Today, the media, as they alwys do, came up with the perfect question to confront the best basketball player in the world with - and by best player in the world, I'm referring to none other than Kobe Bryant. And the media basically questioned KB that if he won a championship now, would he finally prove his naysayers wrong who have proclaimed that he can't win without Shaquille O'Neal. And Kobe, being the wise man he is, retorted that those as intelligent as him know that in historical context, it doesn't matter who you win with, so as long as you win. And this Kobe Doctrine, if I may call it that, is nothing but the truth. At this stage in his career, Mr. Bryant has gotten past the "driving away Shaq" lies that tainted his career for so long. He is well aware of the task at hand, and if he loses, would have him losing in all three of his last trips to the NBA Finals (2004, 2008, and 2009) - the same goes for Phil Jackson, too.
But there is one important question surrounding this Finals run: If the Lakers lose the championship, what impact would it have on Kobe Bryant's career and future? This is a major question, because when the Lebron dynasty begins, there will be no telling when LBJ's reign ends. For better or for worse, Kobe can no longer churn out highlight reels the way he used to. There is already talk of Lebron being better than Kobe - which I personally find extremely hard to believe - and there's no guarentees that the Lakers will make it back to the NBA Finals anytime soon. This may be Kobe's last moment of greatness. Therefore, losing here would be absolutely devastating. As far as his career is remembered, a shortcoming now could very well take away from his ability to effectively lead a team.
It would be remarkable if Kobe could defy all haters by guiding his team past the promised land. To take the helms after 30 years of age, with a young group of guys, and lead them to the NBA Finals to years in a row is truly something. But what seperates good from great is a victory - or 4 of them to be exact. However, if the Lake Show falls to the Orlando Magic, pause and realize who they are losing to: Kobe Bryant, arguably the greatest player on the planet and one of the greatest to ever play basketball, would be losing to Dwight Howard, still a relatively new kid in the NBA, and a cast of unproven vets. Derek Fisher would have fallen to a defiant street-baller in Rafer Alston. Pau Gasol, the best Spanish basketball player in the world, would have lost to a streaky scorer in Rashard Lewis. Lamar Odom, one of the true warriors in the league, and Trevor Ariza, among the most underrated players in the association, would be sacrificing themselves to a Turkish athlete, Hedo Turkoglu, and occasional sixth man, Mickael Pietrus.
Reminds you of Kobe and Gasol, doesn't it?
From a coaching standpoint, Phil Jackson may reconsider his future with a loss in this series. The Zen Master does have 1 more year left on his contract, but re-evaluates himself from time to time. If the Lakers, the favorites, do, indeed, win, everything should turn out just fine. But if things don't conclude with a fruitful ending, it would be astonishing to see Phil Jackson be outcoached by Stan Van Gundy - that thought alone should heavily motivate the Lakers, especially Phil. Think of Jackson as a master of wits (a.k.a. a Los Angeles Times columnist) facing off against a fresh graduate who barely passed his sociology classes who just got a job (a.k.a. a hesitant psychologist). Who probably has a better chance of receiving recognition for their work? Who has a better chance of being successful? Hopefully, you catch my drift.
A title would also mean a lot to the supporting cast of both teams. It would help out their resumes immensely. Pau Gasol could prove that he's not fit for silver, after coming second in the Olympics and last year's Finals. Lamar could prove the depth of his versatitly as well as defy local doctors who are concerned about his newly-publicized candy addiction. Sasha Vujacic could claim that his sharp-shooting skills do fit at least one system. Derek Fisher could use some extra dough to pay for his daughter's treatment. And DJ Mbenga could make a name for Congo players in the NBA - well, maybe that won't happen, yet.
Kobe answered better than anyone else ever could. In 100 years, will people remember the 2009 championship as "the title won without Shaq"? Or on his basketball card, will it simply say "4-time champion"?
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