Kobe Bryant is the Best in the NBA
Shan Battier, Ron Artest, Dahntay Jones, and recently Michael Pietrus have been unable to stop him. The Jazz, Rockets, Nuggets, and Magic all have felt the wrath of him. Everyone has relished in the fact that he has failed at winning a championship without Shaq.
He has proven himself beyond all reasonable doubt that he is the closest a player can ever get to Michael Jordan. He has fully distinguished himself among his peers and after this season any argument that he needs Shaquille ONeal to win a championship needs to be squashed.
He is the best shooter in the NBA. There can be no argument about this. He can literally shoot the lights out. There is rarely a time when he has two bad games in a row. I have seen him get his shot up over the best defenders in the league and with an extremely high success rate. He has torched from mid range and the three point line every defense that any coach has put in front of him.
He can drive and finish at the rim. Granted he does not live by the basket as he did in his younger days but thats to be expected. Its because of this that he is rarely injured. His jump shot sets up his amazing drives to the hole and he has the complete arsenal to finish any play.
His passing has improved dramatically. He used to be criticized for this. But he was worked on it and now is not only a willing but exceptional passer on the court. He averages over six assists a game and is always looking to set up his teammates though he can score at any time and against any defender.
His rebounding and defense is top notch especially when you consider his offensive responsibilities. He has never been a slouch on defense since he came into the league back in 1996. Say what you want about Kobe but he never gives up on a play and has always defended well. He is the reason why the Lakers won three championships in the early 2000s. The Lakers were a great defensive team and Kobe paired with Derek Fisher was a big part of that.
Kobe has no flaws in his game. This is what makes him transcend greatness in his career. He can shoot, drive, pass, and defend. That is remarkable by any standards.
I for one am no fan of the Lakers. In fact I loathe them. Everything seems to always go perfect for the city of Angels. They always get great players for nothing and the dice always seem to be in their favor. Nevertheless they always make for good basketball games and have developed the second best player ever to walk the earth. At this point in time it just cannot be denied.