Lakers star Kobe Bryant claims he didn’t have a rival in the past, nor does he have one now: NBA News
Kobe Bryant is as tough an athlete as they get in NBA.
The legendary shooting guard finished the All-Star game with a broken nose and has since led Lakers to two wins in a row. After the second win against the Sacramento Kings, the Los Angeles Lakers talisman touched a topic which
is sure to ruffle a few feathers, especially at the South Beach.
With the game against the Miami Heat just around the corner, Kobe has fired a salvo by saying that, at present, there ain’t any star in the league, who can inspire him to raise him game, not even LeBron James – the small forward,
who has pretty much put Kobe in the shadow in the last five years.
"Not for me," Bryant said. "I get up for everybody just the same, to be honest. It's hard for me to turn my meter up any higher than it normally is."
At present, Kobe with five championship rings and two finals MVP awards is by far the most decorated active NBA player. Players like James, Dwight Howard and Kevin Durant have no doubt become more prized possessions, but the fact
remains that even at this age, Bryant is not only the best shooting guard, but also the best finisher in the game.
When asked specifically about D-Wade, the shooting guard, who many say is as good if not better than the Black Mamba himself, Kobe didn’t even want to be drawn in the comparison;
"He's too young," Bryant said. "He's too young. When I came into the league, he was in elementary school.”
He also expressed his desire to win the elusive sixth championship ring, which will put him in the plane as that of the iconic Michael Jordan.
“At this point my rivals, in terms of what I have left to accomplish in my career, [left the game] when Magic [Johnson] and Michael [Jordan] retired in '98," Bryant added. "That's it. In terms of what I'm looking to accomplish,
that's about it."
Kobe exclaimed that it has been his desire to excel and compete that has been the driving force behind every accolade, he has achieved in last 16 years. He even shrugged off his comparison with Tim Duncan, the veteran big who
has marshalled the San Antonio Spurs to 4 championships, saying that Duncan should be drawn a player of his own size – Shaquille O’ Neal.
"He was never in my position," Bryant said. "He was more Shaq's rival than mine. As a team, the Spurs were always a team that we had to go through.”
The statements come at a time, when the Lakers dynasty is standing on its last legs and with emergence of teams like Miami Heat, Oklahoma City Thunder, Chicago Bulls and not to forget the Los Angeles Clippers, it seems, all Bryant
wanted to do was to give the league a reminder, that he ain’t done yet.
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