For years, I've been very vocal about my disdain for one Kobe Bean Bryant.
There are just those people that you love to hate, and he was one of those for me.
That all changed today, and it had absolutely nothing to do with anything he's done on the court.
Even as I considered Kobe Bryant "Public Enemy No. 1," I respected his game. I didn't always respect his leadership ability or his antics, but I always gave him props for being able to flat out ball.
These playoffs have proven one thing to me about Kobe—he's a leader.
My biggest beef with Bryant was that he didn't have the ability to make those around him better. That's why he was never going to be truly great; that's why he was never going to be as good as Michael Jordan.
I stand corrected (at least partially). Kobe, it turns out, makes his teammates better. He brings out the best in them in a Jordanesk way. He's still not MJ; there will never be ...
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Article written by Mike MacConnell