The Basketball News:Incredible Kobe Bryant will see Lakers get revenge on Celtics for 2008
Article Summary:
Article Content:
Kobe Bryant is incredible. As I painfully watched him hit clutch shot after clutch shot in the Lakers’ close out Game 6 win that eliminated my Suns, I started to wonder; is he actually better than Michael Jordan was?
I grew up hooked on the NBA in the mid-90s, witnessing Jordan do some truly spectacular things. On his day, and it often was his day, he was simply unplayable. He ensured his Bulls would win, no matter what.
Whether it was a buzzer beater as time expired or a series of amazing contested shots over the outstretched arms of his opponents, His Airness made sure the Bulls won games that mattered.
Six championships in that decade proved that. Superstars of yesterday such as John Stockton, Karl Malone, Charles Barkley and Patrick Ewing retired trophyless. Jordan is the reason why.
I see exactly the same things in Kobe. As Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals drew to a close on Saturday night, I realised just how much like Jordan he is.
The Suns smothered him in double teams, forcing him to hit shots from 20 feet with a defender in his face and a defender on the brink of getting a hand to the ball. But Kobe released his shots, hitting nothing but net each time. Strangely, I was in awe.
As Steve Nash put it, “I’m not sure those are shooter’s shots. Those are scorer’s, best player-in-the-game type shots. He is incredibly skilled, talented. He’s a great competitor, clutch. What can you say?”
After a somewhat rusty (by his standards) first round against the Thunder, Kobe has been in spectacular form. He seems to have shrugged off the multiple injuries he’s had.
The week of rest between rounds certainly seems to have helped him. The result is we are now witnessing a player performing as well as, if not better, than Michael Jordan.
That’s terrible news for the Boston Celtics. They may feel confident about their chances - after all, they knocked off LeBron and the Cavs and then managed to finish off the Magic in 6 games.
I still can’t get my head around how they managed to make an absolutely brilliant and on-form Orlando team look so ordinary. Yet they did, and they are back in the Finals on merit.
If not for Kobe being in the form of his life, I’d actually fancy the Celtics to beat LA once again.
Rondo has developed into a tremendous point guard, their bench has suddenly become effective, Paul Pierce is Paul Pierce, and Garnett is still a force defensively. They will be a tough match up for the Lakers, without a doubt.
This is all about Kobe however. He is on another level right now. He wants his 5th championship, and he wants revenge for the embarrassing way the Celtics defeated the Lakers last time round in 2008. Kobe Bryant is a man on a mission. I for one, am not going to doubt him.
———————