Ventre Is A Punk!

Da Realist:

your boy is back.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9798220/

Gangsta D:

I read the headline and immediately knew he wrote the column. Is he mad that Jeanne Buss won't give him any? I can't come up with an explanation of why he has such a hard on for the Lakers...

Waldini:

Let the hate begin....everybody's favorite Laker hater is back and he's not pulling any punches :-)

The only teams in the West that I see as a lock for the playoffs are Spurs, Mavs, Rockets, Suns, and Kings. The latter are iffy b/c losing Amare is big and Abdur-Rahim has never been a difference maker.

Contrary to what everyone believes or does not want to remember, Shaq asked to be traded, he was not forced out.

Da Realist:

he asked to be traded, but only after kobe made it clear he "might" not re-up if shaq was there. once shaq saw the lakers were willing to do anything to keep kobe, he decided to bail.

Waldini:

Find the article, audio or media feed when you hear Kobe say "I may not re-sign because Shaq is not here". Not the word certain parties, No he asked to be traded after Kupchak said everyone on the team is tradeable except Kobe.

Da Realist:

no, he never actually said, "i may not resign if shaq is still here". just like jordan never actually said, "i'm not playing on the same olympic dream team as isiah thomas". same result, though. kobe was smart enough NOT to say it because of people like me who would love to dig up that kind of dirt 20 years from now. be we ALL (except for waldini) understood what was meant when kobe said (during the season after yet another blow up with shaq and phil) that he would be exploring all his options that summer.