The Return of the Showtime

Categorized as: Author: Nels, Diatribes, LA Lakers
Posted on: March 6th, 2008

I’ve said it before, but it’s the kind of comment that slides off of people’s conscious like virgin jello shot going down their throat: I don’t have cable. I only mention it because I don’t actually get to watch that many NBA basketball games. It’s probably why only about half of my fantasy teams turn out to be any good.

But the reason I bring it up here is because, as we all know, the Lakers played the Mavericks last Sunday on ABC.

Joey at Straight Banging has always shared my feelings on Kobe and I’m sure there are many others who feel the same. Krolik at FreeDarko has a bit of different angle on it (while also accurately assessing the place of LeBron James in the league). There have been about a million other posts on this same subject since then (I tried to get this post out Monday, and obviously failed). LeBron scoring 50 with 10 assists last night didn’t help matters… but this is about Kobe and the Lakers. Why? Because I had more fun watching them play Dallas than I did watching my own Bulls play the Cavs. That is not to say I didn’t like watching the Bulls, but I wish I could have had some filter on my TV that would have skipped over just about every possession the Cavs had. When LeBron wasn’t doing something incredible, the pain I felt in my eyes was so bad I wished they would just burst already.

And that brings us to Show Time. Kobe to Gasol is awesome. Walton and Odom are very good for passing big men. And I’m sure Jordan Farmar will eventually be good enough to make him watchable too.

I have to admit, I’ve always liked Gasol and Odom. I usually will draft one or both of them in fantasy leagues as well as video game basketball franchises I create. One season I actually had Odom running the point for my team with Gasol as my PF. I could probably delve deeper into this vague favoritism, but this post isn’t about them. Not entirely anyway.

And that brings us to Kobe. I’ve always hated his cocky-ass attitude, but his perseverance, dedication, and depth of understanding of the game of basketball started to win me over last season. I’m sure people will cry foul when I say that he isn’t really any more talented than Vince Carter, or Tracy McGrady, or any of the other “Heirs Jordan.” But it’s true. The difference is his determination. As Joey pointed out, Kobe was publicly rooting against the other participants in the dunk contest. Ruthless? Yes. But remarkably similar to Jordan’s attitude towards winning? Also, yes. And that kind of willpower, no matter who it comes from is something to be respected.

I spent way too much time hating Michael Jordan (while somehow simultaneously worshiping him) because he beat my Blazers. But after the Second Threepeat, I vowed never to be blinded so much by fan loyalty or other emotion as to miss another player like Jordan. I have hated Kobe in the past, but he is definitely maturing, and it continues to become more clear (to me at least) that his earlier attitude was just the misguided attempts of someone with an indomitable will to win trapped in the body, and with the experience, of a young man.

And so, it is with an open heart that I now welcome Kobe into the circle of players (along with Gasol and Odom, part of his team, but already in the circle) that I would like to see win a championship. And it is with that statement, that I say to my readers (let alone the world) that it is not only okay to like Kobe, but more importantly (for all of us), it is okay to change your mind.

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