Kobe Bryant's Killer Instinct

There may be no better finisher in the NBA than Lakers guard Kobe Bryant.  Outside of Cleveland’s LeBron James, Bryant is the best fourth quarter player in the league.  As a game comes to a close, there’s no question you want the ball in his hands—unless of course you’re playing against him.

Yet, Bryant made possibly his best case for an MVP in a game in which he did not attempt a single fourth quarter shot.  No rebounds, no assists, no steals.

In fact Bryant didn’t play a single minute in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s win against Seattle.   But this was an example of the leadership he shows on a nightly basis.
 

With just over four minutes to go in the third quarter the Lakers led by 31, with Bryant and Sonics guard Mickael Gelabale fighting for a rebound.  Gelabale won the struggle and secured the ball, but Bryant believed he had been fouled.

After not getting a call, Bryant let referee Brian Forte—son of veteran NBA ref Joe Forte—hear about it.  With the Sonics setting up their offense at the other end, Forte popped Bryant with a technical foul.
 

As Sonics forward Kevin Durant took his place at the line, Bryant chased Forte down the court.  Head tilted, body language making obvious his anger and frustration, Bryant told the young referee exactly how he felt.

Forte acted correctly and walked away from the irate superstar.  He looked away from Kobe and let him talk.  And then he let him walk.
 

Forte issued Bryant his second technical and ejected him from the game—Bryant’s first ejection of the season.  To a chorus of boos and laughter from the Key Arena fans, Bryant continued to jaw at Forte as he exited the floor.

The Lakers were comfortably ahead in a game they would easily win—for their 11th straight victory —and Bryant was unusually upset about this simple no-call.
 

The fact that a player of Bryant’s level would get ejected from a game says a lot about the league.  The world perceives these players as prima donnas and the referees are not going to let themselves be shown up.

On the other hand, Bryant allowed himself to be taken over by emotion in a blowout game against a weak opponent in February.  So much for the NBA regular season being meaningless.
 

What happened on Sunday night was much more than a simple loss of temper.  He sent a message to his team that every play, in every game, from here on out, is important.  

The Lakers, as well as eight other Western Conference teams, are at once fighting for the No. 1 seed in the standings, and their playoff lives.  With nine teams bunched within six games of each other, a single loss of concentration could take the top team to the bottom in a matter of days.
 

Bryant has made it clear that he has no intention of letting his concentration lapse.  The Lakers are ahead in the West right now, but not comfortably.  They currently hold a half-game lead over the San Antonio Spurs with 26 games remaining.  

If Bryant didn’t think Sunday’s game was ensured, with a 31-point lead against the Sonics with 16 minutes to go, he must have a hard time sleeping with the Lakers merely clinging to the top spot in the conference.
 

Bryant may not have reacted the way he did had the game been close, or at home, or against one of the league’s premier teams.  But he certainly wasn’t going to let his voice go unheard.  

With a sprint to the finish sure to make the next six weeks the most exciting regular season basketball we’ve seen in years, Kobe Bryant and the L.A. Lakers are not going to rest on their laurels.  

Kobe Bryant wants to win, and he’s going to let you hear about it.