In the basketball world it’s highly debated if Kobe Bryant can ever be considered as good as Michael Jordan, who is currently considered the greatest of all time.
There are many athletes in this world, who are extremely talented at their profession but appear to lack the drive and will to succeed at all costs. Then, you have athletes like Kobe Bryant, who rise off of self-ambition and even the smallest slights will alone drive them to achieve perfection. Kobe Bryant knows that ESPN ranked him at number seven on this season’s Top 100 players list. He knows that people are saying he’s too old, lost a step, and that the likes of Kevin Durant, LeBron James, and Derrick Rose have eclipsed him in terms of fan respect and who their favorite players are. But that’s what drives Kobe, and that’s why this season he is averaging just under 31 points a game. Yes, that means Kobe Bryant is leading the league in scoring and is on a mission for his sixth scoring title.
For Jordan, Hakeem Olajuwon was considered the best player in basketball after winning two straight NBA titles. Grant Hill and Penny Hardaway were emerging stars and Jordan wasn’t considered “Jordan”, anymore. So what do you do when your throne is considered taken? You work harder than you ever did before, and Jordan did just that by packing on muscle, further polishing his offensive game, and went on an offensive tour de force, averaging 30 points, shooting just under 50 percent from the floor, and shot nearly 43 percent from three. Of course, that team went on to go 72-10, and cruise to an NBA title and two more.
Like Hall of Fame player Michael Jordan, Kobe is building on his reputation for playing and winning hurt. First it was the wrist and the occasional turned ankle. Now it is a broken nose and playing with a mask for the first time in his career.
Like Jordan, trade rumors, injuries, and changes in the roster have slowed other stars this year, but not Kobe. Not now. Not when he’s so close.
Like Jordan, Kobe is driven.
Like Jordan, Kobe elevates the play of his teammates. Whether it is by example, or intimidation, or love, or fear, or respect, players like Steve Blake, Andrew Bynum, and Josh McRoberts have never played better. Like Jordan.
Michael Jordan is the best basketball player that ever played. But if Kobe wins this year, it will be fair to compare the two. Kobe would have the same number of rings, accomplishments, etc. etc. If he never wins that last ring, then we can say Jordan is still number one, but if he wins one or two more rings, we may have to reconsider this discussion.
Shout out to @BrookLynnDiva
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