Scot Pollard respects Kobe Bryant as a basketball player, but he feels the future Hall of Famer has some weaknesses. He also clearly is not the biggest Kobe fan.
Pollard, who played 11 seasons in the NBA from 1997-2008, was a guest with Tiki Barber and Brandon Tierney on CBS Sports Radio Tuesday and was not shy in sharing his opinions of the Lakers star. Keep in mind that Pollard played for the Sacramento Kings when they were in a heated rivalry with the Lakers.
“Personally, I never really liked Kobe,” Pollard told “Tiki and Tierney” on CBS Sports Radio. “I didn’t like the way he carried himself, but I absolutely respect the way he played the game. If I was a GM, I absolutely want him on my team. I got to find the right guys that can play with him… I wouldn’t want to play with him. I think he made the team about him as opposed to making the team about winning.”
That’s a pretty harsh criticism and essentially Pollard calling Kobe self-centered, which wouldn’t be the first time the Lakers star received that accusation. But Pollard also explained where he thinks Kobe measures up short of Michael Jordan.
“I don’t think (Bryant) carries his team like Jordan carried his team and made everybody on his team better,” Pollard said. “Kobe didn’t have that effect on his teammates. Kobe needed Batman to his Superman. He needed another superhero to help him win. That’s the part about him that I don’t respect… I absolutely respect his game. I just didn’t want to be teammates with him.”
Don’t worry, Scot, we’re guessing Kobe wouldn’t have been dying to be your teammate either.
One point he is wrong about though is thinking that Jordan didn’t need another star. MJ had Scottie Pippen, who last time we checked was one of the 50 best players ever. He also had Toni Kukoc, Dennis Rodman, Horace Grant, Ron Harper and good role players like Steve Kerr and B.J. Armstrong. Nobody wins a title alone, not Kobe, and not MJ.
Now if you want to tell Kobe he’s selfish and ask for his response, well, then I direct you to this.
