So yesterday at ESPNzone, I was sitting biting my fist, fighting a hangover, too nervous to grab my coffee as I saw Kobe Bryant pull up from near the top of the key while wearing a Ray Allen poncho . As the shot sailed through the air, the flashbacks of 7 of 19 night with misses in the similar area seemed to dissipate. As the off balanced fade away, fell threw, the roof blew off. The three Celtic fans in the general area slumped in their seats and the cavalcade of high fives and "KOBE!" echoed. And at this moment, I realized we are all spoiled (Prince James can keep his witnesses). I have spent my life wathcing the two best players in the NBA in Jordan and Kobe. So famous they are purely known by one name throughout the world. Before I gush over Kobe, some perspective on Laker "Fan".
Where are the former Shaq backers? If you were a person that believed keeping Shaq over Kobe, back of the line. It was okay to disagree with the decision. I was pissed that they both couldn't work out their egos enough to continue a winning tradition. But at the end, Kobe was a Laker and Shaq was a Heat (that doesn't sound grammatically correct, forget these teams named after anything without a plural extention) There was decention among the ranks! Lakers fans hating Kobe, calling for his head and buttering up Shaq. These are the fans that must get in the back of the line. Acknowledge your long running mistake and then jump on the caboose, no way you are in the party car, but be grateful you are on the train. And this includes up getting on the train last year. Another group are those Laker "fans" who claim to be a fan but hate Kobe. I don't even know what to say to these people. How can like a team, claim to be a fan but hate their star player. This normal stems from the Shaq divorce but it has branched off to its own insanity. No room even in the luggage car for you.
Back to the man of the hour. LA fans are so spoiled because of Kobe. He continues to prove to be the most clutch player in the NBA and one of the best clutch shooter ever. But we expect this. When the Lakers had the ball with about 20 seconds left. I wasn't hoping for an open Artest, or even a streaking Bynum. Just get the ball to Kobe. One, two, three defenders, it doesn't matter. And I know I wasn't alone. These two past years, we are watching something special. We are watching Kobe seperate himself into myth as Jordan, Magic, West, and Bird has done before him. Pay attention this is the stuff of legends, the things you tell your children. The guys has already sealed a top three of all time placement and now he is fighting to be number one.
