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Waltons disagree over Kobe

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08:35 AM ET 06.14 | Lakers forward Luke Walton views Kobe Bryant's recent outbursts about possibly wanting to be traded as temporary products of his frustration with losing. Walton's father, Bill, was not nearly as understanding toward Bryant, criticizing him for "an attention-grabbing stunt" during the conference finals.

Orange County Register

Bill Walton , Doug Benc/Getty Images Bill Walton , Doug Benc/Getty Images
June 14, 2007  08:49 AM ET

hate bill walton

June 14, 2007  09:25 AM ET

Bill Walton is the worst

June 14, 2007  09:34 AM ET

Luke has to play w/ Kobe, so he's gonna support him if he wants to get the ball passed to him. Bill on the other hand can say whatever floats his boat..

June 14, 2007  09:38 AM ET

Bill Walton is such an idiot. Luke knows Kobe...Bill has always been a Kobe hater.

June 14, 2007  10:54 AM ET

If anything, Bill should keep be tight lipped on this subject so he does not put a distraction out there for his son. By him talking, it makes it a story. Let Luke be his own man now.

June 14, 2007  11:01 AM ET

Big Bill is One of the greatest players in history...only injury kept him from more rings....and he has 2.....he has earned the right to say what is completely obvious to all of us.....get off of Kobe's nutts....

June 14, 2007  11:26 AM ET

Bill is just like any other idiot that tries to use his status to kill other players. Bill was not a great player PERIOD!!!!!!!!!!! He did not win those two rings by himself. Bill and Antonio and the rest of idiot village should really think first before they open the lid off the toilet. Kobe does not need attention and if i were in his shoes i would feel the same way. If you had the desire to win and had zero tolerance for second place then you might be aggressive toward progress for the organization. Kobe has earned the right to voice his opinion and frustration about the direction of the team. I am just like Kobe and Ricky Bobby when it comes to winning, "IF YOU AIN'T FIRST YOU ARE LAST"!!!!!!!!!!!!!

June 14, 2007  11:31 AM ET

White guys that had affro's should not speak!!

June 14, 2007  11:32 AM ET

2nd is the first to loose!

June 14, 2007  11:33 AM ET

if kobes grabbing attention is cause he matters right now..unlike walton whos getting attention by flaming kobe, yet he really doesnt matter...nobody really cares about bill or luke for that matter...

June 14, 2007  11:55 AM ET

It is very irratating to always hear the old guys talkiing trash about todays players. Walton would be destroyed by this generation of players. I am going to read his mind like he did with Kobe. --- Billy hates Kobe and almost any other guard - Billy needs the attention because he is always wondering what if his pegs (legs) would have kept him in the league more ten more years - he and is son combined could not carry a team like Kobe PERIOD - Luke is a good player and daddy should shut up and let it go - Even if Kobe was on another team I still would bash BILLY for his stupid remarks - i am not going to mention Billy again because this is what he wants ATTENTION!!!!!!!!!

June 14, 2007  12:03 PM ET

BILL get over it!!! stop hating on KOBE...give the guy a break. He has been patient for too many years...the outburst was bound to happen! and believe it or not...NOW the LAKERS are off their ****, trying to make things happen now.
give KOBE a few good quality players...LAKERS will get thier rings!

June 14, 2007  12:17 PM ET

Kobe matters? Have any of you Kobe fans actually watched the Lackers play? There isn't a more overrated player in the NBA. He doesn't make others on the court better, he makes them spectators. Oh he's amazing individually - can't argue with that, the same way you can't argue with how lousy his teams become.

There is no swarm of NBA players who really, really want to play with 24.

Bill needed help to get his rings? Definitely. Kobe didn't? Because he's never been able to get out of the first round without a hall of fame center in the middle; those are just the straight up facts. When he's the man on his team, his teams tend to be, well, ineffective. I'm sure you noticed.

Blame management if you want - Kupchak has done a mediocre job, but Bryant's still the cat that gets paid the most.

June 14, 2007  12:58 PM ET

hey bro, i would have no prob being paid a couple million to play with kobe...i don't have the skills to do that, the point is that who is no gonna wanna play with someone who wants to win as bad as kobe? thats like saying no one wants tp play with jordan... both have been the best of their respective eras.

June 14, 2007  01:11 PM ET

Yes I will blame management! I've seen every game since 98 except for 8 games.So ya I can say what I've seen of KOBE.Kobe is why they even made it to the first round,period!Knowone else would have been able to pull that off with that team.And in the West,the hardest conf.So I'll blame the management couse I've seen with my own eyes.What I have seen from management is pathetic.So you must be watching the B-league.Switch channels! Fox or kcal not telemundo!

June 14, 2007  01:28 PM ET

did that idiot just say kobe was over rated?? lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol...u must be drunk...

June 14, 2007  01:29 PM ET

Ha! Yes Kobe's the only reason the Lakers made the first round too, no doubt. Hey I like watching him play - no one denies that he's exciting, like a lightening rod. Incredible defender, savvy court moves, terrifying athleticism, pure scorer - top notch player for sure.

The big question though is he just a fabulous individual player or is he the man on championship level caliber team? So far we've seen a lot of the former and little of the later. And the Lakers pay him to be the later, not just the former. It's become a little bit like MN where KG's contract is a big impediment on getting better. Well Kobe's huge contract might fill out his ego but not his roster. So management's made mistakes certainly; one of them might have be en agreeing to pay Kobe $25 mil/yr in a couple of seasons. That will put a serious lockdown on salaries for the remainder of the team.

When was the last time it looked like anybody was having fun playing with Kobe anyhow? Lamar looks like he can't leave fast enough.

Bryant can sulk and cry his way to wherever he wants - got him out of Charlotte if you'll remember - but the biggest obstacle to Kobe Bryant is Kobe Bryant, wordlife.

Cheers!

June 14, 2007  01:42 PM ET

They were having fun at the beggining of the year when they were winning.Smiles high fives everthing your talking about.THEN,The injury bug hit.That's what screwed everything up for the whole season.Everteam has injuries I know It's part of the game,BUT the Lakers starters were effected more than any other team in the N.B.A. Check the numbers.More time lost for starters than any other team!! If you don't think that makes a huge difference that your crazy.We're talking 10 -15 more wins this year alone if it wasn't for the injuries.Then when our starters did come back(never at the same time,or rushed back)the chemistry wasn't there.I saw a team player at the beggining of the year then he changed his team play CAUSE PHIL TOLD HIM TO.Not because he just decided on his own to do that.So It would be hard to judge how it would work.Butyou can;t blame kobe for the injuries or for doing what the coach asks him to do.Then he would be called a coach hater tooooo!

June 14, 2007  01:43 PM ET

So yeah, overrated and overpaid actually.

 
June 14, 2007  01:45 PM ET

Mano de Nada how can you type some much and really have NADA to say
first Kobe is the most overatted player in the league (Okay you were just hating there) and then you backtrack

"Ha! Yes Kobe's the only reason the Lakers made the first round too, no doubt. Hey I like watching him play - no one denies that he's exciting, like a lightening rod. Incredible defender, savvy court moves, terrifying athleticism, pure scorer - top notch player for sure" hey those are your words. You sound a little like KOBE the week he was asking to be traded and then stay, but he's the best player on an underacheiving team. What's your excuse?

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