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Lakers News: Smush Parker Responds to Kobe’s Comments

By | October 12, 2012|

Kobe Bryant recently bashed former teammate Smush Parker and others on the 2005-06 Los Angeles Lakers roster.

Bryant was the only star on that team and the supporting cast around him was frankly, quite laughable. Bryant had to share a backcourt with Smush Parker, a player who became irrelevant after he left the Lakers. Kobe questioned why the Lakers would ever bring Parker on the team and his comments towards him were pretty harsh.

Parker got news of Kobe’s public criticism and the former Lakers point guard went on Hard 2 Guard Internet radio and responded.

“You can’t knock the man’s legacy, you can’t knock what he’s done in basketball. His work ethic is tremendous. There’s not an ounce of hate in my blood whatsoever. The guy can play basketball — you’ve seen that throughout his career.

“What I don’t like about him is the man that he is. His personality. How he treats people. I don’t like that side of Kobe Bryant….

“The reason I wasn’t a Laker after my second year is because I didn’t bow down to [Kobe]. I didn’t kiss his a–. I wasn’t kissing his feet. Quite frankly, towards the end of the second season, I stopped passing him the ball. I stopped giving him the ball. I started looking him off.”

There is no doubt that Parker respects Kobe Bryant as a basketball player, but it appears that the admiration stops there. Parker surely learned a lot while playing with Bryant, but there were many times when the two clashed on the court.

Bryant is a very demanding teammate and it seems like Parker took exception to that. Parker may believe the Lakers didn’t bring him back for his response to Kobe, but there were probably several other reasons that kept Parker away from Los Angeles.

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About the author

Ramneet Singh

Ramneet is a senior writer for Lakers Nation and has been contributing his thoughts on the Lakers and the NBA since 2010. Follow Ramneet on Twitter @RamneetSingh24.

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  • Daniel_sarmiento22

    parker…c’mon MAN!! pass kobe the ball hes the best player at the time…no wonder why you dont hae any rings man

    • http://profiles.google.com/butcherchop Beto Aguirre

      Jordan is the best player of all time. 

      • Vagelis

         And so it begins!

      • http://www.facebook.com/johnnysnchz1 Johnny Sanchez

        jordan is so overrated, sure he won 3 in a row, retired came back and won another 3, what about after that last three, jordan wouldnt be who he was without pippen and rodman, kobe needed just shaq, and then just gasol

        • Tyson Adams

          Wrong… Pippen and Rodman wouldn’t be anything without Jordan. What happened when Scottie Pippen left the Bulls to do his own thing? They barely made the playoffs. Michael Jordan scored 52 points when he was 42 years old. You can’t honestly say that he’s overrated. However, I would compare Kobe and MJ much faster than I would compare LeBron and MJ. 

          • Zee

            stupid KOBE HATERS! .. kobe is kobe MJ is MJ .. nothing to compare to that! .. all we know their both best player in the history of NBA.

          • Panghel

            actually pippen when he was old as hell led the blazers to the western conference finals and happened to lose against the lakers. so your arguement is invalid.

          • Abc

             Hell He led the Bulls to the Eastern Conf Finals w/O MJ

          • JSlikk21

            where was MJ without Pippen?? getting swept out the playoffs.. Rodman won 2 rings without MJ on the Pistons

      • Zee

        are u stupid? read the sentence before you have a comment. Daniel said that kobe is the best player AT the time! .. u moron! .. it simply means kobe is the best player at that time! .. not all time! .. fckin kobe haters!

      • Titaniumproace

        Guess you can’t read, he said best player at the time.

  • http://twitter.com/raysiu33 Raymond Siu

    Several other reasons… Like one of ‘em being the worst point guard in the NBA.

  • Kathleen

    Good for you Smush…I respect your position.

  • Just a Laker fan

    Ok, just saying if you’re the point guard and you don’t pass the ball, doesn’t that mean your not doing your job. I think that’s why Smush left.

  • http://www.facebook.com/kareem.butler1 Kareem Butler

    who?

  • LAL FTW

    Kobe doesn’t care about his comments, event though “SMUSHI” shouldn’t allow himself to do that at all. The truth is what Mr. Bryant said, and that’s definitely it. Frankly, I don’t what the heck Parker is talking about, bad personality??? He’s one of the most social NBA players I know, only Pau Gasol does more :D

    • Zee

      oh really? let me ask you a question? are you truly a LAKERS fan? if not, not post some comment here! FAGGOT!

  • Melipeach

    Smush Parker: Who’s only claim to fame is being the second highest scoring player on the Lakers the night Kobe score 81 points.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001445850246 Veradale Dale

    Some times you have guys like Parker who simply resent being relegated to being role players. They may have been big time players back at home but this is the NBA we are discussing and he resented being pushed by a true competitor who KNOWS how to win…good riddance! Hey Smush! where you at now?!!!

  • Bigraidernation

    we only care about what kobe brings to the court that’s what he gets paid for 100% effort and and 100% in mastering his craft we all have bad ways in one way or another kobe was right on about the team then smush was garbage . kobe off the court is his business you have to be aggressive with poeple if you want to win a championship period 

  • Alvin Lopez

    Smush never was all that good. The Lakers have had plenty of other point guards that were way better that parker.Pretty much a disaster.

  • Keith McDowell

    Parker is in the NBA’s top worst pg ever!
    Who really cares what he thinks.
    He tried out on 3 other teams and didn’t make it.
    The Heat gave him a chance then after a week they told him not to come work.
    Parker had skills but is attitude and his work ethic was extremely poor.
    The Parker was a member of the LA Lakers and now he can’t even sell popcorn.
     So,Who really cares what he thinks.

  • http://www.facebook.com/elmer.chavarria2 Elmer Chavarria

    Poor Kobe he had to deal Smush parker and kwame Brown at the same time both garbage, and was so frustrated that Memphis felt sorry for him and gave him Paul Gasol.

  • Bigzizzo

    smush had his best years with kobe…couldn’t have been to bad. he went to miami and was never heard from again.