Kobe Isn't Wrong in Wanting to Win
Laker Star wrongfully Criticized for Demanding a Winning Situation
Jun 30, 2007 Matthew Nicholas Petersen
That mushroom cloud hovering over Los Angeles is the aftermath of Kobe Bryant's atomic request for a trade. The blast continues to blot out whatever light was output by the stellar Draft and the not-so-stellar Finals. Trade rumors and scenarios involving Kobe have been more and more spectacular (as well as more and more unlikely) as the drama drags on. Lakers fans and journalists are calling for his head, demanding for loyalty to a franchise that has decayed on so many levels.
Is Bryant wrong to make a stand against the citizens and fans of Lala Land? Most are inclined to say yes. It's important to remember, however, why Bryant is doing this in the first place: he wants to win. Winning is, after all, the ultimate goal in sports.
A lot of people could point out that rather than having the traditional "all for one, one for all" attitude typical of NBA champions, Bryant has always gone by the motto "all for one and more for me". That may have been true for the past three seasons. After being the league scoring leader two years in a row, after basking in the glorious spotlight previously swallowed by Shaq, after scoring 81 points in a single game and failing to leap over the Phoenix Suns in the first round (two years in a row), Kobe Bryant has apparently had a change of heart. He would rather win as the leader a good team rather than lose as the only player on a bad team.
In fairness to Kobe, he's been stuck with a miserable team since the Big Diesel left town. Caron Butler was traded away and promptly became an All-Star, while Kwame Brown continued to embellish his reputation as an inconsistent bust of a number one pick. His backcourt partners have included Euroleague castoff Smush Parker and NBA/D-League rookie Jordan Farmar. Lamar Odom's only consistency is his time on the injured list, and Andrew Bynum's progress is slower than Lakers' brass had planned on.
On top of all that, the Lakers are handicapped in terms of improving themselves to a contending level, especially in the heavyweight western conference. They're not good enough to compete for a championship, but they don't stink enough to win big in the draft and obtain help that way.
It must be incredibly frustrating for Bryant, who's already felt and tasted the sweetness of NBA glory. After winning three championships and reaching the Finals four times in five years, it must be pretty hard to get used to being a loser, no matter how glamorous or accomplished.
Kobe is in a hard position, because he's one of the most popular, marketable, and talented players to ever grace the NBA. The Lakers know this, and do not want to let him go. In this way, he is completely unique from anyone who has been in the position he currently finds himself in.
This brings up another point. Why is Kobe getting more baggage for wanting out of a losing situation than anyone before him in the history of the NBA? It's not as if he hasn't given L.A. anything. Clyde Drexler left a legacy in Portland for a ring in Houston in 1994-95.
Charles Barkley and Karl Malone left their respective "almosts" to seek championship glory elsewhere; Barkley leaving Phoenix for Houston and Malone seeing Los Angeles as more opportunistic than Utah. Neither of the two Hall-of-Fame forwards were able to win the big one, however.
Gary Payton joined Malone in L.A. after cementing an accomplished, albeit ringless, career in Seattle and Milwaukee. After the Lakers’ infamous defeat at the hands of the Pistons in 2004 and a fruitless year with the Celtics in 2004-05, Payton joined Shaquille O’Neal and Dwyane Wade in their triumph as NBA champions in 2006.
All of the aforementioned superstars left the teams they were and always will be identified with in search of the elusive championship ring. Their reputations as players and people were not diminished, and their places among the all-time greats were not tarnished. In the cases of those who won a championship, such as Drexler and Payton, their legacies will only shine more brightly.
Kobe Bryant has realized that this is more important to him. Should the Lakers be happy about it? Of course not. It is reasonable to expect, however, that Lakers brass, fans, and people in general respect the quality most evident in Kobe’s career: his desire to win.
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