Sunday afternoon, while much of the country was either watching NFL games or fantasizing about rib eyes and milk shakes while completing day 3 of their annual post-Thanksgiving Day green-juice cleanse, Kobe Bryant announced that this NBA season would be his last.
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The news was both completely shocking and completely foreseeable.
Because while it made logical sense that a 37-year-old playing one of the most athletically demanding positions in professional sports and coming off consecutive season-ending injuries and currently playing so badly that heโs perhaps the least effective starter in the entire NBA would retire soon, Kobeโs career has been a 19-year-long defiance of logic.
If Kobe had announced, instead, that he was going to retire in 20 โฆ 18 (or even 2028), no one would have been too surprised. Because it would have been quintessential Kobe.
But 2016 will be the last time we see Kobe Bean Bryant suit up for the Los Angeles Lakers. He will receive standing ovations in every arena in which he plays. Parents will make sure to bring their children to those games, so their 8-year-old scions will be able to watch this warrior, this living and breathing legend, this furious and beautiful anachronism, in person. Players from other teams will give him hugs and take pictures with him after they play against each other for the final time. Some organizationsโdefinitely the New York Knicksโwill officially recognize him with some sort of ceremony.
And, during all of this, there will be thousandsโno, millionsโof conversations about Kobeโs legacy, his historical impact and, most notably, the degree of his greatness. On the list of the top 20 or so NBA players of all time, where does Kobe place? This question: โWe know Kobe is great. But exactly how great is he?โ has been the most defining one of his career. And the most maddening because Kobe is a paradox, and every point in his favor comes with a major caveatโand an endless stream of โbutsโย making him nearly impossible to objectively assess.
He has five NBA titles, but all came while he was equipped with a dominant big man (Shaq for the first three, Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum for the last two) and one of the best coaches ever (Phil Jackson). Heโs regarded by many as the best player of his generation, but he only won one MVP, while three other players (LeBron James, Tim Duncan and Steve Nash) won multiple MVPs while Kobe was in his prime.
He will end his career as the third-leading scorer in NBA history (and the only guard to crack the top three), a testament to his longevity, work ethic and adroitness. But he spent much of his career so singularly (and, at times, hilariously) focused on scoring baskets that he often did so at the expense of his teamโs success. He was one of the NBAโs most exciting players ever, exhibiting a once-in-a-lifetime blend of creativity, drama, flair, world-class athleticism, aggression and skill. But even at his absolute best, he was an almost-completely-accurate-but-just-not-quite-there facsimile of Michael Jordan. It was eerie how closely Kobeโs movements and mannerisms mirrored Mikeโs, and even eerier that this replication was intentional.
But Kobe was never as good as Mike. Which is more of a compliment than it seems. Because Kobe could never have been as good as Mike. Mike possessed certain athletic and physical gifts that Kobe just did not have. He wasnโt as quick, he wasnโt as explosive, he didnโt jump as high and he wasnโt equipped with freakishly large hands. But despite these inherent limitations, Kobe worked himself into being a player whom people considered a legitimate heir to the greatest player of all time. And he did that by maximizing his ability.
Although many (and I am a part of that โmanyโ) believe that LeBron James is a better and more effective basketball player than Kobe ever wasโand, once his career ends, will rank higher on the all-time listโthere are also many (and I am a part of this โmany,โ too) who also believe that LeBron hasnโt quite maximized his considerable talents. As great as he is and has been, thereโs a lingering feeling that he could have been even greater.
There is no such feeling with Kobe. He will retire this year after being the best Kobe Bryant he could have possibly been. And thatโs the best compliment you can give him (or anyone else).
Damon Young is the editor-in-chief of VerySmartBrothas.com. He is also a contributing editor at Ebony.com. He lives in Pittsburgh and he really likes pancakes. You can reach him at [email protected].
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