Comments on: Layups: Kobe/LeBron “Rings” http://www.basketball-reference.com/blog/?p=2436 NBA & ABA Basketball Statistics & History Mon, 21 Nov 2011 20:56:04 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=4.6 By: Jose http://www.basketball-reference.com/blog/?p=2436&cpage=1#comment-10104 Fri, 15 May 2009 22:09:52 +0000 http://www.basketball-reference.com/blog/?p=2436#comment-10104 I was thinking the same thing when I saw the commercial a few nights ago, Jason J. The media has worked long and hard to eliminate Kobe's former sidekick status to Shaq in the public mind and they continue to use his three rings to suggest that Lebron has to win just as many before he can be put at the same level. Yet if Lebron wins his first championship this season, he'll have one more Finals MVP trophy than Kobe does.

Maybe Scottie Pippen should bust in with his six rings. Kobe has had amazing individual performances, but from a team standpoint, he's led as many teams to a championship as Pippen has: none. Yet Pippen gets maligned as having been a mere sidekick whereas Kobe gets praised for being a great leader. Inconsistent standards? Definitely.

Also, if Houston plays well enough to threaten the Lakers in Game 7...well, let's just say I'll never forget what happened in Game 6 of the 2002 Western Conference Finals no matter how much the media has tried to sweep it under a rug over the years. The Lakers shouldn't need any help this time around, especially considering that Houston IS so depleted.

]]> By: Jason J http://www.basketball-reference.com/blog/?p=2436&cpage=1#comment-10085 Fri, 15 May 2009 13:31:29 +0000 http://www.basketball-reference.com/blog/?p=2436#comment-10085 I'd like to see Shaq bust into the Bron / Kobe apartment in the middle of that commercial carrying a big display case of all three of his Finals MVP trophies. Just for a little perspective on what having 3 rings means when you weren't actually the best player or leader of those three title teams.

]]> By: Neil Paine http://www.basketball-reference.com/blog/?p=2436&cpage=1#comment-10077 Fri, 15 May 2009 04:32:16 +0000 http://www.basketball-reference.com/blog/?p=2436#comment-10077 I do wonder what it will mean for this ad campaign if Houston manages to take Game 7 and eliminate the Lakers from the playoffs... Hats off to the Rockets, by the way -- they have played with a lot of heart and resolve, and it's really pretty amazing (and a testament to hard work) that they've been able to do this much damage already, without 2 of their best 3 players.

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