Here's a great appraisal on the Lakers and Kobe by Ray Allen from the Seattle Post Intelligencer. If there's anything I've enjoyed about Ray since he joined Seattle is that he's a great quote. He said during the playoffs that McGrady would be traded and was right. He even predicted a Texas team and it happened. Here's his interview:

Quote:

Thursday, October 14, 2004

Sonics' Allen offers appraisal of Bryant in post-Shaq/Phil era

By DANNY O'NEIL
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTER

PORTLAND -- Ray Allen was suited up for the Sonics' preseason game against the Trail Blazers last night. He just wasn't in uniform, instead watching in a sports jacket as he sat out the game.

Allen suffered from a migraine headache and gastrointestinal disorder.

Because of the illness, Allen wasn't around to answer questions after the Sonics beat the Lakers 87-80 on Tuesday, but he was asked for a day-after assessment of Kobe Bryant's performance in his first game after Shaquille O'Neal was traded and coach Phil Jackson retired."He's going to be very selfish," Allen said of Bryant, who scored 15 of his team's first 20 points and had 35 points in Tuesday's loss. "And he feels like he needs to show this league and the people in this country that he is better without Shaq. He can win championships without Shaq. So offensively, he's going to jump out and say, 'I can average 30 points. I can still carry the load on this team.'

"I think the point production is not going to be so much what people are going to look at because (Tracy) McGrady did it in Orlando, Allen (Iverson) did it in Philly. Can you win a championship? I think that's the question. Carrying guys on your back and making everybody better."

Can Bryant do that?

"He has the talent, he can do it," Allen said. "But is his attitude going to allow him to take a back seat and let Lamar Odom shine and let Caron Butler have his nights and bring those big guys along with him?"

Allen said Bryant's ability and willingness to incorporate others will be the gauge for the Lakers' success. Bryant was re-signed for seven years at more than $130 million this summer.

"If Kobe doesn't see he needs two and a half good players to be a legitimate playoff contender or win a championship in about a year or two he'll be calling out to Jerry Buss that 'We need some help in here,' or 'Trade me,' " Allen said. "And we'll all be saying, 'I told you so,' when he says that."Butler, who like Allen attended UConn, is in his third year in the league.

"His successes now is going to be based on if Kobe allows him to eat," Allen said of Butler. "If Kobe allows him to sit at the dinner table with him."

Allen was asked about the personal part of his game against Bryant. At different times, Bryant bumped into Allen and talked trash. After blocking a fast-break layin attempt by Allen, Bryant stared down at Allen, who had fallen to the floor, allowing Luke Ridnour to grab the loose ball and pass to Rashard Lewis for a dunk.

"I think he talks because he feels like he has to talk," Allen said. "He's out there playing, and if he does something good I feel like he needs to pat himself on the back because to me, it seems like he's isolated out there. As much as it's five-on-five, I don't see much camaraderie going on out there with his teammates."

Allen and Bryant were drafted the same year, 1996. Allen said that's one reason he thinks Bryant tries to turn any head-to-head meeting into a one-on-one battle. Bryant scored 15 of his team's 20 points in the first quarter and finished with 35. Allen scored 18 of his team-high 25 points in the second half.

"He thinks -- in his mind -- that he's going to shoot and try to show me up at any point in time on the floor," Allen said. "But his mentality and mine are different. I've got to do what it takes to help the team win."

One exchange captured what Allen was talking about. In the third quarter, Bryant made a 3-pointer over Allen and on Seattle's ensuing possession Allen made a 3-pointer over Bryant. Bryant answered with a 3-pointer, bumped into Allen at halfcourt and started talking.

"It was typical of the way he approaches the game and the way I approach it," Allen said. "I know it was set up for me to take that shot, no matter what situation I was in because that's what he did. And I wasn't going to fall into that trap because we were winning and he put himself in the situation where he has to come from behind."



I'm not sure if any of this is a real surprise to anyone, especially someone who really follows the NBA or at least the Lakers, but nice to hear it all validated by an All Star.

"You kind of get tired giving the other team credit. At some point you've got to look in the mirror and say 'I sucked.'"

Alex Rodriguez, after the NY Yankees were eliminated from the 2006 ALDS by the Detroit Tigers.