There are just those people that you love to hate, and he was one of those for me.
That all changed today, and it had absolutely nothing to do with anything he's done on the court.
Even as I considered Kobe Bryant "Public Enemy No. 1," I respected his game. I didn't always respect his leadership ability or his antics, but I always gave him props for being able to flat out ball.
These playoffs have proven one thing to me about Kobe—he's a leader.
My biggest beef with Bryant was that he didn't have the ability to make those around him better. That's why he was never going to be truly great; that's why he was never going to be as good as Michael Jordan.
I stand corrected (at least partially). Kobe, it turns out, makes his teammates better. He brings out the best in them in a Jordanesk way. He's still not MJ; there will never be another Michael Jordan. That being said, no one can discredit Kobe's leadership anymore.
I digress...back to how Kobe managed to win me over.
He did it with five simple words. When asked about the impending free agency of LeBron James, Kobe responded, "I don’t give a [bleep]." Really? I didn't see that one coming.
I, for one, am sick and tired of the media giving more press to James' free agency (which hasn't even begun yet) than to the two teams that are actually still playing basketball.
In case anyone missed the memo, LA and Boston are in the NBA Finals, and the "King" is...well, not.
James' numbers are impressive; for his career, he's averaging 27.83 points, 7.05 rebounds, 6.95 assists, and 1.75 steals per game.
However, he hasn't proven anything. He hasn't won anything except for a couple glorified popularity contests.
Here’s another stat for you. He's won zero championships—not ...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
