Great Debate Put To Rest: It's Kobe Bryant

Its funny, but when I first heard the quote that Jerry West made about why LeBron is better than Kobe, I had to smirk.

The Logo, in saying that LeBron eeked every ounce of talent out of the Cavs roster, almost implied that it would be hard to imagine how Kobe could've carried a team as untalented as the Cavs collective roster any better than LeBron did.

The reason I smirked is because it was the same rationale I used to justify LeBron getting the MVP over the rightful regular-season runner-up, Dwyane Wade. I argued to myself that LeBron could've carried Miami's sorry roster to a fifth seed, but it would be hard to imagine Wade filling Lebron's shoes in Cleveland.

I have to say, though, that something is getting on my nerves.

Its the emphasis on the word "closer" that I've been hearing in conjunction with Kobe Bryant's name.

Okay, so Kobe is the best finisher in the game—according to the media.

I can understand why the media likes to make a big deal about individual status in the NBA. After all, it is an individual-driven league isn't it?

No! It's not.

Kobe was able to lead the Lakers out of Denver in last night's game because he trusted his teammates first and everything else followed like dominoes.

Meanwhile, LeBron showcased himself as the end all and be-all of the Cavs and they lost in humiliating fashion to the Magic in the last game of the series after sweeping their first two playoff opponents (in blowouts, mind you) and boasting the NBA's best record in the regular season.

If I've heard in the past that one star didn't have anything around him, it was when Kobe was asking to be traded and buying into all the stupidity that the media was trying to feed its fans.

At some point, Kobe matured to realize that as much as the media would like to make the NBA a one-man game, championships are won through a full team effort.

LeBron will eventually mature into this realization also.

And as much as LeBron's defenders will argue about his assist total, it doesn't change the fact that LeBron made himself the sole focus of the Cavs and that made their season-long dominance crumble at the slightest crack of danger.

So who is the best player right now in the NBA?

No doubt, it's LeBron.

But who is the best team player in the NBA?

He just proved it in the playoffs and he will ultimately prove it in the finals.

It's Kobe.

But then again, who cares? At the end of the day, its all just a fun little head game concocted by the NBA's brainpower to garner more interest in a league that has used star power as its marketing foundation since the dawn of David Stern.

Having said that, the only good that has come out of this ridiculous debate about which boy gets more vitamins (which reminds me—I hate you, Stu Scott!) are those awesome puppet commercials.

But even that took a team effort!