5 Reasons Why This Will Be Kobe Bryant's Best Playoff Run

What constitutes a great Kobe run?

For one, he has to win a title. This one is obvious. If he does this, then it's definitely going to be a memorable run.

But how do you differentiate between the five rings that he has won and the sixth he could win this year?

Well, the more of a leader he is on the Lakers, the more significant the championship becomes. For instance, his last two titles probably meant a little more for him because of the fact that he wasn't playing second fiddle to Shaquille O'Neal.

Finally, what makes a championship run the cream of the crop is the challenges a team must overcome to accomplish their ultimate goal.

This year's unique set of tasks that the Lakers have faced has been cumbersome and unprecedented. A championship this year would definitely make it Kobe's best playoff run.

Here are five reasons why. 

His Age

Much has been made about Kobe Bryant's age this season. Everyone is talking about how he is over the hill and entering the twilight of his career.

All he has done this season is prove everybody wrong this season.

If Kobe Bryant wins his sixth ring, there is no doubt that this year's would be the most special just because of the fact that he did it at the age of 33.

Kobe has been doubted before, but this time it's his body working against him. It's not like the critics didn't have a legitimate gripe about Kobe.

He is getting old and his body is banged up, so the notion of him winning a ring in that condition makes it an unbelievable accomplishment. 

Relatively New Supporting Cast

Sure the core of Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol remains intact, but Kobe Bryant is going to be winning this year's title with a bunch of new names, making it the third group of guys that he's won a ring with.

Guys like Matt Barnes, Devin Ebanks, Jordan Hill, Ramon Sessions, Troy Murphy, Josh McRoberts and Steve Blake are all new faces on the Lakers roster and have a grand total of zero rings.

If Kobe wins with these men, it'll show his prowess and dominance on the court once again. It'll exemplify the notion that he can win with anyone on his team. 

Overcame Numerous Distractions

Every Lakers season has its own share of distractions, but this year it was elevated to a new level.

Kobe Bryant divorced his wife before the season. There were rampant trade rumors surrounding Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol that were deterring team chemistry throughout the season. The Lakers had a new coach and a bunch of new faces. There was the whole Lamar Odom saga and the nixed Chris Paul trade.

There were criticisms toward coach Mike Brown regarding his ability to coach the Lakers. Then there was Metta World Peace's cheap shot on James Harden and Jordan Hill's off-court problems. The Lakers also had to say goodbye to Derek Fisher.

Finally, there was the condensed schedule, which Kobe's body took a beating from and he missed a good portion of the end of the regular season. There was the time he wore a mask because of an injury he received from Dwyane Wade during the All-Star Game.

None of these things stopped the Lakers from succeeding this season. In fact, it made them stronger as a team going forward. 

So imagine the Lakers win a title under these circumstances.

It would just be superb for Kobe's legacy. 

No More Phil Jackson or Derek Fisher

When Kobe Bryant won his fourth ring in 2009, it silenced critics that said Kobe couldn't win without Shaquille O'Neal.

If Kobe wins a ring this year, it'll silence even more critics. People who say that Bryant only has five rings because he was coached by Phil Jackson will have nothing to say any more. 

But more importantly, it'll show Kobe's growth as a player. There was a time where he would get into quarrels with his coach Phil Jackson. Some might've thought that Mike Brown wasn't strong enough a leader to be able to contain Kobe, who is egotistical to some extent.

However, a title this year will show that Kobe was able to lead this team off the court. There were numerous occasions where Bryant has been pretty much coaching the team.

He didn't have this flexibility with Jackson, but as the season has commenced, Brown has allowed Kobe to run the show, and it's been a fruitful success.

Finally, Kobe's superior leadership is further demonstrated by the fact that Derek Fisher is no longer on the team. He was the true leader of the team back when he was a Laker. He's gone now and he was the one person that was able to confront Kobe in the locker room.

A championship will show that Kobe doesn't need anyone to confront him anymore; that he's self-controlled. 

Underdogs for the First Time

For the first time, the Lakers were underdogs this season. Everyone had a strong belief that the Oklahoma City Thunder, Chicago Bulls or Miami Heat were going to win it all. 

The Lakers are considered a dark horse by many and they're feeding off it. Maybe they're sick of being the favorites. Perhaps it's time they want to show that they're going to prove the whole nation wrong and get past everyone.

If the Lakers were to win the title this year, it would be Kobe's greatest run because of the fact that they were not even close to being a contender at the start of the season. People were calling the Los Angeles Clippers the superior basketball team in the Southland.

But here we are once again looking at the Lakers as a team that can very well win it all. They've looked great in their first two wins over the Denver Nuggets. It's a long road ahead of them, but so far, all is well in Laker Land.