Why Kobe Bryant's 48-Point Outburst Proves Critics Need to Shut Up

Kobe Bryant had 48 points on Tuesday night in a win against the Phoenix Suns.

Hitting 18-of-31 shots from the field, Bryant stuffed the stat sheet with five rebounds, three assists, three steals and converted on 12-of-13 shots from the foul line.

Suddenly, the criticisms of his game have gone by the wayside.

Incredibly, the concern of him playing through his wrist injury is no longer a focal point of conversation.

Where did all the naysayers go?

Steve Nash offered his opinion on Bryant and his play this season following Tuesday's loss.

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"He's the best player in the world," Nash said when it was over.

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When Bryant took the podium to talk to the media after the game, he had a simple, not so subtle message to those in attendance.

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"Not bad for the seventh-best player in the league."

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During the (extended) offseason, ESPN did a project entitled "NBA Rank" and counted down the top 500 players in the league as determined by a panel of voters.

Bryant clearly took notice of his ridiculous ranking.

One of the best elements about Bryant is that he will use anything for motivation.

He made the remark with a smile on his face and chuckled shortly after the words trickled from his mouth, but there is no question that he was serious.

Here are the players who were ranked ahead of him in descending order to the top spot: Kevin Durant, Dirk Nowitzki, Chris Paul, Dwyane Wade, Dwight Howard and LeBron James.

Bryant wasn't the only person who had at least a mild issue with where he was ranked, but to think for a single second he's concerned with what others think of him would be foolish.

He doesn't play the game to prove anything to anybody except for himself, and winning is the only thing that piques his interest at the end of the day.

When Bryant was struggling with his shot earlier this season, almost everybody was desperate to pick apart the problems in his game and prescribe their best solution.

Overwhelming overtures came in the form of having Bryant rest or for him to take fewer shots during the course of a game, but the five-time champion made it clear that he wasn't going to change how he plays.

""Look, I've played 15 years. I've won world championships. I've done all these things. And people still want to talk about this stupid-a** [stuff]?"

"I may shoot 27 times. I may shoot 20 times. Nobody complains when I shoot 10 times. You don't hear ME complaining when I shoot 10 times. It just depends on the game, you know?"

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These comments were made partially in response to the consistent criticism following back-to-back poor shooting performances against the Denver Nuggets.

Bryant shot just 12-of-46 over those two games and had the two lowest-scoring outputs he has had thus far in the season.

Many were quick to wonder about just how effective Bryant could be with his torn ligament, but they didn't have to wait long for an answer.

This is what makes Bryant such a great player and competitor. His ability to make adjustments.

He's done it consistently throughout his career, and this season is no different.

Since those two games, Bryant has gone on a barrage.

He's scored 30 points or more in four of his last five games, and the only one he fell short in, he registered 26 points.

The Lakers' record over that span? A crisp 4-1, with the only loss coming to a very talented Trail Blazers team in Portland.

He's 69-of-134 (51.5 percent) from the field and has averaged a whopping 36.0 points per game.

So where has all the criticism gone since Bryant has made the adjustments to playing with his wrist injury?

Was Bryant, who is playing through an injury which most people would struggle to cope with on a daily basis, not allowed to go through an adjustment period with his latest injury?

For Bryant, it never even mattered.

He's quieting people down with his play, and that's always how he's gotten his message across most effectively.