Kobe Bryant

The Black Mamba's Trail

 

In his final game against the Utah Jazz, Kobe Bryant's illustrious career came to an end with a performance you had to expect with the type of player he has always been. Sure he hoisted quite a bit of shots, but he wanted to leave a lasting impression and give the Laker faithful a performance they will remember, along with those 16 championships, for a lifetime. The Black Mamba delivered in a strong way as he scored a NBA season high 60 points. His inefficiency will be well documented, but Kobe has never been one to worry about his percentage. In fact, he is probably the last player that belies what advanced analytics experts despise. Bryant will be the first to tell them off and he has a fist full of jewelry to do so. Although the game was entertaining, I have to go away from it and shed light on his career. In addition, the effect Kobe had on and off the court as well as what he meant to the game. 

Bryant's NBA Draft Profile had him listed as a mature shooting guard with the ability to score at a high rate around the basket. He was considered a fierce competitor, a winner, and extremely intelligent. The knock on him was the fact that he was 17 years old, needed to add bulk, and his ball handling skills needed work. His NBA comparison was at best the next Grant Hill. With that being said, Kobe was taken by the Charlotte Hornets with the 13th selection in the 1996 NBA Draft. The Hornets would go on to send him to the Lakers for Vlade Divac. At the time, he was the youngest player drafted and needed his parents to cosign his first contract. Los Angeles was infatuated with the young guard, as he played better than Larry Drew and Michael Cooper in pre-draft scrimmages. Bryant started the season on the bench behind Eddie Jones and eventually became the youngest starter in the NBA. He averaged 15.5 minutes and averaged 7.6 points per game as a contributor off the bench. He was mainly a slasher and could dunk over opponents in the paint with flair. As a result, he participated and won the 1997 Dunk Contest. Over the next few years, Bryant would use his athleticism to "ascend" to the top as one of he best shooting guards and best player in the league. His explosiveness as a player would show up in the stat sheet as he quickly became a 20-point per game scorer and became a better defender averaging a steal and block per game at one point. Along with Shaquille O'Neal, the young guard would guide the Lakers back into the NBA spotlight as they garnered three straight championships from 2000 to 2002. During the Lakers three peat, Kobe would average 25.4 points, 5.1 assists, 5.9 rebounds, and 1.6 steals per game. He would go on to hit a rough patch in his career in terms of team success, but he would elevate his game, as he got older. 

Bryant had a great two-season stretch where he put up astronomical numbers from 2005 to 2007. In the 2005-06 season, he had a great four game stretch where he averaged 45, scored 81 in a performance to remember against the Raptors, and broke Laker records for most 40-point performances and single season scoring with 2,832 points. Kobe would finish only fourth in the Most Valuable Player standings and helped guide the Lakers back into the playoffs with the return of Phil Jackson. They would lose to the Phoenix Suns in the playoffs. In 2006-07, he led them back to the playoffs after being snubbed for the MVP again. The Lakers looked well on their way to the next round as they were up 3-1 on the Suns. However, like the season before, they faltered in the first round. Jellybean Bryant had a bum knee that needed work that caused him to miss the FIBA activities that summer. This would be a blessing in disguise because it allowed him to get some rest and hone in on his craft. He recovered and began to realize he could not rely on his athleticism anymore. Being a student of the game, Kobe looked to the sustained success of the great Michael Jordan. He noticed MJ became more grounded and used his post skills to impose his will on teams later in his career. Bryant already had a smooth turnaround jumper and it was something that was well documented in his draft profile. He would go on to workout with the Hakeem "The Dream" Olajuwon to take his game to the next level. Kobe developed an array of post moves to go along with his patented turnaround, added great footwork, and emulated Dirk Nowitzki's ostrich shot. He would introduce these crafty skills the following season. 

Before 2007-08, Jerry West told the media Kobe wanted a trade and the Lakers were actively looking to fulfill his demand. The Lakers came really close to shipping the guard from Lower Merion High to the Bulls in a deal that included Luol Deng, Tyrus Thomas, Ben Gordon, and Joakim Noah. Bryant vehemently refused the deal because he did not want to go to Chicago if he could not play with Deng. The Lakers would get off to a fast start and eventually would go on to acquire Pau Gasol from Memphis in the biggest heist in trade history. Adding Gasol to the Lakers gave them the elite big man they needed to compliment Kobe. Bryant would show off his new skills on the low block while wearing number 24. His jersey would go on to be the top selling jersey that year in China. Back to the court, Kobe and Pau would guide the Lakers to the best record, 57-25, in the Western Conference and to the NBA Finals against the Boston Celtics. Bryant had finally won the MVP and was intent on capturing his first ring without O'Neal to prove that he could win as the undisputed number one option. The Lakers put forth a valiant effort, but the Celtics proved to be too tough and physical for them. Despite their loss, there was plenty of optimism surrounding the purple and gold as they had the looks of a team that could become a dynasty. Bryant struggled against the Celtics Fort Knox-like defense and did not trust his teammates. He realized in order to win he needed to trust his team and pick his spots as well. Bryant would go on to help the Lakers capture two more championships bringing his ring total to five and sparking conversations of him being better than Jordan. He certainly had the opportunity to tie him if the Lakers could another piece to an aging roster. 

Before 2012-13, the Lakers would complete yet another blockbuster deal as they added the best center in the NBA, at the time, Dwight Howard. With the acquisition of Howard, many spectators had the Lakers penciled in as NBA champions for that season. On the contrary, Los Angeles would struggle the entire season under Mike D'Antoni. D'Antoni and Gasol had well documented issues with one another and Kobe would question Howard's mental fortitude in the media. This is something that did not bode well with the big man and was probably the reason he ditched them for Houston the following offseason. The chemistry simply was not there for this group and it showed in their record as they went 42-40. They barely made the playoffs as an eighth seed as Kobe pushed himself to give himself a shot at a sixth ring. Consequently, he tore his Achilles against the Warriors on a drive to the basket. This would be the first of a few injuries that derailed Bryant at the back end of his career and the last time he led a team to the playoffs. The next few seasons he would struggle with injuries in his Achilles, knees, ankles, back, and shoulder. Bryant would have nights where he looked like a shadow of the megastar he used to be and other nights it would be hard to watch as he hoisted up shots. He inked a two-year 48.5 million contract that made it hard for the Lakers to reel in big name free agents like Carmelo Anthony, Lebron James, Dwyane Wade, and others. Others believed that free agents were turned off by the idea of playing with Bryant due to his propensity to test their toughness or competitive nature. There was no one that matched his love for the game and it is something he finally realize during his 20-year dominance. Kobe's love for the game, killer instinct, accolades, and statistics have many wondering if he is better than Jordan. 

Many have been debating if Kobe is better than or even on the same level as Jordan. In terms of numbers, both have scored over 32,000 points in their careers as Bryant is ranked one spot higher on the all time list at third place. Both were underrated passers, but Bryant is the only player ever to score over 30,000 points and total 6,000 assists. Phil Jackson coached both players and he talked about the differences between the dynamic guards in an ESPN interview in 2013. Jackson highlighted the fact that Jordan was a better leader and defender; however, Bryant had deeper range in terms of his ability to shoot from deep with ease. Jordan displayed natural leadership skills and did not have to always get emotional for his teammates to play hard. Bryant has always been emotional and at times teammates would not respond well to his words. Both were good defenders, but Jordan was more imposing. Bryant's range was superior as evidence by the game where he made a NBA record 12 three pointers. Their killer instinct is what separated them as they lived for the moment to put daggers into team's hopes and quiet crowds. Kobe is definitely on the same level as Jordan it really just depends on who you ask when you want to know who is better. 

Bryant will go down as one of the greatest Lakers of all time and that is saying a lot when you look at the long list of purple and gold legends. He helped restore a winning culture with his hard work and commitment to excellence. In his prime, Laker fans had high expectations that would often include the team winning a championship. His talent, Nike attire, and marketable persona helped him become an ambassador for the NBA overseas. Kobe's jersey and games were the most bought and viewed during his time as a professional. Today, many countries are vying for an opportunity to compete in the FIBA games because his game piqued their interest in basketball. Bryant's success as a partner with Nike helped make him a shoe icon and got every player to want his own shoe deal. Whether you are playing basketball at a local park or walking down the street, his shoe is ubiquitous. In his final season, Bryant went from one of the most hated players of all time to becoming a fan favorite by even archrivals. Although he was hated for various reasons, people recognize the type of player that he is which is a once in a generation type of talent. Players like Carmelo and Paul George shoot in high volume in their games that is reminiscent of "the Kobe System." Russell Westbrook and Andrew Wiggins display some of his characteristics as well. Westbrook plays with the same passion that the Laker legend played with and is admired by him. Wiggins has the same young body and athleticism Kobe had when he first entered the league. He too received praise from Bryant. Also, there are multiple rumors that reveal Bryant may be mentoring Kawhi Leonard at some point. This would certainly take his game to the next level and put him into the upper echelon of top players in the league. There may be players that remind us of him, but there will never be another Black Mamba.