NBA Playoffs 2011: Kobe Bryant's Monster Dunks Symbolic in Big Game 5 Win

There was no way Kobe Bryant would sit this one out. No chance in hell.

What could keep this extraordinary player off the court? A heart attack? A freak accident where his leg gets cut off by a buzzsaw? It seems like even those gruesome situations would not keep this monster off the court.

That's exactly what he is.

A monster.

He is otherworldly.

The media keeps raving about Kevin Durant, Chris Paul, Derrick Rose and LeBron James, but Kobe Bryant did something Tuesday night that none of those players have ever done. He played with a sprained ankle in his mid-30s. Forget just playing. No, no. Playing wouldn't be enough.

Not only did he play, but he added two monstrous dunks that made one think if his ankle was really sprained.

It's sprained all right. But his heart and desire to win is never sprained or damaged. In fact, his desire to win grows in times of crisis. He elevates his game when faced with adversity. He makes Dos Equis' Most Interesting Man in the World seem like a mere child with his legendary acts on the court.

Those two dunks by Kobe Bryant were very significant. Kobe's not going away just yet.

No, sir.

In Kobe's mind, it doesn't matter what anybody says. It doesn't matter that Derrick Rose will win the MVP. It doesn't matter that LeBron James is considered the best in the game right now from pundits. In his mind, he's still the man. And until he hangs up his shoes, he will always be the man.

Those dunks made him look like a 22-year-old. It's true that his body is banged up. But one thing that is youthful and exuberant is his will to win. And it doesn't matter how old his body is when he has that kind of desire and passion for the game.

He plays the game like he's never won a championship, like he's out there to prove to his coach that he's worthy enough to crack the starting five of a team. We have not seen such passion for the game since Jordan played.

His first dunk came when the Lakers were down 44-40. After that, the Lakers stepped up with second-chance points. Everybody played hard until the end. It might've just deflated the Hornets and invigorated the Lakers simultaneously.

It's different when Shannon Brown does something like that. Sure it gets the crowd riled up and the team pumped up, but it's expected from him. We don't see high-flying acts from Kobe anymore. We don't see it when his ankle is healthy, let alone sprained. Maybe he just saves it for big moments like these to juice up the team with emotion.

The way the dunks motivated the team may be equivalent to the way Kobe's postgame shootaround in Miami did. After that night in Miami, the Lakers went on a long stretch of winning. One can argue all they want, but it's moments like these that make Kobe an unbelievable leader. He leads by example whether its playing and dunking like he's 22 with a sprained ankle or tirelessly working at midnight in Miami after an emotional game.

Those two dunks were only worth four points at face value, but it lifted the team. How can Pau Gasol have an excuse to not be physical in the paint when a guy with a sprained ankle is displaying a high-flying act in pain? How can anybody on the team take a second off in these playoffs when Kobe is laying his guts out for the team?

They can't. And Kobe hopes the focus from the rest of the team stays there for the next two months.