Why LeBron Will NEVER Be Kobe...Cleveland is FINISHED.

[M Dogg™]

lebron needs the right coach like kobe has phil michael had phil lebron has fuckin mike brown he aint winnin shit i dont think he can really motivate the team to win i wanna know what the fuck he did or said to the team those last two games he shouldve challenged lebron

But I can't think of a team that has that for him outside of the teams that already have teams together. Maybe Miami with Riley, but Riley needs to just hang it up. The more that is expose, the more I'm betting Chicago for his future home.

[Sccit]

To me, it seems quite obvious that the Laker fans in this thread are being much more realistic about our team than the anti-Laker LeBron apologists...Does Kobe have a garbage supporting cast? Hell no...But is it a hall-of-fame supporting cast that has breezed through the season like some of ya'll are acting? No way.  We're in between. We've got a good cast, built to win the title, because Kobe knows how to bring the best out of his supporting players, and through leadership, the cast has learned their individual roles and have played their role way better than LeBron's cast did. Our cast wouldn't look nearly as good without Kobe bringing the winning mentality, because looking good comes with winning. That is where leadership comes into play. The leadership of Phil and the leadership of Kobe. Kobe is like an extension of Phil on the court. if it wasn't for Phil, Kobe would never have his current winning mentality, just like if it weren't for Kobe, the Laker supporting cast wouldn't have that winning mentality. So maybe LeBron too wont reach that level until he gets a real coach. You guys bring up Mike Brown as an argument for why the Cavs didn't win, but Mike Brown may very well be the reason LeBron, as an individual, is incapable of grasping what it takes to be a winner. Kobe has said he would never be the player he is today if it weren' for Phil. So maybe LeBron wont reach that next level until he gets a coach who is capable of lifting him there...If LeBron had Kobe's ability of bringing the best out of his cast and willing his way to victories, people would be talking about how amazing and deep the Cleveland cast is, just like they were before they lost. When Lakers were losing, everyone said we didn't have the bench to repeat as champions. Being great comes with winning, and winning comes from will, just as much as it comes from ability...PeACe

[Sccit]

@Cham; I've said this to you a couple of times but you see things so black and white. Worst cast of support ? Lol come one man, nobody was saying that shit when Cavs were killing it in the regular season. But now it has happened like three times in a row that they chocked in the play offs. Coincidence ? I think not. Do Lakers have a better team ? Yeah. But it's not that big of a difference. It's definitely not.

if the Cavs played the Lakers & Kobe & LeBron weren't playing, the Lakers would win every single game by double digits lol.

lol Laker fans are so torn with arguments like this. On one hand...they do like the idea that their team as a whole is better then the Cavs. On the other hand...they dont want to admit that Kobe has more help than LeBron. What to do? If only there was a way to make it seem as if the Lakers supporting cast and coach were better then LeBrons....but still be able to say LeBron has more help. lol

LOL, exactly.

i think there is a 10 page thread somewhere in the sports section about how Phil Jackson is the greatest coach in history of coaching, but he's a "non-factor" when it's a Kobe/LeBron debate lol.

come to think of it, he wasn't the coach of the Lakers when Kobe was alone & finished .500 either, right?

he needs the cast.

A lot of Kobe's greatness comes from being coached by Phil, just like a lot of the Lakers' supporting cast greatness comes from being led by Kobe. You keep digging yourself holes with your lame arguments. Perhaps, if LeBron didn't have a coach as whack as Mike Brown, having a good coach would mean having mentor who would push him, question his spoiled ways and challenge his mentality when he sees that LeBron's heart isn't in it, which in turn could propel LeBron into a category with the GOATs...maybe a good coach is just what he's missing. But that doesn't strengthen your argument, it weakens it...PeACe

[Sccit]

Some classic quotes from a big LeBron fan earlier in the season...

Jamison is more than enough for Cleveland to make the Finals;

there's rumour that the Wiz will buy out Ilgauskas, and he'll eventually return to the Cavs.

i heard this too; that wouldn't even be fair lol.

[westsiderider323]

lebron needs the right coach like kobe has phil michael had phil lebron has fuckin mike brown he aint winnin shit i dont think he can really motivate the team to win i wanna know what the fuck he did or said to the team those last two games he shouldve challenged lebron

But I can't think of a team that has that for him outside of the teams that already have teams together. Maybe Miami with Riley, but Riley needs to just hang it up. The more that is expose, the more I'm betting Chicago for his future home.

i dont get why people sayin chicago chicago blah blah when they havnt even figured out who the fuck their coach is gon be but thats the media creating this hype bout lebron/chicago they should focus more on who the next head coach is gon be and if thats gon be a major factor if lebron is gon be a bull or not next season

[LooN3y]

lebron needs the right coach like kobe has phil michael had phil lebron has fuckin mike brown he aint winnin shit i dont think he can really motivate the team to win i wanna know what the fuck he did or said to the team those last two games he shouldve challenged lebron

But I can't think of a team that has that for him outside of the teams that already have teams together. Maybe Miami with Riley, but Riley needs to just hang it up. The more that is expose, the more I'm betting Chicago for his future home.

i dont get why people sayin chicago chicago blah blah when they havnt even figured out who the fuck their coach is gon be but thats the media creating this hype bout lebron/chicago they should focus more on who the next head coach is gon be and if thats gon be a major factor if lebron is gon be a bull or not next season

i dont get how having 2 main ballhandlers is gonna work out (rose n lebron) to be effecient, its like having wade n lebron. of course it can work but they wouldnt fully exploit their talents because theyd have to share the ball so much.


bosh (amare) n lebron (wade, or any allstar calliber guard[given that can score as well as make plays]) would be perfect.


you need an all star or superstar caliber player down low, there isnt too many championships won with 2 superstars in the backcourt and nobody in the front, if any.

[westsiderider323]

lebron needs the right coach like kobe has phil michael had phil lebron has fuckin mike brown he aint winnin shit i dont think he can really motivate the team to win i wanna know what the fuck he did or said to the team those last two games he shouldve challenged lebron

But I can't think of a team that has that for him outside of the teams that already have teams together. Maybe Miami with Riley, but Riley needs to just hang it up. The more that is expose, the more I'm betting Chicago for his future home.

i dont get why people sayin chicago chicago blah blah when they havnt even figured out who the fuck their coach is gon be but thats the media creating this hype bout lebron/chicago they should focus more on who the next head coach is gon be and if thats gon be a major factor if lebron is gon be a bull or not next season

i dont get how having 2 main ballhandlers is gonna work out (rose n lebron) to be effecient, its like having wade n lebron. of course it can work but they wouldnt fully exploit their talents because theyd have to share the ball so much.


bosh (amare) n lebron (wade, or any allstar calliber guard[given that can score as well as make plays]) would be perfect.


you need an all star or superstar caliber player down low, there isnt too many championships won with 2 superstars in the backcourt and nobody in the front, if any.

joakim noah is pretty decent and taj gibson is prolly gon develop into one of the elite bigs in the league thats my IMO but i dont think its enough for lebron

and i forgot bout luol deng

[.:DaYg0sTyLz:.]

To me, it seems quite obvious that the Laker fans in this thread are being much more realistic about our team than the anti-Laker LeBron apologists...Does Kobe have a garbage supporting cast? Hell no...But is it a hall-of-fame supporting cast that has breezed through the season like some of ya'll are acting? No way.  We're in between. We've got a good cast, built to win the title, because Kobe knows how to bring the best out of his supporting players, and through leadership, the cast has learned their individual roles and have played their role way better than LeBron's cast did. Our cast wouldn't look nearly as good without Kobe bringing the winning mentality, because looking good comes with winning. That is where leadership comes into play. The leadership of Phil and the leadership of Kobe. Kobe is like an extension of Phil on the court. if it wasn't for Phil, Kobe would never have his current winning mentality, just like if it weren't for Kobe, the Laker supporting cast wouldn't have that winning mentality. So maybe LeBron too wont reach that level until he gets a real coach. You guys bring up Mike Brown as an argument for why the Cavs didn't win, but Mike Brown may very well be the reason LeBron, as an individual, is incapable of grasping what it takes to be a winner. Kobe has said he would never be the player he is today if it weren' for Phil. So maybe LeBron wont reach that next level until he gets a coach who is capable of lifting him there...If LeBron had Kobe's ability of bringing the best out of his cast and willing his way to victories, people would be talking about how amazing and deep the Cleveland cast is, just like they were before they lost. When Lakers were losing, everyone said we didn't have the bench to repeat as champions. Being great comes with winning, and winning comes from will, just as much as it comes from ability...PeACe

For one, I dont see how any of the Kobe fans are being more realistic. Two, anyone who supports LeBron in this argument isnt "anti-Laker".

Some of what u say makes sense. But cmon man. There is a reason things changed when Gasol got there. Obviously Kobe is the focal point of the Lakers. But who on the Cavs is actually better than Gasol? Who is better than Artest? And Im not talkin about them WITH Kobe. Im talkin...before they even came to the Lakers those two players were better than anyone LeBron is workin with. Shit, Artest is a much better player than he is showing now...since he has struggled a bit to adjust. So he was better before he even came to the Lakers. You could even make the argument that Lamar is as good as anyone on the Cavs roster right now...other than LeBron obviously. Lamar is just inconsistent. But which one of Lebrons supporting cast is all that cosistent anyways? Than factor in the Phil Jackson/Mike Brown comparison...it sounds somewhat ridiculous to think that Kobe doesnt have more help. Does that mean Kobe isnt as good as LeBron? It all just depends who you ask. But Im sure you agree that the Lakers are a better team than the Cavs right now. And I dont think thats cus of Kobe. Its because the rest of the team is better. Kobe vs Lebron is almost a wash.

[BOX5 the best poster on this site yell]

that pedo calvin murphy said what? yell

[Sccit]

To me, it seems quite obvious that the Laker fans in this thread are being much more realistic about our team than the anti-Laker LeBron apologists...Does Kobe have a garbage supporting cast? Hell no...But is it a hall-of-fame supporting cast that has breezed through the season like some of ya'll are acting? No way.  We're in between. We've got a good cast, built to win the title, because Kobe knows how to bring the best out of his supporting players, and through leadership, the cast has learned their individual roles and have played their role way better than LeBron's cast did. Our cast wouldn't look nearly as good without Kobe bringing the winning mentality, because looking good comes with winning. That is where leadership comes into play. The leadership of Phil and the leadership of Kobe. Kobe is like an extension of Phil on the court. if it wasn't for Phil, Kobe would never have his current winning mentality, just like if it weren't for Kobe, the Laker supporting cast wouldn't have that winning mentality. So maybe LeBron too wont reach that level until he gets a real coach. You guys bring up Mike Brown as an argument for why the Cavs didn't win, but Mike Brown may very well be the reason LeBron, as an individual, is incapable of grasping what it takes to be a winner. Kobe has said he would never be the player he is today if it weren' for Phil. So maybe LeBron wont reach that next level until he gets a coach who is capable of lifting him there...If LeBron had Kobe's ability of bringing the best out of his cast and willing his way to victories, people would be talking about how amazing and deep the Cleveland cast is, just like they were before they lost. When Lakers were losing, everyone said we didn't have the bench to repeat as champions. Being great comes with winning, and winning comes from will, just as much as it comes from ability...PeACe

For one, I dont see how any of the Kobe fans are being more realistic. Two, anyone who supports LeBron in this argument isnt "anti-Laker".

Some of what u say makes sense. But cmon man. There is a reason things changed when Gasol got there. Obviously Kobe is the focal point of the Lakers. But who on the Cavs is actually better than Gasol? Who is better than Artest? And Im not talkin about them WITH Kobe. Im talkin...before they even came to the Lakers those two players were better than anyone LeBron is workin with. Shit, Artest is a much better player than he is showing now...since he has struggled a bit to adjust. So he was better before he even came to the Lakers. You could even make the argument that Lamar is as good as anyone on the Cavs roster right now...other than LeBron obviously. Lamar is just inconsistent. But which one of Lebrons supporting cast is all that cosistent anyways? Than factor in the Phil Jackson/Mike Brown comparison...it sounds somewhat ridiculous to think that Kobe doesnt have more help. Does that mean Kobe isnt as good as LeBron? It all just depends who you ask. But Im sure you agree that the Lakers are a better team than the Cavs right now. And I dont think thats cus of Kobe. Its because the rest of the team is better. Kobe vs Lebron is almost a wash.

Don't you realize that players seem much greater when they win? If Lakers lose, people call Gasol soft and say Odom is way too inconsistent, just like people are now doing with Antawn Jamison and Mo Williams...But when they win, Gasol is all of a sudden the second coming of Hakeem, and Odom is too versatile to fuck with...Those sorta titles only come with winning. If The Cavs woulda won, as they were clearly capable of doing, then everyone would still be calling Antawn Jamison a beast, Mo Williams a top-tier point guard, and the Cavs the deepest team in the league, as they did throughout the season. The Lakers, no doubt, are a much better team than the Cavs right now...But that doesn't mean the Cavs aren't CAPABLE of being better. When the Lakers were playing whack and the Cavs were beasting EVERYONE was saying Cavs had the better team. It's funny how I knew the Cavs would lose before they did, even when they were the heavy favorites to win. LeBron isn't bout it...he's not thinkin about the sacrifices it takes to win a championship, he's thinkin bout what team he's gunna play for next, and that's why the Cavs underperformed.

[Chamillitary Click]

Some classic quotes from a big LeBron fan earlier in the season...

Jamison is more than enough for Cleveland to make the Finals;

there's rumour that the Wiz will buy out Ilgauskas, and he'll eventually return to the Cavs.

i heard this too; that wouldn't even be fair lol.

you know why they are classic? because they just weren't true, obviously, but a hater as yourself would never admit that lol.

everyone & their mother said that shit who wasn't a blatant LeBron fan; but when they lose it's his fault.

nobody wants to mention how Jamison played like ass; i mean, i can understand, it wouldn't help your argument.

face it, if the Lakers play the Celtics in the Finals & Gasol or Odom played like complete ass & they get swept., you WOULD NOT DARE put a SLICE of blame on Kobe lol; you would just flash the stats of how badly everyone else played.

[.:DaYg0sTyLz:.]

To me, it seems quite obvious that the Laker fans in this thread are being much more realistic about our team than the anti-Laker LeBron apologists...Does Kobe have a garbage supporting cast? Hell no...But is it a hall-of-fame supporting cast that has breezed through the season like some of ya'll are acting? No way.  We're in between. We've got a good cast, built to win the title, because Kobe knows how to bring the best out of his supporting players, and through leadership, the cast has learned their individual roles and have played their role way better than LeBron's cast did. Our cast wouldn't look nearly as good without Kobe bringing the winning mentality, because looking good comes with winning. That is where leadership comes into play. The leadership of Phil and the leadership of Kobe. Kobe is like an extension of Phil on the court. if it wasn't for Phil, Kobe would never have his current winning mentality, just like if it weren't for Kobe, the Laker supporting cast wouldn't have that winning mentality. So maybe LeBron too wont reach that level until he gets a real coach. You guys bring up Mike Brown as an argument for why the Cavs didn't win, but Mike Brown may very well be the reason LeBron, as an individual, is incapable of grasping what it takes to be a winner. Kobe has said he would never be the player he is today if it weren' for Phil. So maybe LeBron wont reach that next level until he gets a coach who is capable of lifting him there...If LeBron had Kobe's ability of bringing the best out of his cast and willing his way to victories, people would be talking about how amazing and deep the Cleveland cast is, just like they were before they lost. When Lakers were losing, everyone said we didn't have the bench to repeat as champions. Being great comes with winning, and winning comes from will, just as much as it comes from ability...PeACe

For one, I dont see how any of the Kobe fans are being more realistic. Two, anyone who supports LeBron in this argument isnt "anti-Laker".

Some of what u say makes sense. But cmon man. There is a reason things changed when Gasol got there. Obviously Kobe is the focal point of the Lakers. But who on the Cavs is actually better than Gasol? Who is better than Artest? And Im not talkin about them WITH Kobe. Im talkin...before they even came to the Lakers those two players were better than anyone LeBron is workin with. Shit, Artest is a much better player than he is showing now...since he has struggled a bit to adjust. So he was better before he even came to the Lakers. You could even make the argument that Lamar is as good as anyone on the Cavs roster right now...other than LeBron obviously. Lamar is just inconsistent. But which one of Lebrons supporting cast is all that cosistent anyways? Than factor in the Phil Jackson/Mike Brown comparison...it sounds somewhat ridiculous to think that Kobe doesnt have more help. Does that mean Kobe isnt as good as LeBron? It all just depends who you ask. But Im sure you agree that the Lakers are a better team than the Cavs right now. And I dont think thats cus of Kobe. Its because the rest of the team is better. Kobe vs Lebron is almost a wash.

Don't you realize that players seem much greater when they win? If Lakers lose, people call Gasol soft and say Odom is way too inconsistent, just like people are now doing with Antawn Jamison and Mo Williams...But when they win, Gasol is all of a sudden the second coming of Hakeem, and Odom is too versatile to fuck with...Those sorta titles only come with winning. If The Cavs woulda won, as they were clearly capable of doing, then everyone would still be calling Antawn Jamison a beast, Mo Williams a top-tier point guard, and the Cavs the deepest team in the league, as they did throughout the season. The Lakers, no doubt, are a much better team than the Cavs right now...But that doesn't mean the Cavs aren't CAPABLE of being better. When the Lakers were playing whack and the Cavs were beasting EVERYONE was saying Cavs had the better team. It's funny how I knew the Cavs would lose before they did, even when they were the heavy favorites to win. LeBron isn't bout it...he's not thinkin about the sacrifices it takes to win a championship, he's thinkin bout what team he's gunna play for next, and that's why the Cavs underperformed.

second coming of Hakeem? LOL I wanna see the moron that said that.

Of course they seem better when they win. I agree with that. Shit, the Spurs were labeled as soft....until they won a title. Then with virtually the same core a few years later were labeled dirty lol. Thats not what Im talkin about though. Im talkin about the players Kobe has....and how they were even BEFORE they came to the Lakers. BEFORE they won any titles.  Gasol never won any titles before coming to LA, and he was already better than anyone on the Cavs roster not named LeBron. Artest never won any titles, and he was better than anyone on the Cavs roster other than LeBron. Lamar IS inconsistent...so fuck him. But LeBron doesnt have anyone on his roster that is consistently good either.

So the winning has nothing to do with this argument. Kobe has more talent around him, period. I know that...you know that...everybody knows that. You yourself made the argument for Gasols GREATNESS the minute he got traded to the Lakers lol. You were ready to label him the greatest bigman in the league.

As for this Kobe vs LeBron argument. The shit is getting a bit old. How can anyone not see the differences in these two careers up to this point. It is almost night and day. You cannot compare Kobe's career success to LeBrons. That isnt fair as LeBron isnt even halfway through his career. You can only compare where they were at the same points in their career. Kobe had more team success with titles and whatnot...but he also had a top 10 All Time player alongside him with Shaq, a VERY good team, and Phil Jackson. Lebron has had more individual success with the MVP's, and completely dominating the stat sheets. But has had weaker teams so no titles. LeBron was also drafted by a horrible team who he was expected to resurrect and turn into a championship franchise. He was expected to be the savior. Kobe was drafted and traded to the Lakers for Divac...and wasnt expected to SAVE the Lakers. He was a bench player and immediately on a good team. So you have to take that into consideration when you look at title count. If Kobe was drafted #1 by a team like Cleveland who was terrible...he wouldnt have the titles at this age either. And when seeing where he was mentally his first couple years...would not have been ready to do what LeBron has been doing since he came into the league.

[Sccit]

To me, it seems quite obvious that the Laker fans in this thread are being much more realistic about our team than the anti-Laker LeBron apologists...Does Kobe have a garbage supporting cast? Hell no...But is it a hall-of-fame supporting cast that has breezed through the season like some of ya'll are acting? No way.  We're in between. We've got a good cast, built to win the title, because Kobe knows how to bring the best out of his supporting players, and through leadership, the cast has learned their individual roles and have played their role way better than LeBron's cast did. Our cast wouldn't look nearly as good without Kobe bringing the winning mentality, because looking good comes with winning. That is where leadership comes into play. The leadership of Phil and the leadership of Kobe. Kobe is like an extension of Phil on the court. if it wasn't for Phil, Kobe would never have his current winning mentality, just like if it weren't for Kobe, the Laker supporting cast wouldn't have that winning mentality. So maybe LeBron too wont reach that level until he gets a real coach. You guys bring up Mike Brown as an argument for why the Cavs didn't win, but Mike Brown may very well be the reason LeBron, as an individual, is incapable of grasping what it takes to be a winner. Kobe has said he would never be the player he is today if it weren' for Phil. So maybe LeBron wont reach that next level until he gets a coach who is capable of lifting him there...If LeBron had Kobe's ability of bringing the best out of his cast and willing his way to victories, people would be talking about how amazing and deep the Cleveland cast is, just like they were before they lost. When Lakers were losing, everyone said we didn't have the bench to repeat as champions. Being great comes with winning, and winning comes from will, just as much as it comes from ability...PeACe

For one, I dont see how any of the Kobe fans are being more realistic. Two, anyone who supports LeBron in this argument isnt "anti-Laker".

Some of what u say makes sense. But cmon man. There is a reason things changed when Gasol got there. Obviously Kobe is the focal point of the Lakers. But who on the Cavs is actually better than Gasol? Who is better than Artest? And Im not talkin about them WITH Kobe. Im talkin...before they even came to the Lakers those two players were better than anyone LeBron is workin with. Shit, Artest is a much better player than he is showing now...since he has struggled a bit to adjust. So he was better before he even came to the Lakers. You could even make the argument that Lamar is as good as anyone on the Cavs roster right now...other than LeBron obviously. Lamar is just inconsistent. But which one of Lebrons supporting cast is all that cosistent anyways? Than factor in the Phil Jackson/Mike Brown comparison...it sounds somewhat ridiculous to think that Kobe doesnt have more help. Does that mean Kobe isnt as good as LeBron? It all just depends who you ask. But Im sure you agree that the Lakers are a better team than the Cavs right now. And I dont think thats cus of Kobe. Its because the rest of the team is better. Kobe vs Lebron is almost a wash.

Don't you realize that players seem much greater when they win? If Lakers lose, people call Gasol soft and say Odom is way too inconsistent, just like people are now doing with Antawn Jamison and Mo Williams...But when they win, Gasol is all of a sudden the second coming of Hakeem, and Odom is too versatile to fuck with...Those sorta titles only come with winning. If The Cavs woulda won, as they were clearly capable of doing, then everyone would still be calling Antawn Jamison a beast, Mo Williams a top-tier point guard, and the Cavs the deepest team in the league, as they did throughout the season. The Lakers, no doubt, are a much better team than the Cavs right now...But that doesn't mean the Cavs aren't CAPABLE of being better. When the Lakers were playing whack and the Cavs were beasting EVERYONE was saying Cavs had the better team. It's funny how I knew the Cavs would lose before they did, even when they were the heavy favorites to win. LeBron isn't bout it...he's not thinkin about the sacrifices it takes to win a championship, he's thinkin bout what team he's gunna play for next, and that's why the Cavs underperformed.

second coming of Hakeem? LOL I wanna see the moron that said that.

Of course they seem better when they win. I agree with that. Shit, the Spurs were labeled as soft....until they won a title. Then with virtually the same core a few years later were labeled dirty lol. Thats not what Im talkin about though. Im talkin about the players Kobe has....and how they were even BEFORE they came to the Lakers. BEFORE they won any titles.  Gasol never won any titles before coming to LA, and he was already better than anyone on the Cavs roster not named LeBron. Artest never won any titles, and he was better than anyone on the Cavs roster other than LeBron. Lamar IS inconsistent...so fuck him. But LeBron doesnt have anyone on his roster that is consistently good either.

So the winning has nothing to do with this argument. Kobe has more talent around him, period. I know that...you know that...everybody knows that. You yourself made the argument for Gasols GREATNESS the minute he got traded to the Lakers lol. You were ready to label him the greatest bigman in the league.

As for this Kobe vs LeBron argument. The shit is getting a bit old. How can anyone not see the differences in these two careers up to this point. It is almost night and day. You cannot compare Kobe's career success to LeBrons. That isnt fair as LeBron isnt even halfway through his career. You can only compare where they were at the same points in their career. Kobe had more team success with titles and whatnot...but he also had a top 10 All Time player alongside him with Shaq, a VERY good team, and Phil Jackson. Lebron has had more individual success with the MVP's, and completely dominating the stat sheets. But has had weaker teams so no titles. LeBron was also drafted by a horrible team who he was expected to resurrect and turn into a championship franchise. He was expected to be the savior. Kobe was drafted and traded to the Lakers for Divac...and wasnt expected to SAVE the Lakers. He was a bench player and immediately on a good team. So you have to take that into consideration when you look at title count. If Kobe was drafted #1 by a team like Cleveland who was terrible...he wouldnt have the titles at this age either. And when seeing where he was mentally his first couple years...would not have been ready to do what LeBron has been doing since he came into the league.

Why was everyone saying the Cavs had a better TEAM when they were beasting? Why did everyone claim the Cavs were twice as deep as the Lakers? Why did those claims only disappear when the Cavs lost? Seriously, give Kobe Mo Williams and Antawn Jamison, and they will look like the greatest supporting players, just like Gasol does now. You say Gasol is amazing and what not, well, Gasol prior to joining the Lakers was in the same category as an Antawn Jamison, so what in the world are you talking about? In fact, Jamison had been to TWO all-star games before joining the Cavs, as opposed to Gasol, who only made ONE before joining the Lakers...so there goes your argument. The reason Gasol looks as good as he currently does is because he's playing alongside a winner...Team him up with LeBron instead of Kobe, and I guarantee his value would go down ala Jamison..Before Lakers won the championship, the notion was that we wouldn't be able to win a ring with Gasol, because he's too soft. If Cavs woulda won the championship, there is no doubt in my mind that people would argue Antawn Jamison with Pau Gasol. At the end of the day, Cavs had a team built to win. Cavs had a team that was capable of winning. They couldn't deliver. There is no excuse, period. Kobe having to work his way up to being an all-time GOAT on a hall-of-fame team is part of the reason he's adopted the drive he currently has and part of the reason he's gained a winner mentality. LeBron being spoiled and handed everything from day 1, including a team all for himself is the reason he's still an egotistical diva who hasn't learned the sacrifices it takes to make it as an all-time GOAT in this league...so do yourself a favor, and quit bringing up that point, because it's not supporting your argument...PeACe