5 Reasons Kobe Bryant's Arrogance Is Hurting Los Angeles Lakers

Kobe Bryant is one of the greatest players to play the game, but he's also one of the cockiest.

Three things closely associated with Kobe: his fadeaway jumper, his competitive spirit and his arrogant attitude. 

Many NBA players of the past will not hesitate to tell you that Michael Jordan was the cockiest player they ever played against. However, his overconfidence never overshadowed his game play as he was able to back it up throughout his whole career.

This is not to say that Kobe Bryant hasn't backed up his smack talk thus far. But I am getting at something here.

Kobe has allowed his ego to interfere with not only his game play, but the well-being of the entire franchise and his teammates.

His Obsession with a 6th Ring

It's no secret that Kobe Bryant wants his sixth ring more than anything, but does he want it for the right reasons?

Of course, Kobe wants to go down as one of, if not the best player to ever play the game and we all know rings solidify legacies more than anything else.

After Kobe passed Shaq on the all-time scoring list he stated that all he wanted was his sixth ring and "I'm not asking for too much."

The truth of the matter is that he firmly believes that. Many NBA players aren't fortunate enough to win just one championship in their long careers.

Yes, Kobe is one of the best players the NBA has ever seen, but he has also been given a lot of opportunities other players haven't, such as playing alongside both Shaquille O'Neal and Pau Gasol in their prime.

We already know Kobe is an extreme competitor, but his chase for his sixth ring is an individual one, not a team goal. That will ultimately be his downfall. 

Thinks Current Roster Is Good Enough to Win

Kobe has come out and said that he believe the Lakers' current roster is "good enough" to win another NBA championship.

However, the general consensus seems to be that change is needed in LA before the other LA team sporting red, white and blue unquestionably surpasses them.

That being said, the Lakers have more to worry about than their LA counterpart. Kobe does not have much time left in the league and I'm sure he doesn't want to spend his last few years losing.

Then again maybe he does, considering the fact that he swears this team can get it done. Again his arrogance is getting in the way of logical thinking and preventing him from realizing that as teams around the league get better and better, the Lakers' roster just gets older and older.

Won't Let Mike Brown Take Control

With a shortened NBA season people tend to forget the little things such as players and coaches missing out on the preseason.

In particular, Mike Brown took over a diminishing Lakers team that got swept last year in the playoffs and is getting older by the minute.

He has implemented both a new offense and new defensive tendencies for a Lakers team that isn't too familiar with change.

We are about halfway through the season and we have not seen Mike Brown take control of the situation he's been put in, and that is partly on Kobe's shoulders.

Phil Jackson was a big enough figure to run Kobe Bryant. Although Mike Brown had his time in the spotlight when coaching Lebron James in Cleveland, at the end of the day, he was in Cleveland, not LA.

Not only that, but Lebron James is not a student of the game like Kobe Bryant. I think it's safe to say that Kobe has the ability, mentality and love for the game to make a great coach down the road.

Kobe has always been one to play with something to prove whether it be getting a ring without Shaq or with a not as talented team. Now he is trying to prove that he can get one without Phil.

He must put his ego aside and let Mike Brown do what he was hired to do, because as of right now, he might as well be Bill Russel and be the team's best player and coach.

Refuses to Play 2nd Fiddle

Kobe has always refused to play second fiddle to anyone. Let's be honest, he and Shaq could have run off three more if they could have worked out their problems, but among other things, Kobe wanted it to be HIS team.

Pau Gasol is a quiet enough superstar who can go out and play his game without getting in the way of Kobe Bryant. I believe that's one of the reasons Kobe is such a fan of Gasol.

Even with the emergence of Bynum as one of the best centers in the league, Kobe is still the leading scorer in the NBA.

Even with the threat of two seven-footers who can basically score at will and punish the defense all game, Kobe still believes he must score 30 for his team to win.

At some point in Kobe's career he must learn how to play the sidekick, and the sooner the better.

The more the Lakers get the ball inside, the more they win. Pretty simple stuff. However, the decision on whether the bigs will get the ball ultimately lies in Kobe's hands.

He has always been a ball-dominant player, but as players age, their game must evolve. Kobe must learn to sacrifice some touches if he really wants to win that sixth ring.

Loves to Compete against Father Time

Father time is undefeated, that's the bottom line.

Kobe Bryant is 33 years old. He can no longer explode towards the rim the way we used to see him do when he had the mini fro.

He can no longer get the same elevation on his jump shot.

He can no longer stick with some of the quick and upcoming guards in the league today.

Kobe is not the one to help, but the truth of the matter is that he needs it. And when he gets it, he needs to accept it.

Michael Jordan made the mistake of not knowing when to pass the torch (His stint with the Wizards), and Kobe is in danger of making the same mistake.

I'm not saying he's going to retire and then come back like Mike, but he may waste the last few years of his career losing.

Father time is creeping up on Kobe Bryant slowly but surely, but there are things he can do to slow down the process. The first step is accepting that it is what it is.

Kobe has won a lot of games, but he won't win the matchup with Mr. Father Time himself.