Kobe Bryant, LA Lakers Win NBA Finals Game Five Depsite Best Efforts

The Los Angeles Lakers came away with the win Sunday night at the Staples Center, but I couldn't help identifying with the Boston Celtics in their defeat. I, and basketball fans everywhere, also lost because of Kobe Bryant's continued descent into selfish madness. 

Write me off as a "Kobe Hater" if you must, but I've actually been a "Kobe Apologist". "I don't care about his off-court behavior, the guy is amazing on the court," "He may be a horrible teammate, but he backs it up with his play."

Those were lines rattling around my head concerning Kobe in the past.  Now, a Google search of my brain for the Mamba reveals lines like, "They say he's a smart player, but where's the evidence?"

With the rock in his hands, he can beat you a number of ways. He's creative, smooth, and deadly. Basically, he's an LIT. Without the ball? He's an ice cube in an empty glass.

Watch him for a possession or, better yet, the entire fourth quarter of Game Five. If he doesn't essentially pick Derek Fisher's pocket at mid-court, he's standing in the corner and melting.  In Kobe's lexicon, the word "cut" is reserved only for his set of newest commercial.

Even with this glaring weakness, he's still one of the most feared offensive weapons in the league, and one of the most complete players in the world. That, however, is only when he's "on".

Sunday night, Kobe was more turned off than Brad Pitt after Angelina's latest "scouting trip" to Africa. And, that in turn turns basketball fans off as well. 

Kobe's not a player who can accept an off night and still make an impact. Call him the bizarro James Posey. (Incidentally, that's probably the first time the name can be construed as an insult). Call up the final two minutes of the fourth quarter on your Tivo, and there's Kobe, running the hero offense despite being dreadful since the end of the opening period.

If you don't need the hero offense breakdown, feel free to skip ahead, otherwise here's the recipe. Take superstar player and add a ball. Bake for 23 seconds. Be sure not to add any four teammates. And, voila—a 17-foot contested fade-away!

Kobe may have the most adverse affects from growing up in the MJ era. He's seen jumpers over Ehlo and Russel too many times, and now believes that's how an NBA game must be won. 

We all saw the gorgeous flick pass to Lamar Odom earlier in the fourth quarter, right? Why is it sufficient to dazzle fans with teamwork for 45 minutes, but not good enough to do so in crunch time?

I, for one, will think Kobe a better player when he finishes with 15 points on 12 shots and 10 assists, the last being to set-up a game winning lay-up, rather than his line from Game Five, which looks impressive unless you watched the game. 

Basketball fans watched, and we were not impressed.