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Why does Kobe...

ire

Turbo Monkey
Aug 6, 2007
6,196
4
Wear what looks like an arm warmer? There was a guy on the Celtics wearing one as well. Does it keep the sweat off their shooting hand?
 

dhzion

Monkey
May 4, 2008
157
0
Mighty Zion
I believe it has something to do with keeping the muscle warm, same with the leg ones.

There was a small bit of controversy over using them under the uniform policies when they first started showing up, guess they allowed them.
 

mattmatt86

Turbo Monkey
Feb 9, 2005
5,347
10
Bleedmore, Murderland
It's a compression sleeve I believe. I used to have to wear them when I was on the track team here. I had horrible shin splints from training on our indoor track. I've heard some people use them to help prevent tennis elbow.
 

jimmydean

The Official Meat of Ridemonkey
Sep 10, 2001
40,938
13,133
Portland, OR
actually The league has told Many Players ( I do believe Iverson was one of them ) to wear them to cover "offensive" tattoo's
So you're saying Kobe has a tattoo of (alleged) victims names up his arm? Man, that's gnar-core!
 

Cru Jones

Turbo Monkey
Sep 2, 2006
3,025
2
Hell Track
And all of his championships attest to this.
He hasn't had quality teammates until recently... and that team still needs some work. Put him in Kobe's place and they'd be beating the Celtics for sure. There are a lot of great players that have never won a championship. That shouldn't be the only measurement for their value as a player.
 

BurlyShirley

Rex Grossman Will Rise Again
Jul 4, 2002
19,180
17
TN
He hasn't had quality teammates until recently... and that team still needs some work. Put him in Kobe's place and they'd be beating the Celtics for sure. There are a lot of great players that have never won a championship. That shouldn't be the only measurement for their value as a player.
Believe whatever you want. Iverson, though he has gotten better about this in recent years, is pretty much the epitome of why basketball fell off in the late 90s and early 00's. A terrible-shooting-percentage, ball hog with no ability to lead or make his teammates better. He was a prolific scorer only because he shot the ball every time he touched it.
 

Cru Jones

Turbo Monkey
Sep 2, 2006
3,025
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Hell Track
Believe whatever you want. Iverson, though he has gotten better about this in recent years, is pretty much the epitome of why basketball fell off in the late 90s and early 00's. A terrible-shooting-percentage, ball hog with no ability to lead or make his teammates better. He was a prolific scorer only because he shot the ball every time he touched it.
Basketball only "fell off" for old white people that don't get it. Part of the NBA has always been about showcasing individual talent and there has never been a talent quite like Iverson. And nobody plays with as much energy and passion as him night in and night out. Many people who play and love the game consider him one of the greatest ever. It's normally just the people that don't get or don't like his image that knock him.
 
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BurlyShirley

Rex Grossman Will Rise Again
Jul 4, 2002
19,180
17
TN
Basketball only "fell off" for old white people that don't get it. Part of the NBA has always been about showcasing individual talent and there has never been a talent quite like Iverson. And nobody plays with as much energy and passion as him night in and night out. Many people who play and love the game consider him one of the greatest ever. It's normally just the people that don't get or don't like his image that knock him.
:rofl:
I "don't get it" I guess how a guy with a terrible shooting percentage and a career win/loss record of barely above .500 and zero championships to his name is all that I guess. "Showcasing his individual talent" is always what it's been about with Iverson, and so he will never be held in the same regard as Jordan, Kobe or the other greats. And I hate Kobe trust me, so it really doesn't have anything to do with his lifestyle.
 

OGRipper

back alley ripper
Feb 3, 2004
10,647
1,116
NORCAL is the hizzle
Iverson is a great player. You can define it differently but in my book any candidate for "best ever" must have a complete package of individual skills and the ability to lead a team to championships, even if the team is not stacked with gobs and gobs of talent. Jordan would probably get my vote but regardless, it's not Iverson.
 

narlus

Eastcoast Softcore
Staff member
Nov 7, 2001
24,658
63
behind the viewfinder
i tell you what, i've been thoroughly impressed with what a complete player Paul Pierce has become. he's been pretty amazing in the playoffs. he doesn't come close to having the physical skills of Le Bron or Kobe, but he's every bit as good as them.
 

Cru Jones

Turbo Monkey
Sep 2, 2006
3,025
2
Hell Track
Iverson is a great player. You can define it differently but in my book any candidate for "best ever" must have a complete package of individual skills and the ability to lead a team to championships, even if the team is not stacked with gobs and gobs of talent. Jordan would probably get my vote but regardless, it's not Iverson.
I still vote Jordan the best ever, I just called AI "inch for inch" the best ever... you know, like pound for pound. I think Iverson has more basketball talent, and if he were as tall as Jordan, he would be better. I still think he gets too much of the blame for lack of championships and being on crappy teams. He IS a team player, it's just that a lot of the time he has to try to do it all by his lonesome. His assist to turnover ration is higher than both Kobe and LeBron.
 

Cru Jones

Turbo Monkey
Sep 2, 2006
3,025
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Hell Track
i tell you what, i've been thoroughly impressed with what a complete player Paul Pierce has become. he's been pretty amazing in the playoffs. he doesn't come close to having the physical skills of Le Bron or Kobe, but he's every bit as good as them.
Agreed. I have always thought he's been underrated. It's good to see him getting his moment.
 

OGRipper

back alley ripper
Feb 3, 2004
10,647
1,116
NORCAL is the hizzle
if he were as tall as Jordan, he would be better
I hear what you're saying and you're entitled to your opinion, but still, I just don't agree. You don't have to be tall to lead a team, and in my opinion you can't be the best ever if you don't lead a team to at least one championship.

The question also illustrates my key gripe with "best ever" debates: Iverson would not be the player he is without Jordan elevating the game the way he did before Iverson came along. He just wouldn't. Neither would Kobe.

Similarly you can also say that Jordan wouldn't be the player he was if Dr. J never played, etc., etc. Each great player takes what came before and tries to build on it. That fact alone is enough to make it impossible to compare players from different eras, and there are lots of other variables too.

But anyway, yeah Jordan still gets the nod in my book. :cheers:
 

Cru Jones

Turbo Monkey
Sep 2, 2006
3,025
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Hell Track
you can't be the best ever if you don't lead a team to at least one championship.
That's where we disagree. To me, there are just too many uncontrollable factors (including teammates, coaches, luck, every other team that is good, etc) that go into winning a championship to use that as the main criteria for judging "the greatest ever." What if Jordan never won a championship? Would you still consider him the greatest ever? I might, because of his talent (talent at his size). There are A LOT of great players that never won a championship... Karl Malone, John Stockton, Elgin Baylor, Charles Barkley, Patrick Ewing, Reggie Miller, George Gervin, and on and on...

I see what you're saying, though. The game is about winning. Jordan makes it an easy pick, because he was so talented AND he won.

I'm pumped that KG, Pierce, and Allen are about to get their championship. :cheers:
 

Sherpa

Basking in fail.
Jan 28, 2004
2,240
0
Arkansaw
That's where we disagree. To me, there are just too many uncontrollable factors (including teammates, coaches, luck, every other team that is good, etc) that go into winning a championship to use that as the main criteria for judging "the greatest ever." What if Jordan never won a championship? Would you still consider him the greatest ever? I might, because of his talent (talent at his size). There are A LOT of great players that never won a championship... Karl Malone, John Stockton, Elgin Baylor, Charles Barkley, Patrick Ewing, Reggie Miller, George Gervin, and on and on...

I see what you're saying, though. The game is about winning. Jordan makes it an easy pick, because he was so talented AND he won.

I'm pumped that KG, Pierce, and Allen are about to get their championship. :cheers:
Umm you think Iverson is one of the best players ever. Your opinion doesn't count for anything sports related. I am a HUGE Iverson fan, btw.
 

OGRipper

back alley ripper
Feb 3, 2004
10,647
1,116
NORCAL is the hizzle
What if Jordan never won a championship? Would you still consider him the greatest ever?
I don't know, maybe not, because one reason I think he IS the greatest ever is because he proved he could lead his team to multiple rings. The ability to step up and lead a team when the world is watching and the pressure is on your shoulders is definitely one way to separate "great" from "best." I just don't think anyone deserves to be on the short list of "best ever" candidates if their accomplishments are mostly individual triumphs. And Jordan's championship teams were full of good players but none could have done it without him - he inspired his teams to play better ball, to work together, and to be their best.

It's certainly no small feat to have great individual numbers, but at the end of the day it's a team sport, and in my book you can't be the best ever if (for whatever reason) you don't have the rings to show that under your leadership, your team was able to reach the highest level.

This is an endless debate with no answer, but it's still fun. Next up: Hoffman or Mirra? YOU MAKE THE CALL!!