Unfortunately, we are stuck with the Loser Cannons up here in Los Angeles. Count your blessings in San Diego.

If you’re Kobe though, I think it would be a smart thing to do; he’s not exactly a media darling, and this could really endear him to the media and the fans. You’re also right that Gil’s more the exception than the rule, but I can also remember both Curt Schilling and Mike Lowell taking less money this offseason to stick with the Red Sox coming off their World Series title. And as Gene pointed out, Brady restructured his contract for Moss, and Moss also took less money than he was offered elsewhere to remain with New England, so there are players out there who will do it.

Kobe is, and has always been a “me firster”. He’s the guy who almost cost the Lakers a playoff series by only taking one shot in the second half against Sacramento. MJ would have never behaved like that. Kobe also took 26 shots against Denver earlier in the series on a night when he was very cold (9-26) and Gasol and Odom were very hot. Other superstars would have deferred under those conditions, but not Kobe.

Here, he had a chance to at least pay lip service to being a “team player”, and he couldn’t even bring himself to say the right thing. Remember, he does have a certain responsibility to the fans who support him and pay the big bucks so that he can live like a king. Athletes in other sports seem to “get it”. For instance, Tom Brady restructured his deal so that the Patriots could keep Randy Moss.

I agree with SpinMax that Shaq is another guy who is a “me first” player. I can still remember him, during that exhibition game in Hawaii, running down the court and yelling at Buss and Kupchak “pay me” after he made a dunk. That Laker dynasty ended because they were each more interested in money and interested whose team it was.

Kobe is the best player in the league from the neck down, but LeBron will get his stats and still pass the ball to an open teammate with the game on the line.

Kobe will also take the maximum and then cry about how the Lakers don’t have other good players around him. If his only responsibilty is to make money and play hard, then he should quit whining about not having good players around him. His contract, I believe, does not contain a “win” clause.

It’s hard for me to read anything advocating a player should seek to take a pay cut in order to help the team when more often than not, teams will do anything to a player that they can under a collective bargaining agreement to do the opposite for the player. Bryant’s skills and status have earned him his large contract and a no-trade clause.

Would it be magnanimous of him to say, “Yes, I would take a pay cut to keep the team together”? Totally, and it would be cool, too. But it’s not his place to, and more importantly, if he said so publicly, it takes a bargaining chip off the table. When the time comes to decide whether to opt out or not, he may be more than willing to play for less than his market value in L.A. so he can keep a good team together — but smart agents and star players never say that publicly.