Really?
I guess discussing how Dwight Howard and Steve Nash will blend into the starting unit, the uncertainty surrounding the Lakers reserves and finding a backup for Nash has become tiresome.
Unfortunately Bryant has no one but himself to blame for this latest piece of nonsense, since he took it upon himself to throw an unwarranted jab at a defenseless Parker during an interview with The Orange County Register.
Bryant called Parker the "worst," which can be viewed in a number of ways depending on the situation, but Bryant went on to say that Parker didn't belong in the NBA and that the only reason the Lakers let him walk on to the team was that they were too cheap to pay a legitimate point guard.
Those are some harsh words from Bryant, and when you consider Parker's production during his two seasons as a Laker, the assessment is mostly inaccurate.
In 2005-06, Parker averaged 11.5 points per game, 3.7 assists, 3.3 rebounds and shot nearly 45 percent from the field.
In contrast, during Derek Fisher's best season with the Lakers, in 2000-01, he averaged 11.5 points, 4.4 assists and three rebounds while shooting 41 percent from the field.
Those numbers don't mean Parker was better than Fisher, but they do call into question Kobe's claims about Parker's talent level.
Parker was not as bad a player as Bryant and Lakers fans would have you believe, but there is a reason he is no longer in the NBA, and it's likely the same reason he's still in Bryant's head.
Bryant's disdain for Parker probably has a lot more to do with Parker's lack of professionalism and his lazy approach to the game than ...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
