GUESS wHO's BACK-- OUT OF RETIREMENT

[style-rip]

...n0p, it aint hOva !! maaan wut i miss in the last 5 months?

besides kobe > tmac

(unless brahman can prove otherwise)

that'll be all for now

[Who Kares]

Willie Green > Kobe

[Brahman]

tracy mcgrady's spirit has been scribed upon by stardust

if i had the astrological knowledge back then (2002-2004) that i have now, i wouldn't have been arguing in his favor

i foolishly thought that if he had been provided the helpful amenities kobe bryant had early in his career we would have seen comparable productivity out of him, but his geminian nature travels with him wherever he goes

the arguments were valid back then, but they aren't now

i'd still would like to see what a 2002-03 t-mac could be doing with the present yao though

[style-rip]

now that im victorious, we can start another debate.

bynum > yao

[Brahman]

how are you the victor?

no one wins or loses in an argument like that, because nothing can be proven either way. my whole stance all along was that kobe bryant had a much easier and more luxurious start to his career, which offered him an advantageous shot at more achievements than t-mac despite being of comparable quality.

you constantly liked to use the 3-1 collapse as a jab against trace, but it happened to kobe... at his 81-point best with lamar the triple double monster asset odom as a teammate. t-mac didn't even have a teammate like that in orlando. so, that 3-1 collapse of kobe's actually serves to bolster my argument. i'd say that last season he was better than he ever was during the three-peat, and he was just as vulnerable to such an event. so, what is there to say that, had they had their places switched, things wouldn't have played out just the same? the prime shaquille o'neal's presence cannot be swept under the rug, because the lakers always fared a lot better with him minus kobe than the reverse.



now, as it stands, t-mac's body is a lot more broken down than kobe's because of the prolonged physical stress of having to do it on his own in orlando combined with his genetic deformity

[style-rip]

like i said originally, kobe >> tmac, tmac is thinking about retiring lol..

even with yao at center

[Brahman]

, i forgot you like to ignore analysis in favor of slapdash laconic sarcasm

of course... he's not the same anymore

why stop at kobe? many players are now better than he is in this state

but that wasn't the case in 2002-04

even in the playoff series against dallas

[style-rip]

tmac still played in the east all those years. also yes it was easier for kobe cuz he had shaq but consider all the extra playoff games kobe played.. tmac didnt go to the playoffs every year and against stiffer competition and he had to exert himself a lot. he was only a "roleplayer" in 2000 their first title. the other years kobe had to bust his ass cuz shaq was fat and lazy. kobe is just a better player, pure and simple. you can argue tmac is a more efficient offensive player. but id take kobe in the clutch, and on the defensive end. and his will to win is second to none

[Brahman]

over and over again, you simply do not look at how important having a go-to sidekick and a good team/staff around you is

who cares if he was in the east? he was still all by himself on that squad playing a long, rigorous season with enough match-ups against western teams

he did go to the playoffs every year from 99-03 but was faced against a much higher seeded team. i'd say that qualifies as "stiffer competition".

t-mac has shown several times how clutch he can be... we just didn't get a chance to see it much when he was in orlando since their games usually weren't even close when they were losing. kobe has flat-out had more opportunities to showcase clutch play for the simple fact that even when he had off-nights he still had shaq there for reliable dominance to keep the team afloat and games close so he could work his magic if need be.

mac was a great defender that showed potential of being scottie pippen-esque in toronto, but again... due to the overwhelming responsibility he had in orlando to score points, that part of his game wasn't focused on as much as it needed to be. and, part of that has to go to the coaching staff as well who outlined the gameplans. doc rivers stated numerous times that he did everything he could to lessen to load on t-mac on that end. orlando's interior was one of the most porous defensively i've ever seen as well, and that can strain a perimeter player.

kobe is a great defender, but he's still sometimey and chooses when to turn it on... usually in marquee match-ups so the statement resonates and is stuck in people's minds at the end of the year. defensive recognition is also based on reputation, and that's a good strategy to establish reputation.



whatever though

i'm done with this argument

i don't know why you always harped on it or even brought it up now. why? to get at me somehow? my allegiance to t-mac isn't nearly as strong as it used to be. i don't care... i've accepted that his career, as a whole, is pretty much one big missed opportunity. a superb natural talent who had the potential to be really great but didn't because of a variety of reasons. any true basketball fan would look at that with a bit of disappointment and not look to always throw jabs at him, because true basketball fans want to see good basketball. and, good basketball means a lot of great players out there mixing it up with competitive games. the game suffers with one less out there playing up to his full potential or with the chance to get on the big stage and shine.

one can always look at andrew declerq and shaquille o'neal to find answers... that's not an excuse. it's a valid explanation.

andrew fucking declerq, and shaquille o'neal in his prime

[style-rip]

all by himself my ass, besides tmac and grant hill(doesnt count he was injured) the magic had 4 players avging double figures in scoring. its not like he played with bums. in terms of defense, kobe is better, period. you cannot argue that. he got defensive team honors when he was with shaq, and when he lost shaq hes still made it on the defensive 1st and 2nd teams. he will always be a top defender, no matter who is on his team. and finally, even though we're arguing, you know damn well you'd rather have kobe with the ball in his hands than tmac. and kobe isnt the one who admitted to quitting on his teammates. tmac admitted that. you cant ignore that. the heart of a player is just as important as his talent.

[Brahman]

wrd

peace

welcome back, btw

[style-rip]

good to be back. ; )

[Iceodu921]

Originally Posted by style-rip

...n0p, it aint hOva !! maaan wut i miss in the last 5 months?

besides kobe > tmac

(unless brahman can prove otherwise)

that'll be all for now

im guessing you'll never doubt d wade again huh?

[style-rip]

Originally Posted by Iceodu921

im guessing you'll never doubt d wade again huh?

wade is smooth, but miami aint gona make any noise this season. all them players are washed up and full with their ring. they're uninspired now.

suns taking it this year
(i refuse to say spurs like the rest of america)

[Klas~Sick]

fuck the suns, fuck kobe, fuck spurs, fuck tmac, fuck shaq, tmac > kobe > cockfucking refs > david stern > style rips prediction of the mavs beatin the heat > yao ming is a robot, terminator is a robot and bled, no such thing as tall asains, kobe and tmac eat hamburger helpers together, fuck you

welcome back playa! you need to hit up the health and fitness section its dead as night.

[Iceodu921]

Originally Posted by style-rip

wade is smooth, but miami aint gona make any noise this season. all them players are washed up and full with their ring. they're uninspired now.

suns taking it this year
(i refuse to say spurs like the rest of america)

If you bet on the suns this year you will be taking another long hiatus from posting here.

[style-rip]

my dude, once the suns start running on all cylinders, its a wrap for the league