Goodbye Kobe, We Will Never See Another

On Wednesday all-time great and most notably Laker great Kobe Bryant will play his final game in the NBA. Kobe has been known for a lot of things on the court in his career, but when you ask most about him, one of the most assured reactions you will get from people outside Los Angeles is that he was genuinely disliked by opponents fan bases and even some of his teammates. However, most of that can be pinned on the fact Kobe was so great in his time, he was as intense as any player in the NBA, and he was always up to the challenge.

That being said the real reason he was universally hated was his propensity for winning. In his career Kobe has been to seven NBA Finals, winning five of them. In those championships, Kobe always had a very good team and always seemed to have at least one other star to play with, but the one constant in those performances was Kobe. In his career, he averaged 25.6 points per game in the playoffs to go along with five assists and five rebounds. Simply put, Kobe saved his best for when it mattered most.

When looking at Kobe’s career the number one person that he is compared to is all-time great Michael Jordan, who most if not all would say is the greatest player to ever set foot on a basketball court. The fact any player is compared or mentioned in the same breath as Jordan is unfathomable, yet with Bryant, it doesn’t feel wrong. Perhaps it is the fact he has been an all-star 18 times, won two scoring titles, an MVP, and maybe most impressively been an All-NBA selection 15 times and an All-NBA Defensive selection 12 times. Or maybe it is the fact Kobe played for one of the most successful franchises in NBA history and took the reigns, guiding them to five more titles. No, Kobe did not quite put up the eye-popping numbers that Jordan did in the scoring department, but few did. What Kobe did do was become almost as lethal a scorer as Jordan and outlive Jordan’s career while still playing at the high-level people associate him with. Also, take into account Bryant played 20 seasons in the NBA, more than half of his lifetime, while Jordan played just 15 seasons and took a brief hiatus to give baseball a go, ultimately returning to play for the Wizards. Some will point to the fact Kobe played five more seasons than Jordan and has just 1,291 more points scored than Jordan despite those five extra seasons.

Bryant also had the second highest scoring game in NBA history scoring 81 points despite today’s game where the scouting and preparation are more enhanced and the foul trouble is more prevalent with more things being called. Sure there are three-point jumpers now, but Kobe only shot 33 percent from three-point land in his career and regardless of what anyone says 81 still has not been beaten to this day.

Some will point to the fact Kobe played five more seasons than Jordan and has just 1,291 more points scored than Jordan despite those five extra seasons. That is true, and nothing can take away what Jordan did, but instead of finding the black mark in those stats, focus on how great Kobe was for so long, playing at the all-star level for more seasons while also playing for one team in his entire career, something Jordan cannot say he accomplished. In fact, few players can say they played at that level and spent all their time with one team with Paul Pierce, LeBron James, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Karl Malone, Shaquille O’Neal, Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, and Allen Iverson all donning different jerseys in their careers.

Most impressively though is the fact the one franchise he has played for is one of the greatest and he rose the level of greatness when he got there. Imagine if I had told you a franchise that had Earvin “Magic” Johnson, Jerry West, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Shaq, James Worthy, Elgin Baylor, Wilt Chamberlain, and Bob McAdoo suit up and collect 11 championships would be even greater after Kobe would suit up. That is exactly what happened as Kobe won nearly half as many in his run with the purple and gold collecting five himself and pushing the total to 16, and more importantly preventing the Celtics from getting another in 2010.

The haters of Kobe will no doubt make that point and will also point to the selfishness of him in driving away Shaq, the alleged rape case that took place back in 2003, the bashings of his teammates that took place over his time, and despite his greatness the overall toughness of players trying to play with someone who has been labeled a “ball hog” in his career. Yes, no one can deny any of those things took place and they will weigh him down slightly, but everyone has their faults. Those things happened and you may not like him, but you should respect him.

Respect the greatness that occurred when he took the floor, the magic that he brought the game and the awe he left us in. Respect the primetime performances, the turnaround baseline jumpers, and the clutch three-point baskets that he put up, but most importantly respect the fact that in today’s world where athletes, heck even everyday average workers, change jobs like socks, Bryant was there for the whole ride with one of the greatest franchises ever.

So as the Mamba laces up for the final time like him or hate him, cheer him or boo him, but you damn well better respect him because you will miss him when he is gone that is for sure. There will never be another Kobe Bryant, and what a ride it has been.

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