Pivot Points: For Kobe, Numbers Paint A Picture, History Tells The Story

Kobe Bryant has found himself caught in the midst of a battle that he has no chance at all of winning. For some reason or another, scores of fans, pundits, and average people have held an obsession with taking an aspect of Bryant's game and going to extraordinary lengths to prove that it's not valid.

For instance, it's widely accepted as fact that Bryant is the closest player to Michael Jordan in terms of ability, yet there are people lined up with statistics in tow to show that Kobe doesn't belong in the same conversation with "His Airness."

Another point of contention among Kobe detractors is his reputation as a clutch player. It doesn't matter what your own eyes have seen, he simply can't be a clutch player because the numbers speak to the contrary.

Who cares that a poll encompassing the majority of the NBA says that Bryant is the player that they would prefer taking the final shot in a game, the numbers say he's more likely to miss the attempt than to make it.

Numbers are great to prove a point or make your case in an argument, but they are also useful for something else, proving greatness.

I could throw out some numbers that are much more telling about Bryant's career and I don't need to spend countless hours of research to do it.

How about four championships, one MVP award, one Finals MVP award, multiple first team all-NBA awards, multiple first team all-defense awards, and an 81-point game that just happens to be the second highest scoring total in the history of the NBA.

I'm sure that I can recite those statistics faster than you can make your argument for why Kobe isn't clutch, or why he doesn't compare to Jordan. In the end it's inconsequential anyway.

Which numbers do you think history will ultimately remember? The ones that decry Kobe's clutch status, or the ones that say he is poised to become the leading scorer in Los Angeles Lakers history, a franchise that has arguably seen the largest assortment of talent ever assembled.

In the end will people care that he shot for a lower percentage than Jordan, or that he is within shouting distance of matching Jordan in the number of championships won?

As an admirer of Kobe's abilities, I have found myself caught up in the endless back-and-forth bickering, trying to persuade other people to see what history will hold to be the truth.

About that, there is no room for argument because history will recognize Kobe Bean Bryant as one of the greatest players to ever dribble a basketball.

In all honesty, I have grown weary of defending a player that by all means has constructed a legacy that very much speaks for itself. What current players have accumulated the various accolades that Bryant has during the course of his career?

Bryant joins Tim Duncan and Shaquille O'Neal as the only superstars in the NBA to win four championships, and of the three Bryant looks to be the closest to championship number five.

There is nothing that people can say to denigrate that number, as it is the standard by which champions are judged, and you better believe that Kobe is a bona fide champion.

Of all the great players that came before him, names like Barkley, Stockton, Malone, and Ewing, none were able to reach the pinnacle of the NBA mountain and none, save Ewing, have had to endure the constant abuse and criticism that Bryant has.

For me, this will be my last article on the merits of a player whose game is above reproach. I no longer deem it necessary to defend a player whose on-court presence speaks for itself.

I will however, continue to write about the moments created by Bryant that are frozen in time. After all, I don't want to be like the countless others who will remain trapped in the grip of useless numbers while Kobe Bryant and NBA history passes them by.