He's back. And this time, it's for real.
Kobe Bryant isn't playing "like" Michael Jordan these days. He is MJ. Only younger. And smarter. And more mature.
Forget calling Kobe Bryant "Jordan-esque." Soon we'll be saying Jordan was "Kobe-esque."
For years NBA watchers have been falsely targeting players as the so called "next Jordan." The list of wanna-be's that never were, is embarrassing to recap. From fellow Carolina products like Vince Carter and Jerry Stackhouse, to wing-nuts like JR Rider, and busters like Harold Minor, the label of "next Jordan" came with the mere ability to dunk real fancy. It's more curse than compliment.
But Kobe carries that burden with ease. Sure, he blushes when asked publicly about such a comparison, but I have no doubt that inside Kobe is targeting Jordan's career the way Tiger has targeted Nicklaus. And at the top of the list is Jordan's six NBA rings.
Think MJ's six titles in the "post-Auerbach" era is untouchable? Think again. Kobe already has one, will pocket another in June, and then turn 23 years old in August. Twenty-three. You do the math. Five more in 15 years. Very doable. After all, Jordan didn't get his first until age 28 and a full seven years into his pro career. He wasted perhaps two more titles while chasing curveballs during his basketball prime.
My prediction is that Shaq will ride with Kobe for four of the titles, and then Kobe will bring home the last three as the undisputed lead dog. Probably in LA, but maybe somewhere else. And don't start with the argument about who is carrying whom in this Laker juggernaut. The facts are as follows:
Shaq was a proven "non-winner" in Orlando for four years. He was a non-winner in LA for the next three. Not until Kobe had blossomed in his fourth season, did the Lakers get over the top. Yes, "Big Chief Triangle" Phil Jackson had something to do with it, but take this proposition.
Cast Jackson, O'Neal and Bryant to the wind, and let them all go somewhere else in the NBA without each other. Who are you betting on to reach the mountaintop first with their new team? And which one will make the most return trips? And which one will elevate the play of their team the most?
For my money, it's Kobe, Kobe and Kobe.
Consider how utterly slandered Kobe was this season by the bulk of the sporting press, not to mention his own coach. For a guy who did absolutely nothing to deserve it, Kobe was painted as some selfish, egomaniacal team wrecker. If the Lakers lost, it was because he didn't pass the ball enough. Allen Iverson won the MVP while shooting 302 more times than Kobe, and doing so at just 42% compared to Bryant's 46% rate. Go figure.
The Lakers regular season slumps were never because Shaq was loafing at times. Or that the supporting cast on the Lakers is hardly fit for a YMCA team. Hardly any stories were written about how much the team missed Derek Fisher. Nobody even bothered to theorize that without Kobe doing all he could, the Lakers might have been losing even more games! Did anyone think of that?
Of course not. It was too easy to point the finger at a 22 year old with incredible talent. And it was too easy to side with a lovable goof-off like O'Neal who gave you great quotes. The personality difference between the two, made the media's decision on who to paint as the villain easy.
You would think that two young superstars playing in the NBA's most glamorous city, would be close friends. The twin horsemen of the NBA apocolypse. They're not. Because they aren't wired the same way inside. Shaq likes being Shaq. And hey, who can begrudge him? It is a great life. But Kobe likes ripping your heart out on the court. And then doing it again. There's the difference.
While O'Neal gets a kick out of being the world's biggest 11 year old, and revels in his playland of million dollar toys, Bryant just got married. And likes it. He doesn't go out much with the fellas, and spends most of his free time working on new moves, a better jumper, or a subtle new dimension to his game.
When Bryant heard talk that he should "tone his game down" for Shaq's benefit, he correctly wrinkled his nose at the idea. "Turn it down?" Kobe asked rhetorically this year in an ESPN interview. "I need to turn my game up." Which of course is the imperative of anybody seeking greatness.
Simple minds viewed such a comment as more selfishness. Not true. Kobe does have to "turn his game up" because without it, last year's finals could have been a lot different. It was Kobe who bailed out the Lakers when Shaq fouled out of Game Four at Indiana. Kobe made the plays, hit the shots, and had the will to win in OT that night while Shaq could only sit and watch. In Game Five, Shaq was great with 35 and 11. The Lakers lost by 33 points. Kobe shot just 4-20 that night. You tell me what that means.
How many people think that the Lakers would have started out down 0-2 to San Antonio instead of up 2-0 if it weren't for Kobe? The 45 in Game One was spectacular, the 28 in Game Two was merely necessary. Fact of the matter: great centers don't take game winning shots. They don't have the ball in their hands with the clock winding down, and can't do much to get their own look.
To me, Kobe's most Jordan-esque moment came during round one of the playoffs against Portland. And it wasn't anything that happened on the court. When asked by reporters about Scottie Pippen's jabs in the press about Kobe's injured ribs (which Pippen claimed weren't really injured) Kobe responded with total calm. He even said that Pippen was one of his basketball idols growing up.
Then, right after the FailBlazers had been reduced to a smoldering hunk of salary-cap excess in a quick three games, the subject came up again about Scottie's attempted gamesmanship.
Kobe's response?
"Scottie was just trying to do everything in his power to give his team an edge," the 22 year old heir to the throne pointed out rationally. Then after a distinct and calculated pause, Kobe drew the dagger.
"…. And he failed miserably."
A flash of a smile, end of the interview, and off he went. To be cold blooded, yet classy is a tough balance. To be confident, but not a punk is also.
Kobe's got it. On the court and off.
He's back, everybody. And perhaps better than the original.
Steve is a native Washingtonian and has worked in sports talk radio for the last 11 years. He worked at WTEM in 1993 anchoring Team Tickers before he took a full time job with national radio network One-on-One Sports.
A graduate of UC Santa Barbara, Steve has worked for WFNZ in Charlotte where his afternoon show was named "Best Radio Show." Steve continues to serve as a sports personality for WLZR in Milwaukee and does fill-in hosting for Fox Sports Radio.
