Bryant became the first player to ever score 30 points in the first four games in a series against Utah, and even though this series was defined by the Lakers height advantage in the post, Bryant still managed to stamp his signature on the victory.
Pau Gasol will get much of the credit for this Lakers victory and his 23-point and 14 -rebound average throughout the course of the series validates this, but one would be remiss to overlook Bryant's play.
Bryant averaged 32 points against Utah while shooting 52 percent from the field, and anytime Utah threatened to make a run at the Lakers, there was Bryant hitting another of his patented daggers.
In the eyes of Utah point guard Deron Williams there is little secret as to why the Jazz failed to defeat the Lakers, and in his opinion Bryant was the main reason his team was swept from the playoffs.
After Game Four Williams said the Jazz were beaten by the NBA's best team, which just happens to have the league's best player in Bryant, and coach Jerry Sloan echoed those sentiments.
Sloan repeatedly referred to Bryant as the best player on the planet, and considering all of the talent he has seen this year, and in years past you would have to say Sloan is a pretty good judge of that category.
In fact, Bryant is considered the NBA's top talent by most people associated with the league in terms of players and coaches who regularly compete against him.
Opposing players and coaches are a lot less likely to voice the same concerns about Bryant that are found on the lips of others when it comes to recognizing him as one of the NBA's all-time great players.
It has been said that Bryant is a poor teammate, he shoots the ball to much, and he is a poor facilitator ...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
