You're buying that revisionist history?
You're also pretending that Kobe wasn't on the radio crying for a trade and telling ppl the Lakers should trade Bynum for Jason Kidd or whatever?
Correct me if i'm wrong, but wasn't that AFTER Shaq was long gone? I'm not pretending anything. The fact that Kobe was "crying" for a trade happened after Shaq was gone. Kobe said he was a Laker for life when he re-signed with the Lakers, not when he demanded a trade. So obviously his "laker for life" motto was gone when he was demanding a trade.
AI demanded a trade. If the Sixers didn't think AI was a franchise player, they wouldn't have kept him for a decade.
lol, the same thing happened with Gary Payton and Seattle. When GP got traded, I remember him saying that the Seattle owner obviously didn't think he was a franchise player, and so he traded him. We all know GP was a franchise player in Seattle, and yet, he got traded just like AI did. Why? 'Cause the Seattle organization didn't think GP was a franchise player. Same goes for AI in Philly.
The Kobe and MJ comparisons also make sense because they're both sociopathic shooting guards who play under Phil Jackson.
lol, you forgot to mention that they both have a killer instinct that compares to no other NBA player. They both leave it all on the floor. They can both come through in the cluth. They can both be relied upon to take the last shot of a game. etc. etc. etc. etc.
The shooting guard comparison is not just the only similarity they share. There's dozens, including how they made their teammates better.
But that didn't happen, and AI was still more involved with his teammates than Kobe!
ps -
Everyone knows George Karl is a shitty coach and he WAS taking passive-aggressive shots at AI as soon as the trade was made.
AI was more involved with his teammates? Yet, he single-handedly took the Sixers to the finals, all by himself? I don't think he involved his teammates very much if he single-handedly took his team to the finals.
What coach hasn't taken shots at AI? Even the great Larry Brown took shots at AI when he was in Philly. They have good reasons to take shots at him, 'cause he just doesn't know how to run an NBA play. He goes dribble dribble dribble dribble dribble... turnover. That's why EVERYONE, not just George Karl, said the trade for Chauncey was a steal. Detroit got shit, and Denver got an elite, team player.