Analysts and fans alike have engaged in the great debate of whether or not Kobe Bryant or LeBron James is the better player, but none of us are quite as qualified to weigh in as Larry Bird, one of the greatest basketball players of all time.

In a recent interview with ESPN, Bird was asked which player he would prefer to be on a team with, Kobe or LeBron–and Bird provided a surprisingly honest and detailed answer. Here’s what he had to say:

“Well, probably Kobe, because of the fact that … well, of course he wouldn’t have been shooting as much as he does now … but his desire to win, his dedication, to always get better, uh, and he’s just, he’s just tough. He’s just a tough cat.

“But, if you want to have fun, like I did with Bill Walton, play with LeBron. It would have probably been more fun to play with LeBron, but if you want to win and win and win, it’s Kobe. Not that LeBron’s not a winner, just that (Bryant’s) mindset is to go into every practice, every game, to get better.”

So, there you have it. If you want to win, you go with Kobe. If you want to have fun and, well, maybe win, you go with LeBron.

Do you agree with Larry Bird?

Larry Bird would team with Kobe to win, LeBron for fun is a post from: The Inquisitr

If producers of the reality TV show Basketball Wives have their way Vanessa Bryant will soon be appearing on their series. According to a VH1 source the shows producers are attempting to put together an offer she simply can’t refuse.

According to sources if she’s not a regular on the show she’ll at least be a “recurring character” that joins the storyline.

One source tells TMZ:

“Vanessa has more than enough storyline and would bring the show to another level.”

The timing of the deal arrives after it was discovered that Vanessa Bryant bagged at least $75 million in her divorce settlement along with three homes in Newport Beach, California that are said to be worth a combined $18.8 million.

People close to the production say the shows creators have wanted Vanessa Bryant on the show all along but didn’t believe she would be receptive to the idea.

Following the couples divorce Vanessa recently acknowledged that Kobe Bryant has slept with at least 105 women.

Considerations were also recently made because Basketball Wives is now one of the highest rated shows on VH1 which has afforded producers with more money to offer Vanessa Bryant.

If she accepts the deal the former wife of Kobe Bryant would immediately become the star of the Los Angeles scene for the show.

Would you be more likely to tune in for an episode of Basketball Wives if Vanessa Bryant was part of the hoopla? Or would you rather skip the series entirely and watch an NBA game starring Kobe Bryant?

Vanessa Bryant Being Sought Out For VH1 “Basketball Wives” Series Role is a post from: The Inquisitr

Kobe Bryant has lost big in his divorce settlement against ex-wife Vanessa Bryant. According to reports she has not only walked away with half of the couple’s $150 million fortune, she also took a significant amount of property in the finalized divorce.

Celebrity site TMZ is reporting that Vanessa has been awarded all three of the couple’s properties in Newport Beach. Those properties include the home Vanessa currently lives in, the home of her mother and the new estate that was under construction for two years and just finished being built.

According to reports the deal has already been signed, sealed and delivered, giving Vanessa sole control of the former couple’s three Newport Beach properties.

Original reports said Kobe Bryant would move into the new home but in the end Vanessa and her claims that Kobe Bryant cheated on her with 105 women won out in court leading to the forfeiture of all three homes.

Do you think Vanessa Bryant deserves all of the couple’s properties given what Kobe Bryant put her through in the last several years?

Kobe Bryant’s Wife Wins Three Homes In Divorce Settlement is a post from: The Inquisitr

Michael Jordan’s retirement from the National Basketball Association (NBA) left a huge void that pundits, analysts and just about everyone else has tried to fill with comparisons to the greatest basketball player of all time. We hear it all the time “LeBron James is the next Michael Jordan” or “Vince Carter is the next Michael Jordan.” When all is said and done however MJ believes only one person deserves that title and it’s LeBron James.

Jordan book writer Roland Lazenby tweeted on Sunday:

Kobe’s ultimate competition is MJ. That’s why MJ watches him. MJ made people think what he was doing wasn’t human. Ditto the Kobester.

I never said Kobe was better than MJ. MJ just told me Kobe’s the only one to have done the work, to deserve comparison.

The comparison to Kobe Bryant in many ways makes sense, after all both men have the same type of work ethic, putting in long hours when others have quit for the day, studying the game and understanding their opponents. Kobe Bryant has also shown very few signs of slowing down which could mean a long career much like Michael Jordan but hopefully without the various retirements to mare an otherwise impressive career.

It’s still to call anyone the “next Jordan” but regardless of stats, years played, respect earned by players, coaches, reports and fans there is obviously only one Michael Jordan. Gaining Jordan’s respect on the other hand, regardless of how great your career ends up being has to be a huge honor, even for someone as arrogant as Kobe Bryant.

Would you agree that Kobe Bryant is the closest comparison to Michael Jordan we’ve had since his retirement?

Michael Jordan Says Only One Player Deserves To Be Compared To Him is a post from: The Inquisitr

Kobe underwent the therapy in order to recover form a knee injury and he credits the therapy with giving him the ability to stay on the court.

Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman told Yankees.com “Kobe had maintained, according to Alex, that he felt significantly better because of it.  Alex was interested in pursuing it as long as the Yankees’ medical staff was comfortable with it and vetted the process. He basically asked us to look into it.”

Major League Baseball had to also be consulted because the process involves blood treatments and Rodriguez (who has admitted steroid use in the past) didn’t want to be accused of cheating.

Orthokine Therapy is a process in which blood is taken from the patient’s arm vein and having it spun in a centrifuge to isolate protective proteins. That solution is then injected into the area to be treated once or twice a week.

Rodriguez had one of the worst seasons in his career last year, batting .276 with 16 home runs and 62 RBIs in 99 games. Rodriguez missed 38 games after being placed on the disabled list in July to undergo arthroscopic knee surgery.

Rodriguez was seen by Dr. Peter Wehling to undergo the procedure during a Dec. 5-9in Dusseldorf, Germany.  The procedure is also practiced in the United States, but after a thorough investigation the team and Rodriguez felt more comfortable with Dr Wehling.

What do you think about Alex Rodriguez getting this treatment?  Will it bring him back to form in 2012 or is he just getting old?

Alex Rodriguez Undergoes Experimental Knee Treatment is a post from: The Inquisitr

Kobe Bryant hasn’t been 100% so far this season. The Lakers star tore a ligament in his wrist during the first preseason game and has refused to rest the injury.

Now that the Lakers are 2-0, some critics are saying that its time for Kobe to take a seat on the bench. But it isn’t because of poor performance. Kobe is still the best player on the Lakers and leads the team in scoring, but with a jam packed schedule Kobe is giving his wrist little time to heal.

Coach Mike Brown said:

“It’s tough to monitor him because he doesn’t complain about anything. I’ve been around him a short amount of time and he hasn’t complained about one thing. I’m trying to watch him to make sure he doesn’t overdo it because I know he won’t watch himself. Mentally and physically, he is about as tough as they come.”

According to CBS, Bryant has only missed 16 regular season games in the last six seasons. And if it’s up to Bryant, he’ll continue to play with his injured wrist.

Bryant told Yahoo Sports:

“There are no excuses. You got to be smart about it. You can’t make it worse, but you got to go out there and play. This is painful and so forth. But it’s not going to be worse. You might as well suck it up and go out and perform.”

The Lakers play the Utah Jazz tonight and Kobe is scheduled to start. Do you think Brown should bench Kobe for a few games to allow his star to recuperate?

Kobe Bryant Playing in Constant Pain is a post from: The Inquisitr

Kobe Bryant’s wife Vanessa says she “very recently” caught her soon-to-be ex-husband cheating on her, leading to her divorce filing.

Sources also told TMZ that Kobe was caught by Vanessa with “multiple women” over the years they have been together with the most recent tryst leading to her decision to finally call it quits.

People close to Vanessa say she’s still madly in love with Kobe but simply won’t put up with his infidelities any longer.

News of the multiple trysts come at a time shortly after Kobe managed to rebuild trust from his sponsors following his 2003 rape case in which a Colorado hotel worker said Kobe had his way with her.

Ironically it’s believed that the Los Angeles Lakers loss to the Dallas Maverick in the Western Conference Semifinals last year was in large part created when the Kobe and Vanessa circulated gossip that players on the team were having affairs of their own, rumors that caused a rift in the locker room.

The saying “once a cheater always a cheater” comes to mind. I had long believed that it wasn’t “if” I would write this post but simply a matter of “when.”

Are you surprised that Kobe Bryant is allegedly the Tiger Woods of the NBA?

[Image via Domenic Gareri / Shutterstock.com]

Kobe Bryant Is A Serial Cheater Says Wife Vanessa is a post from: The Inquisitr

Vanessa Bryant has filed for divorce from LA Lakers star Kobe Bryant. Vanessa cited “irreconcilable differences” when she stated her intention to end her 10-year marriage with Bryant.

According to the LA Times, Kobe and Vanessa have ”resolved all the issues” related to their divorce in private. The divorce will be finalized in the new year. A representative for the couple released a statement, saying:

“The Bryants have resolved all issues incident to their divorce privately with the assistance of counsel and a Judgment dissolving their marital status will be entered in 2012.”

Kobe and Vanessa also released a statement asking for privacy over the holidays. The statement reads:

“We ask that in the interest of our young children and in light of the upcoming holiday season the public respect our privacy during this most difficult time.”

MSNBC reports that Kobe and Vanessa have two daughters. One 8-year-old and one 5-year-old.

Kobe and Vanessa’s marriage was strained back in 2003 when Kobe was accused of sexual assault. Kobe denied the assault but admitted that he had cheated on his wife.

At the time, Kobe said:

“You’re my backbone. I’m so sorry I put you through this and having to put our family through this.”

Are you surprised Vanessa Bryant’s and Kobe Bryant’s marriage lasted 10-years?

Vanessa Bryant Cites “Irreconcilable Differences,” Files For Divorce From Kobe Bryant is a post from: The Inquisitr

With $6.7 million offered for one season with Italian team Virtus Bologna Kobe Bryant has revealed that playing for the team is “very possible” as players in the NBA continue to negotiate their contracts while fighting a league mandated lockout.

Part of Bryant’s childhood was in Italy when his father played in the European basketball league and Kobe recently told Gazzetta Dello Sport:

“It’s very possible. It would be a dream for me,” while adding, “There’s an opportunity that we’ve been discussing over the last few days. It’s very possible and that’s good news for me.”

While Bryant has been offered $6.7 million for a full season he has recently received another offer of $2.5 million for 10 days that would occur over 40 days from Oct. 9 through Nov. 16. If Kobe accepts the deal he would receive $1.5 million per game after taxes.

The contract is also generous in terms of returning to the Lakers, should the NBA lockout end before his contract runs it’s course Kobe Bryant will be free to return to his NBA team at no expense to himself.

Speaking further about his time in Italy Bryant told the Gazzetta:

“Italy is my home. It’s where my dream of playing in the NBA started. This is where I learned the fundamentals, learned to shoot, to pass and to (move) without the ball…All things that when I came back to America the players my age didn’t know how to do because they were only thinking about jumping and dunking.”

Regular play in the NBA is slated for late October however players and owners have not been able to strike a new labor deal at this time, instead choosing to fight over revenue, the salary cap structure and the available length for guaranteed contracts.

At this time training camps and 43 preseason games have already been cancelled.

The last time Virtus Bologna won a national title was 2001, the 15th such championship for the country.

Do you think Kobe Bryant would dominate on the European basketball circuit?

Kobe Bryant Says Playing For Italy Is “Very Possible” is a post from: The Inquisitr

With the NBA lockout in full swing Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant might not be out a job even if the next NBA season is cancelled. According to reports Italian team Virtus Bologna has offers the NBA star a one-season $6.7 million contract.

Kobe’s own dad played in Italy for part of his career and Bryant spent his youth in the country, adding a bit of sentimentality to the offer.

According to Virtus Bologna general manager Massimo Faraoni he has been speaking to Bryant’s agent Rob Pelinka about the possibility of a Kobe Bryant led Italian team.

If Bryant doesn’t agree to a one year deal the team has also laid out two-month and even one-month contract options that would pay Bryant $739,640 per home game.

The team says the money is pretax and the contract would give Bryant the option to immediately return to the Lakers when the lockout ends.

The offer isn’t the first for Bryant outside of the NBA, China has also expressed interest as has Turkish club Besiktas.

With the lockout in full swing NBA players across the league have already expressed interest and some have even promised to take jobs outside of the NBA.

According to ESPN:

Nuggets free agents Wilson Chandler and J.R. Smith plan to play in China; Denver’s Ty Lawson will play in Lithuania; and New Jersey Nets All-Star Deron Williams signed with Besiktas.

The ploy could be a big draw for Virtus who has won 15 Italia league titles but none since 2001.

Would you find a way to watch Kobe Bryant play if it was in a league other than the NBA?

Kobe Bryant Offered $6.7 Million For One-Season Contract In Italy is a post from: The Inquisitr

Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant is back in the media, once again for a negative reason. According to reports the b-baller attacked a man while attending church.

According to KTLA Bryant was attending services at San Diego’s St. Therese of Carmel on Sunday when the man began taking pictures of Kobe and his wife Venessa using his cellphone. The picture taker says Bryant decided he didn’t want his photo to be taken and proceeded to grab the victims phone, hurting the man’s wrist in the process.

The injured party says Kobe looked through the phone and when he realized the man had not managed to snap any photos of him or his wife, he gave the phone back as if nothing had just happened.

A local hospital treated the man for a minor wrist injury and he went home a short time after arriving.

According to the Los Angeles Times Kobe Bryant was questioned, as were parishioners who witnessed the alleged battery.

If the story is true it won’t be good for Kobe’s image which has already been tainted after rape charges were pressed against Bryant in 2003 when then 19-year-old hotel employee Katelyn Faber accused the basketball star of rape in Eagle, Colorado, that case was dropped when Faber eventually refused to testify. Bryant did admit to the affair but denied wrongdoing.

Bryant also recently paid $100,000 for using a homophobic slur during an official NBA game.

No official statements from Kobe Bryant or his reps about the incident have been announced at this time. Can everyone say settlement, because that’s where this one is likely heading in the coming months.

Kobe Bryant Allegedly Attacks Man At Church is a post from: The Inquisitr

After receiving a technical foul in last nights Lakers vs. Spurs game Kobe Bryant sat down on his teams bench and was caught on camera using a homophobic slur. Watching the video viewers soon realized that Kobe said “F*cking F*ggot.”

The video quickly went viral and the NBA fined Bryant $100,000 for his actions, while the NBA’s biggest star apologize for his actions after they went public, stating:

“What I said last night should not be taken literally,” and “My actions were out of frustration during the heat of the game, period. The words expressed do NOT reflect my feelings towards the gay and lesbian communities and were NOT meant to offend anyone.”

The slur occurred in the 3rd quarter of the game and was directed at referee Bennie Adams who gave Bryant the technical foul.

Here’s the video of Bryant using the homophobic slur:

After the game The Human Rights Campaign, an organization that supported lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender civil rights condemned Kobe’s action:

“Hopefully Mr. Bryant will recognize that as a person with such fame and influence, the use of such language not only offends millions of LGBT people around the world, but also perpetuates a culture of discrimination and hate that all of us, most notably Mr. Bryant, should be working to eradicate.”

Kobe Bryant Uses Homophobic Slur, Gets Fined $100,000 [Video] is a post from: The Inquisitr

As the Inquisitr speculated yesterday, the LA Lakers have let Trevor Ariza go and signed Ron Artest from the Houston Rockets to replace him as their small forward. It’s good to get one right!Ariza rejected the Lakers’ basement price bid for his services in the 2010 NBA season, which allowed the Rockets and Lakers to swap players as Houston had not been pursuing Artest for a new contract, according to the Houston Chronicle.

While Ariza will be getting a pay rise at Houston, Artest is reported to be cutting his wages in attempt to chase a title ring to below that of Ariza. Ariza’s new Rockets team mate Yao Ming won’t be back until half way through the 2010 season after surgery on a stress fracture in his left foot.

Time will tell whether the trio of Kobe Bryany, Pau Gasol and Artest will look as formidable as the Celtics tirumvirate of Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen did during 2006. It certainly seems that all the big-name talent is congregating in a few NBA teams.

Confirmed: Artest in, Ariza out for LA Lakers is a post from: The Inquisitr

The Los Angeles Lakers have continued their rivalry with the Cleveland Cavaliers off the court in the NBA off-season, with 2009 ring-winner Trevor Ariza on the way out of LA, maybe to Cleveland, and Ron Artest possibly the subject of a tug-of-war between the two franchises as he leaves the Houston Rockets.

Ariza, who averaged 11.3 points and 4.2 rebounds and shot 50% from three-point range in the 2009 NBA playoffs, is reported to be unhappy with the base-level deal the Lakers are offering him as a free agent. While the Portland Trailblazers and Toronto Raptors are the only two NBA teams who are in a position to offer him more, Ariza is reported to be so annoyed with the Lakers that he would be willing to switch teams for the same money, with Cleveland itself one team that has showed interest in him.

Meanwhile, the Rockets’ Artest was reported to have met with Cavaliers star LeBron James at the BET Awards recently, fueling the Cavs’ interest in Artest to shore up their defensive weaknesses that saw them bundled out before reaching the 2009 finals against the Lakers. Houston TV is reporting that Houston is only offering Artest a one-year deal and Artest’s agent has confirmed that his player would talk with James or LA’s Kobe Bryant if approached.

Could we see a new trio of stars at either the Cavs or Lakers, like the Boston Celtics had in 2008 for their championship?

Trevor Ariza out, Ron Artest in for LA Lakers? is a post from: The Inquisitr