Kobe Bryant will never be the greater Laker in history because he has never given himself fully to this city or its fans. He doesn't even live in Los Angeles!
In his 14 years as a Laker, he has never embraced the role of team leader on or off the court without it seeming contrived and self-serving. He may do plenty of charity work that we don't hear about, but he's never had any public charity events of his own like Shaq's annual Christmas gift giveaways or Magic's "Midsummer Nights" weekends.
There's also a likable gene that Jerry West, Magic and even Shaq had and still have that Kobe just doesn't seem to possess. The most well-known Kobe "fan encounter" remains his profane rant about trading Andrew Bynum in a parking lot. And how can the "greatest player in Lakers history" continue to be such a polarizing figure to teammates and fans alike?
Charles L. Freeman
Baldwin Hills
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No one can surpass what Jerry West and Magic Johnson did for their team. They can only join the two Lakers greats. Welcome to the group, Kobe.
Wally Torkells
Indio
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Magic Johnson's dominance of a game was not reflected in the box score, where he would maybe score 6-10 points that particular night, but the game was totally in his control and the Lakers would win. Magic elevated the play of his teammates on the court by getting everyone involved. For the Lakers to repeat, Kobe needs to spread the "Magic."
Paul Shubunka Sr.
Santa Clarita
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How apropos that No. 24 scores 44 to pass No. 44 to become the Lakers' career scoring leader. Congratulations, Kobe!
Ron Tom
Pasadena
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Bill Plaschke's article on Kobe Bryant not being the greatest Laker is understandable for an older gentleman living in the past and reminds me of a saying, "Memory is a great deceiver: It embroiders until naught is left but the glory and the pleasure."
Plaschke may be right, West and Johnson were great, but still, when looking back 20, 30 or 40 years, the picture painted may be rosier and more beautiful than it really was.
Richard Karliss
Malibu
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Only Plaschke could make being the third-greatest player in arguably the greatest franchise in any sport's history sound like a booby prize.
Bruce A. McClanahan
Pismo Beach
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How much more of a monopoly can the Lakers get in your sports section? You might as well call it the Bryant/Lakers Daily -- page after page, picture after picture, finger after finger. Why, with all the other great college and international sports now going on, especially here in L.A., and with college basketball in full swing and the run-up to the Olympics, must we be fed such a plethora of cliches with hackneyed, obvious information on one single entity?
The Lakers are talented and newsworthy, but not for so many major articles with full-scale pictures each day. Today I was inspired to write this letter because there was just a tiny picture and small article on the retirement of the great Kurt Warner, yet multiple stories on the Lakers.
Ken Kvammen
Newport Beach
Pack it in
Now that the Clippers relieved Mike Dunleavy from his coaching duties, how about the organization parlaying this new start by moving to Anaheim's Honda Center? It's a win-win situation for everybody.
Janet McKinney
Inglewood
It's a major hit
Embroiled in a bitter divorce battle for the team he claims he is the sole owner of (which is contrary to everything he and his soon-to-be ex-wife told the world from the day they bought the historic franchise and stadium in 2004), the man from Boston authorizes a 2010 roster built around three budding stars (Ethier, Kemp and Loney), a rapidly aging hitting savant (Manny), a past-his-prime second baseman with a weight clause (Belliard) to replace a Gold Glove All-Star (Orlando Hudson), a patchwork (and that's being extremely generous) pitching rotation, a catcher in steep decline (Martin) and a series of free-agent signings featuring players that no one has ever heard of (led by Reed Johnson) and what do you have?
"Major League 3"!
Bobby Midnight
Pacific Palisades
Recruiting wars
How is it that Lane Kiffin can tell recruits they don't have to worry about any NCAA sanctions against the USC football program that will affect their futures at SC? This would seem to indicate that the administration already knows the outcome of the NCAA investigation. Which means that the meeting with the Committee on Infractions on Feb. 19-21 is a total sham. The USC football program continues to operate above the law. Money can't buy love, but it can buy the NCAA.
Robert Grijalva
Tustin
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There are two-sport college players. It may be time for a two-sport coach. UCLA should make Rick Neuheisel the basketball recruiting coordinator.
Wes Wellman
Santa Monica
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Rick Neuheisel says "there are now two options in this town" for college football players. Rick, there always have been. Option 1: National championships (11). Option 2: EagleBank Bowl appearances (1).
Most smart football players prefer Option 1.
John Mark
Newport Beach
The Phil rules
