6-8 billion people on Earth.

[santimo]

Disagree. I think when he's 35 and finally done with the NBA, he'll want to spend time with his family and relax, not chase players 1/5th his caliber in Europe. He's a competitive guy that'll want to play competitive basketball at the highest level, I don't care if his dad played in Italy.

Don't forget that he actually spent some of his childhood growing up in Italy. He actually wore the number 8 (originally) because he grew up watching Mike D'Antoni who also wore the number 8. He is a part owner of one of the teams in the Italian league (Siena?) although 'm not sure if he still is though. So yea I don't see it being such a stretch that he wants to play in Europe at the end of his career.

[Arsenalist]

Don't forget that he actually spent some of his childhood growing up in Italy. He actually wore the number 8 (originally) because he grew up watching Mike D'Antoni who also wore the number 8. He is a part owner of one of the teams in the Italian league (Siena?) although 'm not sure if he still is though. So yea I don't see it being such a stretch that he wants to play in Europe at the end of his career.

Half the NBA "spent some their childhood" in the hood playing ball on a basket without a net, that doesn't mean they want to go back to it. I hear what you're saying, but I don't see Kobe feeling satisfied with playing inferior competition. Maybe he'll own a team and screw around in practice with them, but seeing him playing the EuroLeague schedule at 45 is a stretch.

[James Ballswin (Realizar)]

Kobe wouldn't have anything to gain from ending his pro career playing it Italy. And why would he risk tarnishing his legacy? There's absolutely no benefit for him to put himself in a situation where he could be regularly outplayed by an inferior class of players, or get humiliatingly embarrassed by coach with an opposing agenda.

Superstars like Kobe won't make the same mistake Jordan made. And I don't think a superstar like Kobe will raise the bar on legacy-tarnishing mistakes.

We're more likely to see Allen Iverson follow the same career-ending chapters as marginal NBA stars like Stephon Marbury (playing in China) and Antoine Walker (playing anywhere that'll pay him).

[santimo]

Half the NBA "spent some their childhood" in the hood playing ball on a basket without a net, that doesn't mean they want to go back to it. I hear what you're saying, but I don't see Kobe feeling satisfied with playing inferior competition. Maybe he'll own a team and screw around in practice with them, but seeing him playing the EuroLeague schedule at 45 is a stretch.

Well actually some players do play in summer leagues and basketball camps (remember Lebron getting dunked on by Jordan Crawford?) and some play in streetball leagues (Rucker Park, etc.).

I'm not saying he is 100% for sure going to play in Europe but I'm just saying it's not such a big stretch to say he will. And when he does go I think it will be when he's not one of the Top 5 or 10 players in the NBA anymore.

[kc22]

Its all in Italian but they ask him what he thinks of the italian players

Reporter asks : what do u think of Barganani, bellinelli and Danilo ?
Kobe : I hope everyone back home in Italy are watching they are very special players and very brave players

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UvImLGei6eI

Let's not forget that when he was on Kimmel's show he said Adam Morrison was a special player. I think Arse is right - he knows his audience, and is giving them what they want to hear.

[santimo]

Kobe wouldn't have anything to gain from ending his pro career playing it Italy. And why would he risk tarnishing his legacy? There's absolutely no benefit for him to put himself in a situation where he could be regularly outplayed by an inferior class of players, or get humiliatingly embarrassed by coach with an opposing agenda.

Superstars like Kobe won't make the same mistake Jordan made. And I don't think a superstar like Kobe will raise the bar on legacy-tarnishing mistakes.

I don't think Kobe would be "regularly outplayed" if he played in Europe at 40 yrs old or so. It's not such an up and down, athletic game over there as it is in the NBA. The thing about Jordan is that he tried to come back to play in the NBA (I'm talking about when he played for the Wizards, not the Bulls of course ). If he came back to play in Europe instead of with the Wizards he would've been fine.

[Hotshot]

There are friends and then there are "special friends",

[yertu damkule]

remember that seinfeld episode when the gang went out to the hamptons to 'see the baby?' it was the 'shrinkage' episode, i think.

remember how the doctor paid the exact same compliment to the ugly-ass baby as he did to elaine?