The difference between talent and skill is one of the most misunderstood concepts of the NBA – and sports in general, for that matter. Talent you have naturally. Every player in the NBA has some form of natural talent. But skill can only be developed by hours and hours of working on your craft. 10,000 hours, as Malcolm Gladwell has famously professed. This is as true for individuals as it is teams. [Read more…]
Life without Kobe Bryant for the Los Angeles Lakers began Sunday night, and it wasn’t so bad. In fact, it was pretty good. With Dwight Howard having a big game and Steve Blake somehow outplaying Tony Parker, the Lakers defeated the suddenly struggling San Antonio Spurs and need just one more win to clinch a playoff berth. [Read more…]
While you were watching the Masters … or fertilizing the lawn … or watching baseball … or enjoying Mark Heisler’s public resignation from The New York Times after they turned down his one-on-one interview with Kobe Bryant … or learning that Mike Rice is up to his old tricks, except now he is berating 12-year-old girls, a whole helluva lot was being decided in the NBA. Just think where we might be a week from now when eight Game 1s will
We’ve still got a handful of games that really matter in the NBA regular season, and maybe the biggest is tonight, with the Spurs heading into Staples Center to face the Lakers. [Read more…]
April 14, 2013 Email To: Jacie Prieto, publicist for Kobe Bryant Subject: Kobe Jacie, Not that the situation is anything to celebrate, but after we arranged that one-on-one interview for a New York Times piece for today which they decided not to assign, I wound up writing about Kobe Bryant for them, after all. It’s right here. I actually think the last two weeks represent his high point, capped by a post-game interview after his Achilles injury with press people whom he held in contempt for
By now, you have to have heard about Kobe Bryant’s torn Achilles. It’ll put him out of the rest of the season and, should the Lakers hang on, the playoffs, too. He’ll likely miss at least some of next season, although the Lakers were saying today that the recovery time is 6-9 months — and the goal is to have him back at the start of next season. As for amnestying him? Forget it, GM Mitch Kupchak said. Not even being
Kobe Bryant may never play basketball again. Or never at the same level. Is that the future we are facing today? A ruptured Achilles tendon typically takes about a year to heal. So Bryant is going to miss most of next season, maybe all of it, and he’ll be an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2014. Was last night his final game as a Laker? These are the thoughts swirling around the Internet this morning after Bryant’ devastating injury last night
