2010 NBA Champions: In Victory, Kobe Shows True Colors (and They Aren't Pretty)

Congratulations to the Los Angeles Lakers on winning the NBA Championship.  It was a hard-fought and well-deserved victory.

It's just too bad that part of the story is overshadowed by the Kobe Bryant factor.

How does this impact Kobe's legacy?  Is he the greatest Laker of all-time?  Is he one of the all-time best players?  Is he in the conversation with Michael Jordan for greatest ever?

It seems like those questions are more interesting to the press than actually analyzing why the Lakers won. 

It wasn't because of Kobe's shooting (6-for-24) in Game 7.  It wasn't because of Kobe's shooting throughout the series (.405 FG%).  It was because, top to bottom, the Lakers were a slightly better team than the Celtics.

Who cares about that though, this is Kobe's day.

Right?

And true to form, Kobe has embraced the "all about me" approach.

He's all too happy to take a dig at Shaq, announcing how he now has one more title than the big man (never mind the fact that Kobe should be sending "thank you" notes to Shaq for the first three titles they won together).

He's thrilled to announce how he is now on par with Magic Johnson.

ESPN anlyast and Washington Post columnist Michael Wilbon stated recently that it is only the people who are 35 and under that think Kobe is in the conversation of being the greatest ever.

He's dead on. 

Kobe is a great talent.  Nobody is denying that, but he is also one of most fortunate players ever.  David "Skywalker" Thompson never had the kind of talent Kobe has had around him.  George "Iceman" Gervin never had a guy like Shaq or even a front line like Andrew Bynum, Pau Gasol and Ron Artest

The list of great players who never had Kobe's teammates is a long one.

So Lakers fans, the time has come to celebrate.  You and your team have earned it. You'll pardon me, though, if I don't bow down to the great myth of Kobe's legacy.