OPINION: If Kobe wants to win, he can't settle

Bryant only appeared in six games in 2013. The five-time NBA champion suffered a fractured tibia last December.

Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant has some decisions to make. That is, does he want to win a sixth NBA title or sit idle, merely as a basketball ambassador of sorts, and let the Lakers run out the clock on his playing career?

Last Friday, Bryant told ESPN's Ramona Shelburne that he was content with the the effort from the Lakers' free agency moves.

"I can sit here and tell you with 100 percent honesty that I'm happy with the effort the organization put forward this summer," Bryant said.

Kobe said he's happy about the effort of the Lakers' front office, that doesn't mean he's happy with the Lakers roster as currently constructed.

I agree with Kobe about the effort, it was exceptional. General Manager Mitch Kupchak made a herculean effort to lure in Carmelo Anthony, offering him a max contract. But they couldn't get him. They couldn't get Luol Deng, Chandler Parsons or Trevor Ariza. And it seems the Lakers won't land Kevin Love or Eric Bledsoe, either.

However, the Lakers did pick up Carlos Boozer after the Bulls waived him. They also got Jeremy Lin and 24-year-old Ed Davis, previously with Memphis. Jordan Hill, Ryan Kelly and Nick Young will all be returning for another season with the team as well.

Now let's turn back to the star of this story, the Black Mamba.

What I gathered from Kobe's comments:

This isn't the Mamba of old. This is a more reserved version of Kobe. Kobe Bryant from a decade ago wouldn't hesitate to speak his mind and put the Lakers on notice when he saw the front office wasn't getting the talent around him needed to win championships. This is a guy who once went on the radio during the summer of '07 and publicly demanded the Lakers trade him. Where is this version of Kobe hiding?

Bryant said, in June, he's 100 percent healthy and ready to play. A healthy Kobe Bryant, that's a good start. But one has to think about "What ifs." What if Kobe gets hurt again early in the season? He'll be 36 years old in August. He's logged a lot of NBA minutes and put many miles on his body, and no matter the type of possible injury that could befall him, he can't beat Father Time. Bryant is a tough guy, but he'll only be able to play through so much pain at his advanced age.

So, how bad does Kobe want to win right now? Surely he can't be complacent with riding out another underachieving season with this Lakers' squad. The addition Jeremy Lin and a poor jump-shooting Carlos Boozer simply won't get it done. The Lakers will need to make more moves this season.

Kobe doesn't have a few losing seasons to burn. If he wants another title, he needs to speak up or ask for a trade. The Lakers, sitting in the tougher Western Conference, aren't even the marquee team in L.A. anymore, that title belongs to the Clippers. The Clippers have even taken over as the dominant team in Staples Center. Free agents would rather sign with the team in red and blue than the team in purple and gold. That's a problem.

I'm not saying it's time for the Lakers to hit the panic button here before the preseason even begins, because the NBA season is very long. There's still plenty of time to make moves, but the Lakers are thinking about the Lakers and Kobe is thinking about Kobe. Those are two totally different agendas to serve, and if Kobe wants to match Michael Jordan in rings, he can't be complacent with the L.A. Lakers.

My first experience with SEC Media Days

Coaches and players from all 14 SEC teams converge on the Hyatt Regency-Birmingham for SEC Media Days.

HOOVER | I reluctantly rolled out of bed at my Tuscaloosa apartment Monday morning to prepare
myself for a trip up the road to Hoover, Ala.  I ate a bowl of corn flakes, gathered my things and made a 45-minute trip to the Hyatt-Birmingham to experience my first-ever SEC Media Days conference.

My affiliation with The Tuscaloosa News got me media credentials for the event. My job at Media Days on Monday was to take down interesting quotes from coaches, players and media, as well as write a short story on what Florida coach Will Muschamp had to say about the upcoming season.

As I walked up to the front entrance of the massive hotel, I noticed many Alabama news vehicles parked out front. A few that caught my eye were some of the Alabama news channels I was familiar with, like Huntsville's WHNT 19 and WAFF 48, and of course, Birmingham stations like WIAT 42 and Fox 6 News.

To get my credentials I had to walk through what is known as "radio row," a row of tables down each side of a hallway lined with numerous radio stations and radio personalities eager to get a word with coaches and players. 

After collecting my media pass and complementary SEC football pamphlets, I made my way to the main media room on the second floor. Once in the room, I looked around the room for a few of my fellow TNews members, but it was to no avail. The room was quickly beginning to fill up and I needed to find an open seat, preferably one near an electrical outlet for my laptop. 

During a brief trip to the restroom, I saw SEC radio personality Paul Finebaum sitting on the ESPN set, in the middle of filming a live shot. Unfortunately, that was the only chance I got to see Finebaum. I really wanted to say hello.

The news conferences began with SEC Commissioner Mike Slive at 11:30 a.m. He spoke for about 25  minutes about the State of the SEC and gave a few details on the new SEC Network, which will premiere in August.

Auburn's Gus Malzahn was up next at noon, where he addressed the latest hot-button issue coming out of Tiger Nation, quarterback Nick Marshall's recent marijuana incident. Malzahn also shared his thoughts on the death of former Auburn tight end Philip Lutzenkirchen. 

Florida head coach Will Muschamp stepped to the podium around 2:45 p.m.. He addressed his job status, players returning from injury and new offensive coordinator Kurt Roper and the impact he will have on quarterback Jeff Driskol.

Around 4 p.m., Vanderbilt's new head coach Derek Mason made his appearance at the mic. He gave long answers to every question. I'm not complaining, I'm just saying it's something I noticed with him more than with the other coaches. Mason spoke about his coaching philosophy and expectations in his first season as a coach in the SEC.

Vanderbilt wrapped up things around 5 p.m., then I packed up my things into my laptop bag and drove back to Tuscaloosa, thus ending my first SEC Media Days experience.

I had a great time overall and it was great to get that professional experience at such a major media event. I'll be back in Hoover again Thursday for Alabama and Kentucky's press conferences.

Maybe this time I'll get to shake hands with Mr. Finebaum.

OPINION: Carmelo to the Bulls makes sense

Knicks' forward Carmelo Anthony finished second to Oklahoma City's Kevin Durant in the NBA in scoring, averaging 27.4 points per game in 2013. Anthony has averaged 25.3 points per game during his 10 NBA seasons.

The Carmelo Anthony bidding war began in Chicago on Tuesday afternoon.

The six-time All-Star forward continues his tour around the country this week, making stops in Houston, Dallas and with the Los Angeles Lakers.

When I first heard of Carmelo Anthony's interest in possibly continuing his career in the Windy City, I must admit I was intrigued by the concept. And as the image of Carmelo in a Bulls jersey crept into my psyche, the idea of Carmelo running with the Bulls just makes sense to me.

Starting at the top, the Bulls are one of the NBA's first-class organizations, a strong, stable organization. The Bulls have championship tradition, top-tier attendance and, most importantly in Carmelo's decision, a ready-to-win roster.

Carmelo's best bet is to stay in the Eastern Conference; it's an easier path to the Finals. The Bulls offer a better starting point than the Knicks. Chicago's defense is still one of the league's best. Joakim Noah and Taj Gibson are a lethal combination of shot blockers, as they have developed into a dynamic duo in the paint. And you know Carmelo wants to run with Derrick Rose.

Best case scenario: a healthy Rose and new addition Carmelo will more than fill the scoring hole Chicago lacked in last year's playoff bout with the Washington Wizards. However, if Rose is still not his old, dynamic self by the start of the 2014-15 season, Carmelo can still be the pillar on offense the Bulls will need.

A report from The Chicago Tribune said Gibson has become a key in landing Carmelo. The report also said that if the Bulls were to keep Gibson and his $8 million salary, Carmelo would have to take a pay cut. And if Gibson and Carmelo were to coexist on Chicago's roster, per report, the Bulls would likely amnesty Carlos Boozer and trade Mike Dunleavy, Jimmy Butler and Anthony Randolph. This would give Carmelo a starting salary of $16.9 million.

All of this brings up another good question: If Carmelo is willing to take a pay cut, how low is he willing to go?

It's all going to come down to how bad Carmelo wants a title. LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh all took pay cuts in Miami and were able to crank out two NBA titles for it. Carmelo doesn't have to join the Superfriends in order to win a championship. All he has to do, at this point in his career, is be willing to accept less money so his team can accumulate the necessary talent needed to procure a championship(s).

The San Antonio Spurs are an excellent example of how Carmelo can get it done. The Spurs have a winning recipe of young talent, veteran leadership and great coaching.

Here's the winning recipe for Carmelo in Chicago as I see it:

First, take a cup of Carmelo and put him into Chicago's mixing bowl. Add two tablespoons of veteran presence (guys like Kirk Hinrich, Noah, Mike James and possibly Boozer). Add a tablespoon of young talent (Rose, Gibson, Jimmer Fredette, Cameron Bairstow, Doug McDermott, Tony Snell). Add a teaspoon from the free agency bowl and a generous cup of Tom Thibodeau.

Stir and place in the NBA's regular season oven for 82 games. What comes out of that oven may contain ingredients that will stay hot enough to last all the way into the NBA Finals.

OPINION: No matter today's outcome, U.S. soccer should be proud

The U.S. men’s national soccer team began this year’s World Cup with the mindset of starting with a clean slate, where if you perform up to the best of your ability, good things will happen no matter what the past has dealt.

The past has not been kind to the Americans. It’s been full of first-round World Cup exits, and, on several occasions, the team didn’t even perform well enough to qualify for the World Cup.

But this year is different.

The U.S. men's soccer team advanced to the quarterfinal round of the 2014 World Cup by surviving the "Group of Death" -- the nickname given to the World Cup's Group G -- a group that featured Germany, Portugal and Ghana.

U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsmann has done something Bob Bradley couldn’t do in his five years at the helm – Bruce Arena couldn’t either – and that’s make the U.S. truly compete with the best in the world. I’m talking about having to face the powerhouse teams of soccer like Portugal and Germany and being able to stand toe-to-toe with them on the pitch.

Strictly by using the “eye test,” I can see that this team is the best U.S. team we’ve seen in a long time. The back line has stepped up its defense to a new level, having defended against waves of attacks from Ghana in the first round, keeping level with Portugal and holding Germany to a single goal. American teams in recent years would not have faired so well against an up-tempo team like Ghana. In fact, if we were to take the U.S. team from the 2010 World Cup and paired it against this relentlessly attacking 2014 Ghana team, the Black Stars might blast in four or five goals, as opposed to just one goal.

The U.S. has made great strides this year, and no matter if the Americans make it past their first round-of-16 match against Belgium or not, the team should view its performance in this World Cup as a big step forward, a positive step to be proud of.

First of all, the U.S. has a brilliant goalkeeper in Tim Howard, and I mean brilliant in every sense of the word. He deserves so much credit for keeping America’s hopes alive. If not for Howard’s excellence, the Americans wouldn’t have made it past the wave of offensive attacks from Ghana, let alone into the round of 16.

Secondly, this U.S. team plays until the final whistle. Guys may be completely gassed out there by the 90-minute mark, but somehow they have pushed through the pain and have found that small amount of energy needed to continue for one last effort at a late-game goal. Just look back to what the U.S. did in the match vs. Germany. The U.S. gave itself at least two decent opportunities to tie the match in stoppage time, and all because guys played to the final whistle.

And here’s some more good news for American supporters: Jozy Altidore will be “ready and available” in today’s match. The energetic, aggressive striker suffered a hamstring injury in the opening match vs. Ghana.

This 2014 team has not only prospered on the field, but it has also helped grow the sport of soccer in America. The match against Germany was rated as the most watched soccer game in U.S. history. In national team sports like soccer, the people of America will always feel a little more patriotic when there’s a high probability for success. When there’s actually something to talk about, people will tune in.

And right now there’s so much to talk about.

The World Cup has been a huge draw in restaurants and bars here in Tuscaloosa, Ala. over the past few weeks. I have seen countless pictures where legions of folks gathered in crowded bars to watch the World Cup, pictures coming from the newspaper, on local news and social media, too. Tuscaloosa is traditionally a football town, but for now, Tuscaloosa appears to be on loan as a futbol town (at least until the end of the World Cup in July). But, hey, since there’s no football right now, people need something exciting to gravitate toward until football season, so why not the World Cup?

As long as U.S. soccer keeps moving in this positive direction, Americans will continue to warm up to the sport.

The U.S. continues its quest for the World Cup in a match against Belgium today at 3 p.m. CT on ESPN.