come on man, I check my facts before I post something anymore. I learned from being made look stupid I will post the article..
Who's thinking about the children?
Well, apparently Vince Carter.
In the aftermath of Kobe Bryant's 81-point explosion Sunday night, Carter told the Newark Star-Ledger that the second-highest scoring performance in NBA history might not set a good example for young players.
"The only bad thing about it is that younger kids, whose minds are easily warped, are going to think, 'Ohhh! I am going to go out there and do it instead of (honoring) the team concept first,'" the Nets' star told the newspaper. "That is what is missing in the game, guys understanding how to play as a team."
Carter went on to say, "I think it is great for (the NBA): They want scoring, they want ratings, and you are going to get that. You are definitely going to get them now with the amount of 50-point games, 60-plus games. I just hope that kids and young guys understand that (only) special guys can do that. Yeah, the (other Lakers) were trying to get Kobe the ball, they wanted to see a special night. But they all know their roles."
The criticism comes from an interesting source.
Last season, Carter ranked just behind Bryant in shots attempted per game (Bryant took 20.1 shots per game, while Carter took 20.0). And Carter is still among the league leaders in that category this year at 19.0 shots per game, although he's well behind Bryant, who leads the NBA at 27.7 shots per contest.
Kobe Bryant practiced Tuesday for the first time since his astonishing performance against the Toronto Raptors, and was tagged with a new nickname.
"Just calling me 81," he said of his teammates.
Perhaps that should be Mr. 81.
Bryant said the reality of reaching that point total Sunday night in the Los Angeles Lakers' 122-104 victory over the Raptors still hadn't sunk in, and made it clear he didn't expect a repeat performance any time soon.
"It's just one of those things that doesn't seem real to me," he said. "It's just tough for it to sink in. I'm focused on the task that lies ahead for us.
"The way I'm playing of late, I don't think it's an indication of how we're going to be playing the rest of the season. We had a stretch earlier this season where I didn't have to score the ball like that for us to win. I look forward to going back to that."
Lakers coach Phil Jackson expressed a similar sentiment, saying: "A team has to have some sense of balance."
Nevertheless, Jackson said he had no problem whatsoever with Bryant dominating the action the way he did against the Raptors, when he shot 28-of-46, including 7-of-13 from 3-point range, and 18-of-20 from the foul line.
"If you were there at the game, I think everybody understands how we won," Jackson said. "He got into a rhythm - it was just a landslide."
Bryant scored 55 points in the second half as the Lakers (22-19) outscored the Raptors 73-41, turning a 14-point halftime deficit into an 18-point victory.
Bryant has averaged 44.5 points in 10 games this month in leading the Lakers to a 7-3 record. He is averaging an NBA-best 35.9 points this season.
Wilt Chamberlain holds the league's single-game scoring record, getting 100 points for Philadelphia against the New York Knicks at Hershey, Pa., on March 2, 1962.
Bryant became the second player in history to surpass the 80-point plateau and the fifth to reach 70, joining Chamberlain, David Thompson, Elgin Baylor and David Robinson.
Coincidentally, the 27-year-old Lakers' star scored a season-low 11 points in a 102-91 triumph over the Raptors on Dec. 7 in Toronto.
The Lakers return to action Friday night, entertaining Golden State before beginning a seven-game road trip Sunday in Detroit.
Bryant said the Hall of Fame had called and asked for the shoes he wore in Sunday night's game.
When asked if he would comply, Bryant seemed stunned, replying: "The Hall of Fame? You serious? They're so gone."
The Associated Press contributed to this report
