Last season I said that Kobe Bryant had a problem. Despite a reinvigorated team and a shiny MVP trophy, 2007-2008 was essentially the season that Kobe failed. Failed to win a championship and take advantage of perhaps the best chance he’ll ever get to win one. People look back now and remember the Celtics dominance and Pierce’s heroics and KG’s ferocity and downplay any notion that Kobe and the Lakers “blew their chance”. But you rewind the clock back to early June 2008 and you ask the basketball world who they thought would be the Champions. The answer was unanimous – the Los Angeles Lakers. Even Boston’s own favorite son Bill Simmons admitted the Lakers would win the series before it began. Turns out they were all wrong. Ruining the credibility of a few NBA journalists is harmless, but the damage done to Kobe’s legacy after that series was far more permanent.
2008 marked the ten-year anniversary of Kobe-MJ comparisons. It was the year the debate reached fever pitch. It was also the year the debate died. Losing to the Celtics ruined any chance Kobe had of equaling (or *gasp* surpassing) MJ’s legacy, and just as importantly, ruined the fun that Kobe-MJ debates had provided for so many years. Don’t get me wrong, the last chapters of the Kobe Bryant Story are yet to be written, but that story won’t be anywhere near as impressive as it could have been, had Kobe and the Lakers triumphed in 2008. An MVP, a Championship ring, and an Olympic Gold medal. Remember the last guy that won all those the same year?
Relegated to reinforcing his legacy as the second greatest shooting guard in NBA history, Kobe now has a new problem. Not only has he gone from ‘MJ-like’ to ‘Finals-loser’ in the space of one year, but now he’s not even being called “the best player in the game”. Now people are talking about another player as Jordan’s rightful heir. And even worse, people are saying this guy could be better than Jordan. This guy is Lebron James.
If you haven’t taken a minute to contemplate the epic weightiness of this than you really should. Kobe Bryant’s world is about to be turned upside down.
Just imagine, if after years of carving out his legacy as the game’s best player and finally being surrounded by a team worthy of winning him a fourth ring, if Kobe Bryant gets to the Finals and loses to Lebron James. In fact, don’t just imagine it. Go look at the standings now, look at Cleveland sitting a game ahead of the Lakers, look at the fact they’ll play 11 more Eastern Conference games as opposed to the Lakers who will play only 6. Then look at Cleveland’s ridiculous 30-1 home record, and you tell me, what happens when the Cavs finish with the #1 record in the league? What happens to the Lakers when after another 82-game slog focused mainly on beating Boston to the league’s best record and thus securing home-court in an inevitable Finals rematch – what happens when that turns out to be but a sideshow to the harsh reality that the Lakers, head-and-shoulders above the rest of the West, will still only play three games at home in June?
I asked a lot of questions in that paragraph, and for good reason. No one has considered the answers to them yet. Up until very recently it looked like a certainty the Lakers would finish with the league’s best record. Sure there have been a few stumbling blocks along the way (Bynum, back-to-back losses against Denver and Phoenix) but the consensus was that Phil and the Lakers would eventually get their shit together and get it done.
But now those questions need to be answered, because as Lebron continues his one-man wrecking ball assault on the league it is becoming increasingly clear that the Cavs – not Boston – are the Lakers main threat. It is becoming increasingly clear that the Lakers obsession with getting tougher and meaner to out-muscle the Boston Celtics is now trumped by a much more serious dilemma; the need to stop Lebron James.
Sounds kind of impossible.
But wait… isn’t that what we said last year about Kobe? Going into the Finals, wasn’t it the Lakers enjoying the veil of invincibility because they had the most unstoppable player on the planet to drag them to victory through every nail-biting heart-pounding Finals finish? At least that’s what I thought the situation was, until I witnessed first-hand Kobe’s scorching playoff run come to a screaming halt at the hands of the far hungrier Boston Celtics. I didn’t think there was anyone or anything hungrier than Kobe Bryant, and there isn’t. But there was a hungrier team than the Lakers.
Which is why despite last year’s Finals defeat, Kobe’s legacy was only dealt a softening blow. A glancing blow. Losing to the Celtics who had three future Hall of Famers on their team is one thing; an admission that not even the all-conquering Kobe Bryant can beat a team stacked with depth and hunger. An admission Kobe made himself.
But losing to Lebron James and the Cavaliers would be completely different; that would be an admission that Kobe has been singularly out-dueled by another, greater player. Kobe admitting he was out-Kobe’d. Kobe transforming before our eyes into a 1992 Clyde Drexler while Lebron is left huddled over the championship trophy, cradling it like his only child, tears mixing with the champagne pouring down his face.
Kobe’s world being turned upside down.
Tags: Kobe Bryant, Lebron James, legacy
« « Previous Post: It’s Official: He’s The Platypus
» » Next Post: Five Things I Hate About LeBron
-
Andrew Bogut (GSW)
Patrick Mills (SAS)
Aron Baynes (SAS)
66 Comments until now.
nice piece. Kobe losing back-to-back Finals would be diastrous. he might never recover from that.
But wait… isn’t that what we said last year about Kobe? Going into the Finals, wasn’t it the Lakers enjoying the veil of invincibility because they had the most unstoppable player on the planet to drag them to victory through every nail-biting heart-pounding Finals finish? At least that’s what I thought the situation was, until I witnessed first-hand Kobe’s scorching playoff run come to a screaming halt at the hands of the far hungrier Boston Celtics.
but much like the celtics did to kobe during the regular season just putting him in a straight jacket last year.. the lakers have done the same to lebron in their two meetings.. if those two met up in the finals.. cavs will come out the favorite.. and the hungerier TEAM.. the lakers will come out on top.. i hope..
the thing is, LA is clearly the better team. so if they meet in the Finals and the Cavs do win, that indeed is Kobe being out-Kobe’d because he couldn’t do that last year against the Celts. for all kinds of reasons Lebron would be superior. in fact, the more i think about this the more i think you’re right rob. as a Lakers fan you’ve now made me feel very uneasy… THANKS!
U don’t got to worry abt that partna. The lakers will demolish the cavs. Not too sure abt the celtics they cause too many matchup problems. The cavs amazing defense has matchup problems against the lakers. All over the board. If lebron and Kobe even come close to a draw the lakers have much stronger offensive role players to help kobe. Unlike the cavs the lakers can run their offense thru gasol and be arguably even more effective. Lakers in 5. The cave wudnt see game 6 in Cleveland
[...] [...]
Yeah, don’t worry about a thing. Lakers swept the Cavs this year. Horrible matchup for the Cavs really. Guess who took that game in the 30-1 record?
everyone forgets that Lebron dragged the Cavs to a Game 7 against Boston and almost won the series. Kobe got slaughtered in game 6. so you tell me who’s better at leading their team in the playoffs?
if the Cavs face the Lakers in the Finals, and the Cavs have home-court, I’m going with Cleveland every time.
“Then look at Cleveland’s ridiculous 30-1 home record, and you tell me, what happens when the Cavs finish with the #1 record in the league?”
a) they’ll probably lose to Boston because Boston has what it takes (minus KG even!)
or
b) they’ll lose to the Lakers, you know the Lakers that beat them IN CLEVLAND minus Bynum..You tell me ..look at LeBron’s games vs the Lakers…can we say shutdownnnnnnnnnnn
An LA v Cleaveland finals series, Kobe vs LBJ would be awesome.
As a suns fan, i would love to see LeBron open a can of whoopass on LA! (since we can’t do it anymore…)
Yeah. And…who got thumped soundly on their own homecourt with their best player making only 9-22 shots whilst a sick Kobe Bryant made an impossible jumper than essentialy sealed the game?
Anyway, we’re just bored.
Man, no matter what the Kobe does, he’ll ALWAYS have Jordan over his shoulder. Kobe gets destroyed for not elevating Lamar Odom, Sasha Vujacic, Jordan Farmar, Derek Fisher, Ronny Turiaf and Pau Gasol against three future hall of famers (four if you count Sam Cassell lol), two gritty playoff savy veterans (Brown and Posey) and a future all-star point guard…Is Kobe better than MJ? Probably not. Definitely not greater. But I don’t think even MJ could have beaten that zone defense last season with that Lakers supporting cast.
And especially not Lebron. Not with that here today, completely gone tomorrow mid-range game he has or doesn’t have (depending on the night). And for all those people who say the Cavs had a horrible supporting cast, Delonte is a sieve on D same with Varejao. Joe Smith is a heady vet with good defense. And you think having a two-time defensive player of the year (even if he’s lost a lot of shine to his game) doesn’t help? Check out who is second on the Cavs in total plus minus rating. That would be Big Ben.
So, only in this warped world where Kobe can do no right is Lebron going to be able to f**k with Kobe’s legacy. This is the same Lebron who hasn’t done anything yet. No MVPs, no championships, no nothing. He’s got one gold medal and I think a scoring title. If he wins this year, he’ll still need to win two more rings to match Kobe’s…Five more to Jordan.
Let’s not sum things up because the Cavs have a one game homecourt advantage in the playoffs right now. I mean, honestly, that’s why nobody is talking about it…There’s a month left to go still. Wally’s hurt. Big Ben is hurt. The Cavs finishing with the best record is not set in stone bro.
put the cavs in the west, and they are a middle of the pack team. Shake your head pal.
Cleveland has no shot against the Lakers, and i don’t think they make the finals.
Appreciate the writing but that insane 30-1 home record the cavs have is marred by the “1″…which was a loss to the lakers. I agree with you that the cavs and not the c’s are most likely who the lakers may meet in the finals. My disagreement is with your outcome. The lakers match up insanely well with the cavs and it’s offset even more with bynum. The lakers can beat the cavs, home court or not.
y’all obviously just a bunch of KObe fanboys. you are kidding yourself if you think the Lakers are playing better than the Cavs. you telling me the Lakers are better just cos of the 1 win in Cleveland? get real. it was 1 game!!!!!
i would not bet against Lebron in any 7-game series where the Cavs have homecourt. i don’t care who they’re playing.
I love the way Laker fans are riding so high on the fact they beat the Cavs and Celtics this regular season, but last season when the Cavs swept the Lakers any talk of LeBron potentially facing off against and beating Kobe in the finals was met with replies of “BUT IT WAS JUST THE REGULAR SEASON!!!!!!!!!”
I’m still shocked that Kobe, a.k.a. the most unlikeable player in the league, has fans. And they are the most insane, Tupac-esque, he-can-do-no-wrong kind of fans. Mind boggling.
A Lebron James team is not going to lose in the playoffs to the same team twice in a row. Just ask Detroit about that. You may get lebron the 1st time. but if they meet again he will dominate. Boston vs the Cavs in the ECF and the Cavs will come out on top.. Thats a bet!!
Haha, “bob” says cavs are middle of the pack. They have the best record, east or west, c’mon dude! Everbody hates on the cavs, why? Because they are becoming one of the best teams in the nba? Celtics and kobe fans are starting to feel the heat. Cavs are very dangerous in the playoffs because lebron has that “x-factor” and plays up to teams that have been better in prior playoff matchups. Now hes got the better team and regular season record to prove it. Look out haters
Basketball is a TEAM game. 5 on 5…not 1 on 1.
If Cleveland played in the West, they’d be fighting for a playoff spot.
If Lakers played in the East, they’d win all their home games and probably only lose 10 games total.
Middle of the pack team in the West??
They’re 22-4 against the West this season!
TWENTY TWO AND FOUR!
Dude….you just gave me nightmares
Bah, Let all the scared LA fans out there tell themselves that the Cavs would be “middle of the pack in the west” or that they “can beat the Cavs in regular season games so it will be the same in the finals”.
Whatever helps you sleep at night now, cos once LeBron takes LA apart in the finals you’ll never have a good nights sleep again.
So, good writings… there’s too much beer and testosterone in some of those comments. Boston is dilapedated. Orlando does not have its General. Cleveland has continued to win at an alarming rate despite NOT have a full starting lineup since… dec 2008. The wins are scrappier, uglier, and more tense. Early in the season with the king and his court we were blowing everyone out. L*kers have a big front court, which will probably be the deciding factor if Mike Brown cannot adjust to defend against it. Orlando and Boston will wear each other out beforing stepping to the Q to face offf against the Cavs. LA can beat Cleveland one game at a time.. but string together 7 seven games and 4 of them with LeBron in DESTINY mode. and good luck. He single handedly beat the Pistons team that smashed the LA DREAM TEAM, remember? ODOM, GASOL, and BYNUM have to be on top of there game each night. With Ben healthy, Joe Smith in the Rotation with Andy, and Z. Lebron can have an off night, cause Mo Williams and Delonte West will not have one the same night. Even Dr Phil admits his once Bench Mob has faultered into dispare. I am not proclaiming the CAVS to be the Champs, just merely, Celtics and Lakers fans are in for a shocking reality check, I watch every cavs game even though I live in Southern California….. Back in the finals with a stronger more experienced team? hmm…
as much as I hate to admit it, despite Kobe being the more experienced and playoff-savvy veteran, Lebron seems to have mastered the team game to a much higher degree. even recently where the Cavs have struggled against bad teams, going into the 4th quarter down 10 or 15 points, Lebron just goes into another gear. this has happened so often lately and with such striking regularity all season, that I doubt it will cease in the playoffs.
like zeke and George said, you put Lebron in the Finals and give him his first taste of a title, and i don’t think anything can stop him.
Rob is right. This could destroy Kobe’s legacy. Especially after what happened last season. This year is exactly the same in reverse – the Lakers being the better team vs the lesser team with the great individual player. So if Lebron pulls it off it is a massive slap in the face to Kobe.
I like Kobe. I think he’s a top 10 player of all time. But if he loses back to back Finals, especially one against Lebron, that legacy will slide.
Its a TEAM game!! Mike would have zero rings without Scottie and Phil Jackson. Her won nothing before or after having those two. Plus Mike got every call from the refs. Steve Kerr won 3 rings in a row in the modern era. Rob Horry has 7. Awesome legacies they have!!!! Kone is the best ever and Lebron is about equal and will ultimately be the best ever.
Idk what makes people think the Cavs are any different from the Lakers. They’re practically equal except for Bynum, who is just another big man that causes matchup issues. And he may or may not be all the way back for the duration of the playoffs. As far as the Cavs in the West. they currently only play 2 games per team and rarely play back to back games against western conference teams. Its impossible to say how it would work for them. The Cavs have a good team as well, so I doubt it will be as tarnished because in fact the Cavs guards are still more consistent than the Lakers. D. Fish is getting old, Vujacic and Farmar are inconsistent. As far as the Lakers beating the Cavs, it was just a good performance down the stretch but no one was like the clear winner. Both Kobe and Lebron struggled so its rly not even something to look back to. I think in a series, no one can state anything because you never know what will happen what with injuries and other intangibles given that the teams are that even and anything can happen. Besides, the celtics shut down lebron for the first five games of their series and his team won the games for him. Its not impossible to shut him down long enough to win a series, and even when he went for 45, it was just like Kobe scoring 50 on Phx and still losing. You play against a better team doesn’t matter.
me – rings (3), mvp (1), slam dunk (1), all nba (?), all defensive (?), scoring champ (2)
lbj – rings (?), mvp (?), all nba (?), all defensive (?), scoring champ (?)…
lol
MAYBE LBJ IS JEALOUS OF ME….
you Cav fans, or LEBRON fans are out of your mind crazy. The Cavs played the Lakers TWICE and both times, Lebron was whack. I mean he couldn’t do anything right. You know that Kobe is going to dominate. He will not allow another loss, especially against a whack a** Cavs team. Sorry Lebron, maybe in a couple of years.
cleveland needs all their strength to win games.
my team, just cruising. no one knows what i can do if i wanted to. wait for me come playoff time. me and my teammates are cooking something to all of you.
plus, whatever i do, good or bad, always bad on you people. jealous of me. LOL
watch our game, lbj did not and could dunk on my team. isn’t that a record?
bring back the no zone defense, just like the era of MJ, you’ll never know what i can do.
MJ also could never know if there was a zone defense during his era.
I honestly think lebron james is over rated! yea that’s what i think. I mean I give the dude props. this has been a better year for him than last year. But if it were to be the cavs & lakers @ finals the lakers can take them down without a doubt. and there is no comparison with kobe & lebron! kobe is the best in the league right now! talk about someone tryin to be lik kobe. lebron obviously is tryin. when kobe put 61 at the msg, the next nite lebron tries to do better. AINT NO ONE THAT’S GOING TO SCREW KOBE’S LEGACY! and most definitely LEBRON NEEDS TO REMOVE THE #23 BECAUSE IT’S A DISGRACE TO MJ AND AN EMBARRASMENT FOR MJ
robd is a faggot ass Kobe hater! That’s all that was! No points, no facts! Just a jelly idiot hating!
Since I was little, I’ve wanted a Cavs-Lakers final….it’s coming. Cleveland is taking it all. The best player in the league will stop the most overrated player in the league.
Very interesting piece — a Cavs win over the Lakers really would fundamentally alter Kobe’s legacy and the way people talk about the NBA in the next couple of years.
But perhaps the reason people aren’t talking about it is that, uh, well, the playoffs are about 20 games away, and then a Lakers-Cavs Finals is about 3 playoff series-eseses beyond that. Maybe that’s why. It’s idle speculation.
That said, and although I am a Kobe fan, kudos on making this piece essentially all about a comparison of Kobe to Clyde Drexler. Ouch. But well done.
FUNNY HOW THE 2-0 RECORD THE LAKERS HAVE OVER THE CAVS THIS SEASON IS NOT ENOUGH FOR THIS NUM-NUTS TO WRITE THE LAKERS COULDNT BEAT CLEAVLAND IN THE FINALS. I WAS AT THE GAME IN LA. KOBE HAD LEBRON SHUT DOWN. OUT OF LBJ 20SOMETHING POINTS, ONLY A FEW CAME WHEN GUARDED BY KOBE. AND TO ANYONE WHO DID NOT SEE THE GAME, IT WAS LBJ WHO COULD NOT STOP KOBE AT THE END. IT WAS ALMOST LIKE DEJA-VU WHEN IT HAPPENED AGAIN DURING THE 1 GAME THE CAVS LOST AT HOME. BUT I GUESS WHAT REALLY HAPPENED DOES NOT MATTER.
appreciate all the comments.
obviously this is hypothetical. but you can’t tell me the most likely scenario isn’t a Cavs v Lakers Finals right now. Cavs almost had Boston’s measure last year and they are a much improved team. And Lebron is better, if that’s even possible.
and home court is everything in the Finals. As the Celts showed last year. Cleveland having home court would be a huge blow to the Lakers. Cleveland have the easier schedule, they will probably get it.
for the record I think LA are the better team and if they faced off in the Finals i’d probably pick LA. I like Kobe more than I like Lebron and I’m definitely not a Kobe hater.
but when i think about the possibility of the Lakers losing, albeit how slim you think it is, i can’t help but wince at the massive blow it would have to Kobe’s legacy. on so many levels. it would be the defining NBA moment of the decade. and if you don’t believe that you’re in complete denial.
This is a poorly conceived article. It talks about vague made up shit like legacy. It obvious the author did not do any research. This would be a more interesting article if the author took into account how Cleveland and the Lakers match up, how poorly Cleveland played against LA this year. In addition, Boston dominated LA during the regular season last year.
^^^^another blind Lakers fan.
you guys really are placing a lot of faith on those two regular season games huh? I don’t suppose you remember what happened last season between the Lakers and Cavs? Yeah, Cavs swept 2-0. Essentially same teams. oh wait, except now Cleveland is better.
Plus, Cavs have CLEARLY been the better team since the All-Star break despite injuries. they are peaking at the right time.
As a Cavs fan even I agree that on paper LA has the better team, but we have Lebron. and right now Lebron is simply playing at a level Kobe can’t touch. you are fooling yourself if you think otherwise.
Lebron will not lose if he makes the Finals. period. i just feel sorry for Kobe if he makes it that far.
god there is so much delusional crap in these comments i don’t know where to start. maybe with the facts.
FACT: what happens in the playoffs is completely different to what happens in the regular season. teams can get much better in the playoffs (i.e Lakers last year, up until the Finals) or much worse (i.e. Pistons in ’06). it’s COMPLETELY DIFFERENT. one reason being is you play the same team 6, 7 times in a row. its all about adjustments and rhythm. uze is right, basing anything on two regular season games is fucking stupid.
FACT: Lebron is the most unstoppable player in the league. this season he is churning out 50 point games and triple-doubles at an alarming rate. he is toying with everyone AND playing great team ball at the same time. He’s the MVP.
FACT: Kobe has lost the last two Finals he’s been in. He could not take over against Boston when Lebron clearly did and if Lebron just had a small serving of help in that series (i.e Mo Williams) it would have been the Cavs in the Finals last season. Ok so not a fact but pretty damn obvious.
also, in the author’s defense, he never actually said the Cavs would beat the Lakers in the Finals. he’s trying to get people to think about it and the ramifications it would have to Kobe, which is clearly something Laker’s fans have not considered (unsurprisingly). but a possibility that is indeed very, VERY real.
jordan never made it to the finals when he met up with another boston team with 3 hall of famers in the playoffs……..
Umm … didn’t Kobe ask to be traded? Remember, Andrew Bynum!?! No one had them winning the finals, they had them being torn apart by drama. Don’t quit your day job, kid.
@Sylvan, sure, before the season the Lakers were nowhere near being Finals contenders. That was before Pau Gasol came along. But if you read carefully you’ll notice I said go back to ‘June 2007′, that’s when the Lakers were unanimous favorites.
Check the link. Notice the glaring lack of Celtics logos under “Expert Picks”…
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/playoffs2008/series?series=lalbos
haha those ESPN dudes sure do look like idiots after that.
Lakers bench is just too deep imo, compared with Clevelands. Obviously it would be hyped as Lebron vs Kobe, but they won’t decide the series. The clincher for me, is if Bynum is back, even at 80%. That tips the Lakers over the edge against any other team. Without Bynum they’re a little more vulnerable.
As a fan of a completely different team, I have to point out something to all you delusional people. Both Kobe and Lebron averaged 19.5 points against each other this season.
Game 1: LA Bynum, Gasol, Odom = 44 pts, 28 rebs, 5 assists on 21-33 shooting.
CLE (Z out) Varajao, Wallace, Hickson = 24 pts, 22 rebs, 3 ast on 9-15 shooting.
Game 2: LA (Bynum out) Gasol, Odom, Powell = 50 pts, 31 rebs, 8 ast on 21 of 38 shooting. CLE Z, Wallace, Varajao = 30 pts, 22 rebs, 5 ast on 12-26 shooting.
Your two precious stars weren’t the difference. LA’s inside game dominated both nights.
Yet all you people argue about how these two INDIVIDUALS are magically going to become that much better for the finals against each other.
The key player in this series? Lamar Odom.
How does this affect HIS legacy? LOL
Oh, btw…to some of the more ridiculous points made up the list:
1) Cavs barely a mid-pack team out west:
Other than 2 losses to the Lakers, they are 23-2. You’re an idiot.
2) LA won both games against CLE so they’ll win the finals:
CLE beat San Antonio both games the year they got swept by San Antonio in the playoffs…another non issue.
The FACTS are that LA has the better inside game…MICHAEL JORDAN was the last player to win the NBA Chamionship without the better inside game on his side. They’ve also allowed zone defenses since then.
Since then: Duncan, Shaq (w/Kobe), Shaq (w/Kobe), Shaq (w/Kobe), Duncan, Ben Wallace/’Sheed in prime, Duncan, Shaq (w/Wade and a resurrected ‘Zo), Duncan, Garnett.
Arguably, the weakest was Garnett last year as the only inside guy that mattered on the Celtics, but Odom played like he was watching the game from the floor, Bynum played like he still was learning the game and Gasol got out-muscled by Garnett.
The LA vs. CLE match-up is nearly assured at this point barring injuries. Boston and Orlando have to beat each other up for 7 games while CLE will beat Atlanta in 5. Then the winner gets to travel to Cleveland and lose.
LA though has a powerful advantage over Cleveland inside. Barring injury it will be the Lakers.
Oh, and the guy who’s posting as if you’re Kobe Bryant?
Get therapy dude…I’m sure with some work, you can create your own identity.
Just want to say, nice article. I know that of all the teams the lakers would lose to in the finals, they do not want to lose to the cavs. But as a Cavs fan, I would not want to lose to the Lakers too in the finals. Surely Lebron’s legacy is forever increasing, but for Kobe the loss to to Cavs in the finals, if it comes, could really hurt Kobe’s legacy. Let’s hope this series shows up in the finals because millions will be watching to see kobe and lebron take their team to a championship.
nice comments…come to think of it, the Lakers swept Cleveland and Celtics in the season…accept it now that the lakers would be the champs..and Kobe the back-to-back MVP
nice comments kobe bryant youre really great…show to them who you are, youre greater than MJ and lebron has nothing to do with you….youre the best
Kobe is one of the most under appreciated super-stars ever. What a shame. The guy was very instrumental in winning 3 rings, took a team of young, soft, inexperienced players to the finals through the toughest western conference ever some said, and lost to a veteran team with 3 hungry stars who’s legacy was on the line(having never won rings), with the best defense in decades, ankored by the defensive player of the year, with home court advantage! Please MJ or anyone would have done no better against those odds. Kobe is in his 13th season!, and is still being compared to the young super stars of the NBA. Will Lebron and Wade be playing at Kobe’s level in their 13th season’s ?? Along with his 3 rings, scoring titles, all-defense selections, MVP award and having set records 2nd only to Wilt, if Kobe does nothing else he goes down as, at the very least, the 2nd greatest SG ever! But that ain’t enough for some of you clowns! Lebron can’t fade Kobe’s legacy in fair-minded people, he has to get his own!
In addition, Kobe took his team to the finals in 4 years, it took MJ 7 to get their. By that time he had a battle tested, experienced team. Who, btw, only began to win rings as the Bird Celtics and Show-Time lakers were in the decline. Had MJ been good enough to get his team to the finals in only 4yrs as Kobe did, its very conceivable that that young inexperienced Bulls team would have gotten slaughtered by the Show-Time Lakers like Kobe’s young team was. Haters!
Well, Lakers won the Finals. Looks like Lebron didn’t even get the chance to “screw” with Kobe’s legacy.
Not only that, but it’s Lebron who has to worry about his legacy…not Kobe. Kobe finally won his ring without Shaq. AND he also won that ring WITHOUT a future hall of famer on his team (something MJ and Shaq haven’t done).
The NBA is still Kobe’s league and the Lakers are still the favorite to win it all next year. Sorry Lebron
To add to what DJ posted, Kobe’s 4th ring has more value than Shaq’s. Kobe did it as the lead player on the team, D Wade was the lead player in Miami.
Plus Kobe did it without a player of his own caliber on theteam, Shaq had a “Kobe like” player in D Wade.
For those who think Kobe Shaq was the main reason L.A. won 3 rings and Kobe was just a side kick…go look at Kobe’s numbers throughout the playoffs, especially the last 2 title runs. Kobe was KILLIN EM! Shaq dominated the post but Kobe certainly dominated the perimeter. kobe was much more than a side-kick!
1st line of last paragraph should be “For those who think Shaq was….”
Congrats to Kobe and the Lakers for the Title.
Note to Lebron: Get your own legacy!
Note to the author of the article from Kobe: How ya like me now!!!
People, lets wake up especially you kobe fans. The lakers won this year without facing a legitimate title contender! this was kobes chance and he got his ring without shaq, but lets be honest, kevin garnetts knee was the reason la won the title. And please stop comparing this man to MJ. kobe routinely shoots 40 percent in the finals, has been blown out in the finals several times. The man has four rings, 3 because of shaq, and one because the REAL champs were without their anchor (kg)and didnt make it. Jordan was the main reason the bulls got 6 rings, never lost a finals, played against much better competition, and stopped many hall of famers from winning any rings. Also please stop comparing kobe to LBJ. The man is better than kobe bryant in damn near every statistical category known to man, i dont care how many rings kobe has. rings mean his team was the best, it doesnt mean kobe is the best player. What would kobe have done if he had lebron’s supporting cast? 1st round exit maybe, 2nd round for sure. This man is the most over rated player ever to play in the nba, realize that fact.
Who couldnt win a ring with shaq in his prime? please name me one all star calibur shooting guard who would have failed! la could have had eight titles with shaq by now, but mr 38% shooting guard felt like he should take 7 more shots per game than shaq. How does a team, with four hall of famers (payton, kobe shaq and karl malone) lose to the pistons in the finals, who may very well have had no hall of famers. You know how? One selfish ass over rated guy who was shooting 38% in the series wanting to show that he was the man instead of playing team ball and playing through shaq. UHMMM. what is that guy’s name? you guessed it, kobe bryant, the wannnabe jordan impersonator.
Hey real deal,aka huge Kobe hater and MJ suck up! How come MJ never won anything until the Celtics and Lakers were in the decline? How come MJ was known as a ball hog/coach killin/ selfish jerk before Pippen and Phil Jackson? How come MJ “chucked” more than anybody in NBA history since Elgin Baylor? How the Bulls only lost 2 more games than the previous season after MJ first retired. How come Shaq led teams were swept 3 straight times in the playoffs before Kobe got experience? How come Kobe, with a hurt ankle and Shaq out, led LA to victory in the finals against the Pacers? How come a healthy Kobe in the 2nd title run with Shaq averaged 30pts, 6.9rbs, 5.9 assists, 2,2 steals? How come Kobe in the 3rd title run avearged 32.1pts, 5.1rbs, 5.2 asists and 1.2 stls? Please! Kobe wasn’t second fiddle to Shaq! Kobe was just as important to those rings as Shaq. Shaq dominated the interior and Kobe dominated the perimeter! If not for a widely agreed upon bad call by the refs Pippne may have led the Bulls to the finals without MJ! Kobe won without his hof’er, Shaq. What did MJ win without his hof’er, Pippen!!???? Have a nice day.
Hey real deal,aka huge Kobe hater and MJ suck up! How come MJ never won anything until the Celtics and Lakers were in the decline? How come MJ was known as a ball hog/coach killin/ selfish jerk before Pippen and Phil Jackson? How come MJ “chucked” more than anybody in NBA history since Elgin Baylor? How the Bulls only lost 2 more games than the previous season after MJ first retired. How come Shaq led teams were swept 3 straight times in the playoffs before Kobe got experience? How come Kobe, with a hurt ankle and Shaq out led LA to victory in the finals against the Pacers? How come a healthy Kobe in the 2nd title run with Shaq averaged 30pts, 6.9rbs, 5.9 assists, 2,2 steals? How come Kobe in the 3rd title run avearged 32.1pts, 5.1rbs, 5.2 asists and 1.2 stls?
http://www.lakersuniverse.com/kobe/kobe_bryant_stats200203.htm
Please! Kobe wasn’t second fiddle to Shaq! Kobe was just as important to those rings as shaq. Shaq dominated the interior and Kobe dominated the perimeter! If not for a widely agreed upon bad call by the refs Pippne may have led the Bulls to the finals without MJ! Kobe won without his hof’er, Shaq. Whta did MJ win without his hof’er, Pippen!!????
Have a nice day.
O…M…G I LOVE YOU REAL DEAL
B.S
Kobe is not overrated
Lebron is OVer-Rated. Being compared 2 MJ
Kobe is 2 away from M.J
Besides you cant be great. No Player was ever great without the help of their Team.
Taking credit 4 yourself like “Lebron James” and comparing yourself 2 the Best Players Like “LB James” is
Selfish and Greedy
If there is anyone comparable to Michael Jordan its Kobe Bryant
MJ=KB
Kobe is da best point blank period! Just know great players win championship games and Lebron hasen’t done that so he cant call him self da best. Kobe is UNSTOPPABLE,UNHOLDABLE,UNTOUCHABLE! mAYBE WHEN kOBE LEAVES THE LEAGUE LEBRON MAY GET HIM 1 OR 2 RINGS AND WITHOUT SHAQ OR MO WILLIAMS THE CAVS ARE UNKNOWN!kOBE HAS TO MANY WEAPONS THAT HE CAN USE FOR SOME BODY TO TRY AND HOLD HIM!!!!!!!
KOBE 4 RINGZ
LEBRON 0 RINGZ…. CAVS ARE OUT OF THE PLAYOFFS ONCE AGAIN LOL… YOU MUST FEEL REAL STUPID WHO EVER WROTE THIZ ARTICLE!!! GET OFF LEBONZ PEE PEE AND WATCH MR. CLUTCH AKA THE BLACK MAMBA MAKE ALL LEBRON FANZ LOOK STUPID….
Funny looking back at the things we write a year ago.
ahh yes. I thought this piece would come back to bite me at some point.
Lebron has lost his chance to screw with Kobe’s legacy. Had 2 real attempts, blew them both.
If they ever meet in the Finals in the future, Kobe will have already have his legacy cemented. Much like Magic losing to MJ in ’91. Didn’t impact Magic’s legacy whatsoever.
Lebron on battling Kobe:
http://stacktv.stack.com/video.aspx?videoID=38091184001_105
“if I had my way, we’d play the Lakers 82 Games”
kobe won’t rest until he reaches 7 rings. as for lebron he is good but will never be a shadow of kobe regarless…the truth of the matter is that kobe is one of the best EVER played basketball in the history of mankind….make a note of it mister
lol… you feel like an idiot writing this and not knowing the lakers would be 2peat champs for the next 2 years after lol..
lebron leaving ohio and having to sign up with the likes of wade and bosh for a shot at the ring..
lmao… i hope you read how u said it was kobe’s last chance hahahahaha
Comment!