"I'm not fading back into
the shadows," L.A. Lakers’ guard Kobe Bryant said to the post-game media
after falling to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Semi-Finals. No
smile. No hesitation. Stone faced, dead-eyed. A loss for Bryant is never the
end; it’s only the next step to winning.
I am forever a die-hard,
by-the-gravestone Phoenix Suns fan. Therefore, a large chunk of my competitive
hatred is saved for the Lakers and always will be. It warms my belly to watch
them stutter and fail in those big Hollywood lights. The Suns and Lakers have historically
been a playoff match-up almost as much as the storied Celtics/Lakers or
Celtics/76ers rivalries. Bryant publicly decried his personal vendetta against
Phoenix for reasons he couldn’t explain. The Lakers are pure enemies in Phoenix,
falling in stature behind only the San Antonio Spurs (of course). You don’t
talk to the guy strolling in purple and gold wearing number 24 because you’d
have nothing nice to say to him.
I cannot, however, for the pure devotion
to basketball, disrespect Bryant's will. There is no other player like him in
today's high-fiving, re-tweeting circus, who plays every minute only to win,
and who will do whatever it takes (see: German blood exchange; playing with broken
finger; dealing with Metta World Peace) to win. Only Kevin Garnett matches (and
rises above) him in intensity, but Garnett's a different animal entirely.
Bryant is a true basketball player who lives life without distraction and
remains focused on the goal. He’s not opening his thoughts to the public and
making decisions on the fly so the press can have their field day. He’s
stealth. He works hard and gets results and those five rings stand
unquestioned. This league rarely puts out a player with that strong insane
sense of determination that can put a shiver in your spine. The locker room
must’ve been a cold, hard place after that game. They lost to a young team
exploding with confidence and diligence, but the Lakers will still linger next year
and, so long as Bryant’s still around, they’ll continue to be a viable threat. Ahem. But, next year, that Chump gon' be blinded by purple and orange in the playoffs.
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