Is Kobe Bryant One of the Greatest Players Ever?
Generally, we say post-secondary education is a good thing here in North America. That is, unless you’re Kobe Bryant, and you decide to go to the NBA straight out of high school, and initiate a successful campaign with the Los Angeles Lakers that ultimately ranks you as one of the greatest b-ball players of all time. At this point in his career, after becoming the all-time leading scorer in Lakers’ history, Kobe Bryant has begun to challenge other all-time greats and sink out a piece of history. After all, it is history he is playing against now, not really other NBA teams.
Last night Kobe led the Lakers’ to a successful defeat of the Boston Celtics, winning his fifth NBA Championship, which is exactly the same number Michael Jordan won. The victory against Boston was significant, not just because it insures that the Lakers are the best club in the business, but because it was basically the only thing Kobe had not been able to say on his resume—beating LA’s biggest rival in the finals.
In the end, after a less than stellar performance by Bryant, who missed jumpers for most of the night and shot a miserable 6-24 for the night, the Lakers came away winners 83 – 79, the lowest scoring final in years.
"The more I tried to push, the more it kept getting away from me," Bryant said. "I'm just glad my teammates got us back in the game. I was thankful that I was able to make one d**n shot at the end and make some free throws."
Under pressure to answer for his relatively poor performance, Kobe likewise conceded: "I try not to [get caught in the hype of a Game 7]. Tonight, it got the best of me. I wanted it so bad. Sometimes when you want something so bad, it slips away from you.”
A vague and but wise philosophy painted Kobe’s words, the words of a man who sounded last night like he was becoming a bit satisfied with his deeds. At any rate, there can be no question that the legacy that he is currently securing will not slip away from him.
Kobe Bryant was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania as the youngest of three children and the only son of former 76ers player and Los Angeles Sparks head coach Joe "Jellybean" Bryant and Pamela Cox Bryant. He is also the maternal nephew of John "Chubby" Cox. His parents named him after the famous beef of Kobe, Japan, which they saw on a restaurant menu. When he was six, his father left the NBA and moved the family to Italy to begin there. Bryant likewise learned to speak Italian and Spanish. In the summer, he often returned to the United States to play in basketball summer leagues. He has said that had he stayed in Italy, he probably would have attempted to become a professional soccer player.
In 1999, when Phil Jackson became the head coach of the Lakers, Bryant really began to get into a stride, and together with proficient teammates took home championships in 2000, 2001, and 2002. Those days seem long gone—but the Lakers team has remained one of the premier teams of the league, and Bryant has all but lost his lustre.
Previously, when you talked about the best ever on the Lakers, you were usually citing Magic Johnson—until last night. And usually, when you’re talking about the best of all time, you’re talking about Jordan—again, perhaps, until last night.
But many still question the lasting effect of Bryant, and are quick to point out that there seems to be something fundamentally missing in his equation in comparison to that of Jordan’s; after all, it was Jordan who took basketball out of the eighties and nineties to where it is today, and Bryant who utilizes and enjoys those advancements. Which isn’t to say he hasn’t made any—on the contrary— it seems the NBA doesn’t offer enough obstructions for Bryant.
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