Barnes over Kobe: Bruin prevailing over a bandwagoning Trogan fan
Great game between the Lakers and the Magic. Have to say I smiled when Matt Barnes stopped Kobe (the Trogan lover) 3 point shot and then went on the other end of the court to knock a huge 3 right in Kobe's face. Bruin prevailing over a bandwagoning Trogan fan. Loved every moment of it. Magic fans are in love with Barnes. GO BRUINS.
almost 2 years ago
Nestor
52 comments
0 recs |
Email
PrintComments
Saw that shot
Felt really good for Barnes. But to be honest, both of them should have been ejected from the game way earlier.
Yeah, I caught the last 5 mins
So didn’t see the skirmish (or play). Going to be on Kobe until he ditches those stupid shoes.
I should add
This mocking of Kobe over his shoes … is more having fun than anything. This particular game was fun to watch because I always like Barnes. I wish he had a chance to play for Howland because if he did he might have turned out be a classic Ben Ball warrior.
I wish Barnes could have played for CBH
He’s passionate and works his tail off, but this isn’t the first time I’ve seen him play a little dirty or at like a punk at times because he doesn’t always control his emotions. I still root for him and want him to do well, but I think that if he played for CBH, he’d have learned to control that a little bit, which would make him a better player.
For everything UCLA baseball, visit my UCLA baseball twitter.
by Ryan Rosenblatt on Mar 7, 2010 4:47 PM PST up reply actions
i actually lost respect for Barnes today
he made several plays that were questionable at best, dirty at worst. There’s no doubt that his intensity and desire are good attributes, but i think he crossed the line. There’s a difference between intensity and dirty play.
Getting in a guy’s face and bumping him every time you get near him isn’t intensity, it’s a lack of class. I was disappointed to see that from Barnes today because he’s always been one of my favorites from the Lavin lost era.
Has there ever been a player better than Detlef Schrempf?
I just saw the highlights
Not sure what the big deal was. He was playing hard. I have seen lot worse cheap shots from the “Detroit Bad Boys” back in the day. You should look up Lambeer and even the former Laker Rodman and the current “blonde” in the lineup.
oh i know that was nothing compared to the bad boys
but it’s a different game now than it was 20 years ago. we value our current and past ben ball warriors for their intense, passionate, and CLASSY play. and the punk move that barnes pulled with the fake pass into kobe’s face was beyond bush league. If i were officiating that game he would’ve been gone, right then. I thought the first double tech was too quick, and without a doubt it was a lot of back and forth action. But the ball fake at his face was bull. That was just a classless move and i was disappointed to see it from a Bruin.
Has there ever been a player better than Detlef Schrempf?
by bucknellbruin on Mar 7, 2010 5:07 PM PST up reply actions
Read my comment below
Yes, he should have been ejected but I have seen lot worse moves in the NBA. It’s a wee bit dramatic to called it "beyond Bush league." If we disagree, let’s leave it at that. Kobe can be and has been pretty classless if you were to take off your Laker hat.
I like the Lakers a lot. But when it comes to picking sides between a Bruin and some professional basketball player (who is a bandwagoning Trogan) … it’s not a close call. It shouldn’t be in this community which is "A Blog Of The Bruins, By The Bruins, For The Bruins."
Matt Barnes screwed up in that one play. He should have been gone. He wasn’t. Oh well. I only caught the last 5 minutes and was more than excited about the fact that in a League which is all about one-on-one selfish basketball, one of our guys prevailed over a Trogan fan. I thought that was worth getting excited over, especially at a place like this which is all about Bruins.
I agree with bucknellbruin!
I completely agree with you bucknellbruin, unacceptable behavior by barnes, acted like a thug, like a trojan would….and in no way is Kobe a “trogan” or trojan. Kobe is the greatest basketball player of all time. “Bandwagoning?” Really? Come on, it’s Kobe Bryant, king of LA, king of southern California, king of basketball
ORLY?
“In no way a trogan” huh?
http://lakers.freedomblogging.com/2010/01/06/kobe-ive-adopted-usc-as-my-school/28029/
Kobe wasn’t exactly innocent in what was going on down there. Just because he has his hands up when the refs are looking doesn’t mean he wasn’t a full participant in the crap that went down.
King of basketball?
I don’t think so. Even if Kobe (or LeBron, Dr. J, Jerry West, or any of the greats) was the biggest, most die-hard Bruin who pimped UCLA like crazy, there would only be one “King of Basketball.”
That man is Michael Jordan.
Damn, why didn’t we sign that kid up when we could.
Yup
enjoy your posts, B, but you’re wrong.
Kareem.
6 NBA Championships
3 NCAA Championships (would’ve had 4th as freshman)
All time leading scorer (sky hook-most unstoppable shot of all time as well)
Domination caused college basketball to change their rules
by truebluebruin on Mar 7, 2010 10:20 PM PST up reply actions
Sorry, I wasn't clear
Argument can easily be made for Kareem over Jordan
by truebluebruin on Mar 7, 2010 10:23 PM PST up reply actions
Well
I am in your corner re. Kareem tbb. However, I am looking at the Big Fella from my UCLA/Laker tinted glasses. I am guessing B can also offer up serious arguments in favor of MJ. I imagine MJ could have won couple of more titles if he didn’t waste some years pursuing baseball.
I have never been a big MJ fan but the argument in favor of being the best ever could be compelling. Regardless what is clear is that Kobe is not the greatest player evah. He is not even the greatest Laker ever.
I'm with you
A very convincing case can be made for MJ, and he may very well be the best basketball player ever. However, I don’t think it’s as cut-and-dried that MJ is absolutely the best as many media pundits and fans make it out to be. I think it’s human nature to have a bias towards the more recent past and discount the more distant achievements as they fade from our memory. We’ve seen how some recruits hardly know who Coach Wooden is, referring to him as “that old dude.” As Bruin fans, I think it’s our duty to keep legends like Kareem and Coach Wooden alive and fresh in the collective consciousness (which you’ve done a great job, of course). So no offense to B, I just try to make the case for Kareem whenever I can because a great case can be made for him.
by truebluebruin on Mar 8, 2010 9:20 AM PST up reply actions
MJ or KAJ is a matter of preference
Don’t get me wrong, Kareem is my clear-cut #2 and it’s not like the gap between MJ and KAJ is very big. I love KAJ. To pick the greatest, I took all the greats in my mind (MJ, Kareem, Magic, Larry Bird, Dr. J, etc.) and asked myself, “if I only had one shot to win Game 7 of the NBA Finals, who do I want taking that shot?”
Jordan is the answer. That’s why I picked him as the king, but I can certainly see a solid case for Kareem.
While we’re on the subject, at best, Kobe can only claim to be the third greatest Laker behind Magic and Kareem (and that’s discounting a lot of other great Lakers).
I don't condone Kobe as a marketing toy for the trogans
but at the same time, Barnes didn’t play a clean game. He did play with passion and effort, but there are times (like in today’s game) where I think he crosses the line. I’m mostly referring to getting into people’s faces, shoving and cussing at them after a play is over.
I don’t think Barnes would have made a good Ben Ball Warrior. He often verges on dirty play, despite admirably giving it his all a lot of the time.
I wouldn't take too much from Kobe's words
I have heard Kobe say he would have attended North Carolina, Duke and I saw him at UCLA numerous times when he was 17 year old rookie. I have heard Lebron James say he would have attended Duke, North Carolina and Ohio St. It’s all just talk, they say this because they never actually attended college, they don’t care, they just talk. But what is most important is that Kobe is a Laker. The best player in the world, the players that most ucla players look up to. Afflalo’s favorite player. I love Barne’s toughness, but today it was dirty, and I will never accept anyone punking Kobe, bruin or not.
If the most important thing to you is that Kobe is a "Laker"
than you should share that on a Laker blog, not here. I don’t care much for Kobe’s “words.” His actions … the way he is allowing his name to marketed alongside Trogans … speak volumes.
If you want to attack Barnes (a Bruin) for competing against a Trogan like Kobe… do it somewhere else. Thanks.
I think this debate all started by calling Kobe a Trogan instead of just discussing Barnes.
I was actually most impressed and disappointed when Barnes faked throwing the ball in Kobe’s face (disappointed) and Kobe didn’t flinch. How do you not flinch?
Go Bruins!
Kobe is a Trogan
His actions speak for themselves on that front. Until he disowns the Trogies, we will consider him as a Trogan.
As I've said before, Kobe and Freddo are the same as far as I'm concerned.
Kobe and Freddo can come and visit our mother while she lives, but tell me in advance so that I don’t have to see them. They are dead to me.
Too bad Kobe wasn't innocent in all of that
If you were honest, you’d admit that Kobe did his share of bumping and “punking” in this game. You act like it was one sided. I’m a Laker fan, but that doesn’t mean that I don’t have eyes. Both players should have been ejected in that game after receiving the double technicals and still going at it. Barnes for taunting after that dunk, and Kobe for the forearm shiver he delivered after said dunk.
I think Barnes cheap shot in which he almost hit Kobe in the face ...
… while inbounding the ball was ridiculous. He should have been tossed out for that move. However, as you said Kobe wasn’t innocent at all. He was jawing a lot and doing lot of provoking himself getting in his share of potshots.
Still what Barnes/Kobe were doing … is nothing remotely close to the some of the worst cheapshots I have ever seen. My fanshot above … was little bit in tongue and cheek … but also to keep clowning Kobe for his “love” for the Trogan. It’s a price he just have to pay for doing something so foolish (I am sure he is not losing sleep over it … but won’t stop me from bringing it up).
This is turning into a nice lil' rivalry
It’s just too bad that the Lakers are going to get knocked out of the playoffs by Denver.
Still, it will be pretty cool to see two Bruins- Barnes and Afflalo – battling each other in June with the championship on the line.
by insomniacslounge on Mar 7, 2010 5:40 PM PST reply actions
Yup
Not going to shed a tear if AA knocks off Kobe. Perhaps next year Kobe will not be so eager to market his “Trogan” shoes.
N, i think you're going over board with the shoe thing
If i remember correctly, While kobe was with Adidas there were some UCLA colored Kobe’s. I remember the Kapono era team wearing them.
Sorry if you think
We are going overboard with clowning Kobe’s Trogan shoe pimping. We are going to keep at it every time we see an opening.
Big difference
There’s a major difference between allowing your shoe sponsor to make a shoe in the colors of a “college” in the city you play in and pimping that “college” as your “adopted” “college.”
No problem if Nike makes Kobe shoes in trOJan colors: my issue is with the bandwagon action and Kobe pimping those cheaters.
Maybe he realized he needs to get in good with the trOJans after that whole Colorado incident: after all, they “own the police.”
If the Nuggets do knock off the Lakers
AA is definitely going to have a big part in it. He’s too humble to call himself a “Kobe-stopper” but he does a pretty damn good job. If it does end up being Barnes vs. AA though, sorry Matt, but AA is my boy.
N, I see the shoes
I seemed to remember his first year in the nba, kobi actually went to college, off season. I also seem to remember that it wasn’t at ju$t$c, more like to the west. BTW did a google search, to reinforce my memory. Basically kobi did a quarter at UCLA, he’s profiting off the ex-raider trogan bandwagoneers.
Geezer in training.
And nobody can really fault him for profiting off the bandwagoners
Especially when it’s probably out of his hands, with the real decision-making happening at Nike. However, faulting him for it is not the same as ragging on him for it, and N is justified in making fun of him for associating with the trogans.
Kobe is exceptional. He’s dominant in this league, but he’s no Kareem, and no MJ. All of this “Best Basketball Player Ever” crap is looking at the world through last-decade Lakers-tinted glasses.
There are certain things that a person just shouldn't do.
If a drug kingpin offered Kobe a lot of money to endorse a particular kind of dope, should Kobe do it? Or if one of the gang leaders in Somalia wanted to pay Kobe big bucks to have him put his signature on one of the pirate ships? There is never, ever an excuse for endorsing anything having to do with the trOJans other than their total demise. I endorse that.
He just might.
Kobe is exceptional in a lot of things, but character hasn’t exactly been one of them. I’m not a big NBA fan, so I do admit not seeing very much of him besides what makes the news, but from what I’ve seen, I have no problems seeing Kobe as pretty trogan-y. Huge ego, thinks money solves everything (cf. huge ring after sex scandal), … sounds like a trogan to me.
Also, I’d like to clarify that I’m not excusing him for stepping beyond “Nike is paying me buttloads of money, so I’m gonna do what they want” and into “SUC is my adopted college”-land.
by b d on Mar 9, 2010 1:10 AM PST up reply actions
I love the Lakers
But the owner and Kobe have been getting on my nerves. Pimping $C* shoes? Is that irony like the “free Kobe” shirts when he didn’t even go to jail?
He’s great and I thank him for being a Laker and getting us all those championships. However, it’s not about him, it’s about the Lakers. He got paid. Now it’s time to let him go and get James over here to perpetuate the Lakers dynasty. I expect a Trogan like Buss to pull the trigger on that one without a second thought.
I’m sure Buss will show him what being in the Trogan family is all about.
EGO TROIORUM MALLEUS SUM
I don't have a problem with Matt Barnes actions yesterday.
I’ve been a long time fan of his play and watched him from afar while he was at Sacramento. This is the only time I’ve ever seen him play ‘dirty’ and from what I saw of the game the entire Orlando Magic was playing ‘chippy.’ It looks to me like they decided before hand they were going to play tough and the entire team bought in.
As far as the incident wherein Barnes pretends he is going to throw the ball in Kobe’s face, please get serious. How can you fault a guy for not doing something? it’s a lot like kids in the back seat complaining because their brother or sister is ‘on their side’ of the seat.
The best thing you can do for your children is to love their mother. John Wooden
Faking a ball to the face is no big deal
It’s just gamesmanship. Throwing a ball into someone’s face is a cheap shot, and Kobe didn’t believe that Barnes was going to do it hence his no-flinch. Faking to do it doesn’t bother me in the slightest. Barnes tried to do something to put Kobe off, and Kobe made Barnes look like a chump by not flinching.
FWIW, I have a lot more trouble rooting for success for a guy who is using his money to further the Trogan cause (Buss) than a guy who is using the Trogan idiots to make some money (Kobe). While both are bad, Lakers success → money for Buss → donations to $C. The people who want to see the Lakers do well so long as Kobe does badly are ignoring the direction of the links between the Laker organization and $C.
Great points
Now that you mention it, I should have thought about the Tim Morris (who threw the ball at PAA in Washington) while discussing Barnes. Now that was a thuggish move.
I was at the game. The "W" is all on Barnes.
Both teams were going at each other. I have no problem with Barnes’ play. If he was a Laker, you all would be loving his toughness. He is the olayer who gets under your skin, the guy every opponent’s fans hate and a guy you love when he is on your team.
The fact that the Magic have been labeled as “soft” over the past fews years as they have become contenders shows even more how much a player like Barnes was needed by this team. He hustles all the time, runs down the floor on every play, and brings enregy to the entire team.
Is he chippy? Yes. Does his game oftentimes border on thuggishness? Maybe. Is there a place for his style of play in the NBA? In the playoffs, absolutely.
BTW, Kobe and Gasol had some chippiness as well. That was a playoff style basketball game.
Let's not excuse unsportsmanlike behavior
This whole “if he were a Laker, you’d love it” nonsense is already disproven in this thread (by some). I personally am a Laker fan and would have loved to see both Kobe and Barnes quit their stupid antics after they both received their Ts. That they continued to go at it is a slap in the face to the ref that issued the T, and if it were me, I’d have kicked them both out of the game. There was also the moving screen he set on Fisher which was undeniably dirty, but was precipitated by a lesser degree but still illegal pick Fisher put on Barnes the play before.
I just think Kobe is close to the Buss family and as such has been brainwashed.
I recall him talking about going to ucla as one of the schools he had considered. His SAT’s were off the chart. Weird how someone so intelligent could be so taken in. Maybe his living in a gated community in Newport Beach has something to do with it as well. It just bothers me because he plays with Bruins and (and so many Laker greats have been Bruins) yet he is paid by a trogan. I do hope his calling $c the local school is because of his closeness to the Buss family and not because of his paycheck. As for the Barnes – Kobe rounds, I think they both enjoy playing like that. I’ve ofter heard Kobe speaks about how he likes the physical play. I’d guess he likes it when people get into it with him. (Which is probably not a smart thing to do, esp. when Kobe is healthy!)
Go Bruins!
My Opinion
Barnes is a good player. But he probably is the worst “person” based on what i saw in that game. He definitely was trying to get Kobe to fight him, and took a complete cheap shot against D Fischer that really was completely unneeded given the game flow and that fact its the regular season.
UCLA '08
Meh
Still like Kobe even with this newfound Trogan connection, sorry N (part of it stems from the fact that Kobe’s also a die-hard Dodger fan like me). Knowing most pro athletes and their bandwagon jumping tendencies, he probably likes SUC during football season and UCLA during basketball season, anyway. FWIW, though, I like Barnes more; his facial on Dirk in the ’07 playoffs = barrels of win.
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Certain photos copyright © 2012 by Associated Press or Getty Images. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of Associated Press and Getty Images is strictly prohibited.
