Kobe and Vanessa Bryant at MTV awards. Nice

Back up a few years and we all wanted to roast Kobe for his little adventure in Denver. That is when we also first got a load of his wife and wished we were giving her that big fat make up ring. Just for the making up part.

Kobe no longer had the Shaq and seemed to be constantly arguing with Coach Phil Jackson and was soon to be seeking free agency. The Chicago Bulls failed to make a play for him and are now known as the Chicago Bull-lonies. Kobe went on to refuse an offer from the Clippers, because they are losers. Then all Kobe did was deliver the NBA finals to the Lakers and follow it up with an Olympic Gold Medal.

Now Kobe is so popular that he is more popular than Yao Ming in China.

Kobe continues down the path of greatness by putting off his pinky surgery, because it would cut into Team Laker time and this year could be a very good year. Kobe Bryant had already put off the surgery to play for the American Olympic Team. In fact, he is the Redeem Team icon and made the big shots in the 4th quarter of the Gold Medal Game against Spain.

So why put off the surgery?

Bryant believes that the Lakers need to establish early team chemistry and cohesiveness when the regular season starts, with Bynum in the lineup, because the Lakers played much of the second half of the 2007-2008 season and the entire playoffs without their injured 21-year old center.

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source for photo newscom

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Carmelo Anthony, Kobe Bryant, Chris Bosh show off the Gold!

Have you heard that LeBronze James is thinking of changing his name to LeGold James?

OK, bad joke, but it sure was refreshing to see the United States do it the right way. The guys on the team actually wanted to be there. They stayed in the Olympic village and said all the right things.

USA 118 Spain 107

Spain played an inspired game with Manu Ginobili going out early with an ankle injury and Jose Calderon also out with an injury. This did not stop the Spaniards, as they just kept firing the ball down from long range or busting it inside with slashing drives against a good U.S. defensive team.

But it was not enough as Kobe Bryant and Dwyane Wade led the way to victory with the U.S. making plenty of their own 3 point shots.

Dwyane Wade scored 27 points for the Americans, who found a much gamer Spanish team than the one they humiliated by 37 points earlier in the tournament. Kobe Bryant added 20 points.

In a game so devoid of defense that it felt more like an NBA All-Star Game than one with a title at stake, the Americans had too much offense down the stretch. Bryant converted a clutch four-point play with 3:10 remaining, holding his finger to his lips to quiet the rowdy Spanish crowd behind the basket.

Wade added another 3-pointer that made it 111-104 with just over 2 minutes left, and only then could the Americans relax a little.

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Jason Kidd is amazing

Jason Kidd ran his record to 56-0 in senior international play and collected another gold to place alongside the one he earned in 2000, becoming the 13th U.S. player with multiple golds. source

USA Olympic redemption

The U.S. started planning for this game after the Athens Games four years ago, the low point in its hoops history, following a sixth-place flop two years earlier in the world championships. Jerry Colangelo was given control of USA Basketball and constructed a national team program in 2006, requiring those who wanted to play to commit to three years.

He got Bryant and James quickly on board and landed almost everyone else he asked for, finding a group of NBA stars eager to give up their summer to get back what they felt belonged to their country.

And he needed all of them against a Spanish team that on this day would have likely beaten any other recent U.S. squad.

“Being a part of the ‘04 team, we really didn’t get the opportunity to showcase our talent,” said Wade, one of four holdovers from Athens. “We really wanted to come in and help lead this team.”

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Superbad Superman has a stress fracture, but not to worry. It will heal in time for the next set of practices on July 21. That is when training camp resumes.

“It’s a six to eight week recovery time, and this is the sixth week,” said Team USA coach Mike Krzyzewski, who expects Howard to be fully healed by the time the team reconvenes for training camp July 21.

Still, the injury is worrisome for the Americans, who are planning to go to Beijing with just three big men — Howard, Chris Bosh and Carlos Boozer. If Howard were to aggravate the injury, that lack of front-line depth could become a major issue.
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Dwight Howard has some serious guns for a hoop player

Image details: Philadelphia 76ers v Orlando Magic served by picapp.com

Something just does not seem right here. The USA has come right out and said that they planned this to win the Olympics. Then went out and put Tayshaun Prince on the team as proof that a non-superstar great defender clutch player could make the team.

But…They still did not stock the team with big guys and took too many guys that just like to score. Do you really need Carmelo Anthony and Michael Redd, when you have Kobe Bryant and LeBron James? And why are there no Celtics on this team?

My good friend RonB wonders why we don’t just take the NBA Champion team and send them to the Olympics. My addition would be to add a few players to their bench like Kobe and LeBron. Can you imagine the announcers getting all over Rondo in the Olympics? Ok, add Chris Paul as well.

Let’s say Howard reinjures his sternum. Just a hypothetical.

That leaves Chris Bosh and Carlos Boozer as your big guys.

Chris is 6′ 10″ tall and weighs 230.

Carlos Boozer is 6′ 9″ and weighs 266.

Now Dwight Howard is a little taller at 6′ 11″ and weighs 265.

Wait a minute, no 7 footers at all? Howard sits and we go to a thin 6′ 10″ or a heavier 6′ 9″?

Check out the rest of the roster, no big guys there.

Joining Williams and Boozer on the ‘08 Olympic team are fellow NBA stars Kobe Bryant, Carmelo Anthony, Dwight Howard, Jason Kidd, LeBron James, Chris Paul, Michael Redd, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and Tayshaun Prince.
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Yes, yes, the trend lately in college and NBA is to be more mobile, less defense and more offense. Boston’s center was only 6′ 10″ Kendrick Perkins, but he weighed 280 and had 6′ 11″ Kevin Garnett right beside him.

The Pistons had 6′ 11″ Rasheed Wallace. The Lakers had 7′ Pau Gasol. The Spurs had 6′ 11″ Tim Duncan. Maybe all that small ball is not working.

On the bright side, when Dwight Howard is healthy, he is a beast of a player and even without polished moves down on the blocks, he often commands a double team.

Go USA! Take the Gold in the Olympics.

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