Kobe out for season? And Lebron says nothing but great things....
 

Last night vs. my Cleveland Cavaliers, the great Kobe went down with a severe ankle sprain. Word in Cleveland is Kobe's gone for a long time possibly the season.

Lebron on the subject was upset that Kobe went down early and said he looks to Kobe as an idol of his. LeBron continues to show he is all class (except for those last minute 3 pt. attempts).

With Kobe down early the Cavs should have had that game. They do show their youth at times. 18 turnovers leading to something like 20+ pts. Turnovers kill this team, but the Cavs are young and improving in great strides. I just hope the new owner keeps Z and McInnis next year and beyond.

See.. that's the word in Cleveland. The word in LA is much different.

I think McInnis is the key to that team doing well. You can say LeBron is the leader, but look at that team's record last year with and without Jeff.

but it is also the difference between a rookie season and a second year season, which as we have seen many times, can make a big difference

OOO no, everyone in Cleveland from the media to the fans to LeBron admit McInnis is intregral and trust me the record is covered every freaking game. It's almost like the media tries hard to sell MCInnis as the "team leader". It's just scary because every time our press does that the player ends up going elsewhere as soon as F/A hits.

i think that the lakers are better off without the ball hogging bryant. it wouldn't surprise me one bit for the lakers to go on a roll. now, everyone has to step up, not just give it to bryant and hope that good things happen.

Token Kobe-hater response :)

The fact is, many teams go on a roll after a key injury (or suspension, etc.) because the team bonds and unites under the adversity. But, I don't think this will happen with the Lakers. They just don't have any scoring punch at all now. Not to mention Kobe's defensive prowess. Lamar Odom is really going to have to step up and become the big scorer and playmaker Kobe is. Caron Butler will need to be more consistent. I think the Lakers should move Caron to the #2 and start Jumaine Jones at the #3 while Kobe's gone, or maybe start Grant at the 4, Odom at 3, and Caron at 2.

By the way, they won't know how long Kobe will be out until Monday. For now, he's on injured reserve, which means a minimum of five games.

Kobe.. ball hog... this tells me you know absolutely nothing about which you speak. Please move on and post somewhere where you can provide information on subjects that you are familiar with.

*waits for more people to fall into the Kobe/ball hog trap*

Ewing Theory...?

is the thread about kobe, lebron, mcinnis, the lakers, the cavs, all of the above?!!?? lol.

as a lakers fan, i hope kobe's not out for the season. whether you love him, hate him, like him, or don't care, he's the difference maker for the team. outside of him, the only player with consistency night in and out seems to be chucky atkins. trying to turn this injury into a positive, i hope that the rest of the lakers team begins to rely on each other more, lean on each other more, trust each other more. learn to play together (which takes a lot of time, practices, game situations).

for kobe's career, i hope he stays on il as long as necessary (i'd hate for kobe to go through something like grant hill!).

lebron's the truth, and is really showing all of the critics that he's a very good player. he's really improved his game, and he was an excellent rookie. is he the team leader?! idk, i don't play in cleveland. while mcinnis may be "the leader" i would say that the cavs need lebron to succeed.

Go Lebron, he should talk to Kobe about sportsmanship.

It's amazing to me how well Lebron has converted to the NBA from high school play...

It's about all of the above.

Kobe is a great player, like him or not he is a great player.

Lebron is the real thing. Team Leader? I THINK HE IS LIKE the quiet type that if someone fucks around he'll say something to try to straighten them out but otherwise he doesn't say much. It is a fact the Cavs would be hard pressed without him for any length of time but I think if need be short term they could be ok.

i've never liked him. he's a DAMN good player, i just don't think he makes the players around him better.

Lebron Team Leader,
He may very well be; just not yet. can you really expect him to take on this role so soon.
No matter how good he is he is still learning.
Not just about b-ball but about life in general.
The difference maker is that he seems open to the Idea of learning and building on the values he already has as well as his skill.

I think what you are looking at is a future team leader and future top 10 all time b-ball player.
But you are looking at him from the beginning; which is freaking cool.

Lets just hope the guy can keep his head on straight and stay away from injury.

I can think of 2 recent players who had the potential to be on the track where Lebron is now and had been derailed:

Ken Griffey Jr. Baseball
Grant Hill B- Ball.

The future can chane everything.
Lebron seems to have class. I wish the guy the best

As djtestudo was first to point out, this is actually known as the "Ewing Theory." It was first postulated by ESPN.com's Bill Simmons a few years back. I think it could apply here, the Lakers may actually play better without Bryant.