Kobe Bryant has done more for the game of basketball in his 20 year NBA career than any of his predecessors. Kobe changed the game and became an icon across the country as everyone was in awe of his work ethic, knowledge, and pure talent. He gave the youth of America a model of what it means to be a great person. Even after 5 NBA Championships, 18x All-Star, 2x All-Star MVP, 2x Finals MVP, NBA MVP, and even an Oscar, he never let himself slip away from who he truly is. A husband, a father, a teammate, and most important, a basketball player making sure he never loses the love he has for the game. Kobe Bryant is the greatest to ever play the game of basketball because of the way he prepared, the kind of man he is and the way he played. Men
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He was raised in a stable family and even spent some of his early years living in Italy where his father played in the italian league. Kobe was always surrounded by the game and grew a passion for it; and when he and his family returned to philly he enrolled at Lower Merion High School where he became a four year starter winning four state championships. With the NBA in sight he began working out with the 76ers and decided to forgo his college career and enter the NBA draft in 1996, joining an extremely small list of players straight from high school. Drafted 13th overall Kobe quickly exploded onto the scene and became a dominating force in the NBA. “You’ve never seen anyone with the footwork, athleticism, and shooting ability Kobe has,” Kevin Durant tells me. “Being able to shoot the three off the dribble, catch and shoot, you’ve never seen that many skills in one person.” (Michael Eric Dyson). Based off raw talent, skill set, and mentality, Kobe is the most unstoppable player ever. Coming from fellow MVP Kevin Durant shows that he is respected and is unmatched in many …show more content…
As a result of entering the league at the tail end of Jordan’s career, Bryant has been the recipient of more than a fair share of comparisons to His Airness. Each accomplishment or achievement the Black Mamba has had along his career has been met with a “But Jordan….” response. Kobe Bryant’s career seems to be overlooked at times because of all the Jordan enthusiasts. Kobe may not have 6 titles or as many MVPs but multiple things factor into these differences. Did Kobe play in a more competitive era? We’re his championship teams as good as Jordan’s? Did having the most athletic player in NBA history, LeBron James, effect the achievements? Kobe meets and exceeds other greats in almost every aspect of the game and many list are populated with his name. Such as 3 point percentage, 3 point record in a single game, career points, career assists, etc. There was no weakness to Bryant’s game, making him the best scorer in league history; his capability of playing multiple positions, especially late in his career, is something that is rarely seen at the professional level. Throughout their careers both accomplished similar things, but how they handled the situations surrounding completely differed. Seemingly when Bryant isn’t playing a game, he’s perfecting his game. During the 2008 Olympics, Kobe completed a 45 minute workout before he and his trainer parted ways. “when I returned to the facility at 11, on the right
He was raised in a stable family and even spent some of his early years living in Italy where his father played in the italian league. Kobe was always surrounded by the game and grew a passion for it; and when he and his family returned to philly he enrolled at Lower Merion High School where he became a four year starter winning four state championships. With the NBA in sight he began working out with the 76ers and decided to forgo his college career and enter the NBA draft in 1996, joining an extremely small list of players straight from high school. Drafted 13th overall Kobe quickly exploded onto the scene and became a dominating force in the NBA. “You’ve never seen anyone with the footwork, athleticism, and shooting ability Kobe has,” Kevin Durant tells me. “Being able to shoot the three off the dribble, catch and shoot, you’ve never seen that many skills in one person.” (Michael Eric Dyson). Based off raw talent, skill set, and mentality, Kobe is the most unstoppable player ever. Coming from fellow MVP Kevin Durant shows that he is respected and is unmatched in many …show more content…
As a result of entering the league at the tail end of Jordan’s career, Bryant has been the recipient of more than a fair share of comparisons to His Airness. Each accomplishment or achievement the Black Mamba has had along his career has been met with a “But Jordan….” response. Kobe Bryant’s career seems to be overlooked at times because of all the Jordan enthusiasts. Kobe may not have 6 titles or as many MVPs but multiple things factor into these differences. Did Kobe play in a more competitive era? We’re his championship teams as good as Jordan’s? Did having the most athletic player in NBA history, LeBron James, effect the achievements? Kobe meets and exceeds other greats in almost every aspect of the game and many list are populated with his name. Such as 3 point percentage, 3 point record in a single game, career points, career assists, etc. There was no weakness to Bryant’s game, making him the best scorer in league history; his capability of playing multiple positions, especially late in his career, is something that is rarely seen at the professional level. Throughout their careers both accomplished similar things, but how they handled the situations surrounding completely differed. Seemingly when Bryant isn’t playing a game, he’s perfecting his game. During the 2008 Olympics, Kobe completed a 45 minute workout before he and his trainer parted ways. “when I returned to the facility at 11, on the right