Halftime Hype

Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant and rapper Marshall Mathers, a.k.a Eminem, are two very different people, with the most glaring difference being their occupations. However, after listening to Eminem's tracks multiple times and keeping up with the Black Mamba, there are certain connections between Mathers' lyrics and Bryant's career. Above all, "Not Afraid" seems to best represent the Black Mamba's tenure in the Association.

Exhibit A: "Not Afraid"

• "Yeah, it's been a ride/I guess I had to go to that place to get to this one"

Kobe Bryant has been through a lot during his career. Initially he was known as Shaq's sidekick, the "second fiddle" of a three-peat dynasty. He then experienced tough transition, going from making the Finals one season to missing out on the playoffs the next year. Eventually, he worked his way up to becoming the best player in the league. In brief, Bryant's adversity and experience helped him reach where he is.

• "I don't give a damn/What you think, I'm doing this for me"

Bryant, especially in recent years, has disregarded the media and unnecessary side drama or hype to achieve his goal of winning championships. #24 has had plenty of labels placed on him and has received plenty of criticism, at least twice as much as anything LeBron James received until his decision. Yet, he continues to tune it all out. He's fine with the media's impression of him.

After the Lakers' loss to the Boston Celtics in the 2008 Finals, when former teammate Shaquille O'Neal rapped about how Bryant hadn't won a ring without the Big Fell, Bryant could have came back with a response. Instead, when pressed on the matter, he simply said "I didn't take it any kind of way whatsoever." In an article by Yahoo Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski, Bryant exemplifies the lyric best when he said "If I had to do it over again, I would’ve just let people talk and say what they had to say, and as time goes on, they would’ve seen what was what."

• "For better or worse/He's married to the game"

There's no doubt that Kobe Bryant has one of the best work ethics in sports history. He works on his game every day. Last offseason, fresh off winning a championship, Bryant was learning post moves from all-time great Hakeem Olajuwon. Among his many methods of training, Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Times notes 5 A.M. film study, playing through 235 games, and martial arts training. Just look at his workout schedule. Enough said.

• "His gift is a curse"

Sometimes, Bryant's determination, "his gift," can take the form of a double-edged sword. During many games, Bryant can just will the ball to the basket (i.e. 81 point game, 62 point game, etc.). Nevertheless, there are also games where Bryant's determination causes him to carry the Lakers and/or mess up the flow of the offense.

During those times, Bryant can become too selfish, which is particularly bad if his shots aren't going down. Lakers fans are familiar with these nights. These are the games when he has viewers thinking "OK, he's warming up." Pretty soon, it's the end of the game, he never really warmed up, and the result, in most cases, is a loss.

This was most evident during the 2005-2006 season when he averaged a whopping 35.6 points per game, but for a Lakers squad that didn't make it past the first round. The most recent example of Bryant's determination coming up short was Game 7 of the 2010 NBA Finals against the Boston Celtics. After the game, Bryant proved to be a great example of Eminem's lyric when he remarked, "You know, I just wanted it so bad. I wanted it so, so bad....And the more I tried to push, the more it kept getting away from me."

• "You said you was king, you lied through your teeth/For that [expletive] your feelings, instead of getting crowned you're getting capped"

Perhaps this lyric would be more applicable if Bryant were in a feud with LeBron James, but the premise works nonetheless. "King James" is said to be the top dog in the NBA, many claiming that Bryant has "passed the torch." Instead, it's Bryant who has been "crowned" with the championships - not James.

• "This...black cloud still follows me around"

Unfortunately for him, Kobe Bryant has not enjoyed a relatively stress-free career. Kobe had many downers in the early 2000's, from being accused of sexual assault to a feud with mentor and teammate Karl Malone over things said to his wife, being referred to as "uncoachable" ironically by his current coach Phil Jackson, as well as being blamed by many for Shaq's departure in spite of their constant clashes. Those moments all contribute to Bryant's greater "black cloud." No matter how much time goes by, those events will always reside in the shadows of Bryant's career, with haters quick to label him as a "rapist" and/or "ball hog."

• "Haters can make like bees with no stingers, and drop dead"

To prove this, I refer you to Bryant's "Love me or hate me" campaign.

Exhibit B: "No Love"

• "It's a little too late to say that you're sorry now/You kicked me when I was down/[Screw] what you say/You ran me into the ground"
  

Obviously, this applies to Shaq's attempts to forgive and forget their feud. Jay Mariotti's piece for Fanhouse is the perfect application of this lyric. Many NBA fans will recall the All-Star game two seasons ago, when O'Neal was trying to make amends with Kobe, whom he had insulted in a rap gone mainstream only several months prior.

O'Neal has moved on, even tweeting after the Finals: "Congratualtions kobe, u deserve it. You played great . Enjoy it my man enjoy it. And I know what yur sayin rt now 'Shaq how my ass taste'"However, it's quite obvious that Bryant still isn't ready to receive Shaq's olive branch. After Game 7, when asked what the championship meant individually, Bryant replied: "I just got one more than Shaq...You guys know how I am, I don't forget anything."

• "These fools can't drool or dribble a drop anymore/And you can never break my stride/You never slow the momentum at any moment I'm about to blow/You'll never take my pride/Killing the flow, slow venom and the opponent/Is getting no mercy, mark my words/Ain't letting up, relentless"
  

Despite the recent injuries that have slowed Bryant down, when he's hot Kobe Bryant "ain't letting up." Some may argue that LeBron James is the best scorer in the game, but let's not kid ourselves. It was Bryant who once scored 81 points, the second-highest point total in NBA history. It was also Bryant who outscored an entire team through three quarters in his 62 point game. Additionally, Eminem's reference suits Bryant, nicknamed "The Black Mamba," a reference to an extremely deadly snake.

On defense, Bryant certainly doesn't "let up." He's a 10-time All-Defensive Team selection. Enough said.

Exhibit C: "Space Bound"

• "Nobody knows me, I’m cold, walk down this road all alone/It’s no one’s fault but my own. It’s the path I’ve chosen to go"

Kobe Bryant has not been a revealing figure when it comes to his interactions with the media. His "inner circle" has dwindled throughout the years and there are very few who actually know the guy. He has typically served the media with curt answers. At the end of the day, he's the one who has decided to keep mum - and it's worked out pretty well.

Exhibit D: "Crack a Bottle"

• "It disgusts me to see the game the way that it looks/It's a must, I redeem my name and haters get mushed"

Inside Bryant's head, he's thinking "How do they give so much attention to LeBron? To D-Wade? I am the best player."Some people might not realize, every day he strives to be the greatest player to ever play the game. With every championship, he proves more and more haters wrong. When he won the championship in 2009, he could finally say he led a championship team without O'Neal's assistance. Now that he's won another championship - left LeBron in the dust - he can continue to make a debate out of the "best player" argument. And, as well all know, Bryant has "one more than Shaq."