Kobe Bryant: Just Win Baby!

Imma be on the next level.  Imma be rockin’ over that bass treble.  Imma be chillin with my mutha mutha crew.  Imma be makin all them deals you wanna do.  -Black Eyed Peas

Public Service Announcement:  Ok, here we go!  Say what you want about Kobe Bean Bryant, Lord knows I do.  But let’s, just for a minute, put our personal feelings aside.  Let’s, just for a minute, give the Mamba the unconditional respect he deserves.  Let’s, just for a minute, be like Fatboy Slim.  Let’s celebrate Kobe Bryant.  Let’s praise him like we should.         

There has never been another player quite like Kobe.  No matter what this cat does, no matter how many points this cat scores, no matter how many champioships this cat wins,  he is held at bay. At Jason Bay. Nobody wants to fully embrace this cat, not even some Lakers’ fans themselves.  Like Jake LaMotta always says, “No matter how big I get, no matter who I fight, no matter what I do, I ain’t never gonna fight Joe Louis.”

Kobe ain’t never gonna fight Joe Louis.  No matter what he does, he will not be compared to Michael Jordan.  Even now, folks hesitate to compare him to LeBron James.  Even amongst LA diehards the debate rages on.  When he broke Jerry West’s scoring record, Dancing Barrys everywhere refused to admit Kobe was the greatest Laker ever.  Magic Johnson?  Fuggettaboutit!

But why?  All this cat has ever done is win.  Isn’t that what this whole thing is about.  Winning?  Red Auerbach said, “Show me a good loser and I’ll show you a loser.”  Vince Lombardi said, “If winning isn’t everything, why do they keep score?”  Heck, Pat Riley himself said, “There’s no such thing as coulda, shoulda, or woulda.  If you shoulda and coulda, you woulda done it.”  Kobe done it.

With or without Shaq Daddy he’s won championships.  Without Shaq Daddy, he’ll probably win some more. Last night, without Shaq Daddy, Kobe’s 29 points led the Lakers to a 124-121 victory over the Warriors in Oakland.  Hooray Kobe!  Big deal you say?  Who cares you say?  I say that was the 670th regular-season victory in which Kobe has played.  I say that matches the total number of wins in which Magic Johnson played.  That’s right.  Magic Johnson, America’s darling. I also say those 670 wins are the second highest in team history behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.  So let’s now, just for a minute, give it up to Kobe Bryant.  Just win baby!

Public Spectacle:

Peace out homies.  Six two and Even!

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