Kobe Bryant is on a mission to win a 5th NBA Championship. The last obstacle is a familiar one...The Boston Celtics. Kobe must do what all great Lakers do.....Beat the Celtics in the finals.
It’s funny to me how the so-called basketball writers, bloggers, talking heads and, virtually, everyone else with a basketball thought have now jumped on the “Well, I guess Kobe really is the best player in the world” talk. The whole Kobe-LeBron nonsense is for those who feel the need to take a side and stick to it no matter what proof may lie in actually watching events unfold. Never was this more prevalent than Jay Cutler’s first season in Chicago. This town quickly became a “Jay guy or not a Jay guy” discussion for the sports retarded. It’s the same garbage with LeBron and Kobe. If you like one, that means you have to hate the other. It’s more idiotic than ESPN’s Around The Horn. If you’re a basketball fan, just appreciate both guys. When it comes to who is the better player, that question has never been a question. At least not for me. I’ve been saying Kobe Bryant is the best basketball player in the world since the ’01 NBA playoffs. That year the Lakers stormed into the playoffs winning their last 8 regular season games, swept Portland in round 1, swept Sacramento in round 2, swept the # 1 seed Spurs in the Western Conference Finals, and destroyed the 76ers in 5. Kobe destroyed the “Kobe stopper” Rueben Patterson in the Portland series 25 ppg, 7 rpg, and 4 asg. His 48 point, 16 rebound explosion in the closeout game vs Sacramento in game 4 should have squashed people’s thoughts of the Lakers as a one man show. His 45 point, 10 rebound performance in San Antonio even made Shaq refer to him as “The best player in the world.” It was in those games, in the midst of a Lakers 3-peat, that I agreed with The Big Aristotle. Kobe Bryant is the best player in the world. People have always hated Kobe because of his Jordan- like qualities. That’s fine. View him as a Jordan biter. I view him as the only guy with the balls to ever strive to be better than Michael Jordan. Don’t get me wrong– I’m not saying he is, but I give credit for daring to try.
In a spring that they should be dominating on the court, the likes of LeBron, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh are planning to talk about free agency and what each guy will do next year. I applaud them for exercising their free agent rights, but you would never see or hear Kobe doing such a thing. He’s too busy working on his game and chasing titles to lower himself to that level.
Fans and scribes all over the basketball world treated Kobe’s clutch series vs Phoenix as some sort of shocking playoff surprise. To some it was, oh yea, he is still great. To me? It was another chance for me to preach to all from I told you so lane. Even my uncle Lou– the biggest Kobe and Laker hater out there couldn’t argue anymore. “I’m throwing in the towel.” He has no other choice. This is Kobe’s time. I wrote earlier this season that this Lakers season reminded me of the ’96-97 Bulls–defending champs, a lot of injuries, carried by 2 players, and sub par playoff performances even in wins. This version of Kobe reminds me of ’97 Jordan. He’s lost some athleticism, but he’s still the best player in the game. His post-up game is becoming unstoppable, he knows when to conserve energy, when to play off his teammates, and when to take over games. This version of Kobe isn’t as athletic as the ’01 version, isn’t as diva-ish as the ’04 version, doesn’t care about leading the league in scoring like the ’06 version, and isn’t image consumed like the ’08 version. He’s won his title as the lead dog. Now, it’s time to simply chase history. Only one team stands in his way…
Kobe's clutch play in game 6 vs the Suns surprised only the haters who refuse to accept the fact that he's the best player in the world.
In beating the Suns, Kobe exorcised some of his deepest playoff demons. He also delivered a knockout shot to Steve Nash. Tim Duncan staggered Nash will an elbow, Derek Fisher dazed him with a shot to the nose. Then Kobe gave him a knockout punch on a night Nash assured a Suns victory. This was 3 years coming for Kobe. The Suns came back from a 3-1 deficit to beat L.A. in the ’06 playoffs with Kobe going into a shell in the 2nd half of that ass kicking. In ’07, the Suns easily dispatched Kobe’s band of misfits in 5 which led to Kobe’s” trade me don’t trade me” off-season. He didn’t say it, but he NEEDED to beat the Suns this year to kill those demons that have burned in him for 3 years. It was the equivalent of Jordan and the Bulls coming back in ’96 to sweep the Magic after the ’95 playoff loss. Kobe needed it, and his teammates fed off his will. Now, it’s on to the finals where Kobe has one last demon to exorcise. When the Celtics embarrassed the Lakers by 39 points in game 6 of the ’08 finals, it was a top 5 day for Kobe haters. After a 7-22 performance in the Boston clincher, Kobe backers had a worse defense than the Lakers showed throughout that series. It’s why, in the back of his mind, he is determined to not let Boston get the best of him again. “I didn’t give a damn who we played; didn’t matter to me.” Sure, Kobe. One of the things I admire about Bryant is how he has a memory like MJ’s. He doesn’t forget, and if you think for one second he isn’t obsessing over the ’08 loss than you haven’t been watching number 24 lately.
Alvin Gentry can only laugh after Kobe did in his Suns in game 6. Kobe's playing at a '97 Jordan level averaging 29 points, 6 assists, and 5 rebounds per game in the '10 playoffs. Ring # 5 in 4 wins away for The Black Mamba.
The Celtics have made an incredible march to the NBA Finals beating the aforementioned Dwyane Wade and LeBron James, and finishing off Dwight Howard and the Magic in 6. The history of this rivalry is the best in the sport. 50 Hall of Famers and 32 NBA Championships combined are a testimony to that. However, even with Ray Allen looking like Jesus Shuttlesworth, Kevin Garnett finding his bad knee, Paul Pierce finding the Hot Tub Time Machine, and Rajon Rondo abusing everyone placed in front of him (I feel bad for you Derek Fisher), they aren’t beating L.A– not without the home court and not with Kobe playing at this level. He won’t admit it, but he knows that to go down as the greatest Laker of all-time, he needs to beat the Celtics in the finals. (I need it too, but only for my hatred of Boston sports teams and their obnoxious fans. The only thing that would make me happier than seeing Boston go down would be to give Reggie Miller a Stone Cold Stunner). Magic and Kareem did. Why not Kobe? It’s been two years that Kobe has had the stench of the ’08 finals on him, and it’s time to erase that memory. If the Lakers lose this series, people will look at last year as fluke title for L.A. with Garnett out. If they win? My claim of him being the game’s best player since ’01 and 3rd best guard all-time (MJ & Magic 1-2) will finally be acknowledged by the basketball fools out there. I’ll still be at” I told you so lane” chillin the most, but I’ll have a block party joining me this time. Are you betting against the mamba at the peak of his ability? I’m not either. Revenge is Kobe’s…….In 6 games.
