Kobe Bryant: Sorry, NBA Fans, Kobe's the Last of the Great Ones

The only thing more dissatisfying than realizing that there are no more stairs to climb is realizing that your thirst is left to be quenched by a thimble-sized amount of water remaining in the refrigerator.

The NBA is left with malfunctioning replicas, if that, of players that we have had the pleasure of seeing in the past. Drinking at the bar during the playoffs has purely become a mechanism of dealing with the lackadaisical efforts we are subjected to by the so-called superstars of our time.

Kevin Durant scores massive numbers when he gets the strength and soul of a lion, but when that is not there, we see just another professional basketball player. What are we truly praising? When a man or woman makes it to the professional leagues they are supposed to be above and beyond the general population as far as hardwood talent is concerned, at least to some pedigree.

We have already seen the height of the game; if and when it may return is slowly becoming a distant dream wrapped up in deferment and faulty thrones.

LeBron James is not the only man claiming a false position in the league. He is just the one that fans and the media have collectively decided to hinder mentally.

Considering the weight of his own subconscious reminds him of his failures, to say that a man must be strong enough to take on the weight of the world is unfair. Sure, life is not guaranteed to walk you hand-in-hand, but there is also no binding contract that you sign when you are born saying that you must behave even when subjected to the foulest of language and behavior from people that you once considered fans.

James is at a crossroads in his career and the stakes are pointing in two different directions: Now or never. Even if he wins a championship now, who really believes that he will be put in the same conversation as a Michael Jordan or Larry Bird?

No one will ever give him that much credit because of three simple things: The league is much softer, much more diluted and more stacked in certain areas than it was when the greatest basketball was played.

Kobe Bryant may be the last king standing on a rare throne.

There may be men in the league that played back when basketball was not primarily infiltrated with super teams and stockpiled with mediocre players being paid Michael Jordan salaries. However, Bryant is the last of the men who truly strikes fear in the hearts of opponents and their home crowds.

Who else could you point to? Jason Kidd? Kidd just won his first championship last season and it will probably be his last. Not to place too many doubts upon the veteran point guard's head, but how many more do you think his withering joints can withstand?

His game consists of him keeping up when his opposition continues to fly up and down the court. There is no magical Space Jam juice that can keep the age from seeping out of the locker room and dwelling in the widening gaps of his game.

It is a harsh reality that basketball players must deal with when signing up to play out their dreams for billionaires who could care less if they last a decade or if their knees blow out in the first season.

We must face it.

Our days of being wowed are not just numbered.

They are long gone.

Seriously, how many Top 10 NBA plays have you seen on SportsCenter that have truly shocked and amazed you?