Kobe finally responds to Drakes infamous line about Vanessa.

HoopsVibe's Very Quick Call: My question is why respond now and on twitter of all places?

The Los Angeles Lakers blew a 13-point fourth quarter lead Wednesday night and lost to the Phoenix Suns 92-86.

Hoopsvibe's quick call:  It's hard to be a believer in this Lakers team.

Should Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni ever have removed Pau Gasol from the starting lineup?

Hoopsvibe's quick call:  Not after Pau's performance last night.

Sometimes even the most humble players let their emotions get the best of them.

Hoopsvibe's quick call:  Kevin Durant may be tied for the league lead in technical fouls, but he's still the man.

In a league full of physical specimens, these are the best.

HoopsVibe Very Quick Call: You won't find Kris Humphries on this list, or Big Baby.

10. Amare Stoudemire

Shirtless pics of Stoudemire are the rule, not the exception. And why not, he's earned it. Now working his way back to regular minutes after injury, Stoudemire will be back to full strength soon, with more pool photo shoots to follow.

9. Carlos Boozer

Boozer is great at staying under the radar for the most part. But in a year where the Bulls have needed him to step up and solidify the front court, the veteran has done that. 

8. Kobe Bryant

Kobe's inclusion on this list may elicit a few boos, but the way he has transformed his body during his career warrants some respect. From entering the league as a skinny 18 year old, Kobe has put on a little more muscle every year and you can tell it has paid off by the way his game has become more physical, and less about put jumping defenders, over that time.

7. Ray Allen

Ray Allen has been ripped for years but doesn't really get the credit as such because he is a perimeter player who makes a living draining threes- a specialty which isn't often seen as being based on strength or physicality. I don't know about you, but I would be shirtless all the time if I was Ray Allen. Especially at his advancing age.

6. Blake Griffin

Griffin's leaping ability and athleticism grab most of the attention and highlights, but he is as strong as any front court player in the league. He gets criticized for "only being able to dunk" but the fact that he puts himself in that position time and time again even though every one knows it's coming show how strong he is.

5. Serge Ibaka

Pound for pound, maybe the strongest player in the league. Ibaka is built like a comic book hero, straight up. Anybody with an 8-pack and leads the league in blocks qualifies for this list.

4. Andre Iguodala

Speaking of comic book hero type bodies, Iguodala definitely fits into that category. The balance and symmetry of his physique lends itself to his game; balanced in all aspects, equally productive across the board. In addition, he always seems incredibly smooth and relaxed, just like his build.

3. Metta World Peace

"Ron Ron" is a beast. Just when you think he's mellowed out and forgotten how much of an intimidating force he can be, he deftly punches Detroit's Brandon Knight in the clinch. At 6-7, a jacked 240 pounds and with the potential to go off at any moment, it makes him seem even more ripped in my mind. But him being mental shouldn't detract from how much a physical specimen Ron Ron is is.

2. Dwight Howard

Love him or hate him, D Howard has arguably the most impressive physique in a league full of players with impressive physiques. While toughness is something Howard definitely lacks (especially of the mental variety), the width of his shoulders cannot be questioned; has there ever been a wider NBA player? And I don't mean "wide" like Oliver Miller.

1. LeBron James

Even if you don't think he is the most jacked player in the league, you have to acknowledge that he uses the strength of his body on the court better than any player in the league, maybe even ever. How many times do you see Bron Bron take a player attempting to guard him straight up from the top of the key right to the rim, with ease? It isn't that easy, he just makes it look like it is because he is so strong.

For more news, info and updates, follow us on Twitter @hoopsvibe

Image Credit: Creative Commons

Kobe Bryant recently joined Twitter and he's already putting his foot down with his following.

Hoopsvibe's quick call:  If you talk trash on Kobe's twitter page, there's a chance you'll get reprimanded for it.

Some picks may surprise, but the decisions are in. Here are our picks for midseason NBA awards. 

HoopsVibe's Very Quick Call: The real question is can they keep it going?

The basketball community changed forever Monday with the passing of Los Angeles Lakers owner Jerry Buss.

Hoopsvibe's quick call:  Perhaps the greatest NBA owner in history left a lasting legacy behind.

Here are ten interesting facts about a man who was amongst the best the business has ever seen.

1.)  Buss bought the Lakers, along the Los Angeles Kings Hockey team, The Forum, and a large ranch in Kern County, from Jack Kent Cooke in 1979 for $67.5 million.  The team itself is now worth $1 billion.

2.)  The Laker Girls was his idea.

3.)  He has six children, who all have roles within the Lakers organization.  Their names are Jim, Jeannie, Johnny, Joey, Jesse and Janie.  Jim currently runs basketball operations and daughter, Jeannie, runs business operations.

4.)  His daughter, Jeannie, is currently engaged to Hall of Fame coach and former player, Phil Jackson.  And apparently, Jim Buss hasn't spoken to Jeannie since their engagement.

5.)  Buss was an avid poker player, appearing on the shows High Stakes Poker and Poker After Dark.  He placed third in the 1991 World Series of Poker seven-card stud event.

6.)  Buss is incredibly smart.  In high school he was entrusted to teach his chemistry class senior year.  He got his Bachelors degree from the University of Wyoming in 2.5 years, reportedly borrowing his friends books at the beginning of the semester because he didn't have enough money to buy his own.  He would read the books, and return them halfway through the semester, with enough knowledge to pass the final exams.

7.)  He has a Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Southern California and worked in aerospace and real estate before becoming Lakers owner.

8.)  He was raised in poverty in Wyoming.  He first came to LA when he was 9, but moved back to Wyoming after his mother remarried.  There he worked as a ditch-digger, a bellhop and a shoe shiner.

9.)  Under his ownership the Lakers won 10 Championships; and have seen the likes of Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, James Worthy, Shaquille O'Neal, Kobe Bryant, and Dwight Howard, to name a few.

10.)  There are many other interesting facts about Jerry Buss but my all-time favorite is this:  Buss told ESPN in 2010 that he texted each of his six children every month the following question:  "Do you have any idea how proud of you I am?"

In the words of Kobe Bryant, "His impact is felt worldwide."

I couldn't agree more.

For more interesting NBA facts follow us on twitter @hoopsvibe

According to Kobe Bryant, whether or not the Lakers make the playoffs isn't even a concern.

Hoopsvibe's quick call:  Kobe has often lacked a supporting cast, but he's never lacked confidence.  On or off the court.

Kobe Bryant delivers a message to Mark Cuban.

HoopsVibe's Very Quick Call: Careful when you play with the Black Mamba. He might bite back.

Gotta love that it's Friday!

Hoopsvibe's quick call:  What a better way to kick off the weekend than with three top NBA stories in Hoopsvibe's Workweek Wrap-Up?!

LeBron and the Heat have won 17 in a row, but they've got their work cut out if they want to break this record.

HoopsVibe Very Quick Call: The Heat are currently tied for the 12th longest winning streak in NBA history.

The current 17 game streak is tied with the Clippers for longest winning streak this season. But, both are just slightly more than half as long as the all-time best.

33, LA Lakers 1971-'72

The Lakers didn't lose a game for over two months, going a combined 30-0 in November and December. Led by Jerry West, Wilt Chamberlain, Elgin Baylor, Gail Goodrich, Pat Riley and Jim McMillian (and including former Phil Jackson assistant coach Jim Cleamons), the 1971-72 Lakers are arguably the greatest team of all time.

22, Houston Rockets 2007-'08

You may be surprised to know that the second longest winning streak is 22 held by the Houston Rockets in 2007-08. Nobody expected anything out of the Rockets that year and they somehow went off before showing "they are who we thought they were" and losing in the first round of the playoffs. Sadly for T-Mac and Yao, this was the height of their time together.

20, Washington Capitols 1947-'48 thru 1948-'49

The Capitols were part of the Basketball Association of America before being absorbed into the NBA in 1949. Not coincidentally, the team was led by NBA Hall of Fame coach Red Auerbach, who led the squad from 1946-'49. The team won 20 games through two seasons.

20, Milwaukee Bucks 1970-'71

Already boasting Lew Alcindor at center, the Bucks acquired Oscar Robertson in a trade and found immediate success. The Bucks set a franchise record for wins that season (66) that still stands and won the NBA title in their third year of existence, the fastest for an expansion team in NBA history. The 20 game win streak was exceeded a year later by the same Lakers team that leads this list. Interestingly, this Bucks squad beat that Lakers team and snapped their NBA record 33 game win streak.

19, LA Lakers 1999-'00

In Phil Jackson's first year as coach, the Lakers started the season by winning 31 of their first 36 games, which included a 16 game winning streak. Later in the season, from February 4th to March 16th, LA won 19 in a row. After that loss, the Shaq and Kobe led squadron won another 11 in a row and earlier in the year also had a seven game streak.  One of the best teams in NBA history, LA won the title by beating the Pacers 4-2.

19, Boston Celtics 2008-'09

The Celtics started out 27-2, including the 19 game win streak, and also had a 10 game streak to their credit. Boston won 62 games but lost in the 2nd round of the playoffs after Kevin Garnett was injured and missed most of the second half of the season. The first round seven game series versus the Bulls is arguably the greatest playoff series in NBA history. 

Just two more wins would put the Heat into the top five. Four more wins would make their streak the second longest in NBA history. 16 more (man, that's a ton of games!) Would tie them with the Lakers for longest streak ever- think they can do it?

Cavs star Kyrie Irving will be sidelined for a month; while Pau Gasol's return could be right around the corner.

Hoopsvibe's quick call:  The Lakers are in good position to make a playoff run; the Cavs probably wouldn't have made the postseason with Irving; they are definitely out now.

17 years ago today, MJ became just the tenth player in NBA history to eclipse the 24,000 point plateau.

HoopsVibe Very Quick Call: Another day at the office, another milestone for Michael Jordan at that point in his career.

Who'd have thought at the time, that 17 years later to the day, he'd have a bogus paternity suit against him dropped?

Against the Philadelphia 76ers at the United Center, Jordan poured in 38 points on 15 of 32 shooting as the Bulls won 98-94. The victory pushed the Chicago's record to 58-7. The Jordan led Bulls would ultimately set an NBA precedent for greatness that year, setting the all-time single season mark for victories in a season with 72.

Prior to Jordan, only nine players in the history of the league had scored at least 24,000 points- Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, John Havlicek, Moses Malone, Jerry West, Elvin Hayes, Oscar Robertson, George Gervin and Alex English.

Before it was all said and done, Jordan scored 32,292 points and retired having scored the third most points in NBA history. In 15 professional seasons, he led the NBA in scoring 10 times, including seven years in a row and 10 times in 11 seasons (!). 

Kobe Bean Bryant is just 995 points away from tying MJ and wresting third place from his trophy case- as if Jordan even cares.

Since MJ got his 24,000th point in 1996, the accomplishment has become more commonplace. Currently, a total of 19 players (nine post-Jordan) have scored 24,000+ points, including Allen Iverson, Kobe, Karl Malone, Dirk Nowitzki, Reggie Miller, Patrick Ewing and Kevin Garnett.

Boston's Paul Pierce is just 223 points short, and former Celtic/current Heat guard Ray Allen is right behind him, just 145 points less than Pierce.

While all the other players on this list are great scorers, no one was more electrifying than Michael Jordan.

In the most recent data gathered, Lebron James topped the list of the NBA's most popular jerseys.

Hoopsvibe's quick call:  Here is the list of the top 5 most popular NBA jerseys.

This may be Kobe's 17th NBA season but he still has ridiculous hops.

HoopsVibe Very Quick Call: At this point in his career, do we take Kobe Bryant for granted?

Basketball is a team sport, but when two studs lock horns, the other players on the court recede from view.

HoopsVibe Very Quick Call: So many great rivalries, so little time!

Today, Gatorade released an ad for it's new product "Fixation",which features Kevin Durant and Dwyane Wade squaring off, each player dreaming of a different outcome when they meet one and each other on the floor.

So it got me thinking: Who are the best one on one match-ups in NBA history? 

Here are the first batlles that came to mind. 

Shaquille O'Neal vs. Hakeem Olajuwon

Their match-up in the 1995 NBA Finals has been washed asunder by the tides of history, but at the time, this may have been the best duel I have ever witness. Hakeem was paying the best basketball of his career this season (in the playoffs particularly)and maybe the best stretch for any center in NBA history. Shaq led the NBA in scoring this season (29.3 ppg) and was in the midst of establishing himself as the most physically dominant center ever. In the Finals, Hakeem averaged 32.8 ppg and Shaq scored 28.0 ppg.

Wilt Chamberlain vs Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

In the conversation about the best center of all-time, these two names are really the only two at the top of the list- it's really just a question of who is 1a and who is 1b.This excellent article breaks it down, blow by blow, and concludes that Wilt is the victor.

They played against each other 27 times, including 11 games in the playoffs of 1971 and 1972. In their first 11 meetings, Chamberlain was still able to (i.e. inclined to) score with Jabbar. In those first 11 games, Wilt averaged 22.8 ppg and 17.6 rebounds, while Kareem averaged 26.0 ppg and 15.6 rebounds.

50 ppg, 30.1 ppg over his career, 23 rebounds/game over his career, the only non-guard ever to lead the league in assists, 100 points in one game, the list goes on...Wilt was simply more dominating.

Kevin Durant vs. LeBron James

This is absolutely the most exciting match-up in the current NBA, with both players battling every night for supremacy. In five playoff games (last year's NBA Finals), KD outscored LBJ 30.6 ppg to 28.6 ppg. But James dominated in every other statistical category and also won the title, by a margin of 4-1. In 11 regular season match-ups it's the same story; Durant averages 29.0 to LBJ's 28.1, "Bron Bron" has the edge in rebounds, assists, steals and blocks and has won nine of the 11 games. "Durantula" has some work to do, potentially in this years NBA Finals. 

Dominique Wilkins vs. Michael Jordan

Of their era, these were the two most athletically gifted, electrifying players. WIlkins at times, looked like he almost had too much energy for his body, while MJ was always smooooooth. In 45 career games against each other, Jordan won 27 while "Nique" won 18. MJ averaged 31.6, while Wilkins poured in 29.8 as both players had almost identical stat lines. In one playoff series that the Bulls swept, Jordan averaged 34.3, 6.7 rpg, 4.3 apg to Nique's 30.0, 5.3 rpg and 3.0 apg.

Kobe Bryant vs. Michael Jordan

The significance of this rivalry isn't as much about the head to head play, though that was extremely entertaining, but about what it meant to the league- was it not old MJ versus a young version of himself? Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan played each other 8 times, four when Jordan was with the Chicago Bulls and 4 when he was with the Washington Wizards. The Lakers won 5 of those games. Across these games, Bryant scored an average of 22.8 points, while Jordan scored 24.5 points.

Oh,old man Jordan still has it.

What's your top five?

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Kobey Bryant moves to 4th on the all-time points list topping Chamberlain. Where on the list will he finish?

HoopsVibe's Very Quick Call: He won't finish first, but really records always appear less important when you're struggling to make the playoffs.

Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban is creating a media stir once again, and this time, it's by saying he would draft Baylor University women's basketball star Brittney Griner.

Hoopsvibe's quick call:  Either Cuban knows something we don't or he's just completely messing with all of us.

Currently, the Lakers are in possession of the Western Conference's eighth seed by one game over the Utah Jazz.

HoopsVibe Very Quick Call: If the Lakers don't make it, they have at least five legitimate reasons why they failed.

Firing of Mike Brown, Hiring of Mike D'Antoni, Not Hiring Phil Jackson

After five games, the Lakers brass fired Mike Brown. But before he got fired, they forced him to employ the "Princeton Offense," an offense that never got properly instituted because of injuries to nearly every key player in the preseason.  Brown was out, but who would replace him? For several days, Phil Jackson was going to be re-hired, it looked like a foregone conclusion. But under the cover of night, late on a Sunday evening, the Lakers announced they would hire D'Antoni instead. As the season has now almost completely played itself out, they couldn't have been any worse if they would've just retained Bernie Bickerstaff for the entire season, who won four of his five games as head coach.

Injuries

Every significant player on the team was injured at some point this season. Steve Nash, Kobe, Dwight Howard, Metta World Peace, Pau Gasol- and those are just the starters. The bench was equally ravaged. Robert Sacre, Devin Ebanks, Jordan Hill, Steve Blake; and that's the short list. No wonder they haven't had any chemistry all year.

Lack Of Pau Gasol

Gasol's head wasn't right all season. And yours wouldn't have been either if your name was Pau Gasol. No one has taken more of a beating for being "soft". But if he was soft, Gasol wouldn't have two rings and a slew of all-star appearances. So what does he get for his trouble? He gets benched for Earl Clark by D'Antoni, who was trying to assert his power to "motivate" Gasol. That was a "bass-akward" thing to do. To make it worse, D'Antoni did it when the Lakers rotation was being held together with duct tape. If he was healthy, the Lakers should've squeezed every last second out of him.

Where Was "Ron Ron" All Year?

I get that "Ron Ron" has decided to completely give up on scoring. I get that he fancies himself a lockdown one on one defender. But for a guy who has scored over 20+ ppg in his career, for him to not be more involved offensively (and I don't mean hoisting up three's from the corner, which has become his signature offensive move), I mean getting involved and productive when the team needed him. He didn't, so Kobe had to carry the squad, and still is, like always.

Dwight Howard Saga

I don't care what Howard's numbers are, or if Andrew Bynum missed the entire season- Howard killed the Lakers with his endless, me first drama. It started before he got traded to LA, then continued once he arrived because of "injuries" and a bunch of other excuses. Dwight Howard is a drama queen and softer than Pau Gasol- FACT.

For more news, info and updates, follow us on Twitter @hoopsvibe

Of all the drama surrounding the Lakers this season, this is the final act.

HoopsVibe Very Quick Call: A fitting end to one of the worst Laker seasons in history.

While the Lakers were battling the Spurs on the court in Game 1 of the first round of the playoffs on Sunday, Kobe Bryant was playing Twitter-coach from his Orange County pad.

Hoopsvibe's quick call:  It was pretty obvious in the post game press conference that Lakers Coach Mike D'Antoni wasn't a fan of Kobe's tweets.  Wonder how Phil would've handled it?

Kobe Bryant has been dealing with a lot lately, including having to sit out the playoffs with a torn achilles only to watch his team get swept by the Spurs in the first round.

Hoopsvibe's quick call:  Now he's in a court battle with his own mother.

The NBA Finals are where new stars are born and new styles are formed.

HoopsVibe Very Quick Call: An entire year of league history is compressed into and remembered by the outcome of the NBA Finals.

2009-2010 LA Lakers vs. Boston Celtics - 7 Games

The NBA needed this Finals from a business standpoint as much as anything else. Interest in the game was waining and the league was struggling financially. So what was the best recipe to get the league to be relevant and exciting again? A classic match-up between the Lakers and Celtics, which the Lakers won.

1993-1994 Houston Rockets vs. New York Knicks- 7 Games

This was as grueling an NBA Finals in history. Both teams were rugged, relied on tough defense and games were low scoring. Every possession was hotly contested and featured even personnel match-ups across the board, most notably reigning MVP Hakeem Olajuwon versus Patrick Ewing. The Rockets prevailed and won back to back titles, starting with this one.

1987-1988 LA Lakers vs. Detroit Pistons - 7 Games

The Lakers won this series in the ultimate stylistic clash between the finesse "Showtime" Lakers and the physical, brutish Pistons. Between 1980-1989 the Lakers won five titles, including this series versus the Pistons.This series represented a shift in NBA style of play. Even though the Lakers won and continued their dominance in this series, the Pistons swept the Finals the following season against the Lakers and eventually won two and a row, giving birth to the "Bad Boys" and their imposing style, a style that would be picked up and empolyed by NBA teams moving forward.

1979-1980 LA Lakers vs. Philadelphia 76ers - 6 Games

This series was all about the emergence of Magic Johnson. Magic changed the NBA game forever as the Lakers "Showtime" style was born. Instead of plodding half court sets that had been the norm, the Lakers relied on the transition game and became the most dominant team of the era, changing the entire direction of the league.

1973-1974 Boston Celtics vs. Milwaukee Bucks - 7 Games

This series was littered with several future NBA Hall of Fame players who not only evolved their respective positions, but brought the game to a new level. The Bucks featured Oscar Robertson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, while the Celtics had Dave Cowens and John Havlicek. Abdul-Jabbar was so dominant the Celtics frequently triple teamed him when he got the ball. The strategy paid off as the C's prevailed in seven games.

Kobe Bryant has been all over Twitter since he joined a few months back, and on Tuesday, decided to tweet a pretty graphic image of his achilles surgery from a month ago.

Hoopsvibe's quick call:  If you get a little queesy, you might not want to look at this picture.  We warned you.

Kobe Bryant tells the world he has a "Big" announcement. Laker fans exhale as it's not retirement.

HoopsVibe's Very Quick Call: Only in the egocentric world of Kobe Bryant is his decision to write his own book a "Big" decision.

The Quick Hit: It was supposed to be case of master versus student. It has become a case of student challenging master.

Quite simply, the Los Angeles Lakers, with all their star power and glitz, were expected to handle the talented but inexperienced Oklahoma City Thunder. After all, the Lakers had that Larry O’Brien swagger; the Thunder were unproven upstarts.

I have an admission to make: I've been pretty bored with the NBA 's regular season. It's not that there haven't been plenty of interesting things going on in the league for the last month, I've just been more interested in getting to the 2 1/2 month marathon that is the Playoffs. But in preparation for the postseason, I re-engaged late last week. And as a reward for my rededication, the Lakers decided to make it worth my while. They're still my pick to come out of the Western Conference, but they've definitely added some intrigue to what may have been an otherwise predictable run to the Finals.

The Quick Hit: For the Cleveland Cavaliers, Los Angeles Lakers, and Orlando Magic, it’s all or nothing.

The all is having Commissioner David Stern hand over the Larry O’Brien trophy in two months and pronounce them world champions in a champagne soaked ceremony.

Only the all will do. Only the all will satisfy their demanding fan base. Only the all will satisfy their demanding owners, who have taken on multi-million dollar luxury tax payments for this precise moment.

While nothing, or falling short of an NBA Title, will force Cleveland, Los Angeles, and Orlando to make wholesale changes this off-season. Right or wrong, fair or not, these are the stakes when playing for a contender.

I’m laughing at the notion. Actually, everyone should be laughing because when the hell was Tracy McGrady ever underrated? We’re not talking about Mark Aguirre underrated here. Aguirre never made all NBA First teams and never averaged 32.1 points per game for a season. McGrady retired two years ago and the T-Mac today is nothing but a rusty old aging robot for the Detroit Pistons. I’m trying to give the idea a thought – was McGrady underrated at any point in his career? 

 Your 2011 NBA All-Star Game starters, as voted by the fans and announced by the NBA are below. The game will be played in Los Angeles on February 20.

HoopsVibe's Very Quick Call: Kobe Bryant may have lost two houses and $75 million in his recent divorce proceedings, but this didn't stop the All-Star from helping others on ABC's Extreme Makeover. Click the video and watch The Black Mamba's greatest assist. 

Got thoughts? Well, get at HoopsVibe News in the comment box below.

Who said that Derrick Rose’s Chicago Bulls were one player away from winning the title? Anyone saying this over and over again is wrong. What makes you think this? What makes you feel this? The Bulls lack a quality shooting guard. That is true, but that does not make them just one player away. When was the last time this was said about another team? Did LeBron in Cleveland need one more player? What about Dirk’s team or Kobe when the Lakers got Pau?

The Quick Hit: There are many theories on the Los Angeles Lakers' recent struggles.

Perhaps, they’re bored having all but locked up first in the Western Conference standings. Perhaps, players are distracted by the trappings of Hollywood. Perhaps, they miss injured giant Andrew Bynum more than they care to acknowledge. Perhaps, Kobe Bryant’s on-going contract negotiations and unknown future was unsettling. And perhaps, tension exists between Bryant and Pau Gasol over shots and touches.

Book it. It’s over. There is no need for the 2012 season even if the lockout ended right now. "Win it all," Artest said when asked what will the Lakers do in the 2011-2012 season. "Win the whole thing. That's a guarantee.” Wow. Interesting. And here we go again. Why must you do this? And why must some of Laker Nation have to front run so much? Why? Dallas Mavericks dominating the Lakers was not enough? You were not entertained?

Kobe Bryant hates losing to LeBron James. He hates it. From Cleveland to Miami, the beatings have come over and over, leaving the Los Angeles Lakers star surly, seething. Ultimately, they’re made easier for Bryant because James has repeatedly failed in the playoffs. Bryant plays for championships, but these magnificent national stages do matter to him. In his mind, embarrassment isn’t so easily dismissed. “It is hard to digest,” Bryant said.

Link

HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: It’s what makes him who he is.

Kobe Bryant’s competitiveness has made him an all-time great, so much so that he’ll be a first-ticket Hall of Famer when he retires.

With such a drive to succeed, it’s no surprise Bryant was still fuming over a loss to the Miami Heat on Thursday evening.

After all, the Heat, not the Lakers, are the NBA’s glamour team. And James, not Bryant, is becoming the NBA’s most dominant player.

Of course, James always posts massive numbers when facing, and usually beating, the  Lakers, which is like rubbing a pound of salt in Bryant’s open wound.

Bryant will respond with hard work. Like Drago in Rocky 4, he’ll train, scheme, and practice with eyes on regular season and playoff rematches.

Such an approach is what has made him great.

--Got thoughts? Well, get at HoopsVibe News in the comment box below.

The NBA lockout has definitely affected coverage of pro basketball during the summer, which is obvious because there is no basketball to report. People are desperate for NBA action that they have to resort to covering recreational leagues around the nation. Kevin Durant’s street ball exploits, Kobe Bryant dominating, John Lucas III lighting it up, and LeBron James getting dunked on by little Asian kids was just the stuff shown around networks and Internet. Fans are that thirsty for that action.

Why leave a championship contender for an organization years away from contending?

This is the question Kobe Bryant and LeBron James will face if either leaves the Los Angeles Lakers and Cleveland Cavaliers as an unrestricted free agent this summer to sign with the dysfunctional New York Knicks.

At this point, I think we’re all kind of desensitized by watching Kobe Bryant score. “Oh boy, Kobe poured in another 30 point game- yawn.” But Kobe’s 81 point game is his greatest singular achievement, sort of like “David” was for Michelangelo- it sums him all up in one piece of work.

As one of the most recognizable athletes on the planet, KB24 has a habit of popping up here, there and everywhere. Still, I can't have been the only one who was surprised to see Kobe Bryant make a cameo in the new Call of Duty: Black Ops commercial. In the one-minute TV spot Kobe appears for just a few seconds, wielding a heavy-duty firearm in the middle of a simulated combat situation alongside various other civilians.

Kobe's ultimate competition is MJ. That's why MJ watches him. MJ made people think what he was doing wasn't human. Ditto the Kobester.I never said Kobe was better than MJ. MJ just told me Kobe's the only one to have done the work, to deserve comparison.

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HoopsVibe's Very Quick Call: Michael Jordan thinks Kobe Bryant is worthy. Well, sort of.

Jordan, 'The Greatest of All-Time', thinks Bryant, a legendary scorer, can challenge his legacy because of his work ethic.

This is fair. Bryant is already one of the greatest players in NBA history, but he's not better than Jordan.

Jordan has six championships to Bryant's five. Jordan never lost an NBA Finals, while Bryant lost twice. And Jordan would never have chased Shaquille O'Neal out of town like Bryant did.

Of course, Jordan didn't call Bryant his equal. He said he can be compared -and that's it.

Got thoughts? Well, get at HoopsVibe News in the comment box below. 

Some of you will remember that earlier this year we put together a feature on the NBA's 50 worst tattoos that showcased the worst body art from across the league. Well, due to popular demand we've thrown the images into a short video. Check it out and let us know what you think.

The German Bomber has a great career. He is showing no signs of slowing down either. Did you ever think the guy would be here? Yep, I didn’t. This question now has to be posed if it had not already – Has he surpassed Karl Malone, Kevin Garnett, and Charles Barkley? This is a serious question. Before having a grand historic 2010-2011 season, no one should dare think about it. Today, things changed dramatically. What’s scarier? Nowitzki remains efficient.

TMZ has checked official records ... which show on January 5th, Kobe surrendered his interest in 2 of their estates to Vanessa ... on that same day Vanessa surrendered her interest in a 3rd home to Kobe. 

As far as who got what ... the title transfers don't list addresses, but our sources say Vanessa is now the full owner of the mansion she shared with Kobe in Newport Coast. As for the second home Vanessa now owns in full ...  it's the nearby mansion where her mother has been living.

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HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: This is what happens when a superstar athlete’s marriage goes wrong. He - in this case, Kobe Bryant - pays, especially if he has been unfaithful and doesn't have a prenup'.

Reports are surfacing that Bryant must fork over $75 million and the keys to two of his family’s luxury mansions as part of his divorce to Vanessa Bryant.

You, me, and 99% of the world would be impacted by this. But Bryant, who refused to have Vanessa sign a prenuptial agreement, won’t let it take away from his play on-court with the Los Angeles Lakers.

After all, Bryant played through an incident in Denver, Colorado. He’ll do the same with this.

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Toronto Raptor fans do not have much to celebrate. They have been in lockout mode since 2009. The lockout shouldn’t be a problem because they have been in tank mode. The Raptor fans are more concerned with getting the top pick in any draft. Do you remember Master P and the No Limit Soldiers gold tank in the “Make em say uggghh” music video? Yep. Just like that; a solid gold tank.

The NFL lockout is over. If you’re an NBA fan, sucks to be one right now. If you’re also an NFL fan, it’s a great time. Right now, Derrick Rose, Kevin Durant, Chris Paul, and Kobe Bryant are hamming it up in the Phillippines. The highlights of their All Star game are up on Youtube. The quality is bad since the broadcast was on a stream, but you get the gist of it. Did Kobe travel on that lob pass to Rose? Yep, he sure did. Who cares though. I didn’t.

This can be discussed even during a lockout. Dirk and the Mavs are still riding high from their hard earned 2011 NBA title. They swept Kobe’s Lakers, beat Durant/Westbrook Thunder, and then took out the Miami Heat. The team is battle tested especially with the grand fail against the Golden State Warriors in the 2007 playoffs. The Mavs lost a lot with a solid roster in the past. They overcame all of that in 2011.What’s next? Repeat. Duh. 

The Quick Hitter: There was no way Kobe Bryant would be denied. Not a second time, at least.

The big network has already raised the question and shot it down without much debate. Can Derrick Rose repeat as the league MVP in the new season after the lockout? Can the kid become the third point guard to do it? How? News flash – He earned the 2010-2011 MVP when everyone wrote him off. You guys are writing him off again? I get it. The 2011 playoffs were bad for him during the fourth quarter. He didn’t choke. Rose just did not shoot well.