Kobe Bryant: The Anti-LeBron James
I wrote an article back in 2009 after the NBA season was over about James's ominous change in attitude. When he started showing symptoms by not shaking hands with the Magic and choosing to ignore the post-game press conference I knew what was coming. Almost everything I predicted came true with this ridiculous marcissitic volcano that blew up on people's eyes with ESPN providing the dynamites.
I'm sure many the Clevelanders and James fans across the globe are left to wonder, what now? Everyone likes heroes and for a star driven league such as the NBA, fans love to put a face on the front page of the league. After 7 years with Nike, David Stern, and Dan Gilbert's foolish support, LeBron James has monumentally failed as a "King."
So I'm here to "sigh" for the 900th time and regurgitate a point again how a basketball legend should behave. I'm sure many people will RELUCTANTLY look towards someone else they have despised this whole time. In the end, Kobe Bryant is the closer, not just in games but in overall demeanor.
Media Friendliness
LeBron James is a darling during press conferences and interviews. He is well spoken and very confident for someone of such young age with a sense of humor that can easily land him a gig as a comedian (go watch his SNL clips).
So it seems like he assumed too much when he thought he could easily talk his way through his actions during the completely unnecessary one hour ESPN announcement of his new team and the Miami Heat introduction interview.
When the attention towards him became too big, he started to utilize the media in his exit strategy by alluding hints about joining New York, Chicago, or staying in Cleveland.
James raised the bar to another level by attempting to "own" the media even just for a short moment. So obviously everyone was tuned in with pens ready to jot down every single word and ready to find meanings behind them in addition to the uber-important naming of his next team.
Words such as loyalty and family were shamelessly used which earned him the hypocrite moniker in an instant. He never quite prepared for the consequences and treated his screen time like an afternoon snack session.
Kobe Bryant is not very media friendly. Since the media is the conduit that helps us connect to the stars, we absorb and analyze everything with obsession. Because Bryant is completely devoted to his game, he knows how the press wishes to gauge the tone of his team's performances.
From a tactical stand point, his surly responses are meant to conceal his play book from the rest of the world by downplaying his opinions on meaningful match ups and never admitting to pressures. Such general tone also resonates with the rest of the team when they do interviews as well.
This may turn off some people but it is highly effective for a player to concentrate on his game by not verbalizing any insecurities. As a basketball purist, he would rather skip all interviews if he could.
Moreover, he learned from his younger days when he responded to criticisms from Shaq or Phil Jackson and damaged his image. Now he puts up a poker face and takes the high road on almost every off court issues but joyfully laughs and jokes when he wins games and rings.
Party Animal
The dancing acts on the bench and the lavish Miami intro party with promising 7+ championships are just examples of James's love for childish antics. Though some questioned his professionalism, some definitely criticized it like Joakim Noah of the Chiacago Bulls, people embraced this as well.
He is an easy going person who structured a fun loving friendly chemistry within his team and pumped chests with his own coach, Mike Brown, a few times on the sidelines. The Clevelanders loved this and imitated his dances. Mike Brown and Dan Gilbert allowed it.
He is a man child who refuses to grow old in spite of his physical appearances. With so much money and doting, it's difficult for a person to grow old sometimes. The problem for James is that such mentality translated into a overall lack of killer instinct. Naturally when stakes got higher during the playoffs, he regressed with no old school competitive fortitude.
Just look at the photo I chose. Does that look like a man who likes to clown around? During game 1 of the NBA finals, Chris Rock joked around but Kobe Bryant was practically a zombie 100% absorbed into the game that he completely ignored Rock.
He is not a nice guy. He sits on the bench with eyes narrowed and his lips tightly sealed. He scoffs and yells at his opponents and his teammates for short comings. People hate him for this. That's why those people will never win NBA championships.
Bryant goes beyond the normal etiquette of behaving in the office during his work hours. He knows that the game is a war of extreme concentration of skill, strength, and mental toughness. Such discipline sets the tone for his other teammates as well.
Bryant was never much of an outgoing person since he wore no. 8. Of course that team consists of older men with wives and bigger families. Even so Bryant was obsessed watching game films and practicing while others just took it easy when they clocked out. That is why he's known as the hardest working player in the league.
Even today as no. 24, he's not very social or easily spotted in public appearances. So if one wanted to guess what he's doing, there are only a few places you could find him; gym/home. What a relief for the fans.
The legends speak too.
Jerry West
"Why the hell would you want to smile? This game is not about having fun. I didn't see Michael Jordan giggling and laughing all the time. If it's that damn funny maybe that's a sign of weakness. I have to laugh when I hear that Kobe Bryant should smile more."
Phil Jackson
"In my generation, you didn't show any exuberance, there was no physical display of emotion on the court. You're supposed to be out there like a warrior, emotionless and totally self-contained, to show emotion showed weakness."
Professional Relationships
James had a difficult childhood. He never had a father figure and his mother poured her body and soul to provide for him. So its understandable that he wanted to live out his adult life full of people he can trust and love.
Unfortunately, work is work. One has to exercise boundaries and practice certain detachments. James promised too much loyalty to Cleveland. He never said he'll do his best to win a ring but definitively promised a ring. For a city that is overall smaller than most major metropolitan areas and has a horrific sports history, almost everything about James was personal to it, hence resulting in jersey burnings.
Overall his biggest mistake in his life is deciding to work with his high school friends. His marketing team is called LRMR: LeBron, Richard, Maverick, and Randy. Really? Could that sound any more lame? I don't know what kind of lifelong promise they made to each other over a bonfire but to entrust one's enormous future in the hands of college drop outs shouts disaster: the ESPN fiasco.
Bryant does have friends believe it or not. He visits Lower Marion every time the Lakers play in Philadelphia. That's just about it. Never he would try to work with them unless they were doctors, physical trainers, or MBAs.
Bryant works with people he can trust, meaning people who has credentials, knowledge, and willingness to work with Bryant's needs. He sought out Hakeem Olajuwon for a tutorial in post moves. He turned to Tim Grover, MJ's trainer, for his training.
He recently had to adjust his jump shooting with the help of newly hired assistant coach Chuck Person after the finger injury. Person initially reserved trying to correct Bryant's jump shooting which is already really good but Bryant knew that he had to change and he trusted Person's expertise.
He learned through some bad mistakes in the past when he tried to play GM and replace Andrew Bynum which could have been a tragedy. He and Phil Jackson had a falling out but mended their ways and embrace the triangle offense far more effectively.
Kobe Bryant was not much more admirable in maintaining relationships but now he knows to never allow amateurs to dictate his life including himself.
Pursuit of Legacy
This is the redundant topic. LeBron James was crowned as the King/Chosen One/Messiah way too early in his life. With the pressure building up, he certainly felt the need to win rings.
Michael Jordan refined a formula for becoming the best player of an era to almost unreachable standards. Quite simply put, be "THE GUY" and win rings, at least more than 2.
James did make the right move for winning rings and he will most likely win many of them. The caveat is that every ring he wins with Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh will have asterisks on them.
Chris Webber says he'll never put James in the Jordan conversation again. Charles Barkley was disappointed that a 25 year old superstar decided to rely on crutches to win rings. James probably has no idea how close the Cavaliers came to playing in the finals last season. If he had gone to Chicago, he would have been THE GUY with a very good roster and a chance to succeed Michael Jordan, literally.
So the truth is out. James doesn't care about diminishing his legacy. He respects Michael Jordan but doesn't want to BE LIKE MIKE. I mean he did stop wearing no. 23. He just wants to play basketball for fun; Allen Iverson 2.0
Kobe Bryant wanted his solo spotlight from the start. Of course many people hated him for this. Many discredit Bryant's first three championships for playing with Shaq. Bryant however never chose to play with Shaq, he was stuck with him.
He still improved himself and earned a starting position and fed Shaq with the ball and make legendary plays early in his career.
It's probably true that Bryant's discontent and feud with Shaq did force Jerry Buss to trade Shaq to Miami and extend Bryant's contract. Do not forget that Shaq was becoming lazier and more ineffective with his age.
When Karl Malone and Gary Payton joined the Lakers, they were far passed their prime. Malone injured himself early in the season and Payton couldn't learn the triangle offense to save his life. That so-called super team was not really a super team at all.
Bryant really wanted his build his legacy on his own just like Jordan. Even when he flirted with the Clippers, the cursed team, or the Bulls (no Derrick Rose in 2007) he wanted to become THE GUY.
2007 came down as a bad time for Kobe Bryant as he demanded a trade. He was 28 years old. He stayed. He may have panicked a little but he just somehow stayed in the trenches and gutted it out in the mud.
Since then the accolades followed. Regular season MVP. Win first ring without Shaq. Win against the Celtics for revenge and for the franchise history. All this as THE GUY of his team, THE GUY of the league, and THE GUY since Michael Jordan.
So now he has a chance to face the Miami Heat, with two legends. His once selfish playing style, his utmost desire to be THE GUY, the very traits that garnered so much hate ultimately helped him work for his legacy in his way.
Hubris and Humility
Just as recent as a month ago, each word would perfectly suit one player each in most people's minds. Now the definitions have changed.
LeBron James was the walking statue of humility. To some degree, it is still true. He is a team player on the court more so Magic Johnson than Michael Jordan. He chose not to burden himself as THE GUY of the team but went under the wings of Dwayne Wade.
I'm not sure if he wants to be a billionaire since he did take a pay cut with the Miami Heat. I'm not sure if he wants to be an icon since he's not touring the world proclaiming to be some ambassador.
I do know that he likes to talk a lot and he likes to promise things before he ever achieves any. He dis so in Cleveland and he has done it again in Miami. His hubris stems from doing unnecessary things. Bringing team owners to his office, announcing his "Decision" on ESPN for a whole hour, and hosting a welcome party in Miami, there's no other player in the NBA doing any of this.
Kobe Bryant will forever go down as a diva because he is. What saves him from being called something worse is his rings. He went through rough patches with the team owner, general manager, head coach, and his teammates at least once.
He somehow found ways to cooperate and win the ultimate prize many times now. This became possible because he knows his role: a basketball player, no more no less. He doesn't promise any salvation for a city or calls himself with any aristocratic figurehead. His nickname is a poisonous predator.
His biggest humility is proven by his willingness to adjust his game all the time. He admits that he has weaknesses and constantly seeks out ways to improve himself. Game 7 of the 2010 finals was just him resorting free throws and rebounds to do something or anything to win the game.
Bryant's hubris is mostly concentrated on the court against his opponents or opposing fans. He lets his game do the talking and does arrogant hand gestures and facial expressions. So what? Have you seen Kevin Garnett's barking? It's okay as long as it stays on the playground.
That's the warrior's red badge of courage and he is probably the last of his kind from the old school NBA players.
Post-Michael Jordan
If you mesh LeBron James and Kobe Bryant together, you would get the perfect Michael Jordan clone. Those two have tried their best to follow in His Airness's footsteps. However they sought after different aspects of MJ's success.
Bryant wanted MJ's skills, competitive desire, and the rings. James wanted the rings too but he also wanted MJ's marketability and popularity a lot more.
The bottom line is you cannot manufacture a legend. The player has to want it and work for it the right way.
My Final I Told You So
Dear LeBron James fans: Don't hate your boy. This is who he is. If your expectations and hype weren't so big, you wouldn't be so upset. For the remaining loyal fans, congratulations and enjoy the show.
Dear Kobe Bryant haters: Irony really sucks doesn't it? You hated Kobe Bryant because of A,B, and C. Well LeBron James tried doing it the other way and that really tanked. So just keep hating with no apparent reason. Your hate has helped so far so why stop now?
