Rudy T leaving LA?
 

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=1981564

I guess, if this report is true, the stress of the position finally got to him. I can't blame him, the situation in Los Angeles is a mess right now. Hopefully the health concerns aren't anything too serious.

One name that is coming up in discussions is Jim Calhoun, UConn head coach. If you'd told anyone 20 years ago that a UConn coach would be involved in NBA head coaching rumors, no one would have believed you. I hope he stays at Connecticut, as it would be difficult to replace the man who built the program.

Coaching NBA is a totally different ballgame than coaching the NCAA. For one thing, you have egos to deal with. I wonder if Calhoun actually want to go and coach an NBA team/

Calhoun will pull a kroojawoosky and play LA off a new contract and some additional perks, but he's never been involved in NBA talks seriously before, and I doubt he wants to leave the BMOC position he carries now . . .

. . . although the boys in Storrs are definitely a little down this year, and the prospect of the two best players bailing early might just throw a wrench in that. Shit, he might be gone, C - that would suck, but I get the feeling UConn would have pretty much their pick of the young, up and coming coaches.

It'll be interesting to see what other candidates develop, and if the one-man search committee (Kobe) develops as expected. Weird deal, the Lakers are in serious trouble. I can imagine that Shaq is laughing his ass off right now, and buying a Bentley for Flash Wade - he's come out WAY ahead.

Shaq definately got the better deal. Kobe is a cancer in the LA Lakers. Their best player is an obstacle for the team. That is something hard to figure out.

He just signed a brand-new deal with UConn, for something in the $5 million per year range. This year has been tremendously disappointing; the idea was that with Rudy Gay, Josh Boone and Charlie Villanueva, we would be talking about one of the top young front lines in basketball. Plus, with Marcus Williams coming back to run the point and Rashad Anderson at the 2, this would be a balanced unit that could score. Now, it looks like this will be a mediocre team that will lose its whole front line to the draft (at least one of them will go, if not all three).

Plus, there's the ongoing relationship (for lack of better term) between Calhoun and the women's coach, Geno Auriemma. UConn women have had so much success that Calhoun has felt slighted at times, while Geno has complained that the men get preferential treatment. To put it kindly, the two men dislike and distrust each other. If Coach Calhoun feels slighted in the least or like he's playing 2nd fiddle to Geno, that could be a strong reason for his leaving.

It would be interesting to see who would come in as a replacement; having been a fan for as long as I have, it's hard for me to imagine anyone but Jim Calhoun coaching the Huskies. He's a legend in Connecticut (and a decent guy on top of that, from the times I've met him).

I would agree with this. Kobe fancies himself the next MJ. Kobe still has to prove that he makes his teammates better, and I don't think he's done that.

Jordan (and Shaq) are Dons. They're guy's guys and their teammates are drawn to them. Kob**** is like Johnny Sack or something.

The thing too about Kobe is constantly tries to TALK himself up as a leader, saying its "my team" during interviews and press conferences, taking advantage of photo ops (putting an arm around a younger player in front of a photographer), things like that. He's tried to create an image that just isn't happening for him.

It doesn't hurt that Shaq hooked up with Dwayne Wade (although I've always had more respect for Shaq than Kobe).

Dwyane Wade has great game and a very humble attitude. He seems, for now, to let the Diesel grab some spotlight. But Shaq is slowing down. I'm liking what he and Wade are doing, particularly because Flash can hit free throws at the end of the game. :p

Haha...it's nice to have someone who can handle the ball at the end of the game and hit free throws. Even nicer when that person doesn't have to be Shaq.

I don't particularly LIKE Shaq, but it'll be nice if he could raise that trophy and just smear the win in Kobe's face. I'm in the minority who'd rather have Shaq on my team than Kobe. Kobe's a cancer who has no good PR people around him.

If Jordan was pissed at you, he'd make sure his whole TEAM destroyed you. Kobe just makes sure he gets more points than the guy he's playing. That's the difference between MJ and KB.

^^
By contrast, I love Shaq and also want to see him raise that trophy and choke it down Kob****'s piehole. Fact is, playing next to Daddy is one of the best gigs in sports.

I swear, if Kob**** doesn't watch himself, he will be the next Penny Hardaway and LeBron James and Mr. LaLa Vasquez, bka Carmelo Anthony, will rule the league in three or four years.

Shaq is probably the most likable dude in sports - relatively well-spoken, funny, and genuine . . . he's the interview that you always want to watch, and not b/c it's a train wreck like say TO or chad johnson.


As far as Bron and etc - I think LeBron's already passed Kobe, he's certainly more important to his team than Kobe and definitely does more to make the rest of the squad better. Seeing LeBron going nuts on the sidelines when he was hurt, that's really all you need to see, IMO. Anthony doesn't carry the same weight - the Nuggs are treading water, he hasn't really shown he can take that 'next step' and bring the team to the next level, even though they should be markedly better this year by all appearances (yes, even recognizing the conference differences). Some others do have the ability to step into that role, though - Amare Staudemire, Al Jefferson, and a short list of others have the opportunity (plus the team around them) to take that leap and leave kobe where he belongs: being a little bitch on talk radio and not on my TV.

I don't know if I would quite put Kobe in the Penny Hardaway spot yet. I think Kobe is kind of unique, in that he's so tremendously skilled but so obviously selfish at the same time. Most athletes at least try to fake it (Sammy Sosa, for example).

I agree with Rob that Lebron has already passed Kobe; Lebron has passed pretty much everyone with his play this year. He's got the numbers plus the rep; if it weren't for Steve Nash, he'd be a runaway for the MVP.