Los Angeles Lakers are already in the hole after Game 1 of the NBA playoff series with the San Antonio Spurs. Coach Mike D’Antoni unwisely riled up the raw feelings of Lakers’ fans and Kobe Bryant Twitter followers when he dismissed his injured star player’s Twitter critiques of the Lakers’ Game 1 struggles as a just quips from a “fan.”
As pointed out by rolling out scribe Amir Shaw, Bryant is languishing in the land of boredom after his torn Achilles tendon ended his season — and some speculate maybe even the Black Mamba’s career — and rendered him to his couch. Kobe had his Twitter posts to defuse the expanding pressure inside his skull during Lakers’ games because the ultra-competitive fire can’t be doused any other way.
These are the Kobe quotes that irked D’Antoni like a bug in his shoe:
This game has a “steal one” written all over it for us
— Kobe Bryant (@kobebryant) April 21, 2013
Gotta milk pau in the post right now and d12. Will get good looks from it — Kobe Bryant (@kobebryant) April 21, 2013
Matador Defense on Parker. His penetration is hurting us — Kobe Bryant (@kobebryant) April 21, 2013
Nothing worse then watching your bothers struggle and u can’t do crap about it #realtalk
— Kobe Bryant (@kobebryant) April 21, 2013
Laker Nation, and more specifically, “Black Mamba” fans, figuratively rushed the court and sliced off a few layers of coach D’Antoni’s backside for having the intestinal fortitude to dismiss Bryant, the face of the Lakers’ franchise and one of the greatest NBA players ever, tweeted a “fan” during the post-game press conference. Even Bryant chuckled sardonically at the subtle swipe:
A fan?? Lol #microphonetalk
— Kobe Bryant (@kobebryant) April 21, 2013
You can almost see Bryant’s death stare boring holes through the TV after the coach imprudently belched out those words to one of the NBA’s — check that, one of sports — marquee names. But even Bryant began to discern the adverse effect his constant tweeting during the games was having on the psyche of his players and mostly his coach.
I see my tweeting during the game is being talked about as much as the game itself. Not my intention , just bored as I guess #notagain — Kobe Bryant (@kobebryant) April 21, 2013
The throngs of Bryant fans, however, were not nearly as understanding as the Black Mamba and they set a blow torch to Twitter in their heated responses:
Don’t think for a second #Kobe took that being called a “FAN” quote by D’Antoni lightly.Mike better win 2games in series or he will be a FAN — Incarcerated Bob IBN (@Incarceratedbob) April 22, 2013
Take a look at what else Lakers’ fans and others had to say:
