When talking about Michael Jordan earlier, I mentioned that few of those called "The Next One" have managed to do even half the things he has done. Kobe Bryant is one of that select few. He's been labeled many things: selfish, ballhog, cold, overrated, inefficient, shoots too much, the reason Detox hasn't come out yet, you get the idea. However, none of that matters here at the People's Hall of Fame. You want all that other stuff, make your own. I'm here to talk about Kobe Bryant, goddammit. The fact of the matter is, you'll be hard pressed to find a player who was as great as he was in his time period (Some have argued Duncan was better, but Kobe seemed to save his best for the Spurs and ruined Duncan's dreams 4 times). He came along at a time when high school players were still seen as major risks, and the first year of his career seemed to confirm it, particularly during that one playoff game in Utah. However, in year two, he shifted into a different gear, making nightly appearances on SportsCenter and gained popularity, so much so that he got his own shoe, his own video game, and was selected to start for the Western Conference All-Stars despite the fact he didn't even start for the Lakers. The rest, as they say, is history. In this 19th year of his career, the fact that players who were toddlers at the time he first put on a Laker uniform are making their NBA debuts now speaks to his longevity. The amazing thing about Kobe is that at this point in his career, even though his best days are behind him, people will still pay money in cities across this country to watch him play. They get it. They know he ain't gonna be around forever.
Kobe resources:
All 9 games from his 2003 40 point streak:
Kobe's back to back 40 point games vs. Sacramento and San Antonio in the 2001 NBA Playoffs:
Kobe's 50 point streak from 2007:
Kobe closing out Phoenix in 2010 to win the West:
And last but not least, Kobe's 81 point game:
No comments:
Post a Comment