The moment we hear "I Love L.A." in this series, we'll know it's over. It was a nice trek up the mountain; a grueling 82 games along with playoffs, which a mandatory journey. It takes all kinds of players to make a championship: the superstar scorer in clutch time (which for the most part is Kobe), the "glue" of the team (Fisher), the lean, lanky forward who brings a unique tenacity to the game (Lamar), the post presence who can usually get the job done (Pau), the quick shooter who's not always reliable but has killer moments (Sasha), the guy whose always recovering from an injury (Bynum) the energetic man off the bench (Shannon Brown), that trash man who earns his minutes in garbage time (DJ Mbenga), the speedy, athletic defender who's known for slashing to the rim (Ariza), the annoying ball handler who can take some bad shots but when he makes them, we could all care less (Farmar), the forward waiting to get playing time (Powell), the smart player who knows how to play the game but won't ever reach stardom (Luke Walton), the really foreign space cadet whose still learning how to play (Sun Yue), and that dude in the suit who blends in with the coaching staff (Adam Morrison).
That is a breakdown of your eventual 2009 NBA champions. Those are all the different part that have collaborated together to form one dangerous mass. During the season, there's always been a few guys on the floor that could hurt you. At the beginning of the year, the Lakers were known for their infamous "Bench Mob," with Farmar and Vujacic as the centerpieces, sparking game-changing runs. When Andrew Bynum went down earlier this year, it was Josh Powell and Lamar Odom that stepped up and rose to the occasion. Whenever Fisher needed a breather, Lakers fans were always confident that Shannon Brown wouldn't let them down. Amidst touch frontcourt match-ups, Pau Gasol made sure his presence was felt. Even DJ Mbenga had a series of games towards the end of the regular season when he was racking up several blocks per game (I believe he even surpassed his career high of 8 points, too).
Ultimately, though, Kobe Bryant has been the heart and soul of this team. He's been there and done that. Yet, he never gets tired of chasing perfection. For him, the game of basketball is no longer just a simple sport; it's a physical art, requiring determination and skills to spur success. He has tasted victory champagne. He has outfitted himself with championship jewelery. He has fought with his teammates. He has basked in praise. He has been shot at with criticism. He's suffered horrible injuries and exhausting illnesses. But none of these obstacles have ever slowed him down. Each and every day #24 strives to be the best. He doesn't care about his competition, as long as he takes home the title. Only he feels such a strong urge to lead a parade down Figueroa.
Take a look back at his MVP year. The off-season prior to last season, he was advocating for a trade and sending mixed messages to different sources. Lakers fans didn't know how what to say. From one standpoint, the game's greatest player wanted to leave an organization he was a part of ever since he entered the league as a clueless rookie. But on the other hand, he only considered abandoning the City of Angeles to chase his passion: a championship. During training camp, his comments were a distraction to the entire team. On opening night, his hometown fans booed him. Things couldn't have been any worse. But he grew from the incident and went on become the NBA's Most Valuable Player. So the next time you see him grinding his teeth, biting his jersey, or scowling just think: Have we ever seen anymore so dedicated to winning?
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