As NBA fans, it is common to hear of those games that were 'magical' and 'completely remarkable', but that we just weren’t alive for. Most of us weren’t alive when Wilt dropped 100 in a game. Most of us weren’t alive when Jordan played in the “flu game". Heck, most of us weren’t even watching basketball when Horry buried the Kings at the buzzer. As I tune into basketball games over and over again, I always long to watch that one game that will be historic. That one game that will be the game of the ages. Although I didn’t watch this particular game live, I did watch one that soon became a game for the ages. It was the single best individual performance I have ever seen by an athlete. On January 22, 2006, I witnessed a man possessed on the basketball court. His name was Kobe Bean Bryant.
The game began with usual shots by Kobe, pulling up at the elbow, beating opponents off the dribble, and living at the line. It was looking like an above average game by Kobe, but still nothing too impressive by the end of the first quarter. He hit five shots in both the first two quarters and had 26 points at the half. As the highlight continued, I was expecting just another half of Kobe level scoring, and maybe he’d get to 45, and if he was lucky 50. Then what happened next blew everyone’s mind. Kobe began hitting insane floaters, hitting turn-around jumpers while being double and triple teamed, and making any defender who stepped in front of him look foolish. Kobe ended the second half scoring 55 points in the third and fourth quarters and had racked up 81 points for the game. As Drake might have said, the Toronto Raptors got bodied by a future 5-Ringer.
Although the stats back it up, I am convinced that Kobe's approach to the game was more of a testament to his skill and talent. Kobe even as a child, was very different from the kids he grew up around. Growing up in Italy, Kobe recounts the immense struggle he went through, being a kid in a completely different culture. And even after he moved back to the states, Kobe was still different - determined to win under any circumstance. As Kobe came into this league, his demeanor was not like that of any 18-year-old kid. At the time, although there was a growing trend of players going from high school to pro, people doubted how good these players really could be. But the minute Kobe stepped on a court, the skeptics fell silent. As Flip Saunders said, Kobe came into the league and was picking guys up at 94 feet. That was his competitiveness and nature in wanting to win and play. He didn’t care about how guys had done it in the past. He knew what he had to do and did not worry about the critics.
When you put Kobe’s career into perspective, it is definitely an anomaly. To separate good players from great players, you must look at how long each player’s prime lasted. Guys like Steve Nash and Gilbert Arenas were great players in the NBA, but the peak of their career only lasted a few seasons. In contrast, if you look at Kobe Bryant, his prime was close to 12 years. I’d argue Kobe’s prime lasted from that first NBA finals in 2000 all the way uphill the 2012 NBA season. That is simply incredible. Longevity in the NBA matters because we are now seeing how injuries and the inevitable wear and tear of an athlete's boddy can affect a person’s physical and psychological self.
If you tune into Laker games even today, you can still see flashes of his aggressiveness and desire to take over the game. Kobe may not be as agile, as skilled, and as accurate of a shooter from the field, but he still has that assassin’s instinct. He is still the same beast. Kobe Bryant will forever be remembered for his tenacious spirit, which was good at times, but also off putting to several players and distancing to potential free agents for the team. Kobe was by no stretch of the imagination a flawless player. Known to have an aggressive personality in the locker room and notorious for pushing his teammates to a breaking point, Kobe was always looking to elevate his team to the next level. Despite all these potential flaws, the one thing that no one can refute Kobe is that he didn’t have the desire to win. The desire to win is something that cannot be taught. Kobe always wanted to be the guy that finished the game in overtime. Kobe always wanted to be the guy that the team could turn to when nothing was going right. When all is set and done, he will most likely not be remembered as the best player in NBA history. He may not even be regarded as the best Laker in NBA history. But he will be regarded as one of the most fierce, if not fiercest, competitors to ever grace a basketball court.
