I dont mean to be dumping on Kobe any more than he needs to be dumped on given his trade demand today, but I can only guess that Ray Allen was smiling somewhere when he heard about Bryant's statements. Remember the feud between Allen and Bryant that was ignited at the beginning of the 2004 season. Well, here is what Ray Allen said that night in Portland a night after the Sonics lost to the Lakers in Anaheim.

"He's going to be very selfish," Allen said of Bryant. "And he feels like he needs to show this league and the people in this country that he is better without Shaq. He can win championships without Shaq. So offensively, he's going to jump out and say, 'I can average 30 points. I can still carry the load on this team.'

"I think the point production is not going to be so much what people are going to look at because (Tracy) McGrady did it in Orlando, Allen (Iverson) did it in Philly. Can you win a championship? I think that's the question. Carrying guys on your back and making everybody better."

Allen was right about that, as it turns out, but get a load of Allen's crystal ball on this one.

"If Kobe doesn't see he needs two and a half good players to be a legitimate playoff contender or win a championship, in about a year or two he'll be calling out to Jerry Buss that 'We need some help in here,' or 'Trade me,' " Allen said. "And we'll all be saying, 'I told you so,' when he says that."

Man alive, that is some good stuff. He was almost exactly right. It took three seasons instead of two, but Kobe finally did exactly what Ray said he was going to do. Unbelievable.

In Orlando, I went to the first game this morning and a guy named James Mays from Clemson jumped out at me. Reminded me a little of Ruben Patterson, jumping jack kind of player. Everybody was watching a guy named Aaron Gray, the 7-0 center from Pittsburgh, but he looked like a stiff to me. Bad hands, slow, not a lot of moves around the basket. I cant imagine he goes in the first round unless somebody is desperate.

I also spoke to George and Coby Karl after the first game. Pretty inspring stuff. George has cancer last year and had surgery. Then Coby got lymph node cancer and had surgery. It came back, he had a second surgery. With two big scars on his throat, he is here competing, trying to impress enough to get taken in the second round. He is not flashy but seems to make all the right plays. His quickness may be an issue, but, hey, who knows, maybe he has a shot.