Thank you Kobe.

It was just another Monday morning (Singapore Time) or so I thought. I woke up to multiple notifications on my phone. Not just from Bleacher Reporter, NBA official APP, Twitter, Facebook, Whatsapp but almost every other possible app I have installed. The news of the retirement of THE Kobe Bryant. The news hit us almost like a death of a super star. (nah, still alive.)

It's one of those things that we see it coming sooner or later with his final year contract up with the Lakers and also how his performance was like for the past few games, but yet it ain't all that easy to accept it from the Mamba himself. As a Lakers fan and a Kobe fan we were disgusted by the performance from an individual as well as from the team. This is how it is, we don't discount Kobe's for his contribution to the NBA as well as to the Purple and Gold for the good twenty years but neither can we be delusion and say that he is still at his peak. All said and done, it is sad to see him go down that road.

It's almost like deja vu like how we saw Olajuwan struggled at Raptors, Ewing at Magic or even Malone at the Lakers. Nobody wants to remember the downfall of their favourite superstar. Just like how I never really register Penny Hardaway's stay at Heat or Phoenix. It is painful to see your favorite players being bullied by the lesser players. It sucks.

Kobe will always be Kobe. Kobe is not just a player to us. Kobe is a spirit. A fighting spirit, a never say died attitude.

We said things. No doubt. Even as fans I've said things. I hope he be the bigger player who can adapt his play to make the team better and not play as selfish as he was doing. But that is Kobe. The alpha dog spirit. How he will always put responsibility on him to make things better when the team is down. However, you can't beat mother time. You can't just turn the clock back just like that right?

Regardless how bad these last few seasons had been, Kobe will always be Kobe. He will be someone we will remember for a long time. (P.S. Yup, he didn't beat Jordan's 6 rings or overtake the scoring title from Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Almost 6,000 points shy. 

Thank You Kobe. Thank you for everything. Thank you for all those adrenaline you given us in front of the TV. Your legacy will be forever. 

Here one from my brud, @mambadt! 

I will leave you guys here with Kobe's announcement which could be found on The players' tribune.


Dear Basketball,

From the moment
I started rolling my dad’s tube socks
And shooting imaginary
Game-winning shots
In the Great Western Forum
I knew one thing was real:
I fell in love with you.

A love so deep
I gave you my all —
From my mind & body
To my spirit & soul.

As a six-year-old boy
Deeply in love with you
I never saw the end of the tunnel.
I only saw myself
Running out of one.

And so I ran.
I ran up and down every court
After every loose ball for you.
You asked for my hustle
I gave you my heart
Because it came with so much more.

I played through the sweat and hurt
Not because challenge called me
But because YOU called me.
I did everything for YOU
Because that’s what you do
When someone makes you feel as
Alive as you’ve made me feel.

You gave a six-year-old boy his Laker dream
And I’ll always love you for it.
But I can’t love you obsessively for much longer.
This season is all I have left to give.
My heart can take the pounding
My mind can handle the grind
But my body knows it’s time to say goodbye.

And that’s OK.
I’m ready to let you go.
I want you to know now
So we both can savor every moment we have left together.
The good and the bad.
We have given each other
All that we have. 

And we both know, no matter what I do next
I’ll always be that kid
With the rolled up socks
Garbage can in the corner:05 seconds on the clock
Ball in my hands.
5 … 4 … 3 … 2 … 1

Love you always,
Kobe

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Winning in Life

Because winning makes me happy.  Like this happy.

I must admit I am one of the most competitive guys around. I hate to lose and besides hating to lose I don't handle losing well. Like some people can just let it slide but not me. It will surface in my head over and over again. For somethings, not all. There are things that I know I'm not as good and losing is okay but there are somethings that I just cannot.

Like for example if you have never played a card game before but you beat me to it in your 1st try.

I used to be pissed off losing on the Mahjong table but life goes on and I must admit things like gambling is really 15% Skill and 85% luck. being more experienced or knowing the game better doesn't really help.

That is also why I hate myself when I am into something. Because I cannot accept or forgive myself when I put in effort and I don't do well. Probably also the reason why I don't really study so at least I have a safety net to tell myself "it is because i didn't try hard enough". #FailedLogic

Losing in games and sports aside, what makes one win in life is more important. I know you might probably tell me things like life ain't a competition and when it is not, what's there to win? How is it not a competition? Even if you don't aim to beat others you must always aim to top yourself. every year.

Me 2010 Me 2011 Me 2012 Me 2013 Me 2014

Like how I look back at each year. I always ensure that I moved on in life. Improving and doing something better and crazier. I think being competitive did make me more driven in many things. I look at someone I know 5 years ago and where he have gotten in this 5 years and I will ask myself where am I. Did we both make progress? Is this progress the "industry standard"?

Did I even grow old besides growing fat?

It is not always about driving a bigger car or earning more money. I guess this is the mistake we always make in a judgement call when it comes to competition. Like pointed out in the Book "David and Goliath" by Malcom Gladwell. Very often when we placed two singles together and try to forecast who will win a fight, we will just take it that Goliath will win since he is bigger but we forget that being bigger is not everything in a fight. Skill, Speed, Luck and many other things play a big part.  I guess we have to set our KPI right.

If your goal is to have kids and happy family and all I want is to sleep with the most numbers of girls in Singapore with D cups and above, this two things just does live in the same silo and you get what I mean. So how does one win in life when happiness can't be quantified?

I guess for me is really about being in control with your own life. Doing the things you like, having time for your love one, earning enough to not worry about bread on the table, control your hours, having enough time for anything yourself and also others. Achieving what you wish to in balance. You don't want to be the richest man but lonely. You do not want to have friends around you but no money in your pocket (which is impossible in reality because you know how many friends will leave you once you have nothing for them to gain)

Nobody stays a winner forever which also means you could be the next. It is okay to fail but you can never be afraid of it because sometimes you just have to take the leap of faith in order to succeed.

Sometimes we have to be happy with what we have but sometimes we just have to do what it takes to make us happy.

Kobe is probably the most competitive person you see on the court these days. Because he worked hard and winning means a lot to this man. Sometimes I just can't stand NBA players who lost the games and all smiles. Yes Dwight, you.

Ok, enough of wasting time in the office or on the toilet bowl reading this crap. Get back to work and go out there and win it tiger.

TL;DR Version 

Topic: Winning In Life
Morale Of Story: None
Author's Note: Thank you for reading.
*All Images of Kobe doesn't not belongs to me. As Found on Google Images.

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17 years ago today...

17 yrs ago today, a man was drafted. A legend was born. He might not be "the one" but he sure got more than just 1. In fact, he got 5. 

Kobe Bryant. 

Originally drafted by Hornets. 13th Pick.

Have you ever wondered if Kobe will still be the Kobe today if Hornets haven't sent him away? Would he have that much attention? That much space to be groomed? Played with great player like Shaq? Coached by Zen? 

All this pointless what-ifs. But it's interesting to think about no? 

And also...

I haven't been blogging about NBA actually. So just an update. Miami won the ring again. yuck. 

Mr.Smith, Lakers 2014!

 

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Got Broom? Lakers 2013.

I don't think it's a surprise for anyone if you have been following the NBA. Lakers got swept. 

That's an image I made for Lakers being sweep during 2011, didn't imagine that I will be using it again so damn quickly. 

The season started with the good news of having Howard, Nash and the Lakers believe that it is going to be a great year. Someone even believe that we can go for Bulls 72-10 best record and make a 73-9. Really? 

It has been a bad, bad season for the Lakers. With Kobe out, Nash, Blake, Meeks all out. So basically we were left with nothing but a D League team. 

You know shit is has got serious when your D league call back at season end is the top scorer. 

How did we end up like this? We have got everything? And we have got Howard! He ain't injured, so what happened? He got ejected because he was so frustrated. 

Is it me or is this whole big man ejected thing too familiar? 

Despite the injuries, Kobe Bryant was at the Staple with his broom for the team. 

If you are sharp enough, you will notice it is the same broom.

And some of my favorite tweets during the game:

Really, I feel like Kobe sacrifice his body for nothing. To set the record straight, I am not a hater. I am a fan. A very frustrated Lakers fan, a very frustrated Kobe fan, especially with all those talks about not appreciating Kobe when they won some games without Kobe.

Let's set 2014 right:

- Kobe Bryant's Health

- A Better Bench

- Keep Howard (Not like I like him but at least we don't want him to walk away for nothing.)

- Healthy Nash

- FIRE MIKE D

And a very funny comment about what should be done with drama Howard:

"It would be cool if all teams colluded to not sign Dwight, until the Bobcats offered him a 10 day contract, at the end of which they would offer him a spot in a D-league team Couldn't happen to a more deserving guy."

As for now, let's go fishing. 

Mr.Smith, me ain't no band wagon fan. Bleed purple and gold. Let's keep going! 

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Kobe VS Shaq

 The reason why the dynasty were over for these two guys - comparison and ego.  Regardless of how much they love or hate each other back than or now, Shaq's career as a player is way over and he got his Lakers Jersey hang and Kobe is pretty much very injured as of now. So it could be or could not be the end of his career with the Lakers as well.

Take a look at these two recent inforgraphics done by Lakers.com recently.

Mr.Smith, bleed gold and purple.

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NBA Regular Season 12/13

 So our NBA regular season 2012/2013 is now officially over. In hind sight,

1. Our highly anticipated Lakers did not get their 73-9 record like our Artest MWP predicted.

2. Wolves with a decent start did not get into the playoffs and Love was out most of the season. 

3. Bynum did not play the whole season and had a ridiculous hair.

4. Despite Rondo's injury, Celtics got into the Playoffs with the oldies.

5. Wizards had a pretty good season (as compared to their previous seasons) since the return of wall

6. Portland got a good draft - Damian Lillard but still did not make it to the playoffs.

7. Dallas Shave-only-above-500 "movement" was pretty interesting.

8. Kobe's injury is still one of the most scary moment for the season.

9. Derrick Rose is still not back.

10. Fine, Miami got a really good season of 66-16 and a 27 games streak.

 Anyway here are some of the interesting numbers off the regular season report book.

Regardless of how badly Lakers did this season, I am saying this: 
Talking about purple and gold and how Kobe sacrifice his body for this season. Look what I found online. An artwork by Jerrell Conner:

Can you name all these Lakers Legend?

GO LAKERS!

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Lakers 7th seed in playoffs

WE ARE GOING TO THE PLAYOFF BABIES!!

I don't care what the media or Mike D is saying about how the team feels new or better without Kobe but I just want Lakers as a team to go deeper into the playoffs.

Haters gonna hate and I don't see a need for me to fend off. We all know Kobe did his part in bringing the team forward and even sacrificing his own body and that's results. Until Howard gets 5 rings for the team, Howard is just Howard and Kobe is still the 1 of the greatest Lakers ever.




Mr.Smith, GO LAKERS! Beat the shit out of Spurs! For Kobe!

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Pray For Kobe. And follow him on Instagram.

Los Angeles - The night that every heart stopped for a sec. A night not to be forgotten by any LA fan. A night that every LA fan's heart crushed.

At a time that Lakers needed him the most. Kobe Bryant got himself injured.

2013 WAS suppose to be the year of LA Lakers when they made not 1 but 2 big trades over the off season acquiring two of the best player in their position - Steve Nash and Dwight Howard. Metta World Peace even predicted that they will not just a good season but a season that will go down the books beating Chicago Bull's record of 72 - 10. And it did not happen.

Not only were the team fighting against injuries through the whole season, they were fighting against their very own coach who is very much a potato.

He refuses to change his game for the players, he let Kobe does what he wants, basically he is fucking not doing his job. It is because of his lack of leadership and solution, Kobe has to play 47,48 mins per game just to bring the team to playoffs. I'm saying it, it is his fault that Kobe over played and the fatigue got him.

Some people comment that Kobe is selfish. Kobe is childish. He wants the fame and glory and he is not sharing the duty. He is doing the "Kobe" is the hero thing. In fact just 1 game ago, his teammates were not too happy with him.

"Because, I think it's spectacular and it's very impressive and it's remarkable to be able to play 48 minutes and score 47 points. That's incredible. On the other hand, I'm a player that likes to see a little bit more ball movement and better balance. I've always been [like that]. That's just how I perceive this game. " - Pau Gasol. (Read full article here.)

In Kobe's defense, I do agree with what Pau has mentioned. Ball movement, team play is always important. But the question is - Are you guys finishing it? Are you guys doing what you guys are paid to do? I am 35, why am i sacrificing my body and risk it and play 48mins per game? I would like to be a starter, play 24mins per game and score a good double digit 15-18 points and throw a few dimes. Sit on the bench and smile and have a trip to finals and get my 6th ring. Am I getting this luxury? No. It is when shit like this happens, as a leader, as a person who want's the win, I have to step up my game and take the responsibility all by myself. This is professionalism. Do I have All-star caliber teammates? Yes. Are they playing like All-star players? No. Do I have a good coach? I had a good coach. (And I don't mean Mike Brown.) 

The man himself is angry, this is from Kobe's facebook.

"This is such BS! All the training and sacrifice just flew out the window with one step that I've done millions of times! The frustration is unbearable. The anger is rage. Why the hell did this happen ?!? Makes no damn sense. Now I'm supposed to come back from this and be the same player Or better at 35?!? How in the world am I supposed to do that?? 
I have NO CLUE. Do I have the consistent will to overcome this thing? Maybe I should break out the rocking chair and reminisce on the career that
was. Maybe this is how my book
ends. Maybe Father Time has defeated me...Then again maybe not! It's 3:30am, my foot feels like dead weight, my head is spinning from the pain meds and I'm wide awake. Forgive my Venting but what's the purpose of social media if I won't bring it to you Real No Image?? Feels good to vent, let it out. To feel as if THIS is the WORST thing EVER! Because After ALL the venting, a real perspective sets in. There are far greater issues/challenges in the world then a torn achilles. Stop feeling sorry for yourself, find the silver lining and get to work with the same belief, same drive and same conviction as ever.
One day, the beginning of a new career journey will commence. Today is NOT that day.
"If you see me in a fight with a bear, prey for the bear". Ive always loved that quote. Thats "mamba mentality" we don't quit, we don't cower, we don't run. We endure and conquer.
I know it's a long post but I'm Facebook Venting LOL. Maybe now I can actually get some sleep and be excited for surgery tomorrow. First step of a new challenge.
Guess I will be Coach Vino the rest of this season. I have faith in my teammates. They will come thru.
Thank you for all your prayers and support. Much Love Always.
Mamba Out"

Injuries is one of the greatest fear of sportsmen, even for people like us, non professional basketballer. Knowing that we can't run on court, knowing that we are not going to score that basket anyhow kills us. Every single bit of us. What more, he is currently(slightly more than 30hrs ago.) the best player on earth in the league. 

So now with Kobe off the court. Can the Lakers get into the playoffs with the last few important games left? Can they go into 2nd stage or even WCF? Why not? If the rest of the players are who they think they are and have the motivation to play better because their leader has sacrificed his body for everyone of them. They should. Think about it, these guys were franchise players of their teams before joining Lakers and they were all in the playoffs and now it's not one but 3 franchise players. 

Super Baby.

Canada Biggest Pride in NBA.

Sheldon Cooper. 

Anyway, there is nothing much more we could do other than just pray for him and of course follow him on instagram and twitter. This man just started his instagram in less than 24hrs and he has like 250,000 followers with his only 2 pictures. 

#PrayForKobe.

Hope to see my man Kobe back on the court and health again. 

*None of the images belows to me. All images found online, facebook from unknown source.

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Picture of the moment

From nba.com/Lakers

Thank you Lakers for the win. It's going to be a good weekend. (And I am still laughing at Pau Gasol's 3 point)

It's going to be better if Spurs is going to lose their game tomorrow

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2010 WORLD CHAMPION - LA LAKERS !

Yeah Baby !

This has gonna be one of the best NBA Finals ever in the last 10 years !

The classic rival of the 2 NBA biggest team. The LA Lakers and the Boston Celtics.

It has come so far to a dramatic Game 7 !

And the sweeet revenge of '08s lost and humiliation which can never be written off, a 39points lost at TD Gardens.

And YES BABY !! Lakers took it home !

I can watch this video like a million times baby !!



And this is the MVP !! Kooooooooobe Bryant ~







Pictures from NBA.com

And now let's look forward to 2011 and a Three-peat !

"one more than Shaq. He can take that to the bank."

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Kobe Bryant den Mambo AGAIN

Thanks to Bryant... I get to go...





oh.. no.. Kobe didnt give me the tickets.. my friend bryant did..



That's me and him.. a little gay.. but i'm cool...

hahaha..

we were like super late.. waited for bus.. bus didn't come and when it came it was like full and we decide to take cab and cab also jam.. so we miss the 1st part of the game .. but lucky.. kobe weren't part of the 1st part..

Kobe was fantastic..he's really humorous.. he was there like giving tips and clinic on improving game play and basic skill...he taught the guys the "zhai ma bu" - horse stand looking thing for defence and he said something like " u dun give up..when u feel like giving up.. beat urself.. feel the pain.. i do that to myself and think about boston celtics at finals to make me feel the pain "

and Bryant was really patient in getting me to take picture.. i was half hearted as the place was really crowded.. so we tried..


FAIL...


FAIL AGAIN !!



Finally better..

and yes.. that's all !



And Jon and keong was so happen round the corner and jon was really nice to pick us up.. and then MAMBO WE GO !! AGAIN !!!

I felt really bad abt dumdum.. cause i actually was pretty half hearted abt yesterday.. cause i am suppose to have a meeting this morning so i didnt really want to go ? but i big mouth already told kath,maria,liz and keong COME COME ON ON !! so SLMSS and dun wanna fly kite AGAIN.. i decide to go.. but i told dum dum i dun think i going at 1st.. so ended up dum dum didnt get to go lor.. = P

It was not too bad a nite.. the music was okay.. Maria losing like forever in her 5-10 games against me.. and she was really high.. meet new friend Claire.. cool stuff.. Claire and Kath can really dance in phuture.. shake until the hip like wanna detach sia..But Claire looks quite sad the whole time.. and i wonder why she so blue.. didi lim and lim alone...

Total booze count is like 4 jar of vodka red bull, 1 bucket of beer, 9 tequila shots,2 glass of vodka red bull, 1 ribena ... quite little actually...hahaha

boobs,ass,tummy,fats,sweat rubbing in phuture was crazy.. not the most enjoyable.. but it was all fun.. and mambo was pretty cool.. very early got good sound liao.. and keong's eye candy was around !

other then claire i meet vincent.. kath's friend.. not in the best situation sia.. when we were about to call it a day, vincent called kath for SOS and when they get there they got a pretty girl down.. really down as in gone..when i saw her she was like dun even know wat happen..

so come rescue team and during all the rescue mission most poorthing still the charbor.. dun even know what happen.. kenna carry out when everyone looking at her and zao geng summore.. always see pple like that but this time really happen around me sia !

so ladies.. wanna drink.. drink with pple u know better.. dun force it down and totally KO urself.. frankly speaking i felt last nite if the guys wanted to do anything everything could have happen.. the gang was 4 guys and 1 girl man..

i dunno how those guys so un-gentlemen man.. force the drink down the gers throat de lor.. tsk tsk..

but i am like those born drama mama lah.. i see this kinda drama i like damm happy.. = X

i am so addicted to clubbing with keong and his gang sia. so funnnn.. but sexpensive and tiring.. always hit thursday must slp like mad or sunday slp 15hrs type...

AHHH!!!! cannot cannot....

Mr.Smith, siao liao lah !

"我就是我行我素　我沒有風度　我只有態度　你說我太酷"

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