Kobe Bryant: The Best Player in the NBA Today

You've heard the comparisons with NBA greats of yesteryear. You've seen the four NBA titles that he has won during his career, and you've probably seen the amazing plays he has made on the court and how he has stifled his opponents in his 13 years of professional service in the league.

The man I am talking about is none other than Kobe Bean Bryant.

Some say he is one of the best basketball players ever. I would have to agree for a few different reasons.

First of all, the man always can find a way to create his own shot. He can also rebound well, especially for a shooting guard, and he also has always been an exceptional free-throw shooter.

It's hard to find all three of these qualities in just any basketball player. Most have one of these, some have two, but only the great ones possess all three assets of their game. Kobe Bryant is indeed one of them.

Others who fit in this category from the more modern era include the great Michael Jordan and LeBron James.

Some could argue that James should have the title as the best player playing right now in the NBA. He has all the intangibles, sure, but he doesn't have the rings to back this up.

Another quality that I failed to mention above, but is equally as important as the other ones, if not more important, is the ability to be clutch. You know, the ones who thrive under pressure instead of plummet. The ones who swim instead of sink. 

Kobe Bryant is a great example of a clutch player.

There have been countless shots that Bryant has taken at or near the end of high-pressure games, where he has made the shot and jogged back to the other end as if it was a routine practice shot during warm-ups.

This is the kind of ability that separates the good ones from the great ones.

LeBron has had this at times, but at other times, he has been invisible. Being clutch is not something that is teachable or coach-able; either a player has it or he doesn't.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar had it. Larry Bird had it. Magic Johnson had it. Michael Jordan had it.

And now, Kobe has it.

Whether it’s his 81-point game, his electrifying dunks, his pull-up jumpers, or even his ball-hawking defense, Bryant has it all, and he can come at you with any of this on any given night.

That is what makes him great, that is what makes him the best there is to offer right now.