There will be a 1000 Kobe farewell posts done today and I will probably read every one of them. I thought of writing one myself, but what can be that said that 100s others haven’t said already?
So, I decided to keep it simple, short and sweet.
Even with a player as complex as Kobe Bryant, sometimes the simple route is the easiest route to explain greatness.
My brain takes a while to shut itself down before I go to bed, I believe that is a product of the job of I have, because it forces your brain to work 24-7. Not many breaks in the world of sports and sports entertainment.
Many times before I go to sleep I am just staring at the ceiling trying to get my brain to slow itself down, but often times during this nighttime ritual something hits me and it makes so much sense, that I have to write about it.
I was thinking about Kobe’s final game and how do you sum up such a magnificence and complicated career and Jay Z just popped into my head.
“And if I ain’t better than Big, I’m the closest one” Jay Z “Hola’ Hovito”
It really is that simple.
There are some correlations between Biggie and Jay Z-Jordan and Kobe. Biggie’s story is pretty straight forward, the rise where he is considered the best rapper in the world, there is the fall (sadly his untimely death) and then his legend sort of hovers over everything.
Jay Z started off with people thinking he was good, but not good enough to sign to a label. It was never Jay Z was the best rapper at first, it was who’s the best rapper Biggie, Jay Z or Nas? It was a slow build to the top, but through pure hard work, intelligence and the ability to be so good for so long Jay Z built his own legend.
You always got the feeling that at least initially that Jay Z was chasing Big’s shadow and that it fueled him, it kept him driven and focused. Big was his friend, but especially after his death it became a status to attain to. Some athletes aspire just to make it to the league, be an all-star or just make a lot of money. Kobe aspired and believed he was going to be greater than the greatest player of all-time and will kill himself trying to make it happen. That is borderline psychotic, but it is what makes Kobe, Kobe.
Kobe may not be Jordan, but he is the closest one and that in itself is a legacy achievement. Everyone wanted to “BE LIKE MIKE”, only one got close enough that you could actually make a comparison. Think about that for a minute. Michael Jordan is the consensus greatest basketball player of all time, he spawned millions of wannabe Jordans and only I of those millions got into the same stratosphere and that is Kobe Bryant.
While Jordan was great I want you to think about this stat.
In Jordan’s 13th year with the Bulls (he would play 2 more years with the Wizards that people try to forget) he averaged 28 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists.
In Kobe’s 17th year with the Lakers (that is an additional 4 years of regular season and playoffs games on his body) he averaged 27 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists while killing himself to the point he blew out his Achilles getting the Lakers to the playoffs. Look at what Kobe did in the last 7 games before the Achilles injury essentially ended his career.
When someone tears their achilles no matter how tough or great they are, they go down and they don’t get back up. Kobe tried to reattach his on the floor, got back under his own power, hit two free throws and walked back to the locker without assistance. Kobe was a different type of monster.
Sometimes we just remember the end and forget the greatness. There was no shooting guard in the history of the NBA that sustained his greatness for longer than Kobe Bryant. Eventually he pushed himself to the point his body just gave up on him but, I know Kobe wouldn’t have it any other way.
While the line above sums up everything you need to know about Kobe, I’ll leave you with this Jay Z verse that expands on how great Kobe really was.
I’m not a biter
I’m a writer
For myself and others
I say a B.I.G. verse I’m only biggin up my brother
Biggin up my borough
I’m big enough to do it
I’m that thorough
Plus i know my own flow is foolishJay Z “What More Can I Say?”
I don’t think there is anymore to say…..