Well, this is the hangover. Much like the one I placed myself in on Saturday morning following a heart-breaking Friday night, this is it.
It’s the reality that Kobe Bryant won’t be suiting up for the remainder of the season (or the playoffs if the Lakers make it) after rupturing his left Achilles tendon, and could very well never be the same again.
However, it’s also time to reflect upon one of the greatest individual seasons the Black Mamba has ever put on display.
He bled for this team. He sweat for this team. And finally, he shed tears for this team.
All of it was in an effort to give his team a chance to make the playoffs and possibly win a championship in the end.
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Make no mistake about it. The Lakers may have been fighting for the eighth spot in the West, but Kobe Bryant still saw the Larry O’Brien trophy at the end of the journey; and he pushed himself to the fullest possible level to give his team and this great city of Los Angeles all he could, to grasp it for the sixth time.
He certainly gave us a show and did it in a manner that only Kobe Bryant is capable of; full of passion, flair and determination.
Along the way, he adapted his game numerous times in an effort to will his team to victory.
First, he came into this season shooting lights out (well above 50 percent).
Then, he altered his game on January 25 to became a facilitator after sensing the need to distribute the ball–averaging 8.5 assists up until the All-Star break in the process.
The Eight-Game Stretch
Following the All-Star break, Kobe had a remarkable eight-game stretch in which he averaged 35.9 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 6.9 assists; all of this on 55.6 percent shooting from the field and 47.8 percent shooting from behind the three-point arc. It was a stretch that rivaled–or in some people’s view, surpassed–LeBron James’ six-game streak in which he averaged 30.8 points on 71.7 percent shooting from the field, along with 6.7 rebounds and 6.5 assists.
After all, Kobe had this fiery dunk over Josh Smith against the Atlanta Hawks during his stretch:
Kobe’s stretch also came with this savvy breakaway dunk to put the game out of the New Orleans Hornets’ reach, while bringing out the “Mamba Bite” in the process:
Lastly, Kobe’s final game of “The Stretch” came with three nearly impossible three-pointers to force the game into overtime against the Toronto Raptors; a game in which the Lakers would go on to win, 118-116:
That’s not necessarily a knock on LeBron James, but rather a fascination with the fact that Kobe Bryant was able to compete with and even stand out among some of these other great players (James, Kevin Durant, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul, etc.) who are in their respective primes, at 34 years of age and with 17 seasons (plus multiple playoff appearances) under his belt.
That particular stretch of games earned him the nickname “Vino,” which was in reference to the perplexing notion that Kobe Bryant was appearing to be better than ever in his 17th year of play.
Next Page: Kobe’s Incredible Conditioning
Kobe’s Incredible Conditioning
Most recently, Kobe took his level of dedication and heart to another level. He decided he wasn’t going to let the Lakers miss the playoffs, and opted to play almost the entirety of ballgames.
In the seven games leading up to his injury (including the game in which he was visibly hurt three times), Kobe averaged 45.6 minutes per game out of a possible 48.
Additionally, throughout the entire season, Kobe totaled the most fourth quarter points among any other NBA player at 589; with an average of 8.2 per fourth quarter. The second-highest player is currently
Nobody else came even close. Not LeBron James (397 total, 6.0 average). Not Carmelo Anthony (367 total, 6.9 average). Not anybody.
However, although Durant has played in less fourth quarters than Bryant and has a higher fourth quarter average, per 12 minutes in the fourth quarter, Kobe finished the season averaging 11.3 points compared with Durant’s current 10.6 with just a few games remaining.
He wasn’t shooting a bad percentage either, as he averaged 45.1 percent in fourth quarters; which isn’t far off his 46.3 overall season average.
—- Kobe Bryant has evolved over the years. Check this wallpaper of the Black Mamba! —-
I didn’t pull these stats to argue how clutch Kobe is, because we all know how dangerous he can be, but rather to showcase the kind of physical condition he was in leading up the most severe injury of his career.
There was an article on Reddit a while ago detailing his insane conditioning regimen over the summer, which certainly was not surprising to avid fans of Kobe Bryant.
It’s that kind of determination that allowed him to not only finish off games, but flourish in fourth quarters.
Different Animal, Different Beast
What drives an athlete in his 17th season to put in that kind of time an effort, though, after already being a five-time champion?
The obvious answer is “another championship,” but it’s surely more than that.
It’s the drive to win, the will to put in the extra hours, and the inner-motivation to be the greatest.
I alluded to this in an earlier article regarding Kobe Bryant, but I’m going to revisit my claim:
We’ve all seen the Kobe System commercials in which Kobe says “Different Animal. Same Beast.”
It’s a reference to an athlete of another sport–or even the same sport–having the same kind of drive that Kobe does.
However, I dispute this claim as there is no other athlete on this planet with the same kind of ferocity that Bryant has when it comes to his training and competitive spirit on the court.
No other player relishes the challenge of breaking down a defense, dunking on a shot-blocker, knocking down a three-point dagger, or even proving critics wrong the way Kobe Bryant does.
Nobody plays or approaches the game with the same kind of flair, dramatics, intensity, passion or will to win that Kobe Bryant does.
Nobody.
Sure, there may be other athletes out there who share those similarities. Shoot, there may even be other basketball players who are somewhat similar.
Those are the different animals, but are they the same beast as Kobe Bryant? Not a chance.
Different animal. Different beast altogether.
Next Page: The Comeback
The Comeback
Surely, Kobe Bryant will approach his rehab with the same intensity and dedication in which he has approached the game of basketball throughout his 17-season career.
He may not be in the same kind of condition he was in at the start of the current season because he won
There is no question that he’ll do his homework, exhaust every option regarding his rehab, and spend countless hours in the gym in order to come back in the best possible condition he can be.
Kobe has always stated that he wants to be remembered as the athlete who was the best possible player he could be, given the circumstances. Regardless of whether he is remembered as the greatest of all time, he wants to be remembered as the player who fully maximized his potential.
There’s no question that he will be back and be the best player he can possibly be following an injury like that.
Knowing him–the man who makes the seemingly impossible, possible–he may even come back just as good as he was before he limped off the court on Friday night.
With fellow athletes, celebrities, fans, and even his family sharing their well wishes and confidence in the Black Mamba to once again return to top form, he’s surely ready to take on the challenge and set an example for everyone that hard work and determination can overcome anything.
—- Kobe Bryant has evolved over the years. Check this wallpaper of the Black Mamba! —-
More than anything, he wants to–and needs to–prove it to himself.
That, my fellow Lakers fans, is the inner-beast of Kobe Bryant and what separates him from all other athletes out there.
In the meantime, while the Lakers’ season is not over and may very well be relatively successful in the playoffs without their leader (I’m an eternal optimist when it comes to the Lakers), we should all reflect upon the tremendous season Kobe Bryant gave us all to witness while carrying the Lakers up until this point.
The Lasting Image Of Kobe’s Legeendary 17th Season
The last memory he gave us for at least six months will certainly be a lasting one.
It will be a memory that symbolizes his career and defines what he’s truly about: Winning at all costs, mind over matter, and physically giving the game in which he loves so dearly literally everything he has.
With just over three minutes left in the game against the Golden State Warriors, Kobe Bryant–fully aware of the rupture in his Achilles tendon and understanding that his season is over and his career may never be the same–walks to the free throw line and knocks down two free throws:
The Lakers would go on to win the game by two points and hold off the Utah Jazz for the eighth and final playoff slot, for one more game.