Kareem wants a statue ...NOW!

Well, they had Dan Gadzuric for several seasons.

 

Thank you, gingerbread. I was highly curious how this originated. Kareem never came across as enough of a self-promoter to make a massive stink about this without prompting.

Given the other statues around the place, that Kareem hasn't already been honored is ridiculous. And while Starman's points are valid, I wouldn't think Kareem has done nearly enough wrong to not earn this honor. Is self-promotion a requirement for a franchise to bestow an honor?

I hope not.

 

He is, but his sparking personality and police record are a big reason that's the case.

 

Disagree. You think that's really going to stop them from honoring Kobe Bryant at some point down the road?

 

If he wanted to be a broadcaster, he shouldn't have spent so much time at pilot school.

 

Let me throw this out there (hypotheticals are fun): If Kobe retired this summer, would he get a statue before Kareem? I know Kareem is the decorated champion and is a classic player, but if you polled Lakers fans on who means more to them, I bet more would say Kobe. People are all about the "what have you done for me lately" and less about the pass.

However, getting a statue is not like getting inducted into the Hall of Fame. It takes years, decades to reach that mountain. I wonder if the Lakers PR guy was just saying Kareem will be next or whether he actually will be. Kobe will be after him regardless.

 

Depends on whom you ask. I imagine some long-time Lakers fans haven't forgotten Kareem. The younger/bandwagon fans will naturally say Kobe because they weren't up on what Kareem did for them.

FWIW, I'd take Kareem over Kobe in a landslide. But admittedly, I detest the latter and think the former was seriously underappreciated, this thread topic being a prime example. I don't care for the "look at me" sort of stuff, but thanks to gingerbread's link, that proves that the story was an offshoot of a bigger interview/conversation as opposed to Kareem lashing out just because.

 

I never said Kareem lashed out or insinuated that in the original post. Still, is there really that big of a difference to say something about it out of thin air or get riled up by a reporter and then respond with negative connotation?

 

For some reason I'd always thought Kareem was in Milwaukee for most of his prime. Not so. Just looked up his stats on basketballreference.com (http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/a/abdulka01.html). Didn't even realize he was in LA for 15 years. Sure, he was old when they won their championships in the late 1980s, but he was certainly a key contributor if not an impact player in those years too. Factor in his UCLA career, and I think the entire contribution to the LA hoops landscape warrants a statue.

Of course, his whining about not getting one is unsightly.

And while Gretzky's arrival in LA sure created a stir, he really didn't do shit there...

http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=2035

 

Kobe's issues and Kareem's issues are pretty different, and while I don't agree with it, Kobe's indiscretions will be forgiven a lot more quickly than Kareem's.

 

I take it you're under 30?

 

"I think you're the greatest, but my Dad says you don't deserve a statue."