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A Message For The Kobe-HatersApril 23 07 I can hear the Kobe-haters. After remaining silent for most of the season, they’ve come out of the woodwork to criticize his game 1 dud. They’re knocking his 1 for 10 fourth quarter shooting performance. They’re blaming the loss on what they see as his typical ball-hogging antics. This isn’t fair. After all, Kobe the Facilitator had to become Kobe the Scorer for the Lakers to make the playoffs. With Lamar Odom and Luke Walton injured, the purple-and-gold needed their all world guard to drop 50 points per game. He’s had to score for his team to win, simple as that. Once again, on Sunday, Bryant had no choice but to look for his own shot and go for 50. And he was close, tallying a remarkable 28 points in the first half. Sure, down the stretch, he missed a lot. But no Laker, other than Lamar Odom, was looking to contribute. And no other Laker wanted the ball-they all looked afraid. Besides, this team already made their choice. They decided long ago to live by Kobe the Scorer and die by Kobe the Scorer. Last night, they died by their choice. So blame Bryant for missing those shots, but don’t blame him for taking them. That’s on Bryant’s teammates who have come to rely on Kobe the Scorer. Click here and read Oly Sandor’s NBA blog everday.
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