Kobe's series?

This NBA finals is more than just another finals series. Especially for one Mr. Kobe Bryant. Anybody who follows this game closely knows that Kobe is in that select list of players who have a shot at being considered for best-ever. I don't think he'll surpass MJ, but he has a shot at being mentioned in the same conversation when it's all said and done. We are a culture obsessed with winning and Kobe already has won 3 rings. But he has also lost 2 finals. Part of the greatness of the all-time legends like MJ and Joe Montana is that not only do they have multiple championships, but they also never lost a championship game or series. There is something about "winning the big game" that our culture loves and idolizes. Of course it's not like these guys won a ring every year they were in the league. But they won many rings and never lost in the Finals.

In some sense that means you are better off losing in the first round of the playoffs rather than losing in the Finals. History will probably look at 2009 LeBron - who didn't make it to the finals, more favorably than the 2007 LeBron, who lost to the Spurs in the Finals. Doesn't make sense, but thats how we evaluate our sports heroes. MJ of course is the best ever because in addition to winning 6 rings and not losing in the finals, he also won a ring every year after he reached his personal peak in 1991. The exception being 1995 when he came back half-way through the season and that stupid comeback tour with the Wizards at the very end. He never let up or took a step back. Also the set of teammates surrounding him didn't seem to matter all that much. They kept changing except for Pippen and Jordan still kept winning.

This brings us to Kobe. He ain't MJ, but this current series will determine how close he gets to his airness. He has to share all his 3 existing rings with Shaq and he has 2 finals losses - one of which was with Shaq as well. If he loses this year, he would have lost 3 finals with 2 of them back-to-back. Thats not airness territory, but Buffalo Bills territory. It's in fact just half as good as MJ. Too many losses with much more talent around him. If he wins this year, then he gets a ring of his own. Yes, he got Pau and Odom, but this is Kobe's team and hence his ring. He is option 1 and not option 1-A like he was as part of those Shaq teams. He would also win his 4-Th ring and that puts him on par with Shaq and who knows, he might even have a shot at MJ's 6. Kobe is not that old, but has a lot of mileage on his body. Kobe will start to decline soon.

I was shocked when somebody on Sportscenter slipped in a "father-time" reference on Kobe last week. Of course, those morons on ESPN will say anything for a catch-phrase, but Kobe is definitely an "old" 30. Kobe understands all this and he showed us how seriously he takes his legacy in game 1 of the finals. He came to play and he did not let his teammates fool around either. He was committed to doing whatever it takes to win that game and eventually this series. He had a 40-8-8 game and was on edge and on top the entire game. Mikael Pietrus tried but it was going to take way more than him to slow him down on Thursday. The Lakers crushed the Magic 100-75 and has put some serious fear in everybody - the Magic for obvious reasons and ABC and the fans because we want a competitive series. I am very curious to see how Kobe, Lakers and the Magic come out tomorrow. I think Lakers win again, but the Magic better keep it close. Otherwise the home court is not going to do much to help them the next 3 games.