I still remember it, like yesterday. You all probably do too; final season of Kobe's rookie contract. Dr. Buss giving him the Bush-to-Obama treatment, reminiscent of Obama's Time at the White House prior to Inaugeration Day.
And of course, who can forget Magic Johnson's role back then? Not easy to forget his *writing that instruction manual which Laura Bush certainly followed for eight seasons* within his display of Kobe-Kourting, from Dr. Buss' side.
Most vivid to me is this agonizing Hope, that he would not re-sign with the Lakers. Most every intelligent basketball fan had easily anticipated 'the horizon' for him and Shaq. Except for me.
I knew the jealousy, hate, and venom waiting for Kobe, should something go wrong even for one season.
I knew the jealousy, hate, and venom waiting for Kobe, should something go wrong even for one season.
But, oh yes, Kobe broke my sports-heart! He looked at all of the Jordan comparisons, the Jordan gauges, the infamous Jordan Rules (LeBron? Crabbin'?), the Jordan measuring sticks which he had passed at that point in his career:
He looked at the script. The script, which was set. A script, which could not unfurl alongside a great giant, soaking up all deserving-props which sometimes deserved blame for near-fatal losses. Especially any applicable free-throw-woes which Kobe's prowess was able to transcend into *a security blanket* for, at least, two Larry A. O'-trophies.
Oh yes, my big beautiful basketball buddied behemoths, that script was set for Kobe to move on, to another city. And take his rightful, anticipated course to surpass Jordan as GOAT.
But, Kobe ditched that scripted-path.
No detour. He ditched it, outright. Spit on it. Proudly, too.
While in full *tech-support* gear, with a big purple/gold cape flapping in the wind, featuring the words
TEAM-Players SACRIFICE LEGACIES, Pal!
airbrushed on his back. Beautiful sight, too. But only a dream now, Kobe fans, it's only a dream now. Darn it.
Excuse me, precocious-readers, its that darn *deductive reasoning* of mine flaring up on me again.
Such as, when I look around any basketball arena today.
And am forced to be cognizant of how the crowd looks alot different than the majority-Black players, out on the court entertaining us. My, my, my, how the NBA theme has changed from the inner-city one we came to love, since the '70s.
No more man-to-man defense like Jordan enjoyed, no more killa-crossovers, no more heated shows-of-emotion when in-battle, no more being insensitive to player's lack of Heart, and usually, no more droves of Black people in the arena seats...unless via some wealthy White-guy's philanthropy, of course.
No more man-to-man defense like Jordan enjoyed, no more killa-crossovers, no more heated shows-of-emotion when in-battle, no more being insensitive to player's lack of Heart, and usually, no more droves of Black people in the arena seats...unless via some wealthy White-guy's philanthropy, of course.
No doubt, that NBA crowd of today, looks about 90 percent like that young lady...in Vail, Colorado. The one, with who, Kobe committed a Black man's greatest scorn since The African Slave Trade;
a lusting, Caucasian, perky young woman, left in sexual-bliss, chaos, and mayhem.
Isn't it a nefarious shame? How, that Kobe-sin has caused the basketball world to dare try and put 'a player' above Kobe who has accomplished nothing comparable to Kobe?
And that is, truly it, in a nuttshell.
Although, I refuse to stop here. You don't want me to.
Some of you all's neglected and battered 'Kobe-Konscience' is being brought full circle here, and it begs me to continue on folks (smile)!
Reminding any putrid conscience still punishing Kobe for "that sin" which causes us mere basketball mortals, to forget about his legacy-damning choice to go riding in the backseat for The Laker's brass and Shaq's legacy.
Reminding any putrid conscience still punishing Kobe for "that sin" which causes us mere basketball mortals, to forget about his legacy-damning choice to go riding in the backseat for The Laker's brass and Shaq's legacy.
Fortunately, Kobe fooled multi-millions of folk who didn't think of the other side of that coin, for coming full-circle.
I mean, who knew?
That, en route to one of those championships, he would go "world-class performance" to save The Shaq-less Lakers vs. The Trailblazers? It's realities such as this, which make it mindboggling, the great lengths some people will go to disrespect their knowledge of NBA basketball.
For instance, when folk ignore glaring reality, it causes some People to defend LeBron's playoff failures by saying, "Wait until he gets some help!
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