LaMarcus Aldridge: Kobe Bryant was silver lining bad Lakers meeting

http://nba.nbcsports.com/2015/10/20/lamarcus-aldridge-kobe-bryant-was-silver-lining-bad-lakers-meeting/?ocid=Yahoo&partner=ya5nbcs


LaMarcus Aldridge: Kobe Bryant was silver lining bad Lakers meeting

By Dan Feldman

Oct 20, 2015, 2:22 PM EDT



The Lakers’ first meeting with LaMarcus Aldridge in free agency went poorly.

Another example of Kobe Bryant costing the Lakers a star?

Aldridge says no.

Aldridge, in a Q&A with Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated:

SI.com: There was a lot of talk about the Lakers free agent meeting. It seemed like it went badly. What happened?

LA: I’m not going to get into details, but it was just a couple of meetings. The first meeting didn’t go as well as they said and then the second meeting went better. I’ll go on the record as saying Kobe was not an issue at all. He was a very positive part of the meeting. I’ve always had a very cordial relationship with Kobe. I see him all the time in Newport [Beach], and it was really messed up that [the media] put it on him when he was one of the best parts of the meeting. But like I said, the first one didn’t go as well, the second one went a little bit, but at the end of the day going back home was more valuable.

On one hand, I want to believe Aldridge. There were reports at the time of Kobe impressing in the meeting.

But the same reports also said the meeting went well overall, which clearly wasn’t the case. That’s why the Lakers needed a second meeting.

Plus, Aldridge previously tried to downplay the ineffectiveness of the first meeting. Here, his tone is a little more negative about that first meeting.

It seems to me like Aldridge, who signed with the Spurs, is just trying to put this behind him. Minimize the problems of the first meeting. Say nice things about Kobe, a respected veteran nearing the end of his career. Move on.

Ultimately, I respect that Aldridge put his name on these comments. Whatever anonymous sources have said about Kobe’s impact and the meetings, this is Aldridge’s account.

What’s unsaid: Kobe’s influence probably pushed Aldridge away from the Lakers. No matter how much he impressed the power forward in a conference room, Kobe makes a salary that limits the Lakers’ ability to compete right now. They wouldn’t have had sufficient cap space to put a quality supporting cast around Aldridge. D'Angelo Russell, Julius Randle and Jordan Clarkson are too young to win on Aldridge’s timeline. Kobe is too old.

Kobe can do everything right – though he shoots too much – and still hinder the Lakers.

They’re just stuck hoping he dazzles in free agent meetings that probably don’t matter anyway.



bob
MY NOTE:  To me, the LA Lakers are just another team until we meet them in the playoffs.  I posted this for two reasons; one, to dispel the "nobody wants to play with Kobe" opinion which, to be honest, I believed in too and two, to point out how modern the Celtics are.  We bought into the whole metrics and advanced statistics thing a long time ago.  Brad, as we all know, is a HUGE fan of them.


.

I believe that in the first meeting, the Lakers sales "effort" concentrated on what living in LA would add to LMA's life. Things like night life, beach life, party life, celebrity life and so on. Nothing all that much about his basketball life (or role on the Lakers.) The first meeting was probably led by the management and Kobe just went along for the ride.

LMA was not impressed with the first meeting and word got out as to why. They scheduled the second meeting and Kobe's role was probably bigger in this meeting, but it wasn't enough to get the sour taste out of his mouth, plus as he says, he wants to go home.

Home won in this round. Team direction probably played into the decision. The Lakers got a do-over and still couldn't get 'er done. The times sure are a changing!!

gyso

Maybe the fact that Lakers management hired Byron Scott, a mediocre coach for the entirety of his career, had something to do with it? It's no secret that the Lakers' ownership has not been nearly as effective as in the past. Players want to win now, and it takes more than the glamour and glitz of LA to attract a star player these days.


KJ