Not On My Watch!!

If Michael Jordan were around to play another NBA Finals game, he wouldn't have allowed his team to get clobbered so handily. Same with Bird or Magic.

Kobe Bryant had a chance to bring back lots of luster to the Lakers legacy, a sign of redemption after last summer's meltdown with his GM, teammates, etc. And he had a chance to bolster his image as one of the more elite players in the NBA if he could just grab another championship.

But after the Lakers got hammered by almost 40 points last night, once more I'm having my doubts about the man. Just when his team needed him the most, Kobe was MIA. Could you imagine #23, Bird, or Magic tucking tail between their legs & running off when the game's on the line & their teammates are looking for a fearless leader to pull them through? Well, neither Jordan, Johnson, or Larry ever envisioned themselves playing the role of cowardly lion when the chips were down. Or should I say that they never pulled a disappearing act when it came to crunch time.

However, we can't say the same with Kobe, not after what we saw last night. In what was considered a crucial, do-or-die game, he was a complete nonfactor: he couldn't score to save his life or his teammates for that matter. And whenever he had the ball, there was always an imposing sea of white & green jerseys moving in for the kill, imposing their will like none other as if to say, "This is our home turf!! We must protect this house!!" Could you see any of those aformentioned stars from yesteryear allowing the opposition to run roughshod over them? Not in their day & certainly not on their watch.

But it happened to Kobe, just as the Lakers were re-emerging as a force to be reckoned with. All of the comparisons to #23 can be thrown out the window: he doesn't have Scottie Pippen to help things along (Scottie was Jordan's trusty sidekick for an eternity in Chi-Town). He may have a reliable supporting cast of teammates (e.g. Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom) who can score when the need arises, but they're not even remotely on the same page as Pippen was while he was part of the Bulls' hoops dynasty. Kobe's got a cast of softies, stiffs...whatever you want to call his teammates, that's the tag which they're receiving.

Then again, his teammates were looking for a leader last night & Kobe was nowhere to be seen. What would Jordan do in a situation like this? Well, he would've imposed his presence in spite of & despite the odds the opponent put in his way. And he made some of the most brilliant shots ever to grace an NBA highlight film: these shots BTW served as daggers to the heart to finish off teams (as well as who knows how many NBA Finals) who thought they had the upper hand on him.

And I'll tell you this: he sure wouldn't have let the Celtics walk all over him like they did on poor Kobe, whom I felt didn't put up a fight when he (& the Lakers in general) direly needed to.