In a league dominated by salary caps and expiring contracts, it's hard to argue that parity is not a factor in the NBA. If Derek Jeter were to win 5 World Series rings for the Yanks that would be about as impressive as UC getting an NIT bid, but to do it in the NBA is a horse of a different color. Now you can say Kobe Bryant is the most prolific player of his playing era, and I'd have no problem with that, but to even mention KB 24 alongside His Airness remains ludicrous at this point. After all, how many classic films has Kobe starred in? Didn't think so. In the same regards though, comparing LBJ to Kobe is equally as redunkulous, and there's no reason not to give the man credit where credit is due.
After coming to the Lakers from the Hornets on draft night at the age of 17 in exchange for Vlade Divac, some pocket lint, a few buttons, and a washing machine, Kobe's arrival marked the inception of one of the most dominant dynasties the League has ever seen. To say they revolutionized the way the game was played would be a stretch, but to deny the dominance of the Lakeshow in the late 90's and early 2K's would be straight ignorant. Upon Phil Jackson's arrival in 1999, the installation on the triangle offense in LA that won PJ 6 titles in Chi-town worked wonders with the Lakeshow as well. Three titles in a row later, Kobe had already cemented his legacy as one of the geratest of all time...at the age of 23. Let's not kid ourselves now, the Western Conference back in those days was absolutely stacked with the likes of the Blazers, Spurs, Sacramento Divacs, and Jazz. All teams that were more than worthy to bring home titles, but the Lakers had other thoughts. The emergence of players such as Derek Fisher, Robert "Big Shot" Horry, Rick Fox, and did I mention Shaq? all added up to a new dynasty built in just a matter of years. Recent research conducted at various sketchy ass universities show that having two Hall-of-Famers in their prime on the same roster greatly increases the chance of claiming hardware, and it showed.
Then it all fell apart. Kobe raped some chick, and Shaq started running his mouth. OH NO! Two heartbreak seasons in a row preceded Shaq getting shipped to Miami (where he did what he knows best: win a title...with the help of James Posey) and Phil Jackson hanging up the clip board. Then the unthinkable happened, the Los Angeles Kobes, I mean Lakers, missed the playoffs after a less than stellar 04-05 campaign. LA was calling for Bryant's head as the dynasty had surely been reduced to ruble, but wait, there's more. It was official, Kobe was by himself (a modern day LeBron, if you will) and what he went on to do is what makes him one of the greatest. Anybody can win titles with Shaq-daddy, but to rebuild a dynasty with Kwame Brown as your post presence and Sasha Vujacic on the wing lets us all see how good Kobe really was (and is). Kobe took matters into his own hands in 2005-06 by averaging a hefty 35.4 points a game and returning a mediocre at best team to the playoffs. Of course Phil Jackson's return to the helm might have had a thing or two to do with it, but give Mamba his dues.
Three Finals appearances, two titles, and four seasons later, it appears safe to say Kobe has successfully resurrected the Lakeshow. I don't like Pau Gasol either, but he's got two more titles than you. Even Ron Artesticles got himself a ring this year. With Phil Jackson's retirement looming, perhaps the coming years will be Kobe's biggest test, but as far as I'm concerned, he has little left to prove. People point to his mere one MVP award and two finals MVP's as a weak spot on his resume, and yes I've said it once, he is no MJ, but the work he has done in the land of the angels is certainly commendable. Dy-Nasty noted, hats off to black Mamba 8/2-4. Lesson learned, don't doubt him. Burnside, upouttahere.
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