Kareem Rush, a former role player of the Lakers says that Kobe's will to win the finals MVP may be the reason why the Lakers lost the NBA finals. This was a particular year, because they added Gary Payton and Karl Malone to the mix. Based on roster only, this team was meant to be unbeatable.
Kareem Rush on the Scoop B mentioned that :
“I mean, they simply outplayed us. Karl [Malone] was hurt in that series. And I think Kobe selfishly wanted MVP,” said Rush. “I think that we were favored by everybody to win the series you know, and at the time Shaq had the first three Finals MVP’s. So I think Kobe had the mindset with that as the primary focus, but I think he was really itching to get that MVP – and we got caught off guard by a better team.”
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