By Jhanae Kelley
There was once upon a time that, I couldn’t imagine the NBA without Kobe Bryant being on the court. We’re talking about a guy that I’ve been watching since I was 9 years old.A guy that I would model my game after, if I could play of course. A guy who grabbed the torch that Michael Jordan passed down. And although Kobe Bryant will never be Michael Jordan, he is MY Michael Jordan.
It’s been 3 years since Kobe has played a full NBA season. And now the funny thing is, I’ve grown accustom to watching this “Kobe-less” NBA. It seems like the NBA if becoming fun to watch again. With the young and athletic talent of James Harden, Russell Westbrook, Steph Curry, Kyrie Irving and plenty more, I’m not suffering as much as I thought I would be. But not seeing #24 in the Staples Center wearing that purple and gold has taken its toll on me.
Over the past 3 NBA seasons, Bryant has been plagued by injuries. I’m just going to be honest. These injuries have been kicking his ass. Not in a production standpoint, but from a health stand point. In April of 2012-13 season, Bryant suffered a torn Achilles that put him out for the remainder of the season. Bryant then returned next season playing only six games before suffering a small fracture in his left knee. Bryant returned again for the 2014-15 season and noticeable took games off so he could rest, but that didn’t scare away the injury bug. In January 2015, Bryant tore his rotator cuff in his right shoulder, sidelining him yet again for another remaining season. If you’re a Laker fan, a Kobe fan or a fan of the NBA in general, seeing one of the games most familiar faces become a sideline story is just criminal.
We were taken on a trip down memory lane when we watched Kobe’s “Muse” documentary. We were able to see a young Kobe get drafted 13th overall in the talent-filled 1996 NBA draft class. How lucky is Los Angeles for pulling off that trade with the Charlotte Hornets? We got to see a 18-year old Kobe get accustomed to NBA life and figure out what it took to be great. Not too soon after his introductory years, the championships started to roll in (with the help of some guy named Shaq of course). Bryant’s name is the history books was solidified at a very young age. Bryant was a 3X NBA Champion by the time he was 24 years old. Just think about that. He greatness was validated just 6 years into his NBA career. And correct me if I’m wrong, but we haven’t seen anything like that since then.
But although nearly perfect on the court, Bryant did have flaws. We all know about the issues him and Shaquille O’ Neal had which lead to Shad leaving L.A. in 2004. Many blamed Kobe for that and the people of Los Angeles weren’t pleased with him over Shaq’s departure. Then there’s the sexual assault allegations that were made against Bryant in 2003. Bryant lost multiple endorsement deals and the sexual assault allegation became a permanent stain on his reputation. I was very young at the time, but I do remember it taking years for Kobe’s name to get back on the media’s “good guy list”. And even while on the “good guy” media list, Bryant is still the villain to some.
When Kobe signed a two-year 48 million dollar contract last season, it brought forth a debate about veteran superstars and their monetary value. Many criticized Bryant for taking the money, when the Lakers obviously needed help with signing players. Others said that players should get their money whole they can. What’s my opinion about it? You can’t say what a player should do, especially a player in Kobe’s situation. Yes, he’s made a lot of money in his 18- year career. But who does he have to trust when it comes to the Lakers? I live in Dallas, so I listen to a lot of Dallas sports radio and they all referenced Dirk taking a pay cut for the Mavericks could sign Monte Ellis and Chandler Parson. But why wouldn’t Dirk take that pay cut? He trust Mark Cuban, and he has no reason to not trust him. Dirk, in my opinion knows that Cuban has the teams best interest at heart. Same can be said for Tim Duncan with the Spurs. Tim trust that Peter Holt and R.C. Buford will put the right pieces in place to make that team a contender, so taking a pay cut on Duncan part is logical. Once upon a time, Kobe had that trust with the late-great Dr. Jerry Buss. But Dr.Buss is gone and it seems like the Lakers winning mentality died with him. And because of that, why should Kobe take a pay cut when Jim Buss hasn’t even proven he can make big moves in the offseason? I mean this is the guy who chose Mike D’Antone to coach the Lakers over Phil Jackson. Let’s not even mention the fact that Jim Buss has single-handily ruined Kobe’s last remaining years as a Laker. What has Jim Buss proven he can do? Nothing, that what. So why wouldn’t Kobe take the money and run? People love to call Kobe selfish. It’s pretty much the one flaw the haters can still hold on to. Oh well. That money is a check disguised as an apology letter if you ask me.
Now although I am a fan and very biased, I will admit that the Laker organization will be in much better shape once Kobe is off the books. Nobody wants to play with Kobe. And no matter how annoying it might be, the NBA today is all about the most talented players wanting to play together. And when no one is running to your organization saying “Yes, I want to play with that future Hall of Famer”, there’s a problem going off of today’s NBA. Laker fans everywhere need to admit that it was never Kobe that was desirable about playing for the Lakers. It was the Laker brand itself. People wanted to play for the 16X NBA Champion Los Angeles Lakers. And players, I believe still do. And it’s okay that players aren’t running to sit up under Kobe. That’s not the NBA he studied. That’s not he NBA he played in. And that’s not the NBA he cares for. And you know what, I’m glad that’s not part of Kobe’s DNA. I’m glad he’s not looking to play AAU basketball in the National Basketball Association. But that’s another conversation for another day.
So what a more perfect time for him to call it a career. Kobe Bryant has nothing to prove. 18 NBA seasons, 7 NBA Finals Appearances, 5 NBA Championships, 2X Finals MVP, 2X Olympic Gold Medals, 81-point game, the 2008 League MVP and being 3rd on the All-Time Points list (only behind Karl Malone and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) says it all. And those aren’t even half of what this man has accomplished. So with Kobe entering the final year of his contract next season, basketball fans everywhere will get to witness what I believe to be his final year. Although bittersweet, I can’t put into words how lucky I feel to witness the MJ of my generation perform. Whether he’s putting up 25 a night or 5 a night, nobody will ever replace Kobe Bean Bryant as my favorite basketball player to ever play the game. And that inevitable day that a press conference is called at Staples Center and Kobe is announcing his retirement, the sports world will stop. Countless amounts of praise and accolades from fans, non-fans and other professional athletes will pour in, and that’s what matters. His impact on the game will be forever and that is a fact.
So what is Kobe’s Legacy in my opinion? Kobe will obviously go down as one of the best players ever. He’ll be remembered for taking the last shot and not being afraid of the outcome. He’ll be remembered for being a killer on the court when it counted. He’ll be remembered for being a ball hog lol. He’ll be remembered for talking trash. He’ll be remembered for his struggles. But most importantly, he’ll be remembered for winning and being a winner. He’ll be remembered for leaving it all on the court. And what more could you ask for from a professional athlete? Not much.
P.S. two things I know as a Kobe fan:
- The image of Kobe shooting those free throws on a torn Achilles is permanently tattoo in my head.
- I can’t wait to hear his speech once he’s elected into the Hall of Fame.
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