KOBE IS STILL NOT THE G.O.A.T.

The O'Brien Trophy has been awarded, Ron Artest's new single has been released and scores of sports journalists are waxing poetic about the Lakers winning back-to back NBA Finals, this off-season's crop of free agents and the legacy of one Kobe Bean Bryant. Let me cut through the buttery vernacular and state "Kobe Bryant is not the GOAT (Greatest Of All Time for the casual sports fan)." When the GOAT discussion arises he is definitely present, but "Kobe is not the GOAT." He may not be the greatest Laker. The biggest problem is people waver between deciding by strictly numbers or intangibles. I immensely respect numbers but you can't ignore the intangible of the "never seen before" factor. That's when a player takes changes the game. Those people deserve the GOAT title and Kobe Bryant has not done that.

Jerry "The Logo" West was the all-time leading Laker scorer. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is the all-time leading scorer in The Association's history, but if you asked anyone who is the greatest Laker ever most would respond “Magic" Johnson and he was never the Lakers all time leading scorer. But he was the engine that made the 80's Laker teams run like a Ferrari. At the age of 20, Kobe couldn't average twenty points a game and was throwing up air balls in Utah. At that same age, Magic Johnson made us realize that a 6'9" point guard could make no-look passes and move better than a six foot point guard. At the age of 20 as an NBA rookie, Magic walked into the hostile Boston Garden and played guard, forward and center in an NBA Finals Game 6. He would score 42 points, grab 15 boards and deliver 6 assists to win the world championship. We watched Magic in total awe because we had never seen anything like him. A 6 foot point guard, which was the norm, is now considered an anomaly because we have a generation of passing, 6'5" point guards because of Magic Johnson showing us what had "never been seen".

With Kobe winning his 5th championship ring, those who respect numbers and Kobe fans will state that, "Kobe has got to be considered the GOAT now." Well, if that's the case, so is Derek Fisher, who has won 5 rings and even former Laker Robert Horry, who has won 7 rings. And if we're going to measure by the number of rings then Bill Russell is the GOAT because he won 11 championship rings with the Boston Celtics. Kobe has been amazing, since taking the reins to lead "his" Laker team in 2004. I even felt he deserved more than one regular season MVP trophy during these recent, lean, Laker years or at least free back surgery for carrying the team so long. Many fans and pundits also say that Kobe is now worthy of Michael Jordan's GOAT crown, but I must adamantly disagree. Kobe was definitely one of the important factors on his Laker teams during the 3-peat years of 2001 to 2004, but you can't act like three time Finals MVP Shaquille O'Neal did not exist. Shaq sometimes accounted for two defenders and gave Kobe the court spacing to get his numbers. Who did Michael Jordan have in the middle? Luc Longley? Bernard Cartwright? Those two clogged up the paint like British Petroleum oil execs. My point is when you start calling Kobe the GOAT and speaking of his 5 championship rings, first consider he still doesn't have 6rings like MJ and three of them were on a Shaq-led team. Don't get me wrong, this is not a personal love of the good old 80's or MJ, but it is just a statement of facts. Let the court record the following facts for the man they called Air:

5 league MVP trophies. 6-time NBA champion (1991-93, 1996-98); NBA MVP (1988, '91, '92, '96, '98); 10-time All-NBA First Team (1987-93, 1996-98); All-NBA Second Team (1985); Defensive Player of the Year (1988); 9-time All-Defensive First Team (1988-93, 1996-98); Rookie of the Year (1985); 14-time All-Star; All-Star MVP (1988, '96, '98)

MJ won seven straight scoring titles. To win a scoring title in the NBA (home of the best basketball players on the planet), you have to average more than over 400 players over 82 games. MJ did this seven years in a row. He even shot over 50 percent for two seasons. Kobe has never shot over 50 percent for a season. I so respect his numbers but MJ's "never been seen" before factor is off the charts. We had never seen a man score 63 points on the Celtics in The Garden (and this was during a period in the NBA, if you weren't bleeding there was no foul). We had never seen a player get a mere few feet from the goal and then pass. We had never seen a player dunk sideways from outside of the paint. We had never seen a player change hands mid-shot as he falls and make it. We had never seen a player take criticism of his game personally every off-season and add another facet to his game to prove all the naysayers wrong. We had never seen a player take off for an entire season, to only return mid-season and drop 55 points on the New York Knicks in Madison Square Garden. We had never seen a player sick with the flu be carried on and off the court during an NBA Finals Game. We had never seen a player average 41 points in an NBA Finals series. Kobe Bryant is no doubt the best basketball player on the planet Earth, but I will tell you, when I see something in Kobe that I've "never seen before". And I just don't see in Kobe's game the Wright Brothers flying for the first time, but I do see Michael Jordan getting ready for take off.

Now Follow Me! Follow Me to Freedom!

AIR JORDAN versus THE AIR APPARENTS

NOTE: The following entry should be read with an arrogant British accent to totally enjoy the full effect of this Diablo's Bastille entry

I can smell the burning embers of celebration smattered about Los Angeles as Angelenos celebrate the Lakers winning the annual basketball tournament known as the NBA Finals. Let me be the first to applaud Kobe Bryant's "carrying" of a one of the most motley Laker teams in history. Trevor Ariza has devloped into a fine player and Gasol finally found his worth in the last four wins of this championship run, but in the end "The Black Mamba" carried this group to the Laker organization's 15th Larry O'Brien trophy. With having said that I must say, "Kobe Bean Bryant is not the Greatest Of All Time or G.O.A.T.. And neither are some of his peers.

In the case of "Air Jordan VS The Air Apparents", I reiterate that one, Michael Jeffery Jordan, from now on known as MJ, is the best to ever play the game created by James Naismith many years ago. And I truly believe there will not be another like him, in the near future.

I shall state the obvious, MJ lead the Chicago Bulls to six NBA championships with an accompanying six NBA Finals MVP trophies. and five--- FIVE league MVP trophies. For those who doubt look at the stats below:

Six-time NBA champion (1991-93, 1996-98); NBA MVP (1988, '91, '92, '96, '98); 10-time All-NBA First Team (1987-93, 1996-98); All-NBA Second Team (1985); Defensive Player of the Year (1988); Nine-time All-Defensive First Team (1988-93, 1996-98); Rookie of the Year (1985); 14-time All-Star; All-Star MVP (1988, '96, '98)

MJ won seven straight scoring titles. Can you wrap your head around that? To win a scoring title in the NBA (home of the best basketball players on the planet), you have to average more than over 400 players over 82 games. MJ did this seven years in a row. Mind you MJ took a lot of shots, but no one metions that and I think it is a very unfair assesment of Kobe Bean's game. But nonetheless, MJ still won seven scoring titles.

There are many of you who will look on this piece with incredulity and exclaim that since Kobe has carried "his" Laker team to the ring sans Shaquille O'Neal his legacy was cemented as the GOAT. Kobe Bryant's legacy was cemented during his 3peat championship run and he will be mentioned as one the best in NBA history, but just not the G.O.A.T. Why? Because he has five more championships to lead the Lakers to if he wants to beat MJ. Those who have asked me why does he have to do that and I answer because "we measure things in America and on planet Earth". That's why we have scales, rulers and statistics, if not I could start claiming that I was the GOAT. I know after Kobe knocked down 60 points at the Garden people were quick to say that was the best performance ever in that arena or when he knocked back 81 points in STAPLES, that was the best in Laker history or 2nd best performance in NBA scoring history. And even if I wanted to give Kobe the GOAT title with this 4th ring, I couldn't because I think it is so unfair that some Laker fans want to forget what Shaquille O'Neal contributed to win those titles. It's easy to say that he was fat and out of shape, but when he caught that alley-oop against the Blazers in 2000, which was basically ground zero for the 3peat, no Laker fans were complaining. It's an age old war Tupac vs Biggie, Michael vs Prince and Kobe vs Shaq. No matter what side you were on, you cna't deny each man's contribution to that 2000-2003 Laker 3 peat.

And let me not make this a Kobe thing because it is not. It is a genrational thing. I speak of Kobe, LeBron, Dwight Howard and whatever next Air Apprarent that NBA Commissioner Stern wants to promote. As much as these gentlemen say "it's all about winning the ring" it is not. LeBron James has always talked about starting a tradition in Cleveland. But since losing the Eastern Conference Finals, LeBron James was asked if he would be returning to Cleveland and he answered by saying, "I'll think things over the break". A few years ago Kobe Bryant was letting it be known during the playoffs that he would opting out of his contract IN TWO YEARS. In LeBron's case, you have had one of the greatest runs in Cleveland sports history and put a team in 2 of the last 3 conference finals (not to mention an NBA Finals). With all the speculation of you leaving for New York, if you're returning to Cleveland say it now and stop all the guessing, but I guess he can't because he is thinking about becoming a billionaire and as popular as MJ. And in Kobe's case what did you gain during a championship run by speaking of an event that would happen in two years? Nothing but self induced attention. And in both cases, it is steadily said that neither Kobe or LeBron has a strong supporting cast. Somewhere between their endorsement deals and enormous NBA contracts I'm thinking they could take minor pay cuts to go get someone to help in being "all about getting the ring". MJ in his last two years with the Bulls made in the 30 million range to my knowledge but previous to that MJ did not make any more than 4 million dollars. Think about that the man, who literally changed the game, the NBA and sports marketing never made no more than 4 million dollars until the last two years of his hallowed NBA career with the Chicago Bulls. Could you see any of today's superstars doing that? I'd say no, though the closest I have ever seen was Tim Duncan taking a pay cut a few years ago. You may be thinking how could MJ be the baller he was and not sweat the amount of his contract? Because he was truly about the TEAM concept of winning the championship at all costs. This is something he gained while playing at North Carolina. The majority of today's superstars have been cajoled in their basketball careers from the day they hit their first jumper in an AAU game and taught that it was all about them and probably told they had to be like MJ. But many don't realize that MJ learned to be a team player despite how great he was. Today's NBA superstars are all about using the terms, "my team" or "my guys" because it's still about them but wrapped in the "it's all about the ring" shawl. If per chance Kobe were not to be the MVP of these finals, would he see the ring as a tainted? If LeBron had to share the spotlight with someone to win a ring, would he feel it was tainted? Again congrats to Kobe Bryant and finally getting that "silver backed gorilla" off his back. He deserves it, but think about this entry, next time you're haphazardly throwing out the title of the G.O.A.T. BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!

Now Follow Me! Follow Me to Freedom!