NBA: What Makes Kobe Bryant's Legacy Any Better Than LeBron James'?

There have been two words floating around the NBA this entire offseason—loyalty and winning.

Many people believe LeBron James has shown no loyalty to his hometown of Cleveland, and frankly, I have to agree with them.

While he had every right to leave through free agency, the way he did so was disrespectful and, well, pretty cruel. I think the images of the burning jerseys shows what regard the Cleveland natives hold him in now.

But what I don't get is the number of people who say he will forever be overshadowed by the likes of Larry Bird, Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, and Kobe Bryant.

Wait, what? Kobe Bryant? Let me take you back to the offseason of 2007, when Kobe Bryant was demanding a trade from the Lakers. 

Let me refresh your memory, with a few paragraphs from an article on ESPN.com from 2007.

"When you love something as much as I love the Lakers its [sic] hard to even imagine thinking about being elsewhere," the message on his Web site, kb24.com, read. "But, the ONE THING I will never sacrifice when it comes to basketball is WINNING."

The two-time scoring champion also wrote: "The more I thought about the future, the more I became convinced that the Lakers and me just have two different visions for the future."

The 28 year-old, nine-time All-Star has four years left on his contract, but can terminate it following the 2008-09 season.

Bryant last month voiced frustration at Lakers management and publicly requested he be traded after the team was eliminated by Phoenix in the first round of the playoffs.

Would it then be safe to assume, that if Kobe Bryant were a free agent during the 2007 offseason, he would have signed elsewhere?

Of course, history shows us that Memphis was stupid enough to trade Pau for scraps. So, Kobe got his running mate, and won back-to-back titles. And since then, everyone seemed to have forgotten about his little tantrum during that offseason.

Well, except me.

I'll admit, however, that I too had forgotten about Kobe's trade demands. Until, one day, when having a conversation with a friend, he said, "LeBron has ruined his legacy by deciding wins outweigh loyalty."

Scroll back up to the article. Now reread the first paragraph.

So, Kobe is going through some tough times with his team. His response? He wants out. Is this truly the same legacy that the likes of Magic, Larry, and MJ left? That when the going gets tough, I want to be traded?

LeBron leaving Cleveland was obviously a tough decision, but he put wins above loyalty and left during free agency, which he was free to do. Kobe wanted to win, so he publicly requested to be traded. 

The difference? LeBron left, and the Lakers didn't trade Kobe.

But, given the chance, I truly believe that Kobe would have left. The fact that he remains a Laker doesn't take away from the fact that, three years ago, he wanted out—something that Magic, Larry, and MJ never even considered.

I can't blame him. I mean, I would want to leave the franchise that I won three rings with just because my team got eliminated in the first round of the playoffs. That would cheese me right off. I would demand a trade straight away.

Publicly, of course.

What I can't comprehend would be leaving the franchise I was with for seven years, winning no ring, to join a team where I would place myself in the best opportunity to compete.

Kobe and LeBron better like sharing, because in my eyes, they are in the same boat when it comes to being in the shadows of the greats.