Kobe Bryant: The Hated Superstar

I can describe the way I feel about Kobe Bryant with the words of Vince Vaughn as Wes Mantooth in Anchorman, "I hate him with every bone in my body, but [man] do I respect him. Man do I hate him, like so many others. I have come to realize one thing though; the guy is great. I'm talking about maybe top 7-8 players of all time (top 5 is too generous, he is not better than Jordan, Bird, Russell, Chamberlain, or Magic). His averages will obviously go down from his current career averages, but he currently has 25.1 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 1.5 steals, 0.6 blocks. Those numbers stack up with almost anybody to ever play. Add his 4 championships and he's a definitely one of the best to ever step on a basketball court. Of course, three of those titles came when Kobe was not the best player on the team. Shaquille O'Neal was. We have heard it many times over the past two week; Kobe needed this title for his legacy. I will not argue against that. He was great in this years playoffs and won a Finals MVP , an accolade he had yet to achieve. Now that the have Lakers won the title, he automatically jumps into the top 10 players ever, if he wins another one he is top 7-8. He doesn't have too long before LeBron starts his run, but Kobe can still improve his legacy vastly.

Why do I hate Kobe Bryant? He plays for the Lakers. He is too serious. He cheated on his wife with a 19 year old. He feuded with management. He's torched the Blazers. I could go all day, but let's face it, Kobe is hated probably more than any player in the NBA today. It's because of the media's love affair with him. It's because he puts on a phony persona. It's because the commentators say the same thing about him every time- "He works so hard/he wants this so bad!" We're sick of it. Lakers fans, you would be sick of it too. We haven't seen a player like Kobe before. So many fans hate him, but hardly any people who cover the games hate him. Barry Bonds was hated by both. Terrell Owens is hated by both. Every player is hated by both. Except Kobe. It's not like Bonds and Owens weren't good, so why is Kobe so beloved by the media? It doesn't seem like he is super friendly with the media or anything, so why? Still, I think every Kobe Hater, such as myself, can agree Kobe is a great player., and when people look back on Kobe's career that's what they will see him as just that- a great player.

Yet another reason I hate Kobe is when people say, "he has more pure talent than MJ." That is a crazy statement. How can a player who hasn't really bested MJ in anything have more talent. If anything it's a knock to Kobe, saying he hasn't lived up to his potential. He should be better than MJ if he is more talented. Kobe has an large array of skills, but it's not like Jordan didn't. Jordan was and will always be much better than Kobe. Stats back it up and rings back it up. So please Kobe apologists, stop comparing him to MJ!

As much as I hate Kobe I admit, he has been one of the best players in my time following sports. It's not often that we get to see a top 10 player of all time (and LeBron will, in likelihood, join him on that list). He has an amazing skill set. He hits an amazing amount of contested jumpers and also knows how to get to the line, an important asset for a swingman like Kobe. He can lock down players on defense if he really tries. He is a very complete player, not the great team player he's been dubbed as in these playoffs, but still has one of the most complete skill sets we've ever seen. He is one of five players (Jordan, West, Robertson, Barry), through 13 seasons to have at least 25 points, 5 rebounds, and 4.5 assists. Truly elite company.

My finals thoughts come back to my hatred of Kobe and how he will be remembered. He will be most likely remembered top 6-7 all time when he retires (LeBron will push him back a spot when he is done). Is Kobe really better than MJ, Russell, Chamberlain, Magic, Bird, Robertson, West, and Kareem? I don't think so. When you watch Kobe and LeBron now, in their primes, you are crazy if you don't think LeBron will have a better career. Statistically, at least. I don't want this to turn into a LeBron versus Kobe deal, but LeBron will be the best player of my generation, not Kobe. Kobe's legacy will be greatly affected by his 4 titles. Which I don't think judging a player by his titles if fair, especially if he didn't have enough talent to win a championship (Wilt Chamberlain should have won many more, but he wasn't surrounded by good enough players). Kobe currently ranks at about number 10 on my list of greatest players ever. Unless he gets another MVP or 30 point season or title that won't be changing. Man, I cannot believe I just wrote a whole article on Kobe, I'm gonna puke now.

Weekly Top 10 List: Franchises (All-Time) *NEW FEATURE*

I've decided to start making top 10 lists every week in a lot of different sports categories. I will start with the broad topic like franchises in all of sports. Very opinionated and won't be as long as other posts. Mainly for my own enjoyment. 

Top 10 sports  franchises of All-Time (NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL)

I will judge teams based on championships, winning consistently, number of stars, tradition. I will also state the face of their franchises.

1. New York Yankees (Founded in 1901: 26 World Series titles, .567  winning percentage)- The ultimate winners. More championships than any other sports team. They are ALWAYS in contention, expected by their fans to win every year. Some of the greatest players ever have played in pinstripes, Ruth, Gehrig, DiMaggio, Mantle, Berra and other greats. While they now outspend everybody to get star free agents, most of their championships have been the result of farm grown talent. Cornerstones of those 90's teams- Jeter, Rivera, and Williams- all came up through the Yanks farm system. They currently have more star power than any team in baseball with Jeter, Rodriguez, Teixeira, and Sabathia. The Yankees are the one team in sports you know will be in contention for the trophy at the end of the season. 

Face of the Yankees: Babe Ruth  

2. Montreal Canadiens [Founded in 1918: 23 Stanley Cup championships (2 more championships before the Stanley Cup) , .591 winning percentage]- The only franchise that has a number of titles close to the Yankees. Tough call if they should have been number, since they have not existed as long, but the deciding factor was that they haven't been great the past two decades. Most of their titles came a while ago. They might not have the most recognizable names in hockey; say Gretzky, Lemieux, Orr; but they have had a vast majority of hall of famers like Richard, Beliveau, Roy and so many others. They have been the model franchise of hockey and have been the classic hockey club since their birth.

Face of the Canadiens: Maurice Richard

3. Los Angeles Lakers (Founded in 1949: 14 championships, .617 winning percentage)- Tough call over Boston, but they have been more consistent winners than Boston has been. Since their founding they have had only ten seasons without winning records. Boston: 18. The Lakers have had more superstars than Boston as well. Magic, Abdul-Jabbar, West, Baylor, Mikan, Chamberlain. Worthy, Shaq, Kobe; the list goes on and on. They've had so many great teams. The early Mikan dynasty, West-Chamberlain squad that won 33 straight games, the Showtime teams, and the Shaq-Kobe teams as well. Boston basically had the Russell teams and the Bird teams. In the 80's maybe the Celtic's were the model franchise of the NBA, but now it is the Lakers.

Face of the Lakers: Magic Johnson

4. Dallas Cowboys (Founded in 1960: 5 Super Bowl titles, .578 winning percentage)- America's team as they are called. The most beloved (and hated) team of America's most beloved game (it's not baseball anymore). For this reason they are rated above the Celts. They are always the center of attention in the NFL, always getting primetime games and are on Monday Night Football quite a bit. They have hosted great players like Roger Staubach, Troy Aikman,  Tony Dorsett, and all time leading rusher Emmitt Smith. Their 90's dynasty is one of the best in football. There is not a more famous or storied NFL franchise than the Cowboys of Dallas.

Face of the Cowboys: Roger Staubach

5. Boston Celtics (Founded in 1947: 17 championships, .594 winning percentage)-

8 straight titles. This is enough to say that the Boston Celtics are one of the best teams ever to play basketball. We may never see another winner like Russell. We may also never see another white boy like Larry Bird. Seemingly every white player that can shoot nowadays is compared to Larry Legend, but none will likely ever be as good. Bird's 80's Celtic teams were some of the most star studded ever- Robert Parish, Kevin McHale, Dennis Johnson, and of course Bird himself. They fueled perhaps they greatest rivalry in sports with the Lakers. First winning all of those titles in the 60's from them and then the Lakers taking some back in the 80's. It could go either way between them and the Lakers, but the Lakers get the edge for more star players and winning more consistently.

Face of the Celtics: Bill Russell

6. Pittsburgh Steelers (Founded in 1933: 6 Super Bowl titles, .518 winning percentage)- Possibly the most classy team in sports, well at least their management has been. On the field the Steelers have historically been one of the most rugged teams ever. They have QB's, while not great, could get the job done that had a lot of help from star receivers in Stallworth, Swann, and Ward. Their defense has been the cornerstone of the Steelers for all of time. Mean Joe Greene, Jack Lambert, Mel Blount, the Steel Curtain defenses of the 70's may well have been the best the NFL has ever seen.  They have more Super Bowls than any other team in football, they would be number one if they had shown more consistency between their 70's teams and their 00's teams.

Face of the Steelers: "Mean" Joe Greene

7. Los Angeles Dodgers (Founded in 1884- 6 World Series titles, .524 all-time winning percentage)- The Dodgers, formerly of Brooklyn, have been one of the most storied franchises ever. They helped Jackie Robinson break the color barrier in baseball, and he helped them win a few titles. They featured rocket armed ace Sandy Koufax, who was forced to retire in his prime. Who know what he could have done. More recently they have had players such as Don Sutton and Orel Hershiser. They seem back on the right track now with youngsters such as Chad Billingsly and Matt Kemp as well as a veteran like Manny Ramirez. The Dodgers have long been one of the most respected teams in sports.

Face of the Dodgers: Sandy Koufax

8. San Francisco 49ers (Founded in 1946- 5 Super Bowl titles, .552 winning percentage)- The West Coast offense. One of the most used strategies in the NFL originated from 49er's coaching legend and genius Bill Walsh. He is definitely one of the greatest coaches to ever coach in the NFL. He helped Joe Montana and Steve Young develop into two of the best QB's in NFL history. Jerry Rice, undoubtedly the best receiver ever, helped them along as well. Their recent awfulness reflects their 8th ranking. If they had had a winning season in the past 7 years they would probably be higher on this list.

Face of the 49ers: Joe Montana

9. Detroit Red Wings (Founded in 1927- 11 Stanley Cup titles, .532 all-time winning percentage)- Hockeytown as Detroit is called; and for good reason. One of the "Original Six" teams of the NHL has a rich history as well as dominating recently. Their mediocre 15-20 year stretch between Gordie Howe and Steve Yzerman hurt them a little, but their recent success makes up for it. They could win their 12th Stanley Cup on Friday. They currently have one of the best defenseman to ever lace up a pair of skates in Nicklas Lidstrom. They are probably the most familiar team with America since the Canadiens are obviously located in Canada. Mr. Hockey, Gordie Howe was possibly the greatest player in hockey history until Wayne Gretzky came along. 

Face of the Red Wings: Gordie Howe

10.  Green Bay Packers [Founded in 1921, 3 Super Bowl titles (9 more championships before Super Bowl), .556 winning percentage]- Toughest call for me since I wasn't considering their pre-Super Bowl success. Green Bay still holds the name "Title Town" though. Vince Lombardi, widely considered the greatest coach in football history, coached the Packers to the first two Super Bowl titles of all time. Brett Favre picked up where Lombardi and Bart Starr left off by winning a Super Bowl in 1996. He has recently disgraced himself with his disgraceful behavior towards the franchise. The Packers have handled the situation with class however.

Face of the Packers: Vince Lombardi (not a player, but is definitely the face of the Packers since Favre's disgrace.)

Top 10 franchises of each sport

NFL

1. Dallas Cowboys: Roger Staubach

2. Pittsburgh Steelers: Mean Joe Greene

3. San Francisco 49ers: Joe Montana

4. Green Bay Packers: Vince Lombardi

5. Chicago Bears: Walter Payton

6. New York Giants: Lawrence Taylor

7. Miami Dolphins: Dan Marino

8. Washington Redskins: John Riggins

9. New England Patriots: Tom Brady

10. Oakland Raiders: Marcus Allen

NBA

1. Los Angeles Lakers: Magic Johnson

2. Boston Celtics: Bill Russell

3. San Antonio Spurs: Tim Duncan

4. Philadelphia 76ers: Julius Erving

5. Chicago Bulls: Michael Jordan

6. Houston Rockets: Hakeem Olajuwon

7. Phoenix Suns: Charles Barkley

8. Milwaukee Bucks: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

9. Detroit Pistons: Isaiah Thomas

10. Portland Trailblazers: Bill Walton

MLB

1. New York Yankees: Babe Ruth

2. Los Angeles Dodgers: Sandy Koufax

3. St. Louis Cardinals: Bob Gibson

4. Boston Red Sox: Ted Williams

5. San Francisco Giants: Willie Mays

6. Cincinnati Reds: Pete Rose

7. Oakland Athletics: Rickey Henderson

8. Pittsburgh Pirates: Roberto Clemente

9. Detroit Tigers: Ty Cobb

10. Atlanta Braves: Hank Aaron

NHL

1. Monteal Canadiens: Maurice Richard

2. Detroit Red Wings: Gordie Howe

3. Toronto Maple Leafs: Darryl Sittler

4. Edmonton Oilers: Wayne Gretzky

5.  Boston Bruins: Bobby Orr

6. Philadelphia Flyers: Bobby Clarke

7. New York Rangers: Mark Messier

8. New York Islanders: Mike Bossy

9. Chicago Blackhawks: Bobby Hull

10. New Jersey Devils: Martin Brodeur

*New post on Kobe coming soon

NBA Finals Preview

 We are finally here. After nearly two months of playoffs action we have our NBA Finals matchup, and it is not the one we thought it would be. It seemed inevitable that Kobe and LeBron would be squaring off here in June. In fact, if one of those two was not there, most people would have said it would have been Kobe because of the Lakers struggles with the Yao- less Rockets , while LeBron's Cavs mowed over their competition. 

Instead we sit here with the Lakers of Los Angeles hosting the Orlando Magic in what promises to be a very good series. The Magic proved it takes more than one player to beat them, as LeBron absolutely destroyed them and fell up short. The Magic have shot very well from downtown and must continue that if they have a chance against the Lakers. I don't see the Lakers matching up anyone on Dwight Howard with success. He has been great so far and needs to continue. Please Orlando, I beg you to beat L.A.!

Here's a look at the matchups: 

Point Guard: Derek Fisher vs. Rafer Alston- Obviously neither of these guys are studs. Fisher is a veteran who has been here before, who also has the mental edge over Alston. The Magic cannot have Alston do anything stupid, whether its turnovers or tapping a ref on the head. A point guard is supposed to provide steadiness and right now neither of these guys are very steady. Yes, Fisher is experienced, but he is a shell of his former self and doesn't knock down shots like he used to. The wild card here could be the return of Jameer Nelson, which there have been rumors about, but I really doubt he would make a significant impact on this series. He cannot be 100 percent and a guy like Jameer Nelson needs to be 100 percent to be a difference maker. EDGE: Magic

Shooting Guard: Kobe Bryant vs. Courtney Lee- This is Kobe Bryant's biggest series of his entire career. If he wins, he adds to his legacy quite a bit and will go down, at least for a while, as one of the top 10 players to ever step foot on a basketball court. On the contrary, if he loses he will still have that shadow of never winning a championship as the teams best player looming over him. Kobe will undoubtedly put up huge numbers this series and will probably be the most determined player on the court. Lee is definitely mismatched taking on Bryant in every capacity.  Lee is might be one of those rookies who disappears once they get to the finals. Yes, he's been good throughout these playoffs, but he hasn't been matched up with a guy like Kobe yet and has not been on this big of a stage yet. I really think Lee will disappear in this series. EDGE: Lakers

Small Forward: Trevor Ariza vs. Hedo Turkoglu- Ariza had his best series facing the Nuggets in round three. He scored in double figures in four of six games and was hitting his threes. His strong play has been huge for them, especially since Odom has been hurting and Bynum hasn't exactly been stellar. Turkoglu quietly had a huge series against Cleveland. He was a miracle from LeBron away from getting a game winning shot to add to his 21 points in game 2. He averaged 17 points, 6 rebounds, and 7 assists. The Magic need him to continue to play at that kind of level if they expect to win this series. May I remind you that Hedo was matched up with LeBron James last series; he should add to his offensive numbers against Ariza because he will not be as tired from guarding him. EDGE: Magic

Power Forward: Pau Gasol vs. Rashard Lewis-  Gasol continues to be extremely reliable in these playoffs, scoring double figures in each game. I think most people forgot that this guy was the best player on some Grizzlies teams that made the playoffs. He is an all- star power forward and hasn't gotten the credit he deserves for getting the Lakers to the finals back to back seasons. Without him there's no way this Lakers team makes it. Gasol will also play some center in this series, maybe even more than he plays power forward, but he should still put up the same solid numbers he usually does. I would be shocked if Gasol doesn't play better than he did against the Celtics last year in the finals, especially since he's going against Rashard Lewis instead of Kevin Garnett. Lewis brings many unique things to the table that Gasol has not faced though. He can post up like foes Gasol has faced so far like a Scola or Martin, but Lewis is most dangerous when roaming around the 3 line. Lewis has been the key to the Magic's success, always stepping up with big shots and again, like Gasol, scoring in double figures every night. In fact Lewis's lowest point total was 14 way back in round 1 versus the Sixers. Both of these guys bring something very different to the table and we'll see how much they go head to head. I'm sure Lewis will see plenty of Odom as well. EDGE: Lakers

Center: Andrew Bynum vs. Dwight Howard- Bynum was supposed to be the missing link from last year's Lakers team that fell short. I just don't see it. He hasn't been very good in the playoffs and I'm sorry (not really) to say Laker's fans, that I don't think he will ever be that all-star center you'd hoped he would be. He's also going to have to play against the nightmare that is Dwight Howard. Howard has been everything the Magic had hoped in the playoffs. He had a masterpiece of a game in game 6 against the Cavs, posting a 40-14. The Lakers have to hope Howard gets in foul trouble or Bynum or Gasol, whoever is guarding Howard, is in for a long series.

Bench: Lamar Odom is the biggest name coming off the bench obviously. He can provide the Lakers with a lot of offensive pop. He is still injured with a nagging back injury though. The Lakers really need to hope he recovers after getting a week long break. If he is close to 100 percent that swings things in the Lakers favor for sure. If he can put up 15 or 20 like he did in games 5 and 6 of the Nuggets series the Lakers should win this series. Nobody else on the Lakers bench has been consistently good. If they can get one or two good games out of Farmar and Vujacic, they will be happy. The Magic don't have anybody that will matter as much as Odom coming off the bench, but Mickael Pietrus has been a pleasant surprise the past series, putting up double digits in every game. However, he will be matched up against against Kobe Bryant, not Delonte West this series. That will  make a big difference. It would be a big plus for Orlando if they can get anything out of Johnson or Gortat, or if somehow Jameer Nelson returns but none of those scenarios seem likely. EDGE: Lakers

Prediction:  I've doubted the Magic the whole course of the playoffs, and have desperately rooted against the Lakers the whole playoffs. Kobe needs this championship on his resume if he wants to be in that elite class of players when his career is over. On the other hand, Dwight Howard can put himself in an extremely good position with a championship so early in his career, joining big men such as Kareem Abdul- Jabbar to win a title as the best player on their team at such a young age (Kareem also had Oscar Robertson). A win would be huge for both of these superstars. The real question is if the Howard's supporting cast can match that of Kobe's. The Magic took the season series 2-0 so that tells you that they match up well against them. Remember, the Magic also took the season series from the Cavs.I really want to pick the Magic but I have to pick the Lakers in 5. Kobe is better than Dwight and Gasol and the Magic really have no answer for him. They got away with it against LeBron, but the Cavs didn't have secondary scorers like Gasol and Odom. The games will be close but the Magic will be laid to rest fairly quickly.

Game 1: Lakers by 4

Game 2: Lakers by 9

Game 3: Magic by 6

Game 4: Lakers by 3

Game 5: Lakers by 13

There's what I think of the NBA Finals. Sad to say it, but it looks like the Lakers and Kobe will capture their fourth title of the decade. I'd really like to see Howard and Magic win and Kobe walk off the court like LeBron. Wouldn't that be awesome? Please Orlando, let me be wrong (like I have been so many times before). Please beat the HATED Lakers. Sweep them! I just don't see it happening. Yet another anticlimactic finals.