Media Portrayals of Kobe Bean Bryant

Let’s say, I wanted to know which fighter jet had better steering and control between an F-15 and a MIG-23. Whom do I go to for answers? I would go straight to the most logical place for information – to an actual pilot who has flown the fighter jets before. I would certainly trust that source more than I would some third person commentator who has only watched the two planes from the ground.

Along the same vein, suppose I wish to gain an accurate understanding of Kobe Bryant’s basketball ability. Whom should I go to for answers? I would want to ask for the opinions of current or former NBA players and coaches, especially those who have played or coached with or against Kobe Bryant. Those people certainly would know more about Kobe Bryant’s game than a journalist without an NBA pedigree would.

The near consensus among current NBA players is that Kobe Bryant is playing basketball at a level higher than anyone else right now.

Shaquille O’neal said so himself before facing Kobe Bean at US Airways in February. Lebron James (whom certain media writers with no NBA pedigree, including Kelly Dwyer of Yahoo! Sports and John Hollinger of ESPN, argue is already better than Kobe) said “KB24 is the best player in the world,” during an interview before the Christmas game last year on ABC. He then repeated himself before the Lakers and Cavaliers faced off in January.

Kevin Durant quipped, “That’s why [Kobe] is the best in the world” after the Lakers escaped Key Arena with a win. Stephon Marbury has gotten on record echoing the same sentiment. Others that have shown appreciation Kobe’s skill level that I can name right off the top of my head include Amare Stoudemire, Chris Bosh, and Gilbert Arenas.

What about current coaches? Mike D’Antoni of the Phoenix Suns has gone on record saying that everyone knows that Kobe is the best in the game. Avery Johnson and Gregg Popovich shared the same vision.

What about former players and coaches? Charles Barkley, Reggie Miller, Fred Carter, Hubie Brown, Bill Walton, Eddie Johnson, and Mark Jackson are among the many who have said publicly that Kobe Bryant is the best in the league today. There is nary a whisper from the same crowd regarding Lebron James being the best today. 

And yet, the media landscape is rife with negative portrayals of Kobe Bean Bryant. Even at the heights of his basketball career, there are those who seek to denigrate his success. These are people who seek to have the public hark back to his selfish days and to his past mistakes. Among the same media landscape, there is nary a whisper against Lebron James and Shaquille O’neal.

There is a reason for this.

Lebron James and Shaquille O’neal are very likeable personalities. They make you laugh. We can sympathize with O’neal’s sitting through injuries and being overweight a lot easier, than we can with KB24’s 5AM workouts and 10 day breaks between NBA seasons.

Who doesn’t love Lebron James? Remember his dance off with Shaq during the 2006 All-Star weekend? They are definitely our heroes and icons in the sphere of professional sports. We can sympathize with O’neal’s divorce and Lebron’s two children born out of wedlock much easier, than with Kobe’s seven year marriage and his public affirmation on Stephen A. Smith’s Quite Frankly talk show that it was Jesus Christ who carried his cross and allowed him to redeem himself with his once broken family following the Colorado incident.

Beat writers and fans are human, and have their own, subjective opinions on players. I am not asking anyone to change their personal opinions, just as I do not look for people to challenge mine, that Kobe Bean is a completely transformed person since the Colorado incident, that the once the cocky, arrogant and aloof world conqueror is now the humbled, genuine and appreciative role model that he is. 

However, when evaluating something objective such as a player’s achievements and basketball ability, we should not let our emotions get in the way. A MIG-23 does have a smaller turning radius than the F-15, and just because I am an American and strongly believe in the absolute evils of the socialist regime that MIG-23’s have represented, I am not free to deny the fact that, from a purely aeronautical perspective, a MIG-23 has a smaller turning radius than the F-15. I am also free, mind you, to point out that we have a new model, the F-22, which outperforms both. So long as I am not distorting the truth.

Now, back to Kobe Bean Bryant.  Primary sources, which are current and former players, coaches, and GM’s, are nearly universal to confirm that he is the best player in the world today.  We shouldn’t go to secondary sources – commentators – to assuage any personal riffs we may have with the truth.