There's no pleasing Kobe Bryant. He had the best center in the league to play with, a seven foot, 340 pound monster to distract defenses and help bring numerous championship rings to Los Angeles.Yet, Bryant was unsatisfied with championship rings. He wanted to be the center of attention, for the Lakers to be "his" team. So, he started playing for himself. When plays were called for Shaquille O'Neal, or any other Laker teammate, he would, at times, force up awkward shots through multiple defenders, or cause needless turnovers because of his errant, selfish play.
Shaq and other Laker players became disgruntled and the result was a feud between the team's two top stars. The media ate this up. This resulted in the team trading Shaquille O'Neal (in what was perhaps the most lopsided trade in recent NBA history) and a huge new contract for Kobe Bryant. Bryant looked around and suddenly realized he wasn't on a championship team anymore, but he was the center of attention on the court.
Fast-forward a few years later to 2007. Kobe Bryant is still the center of attention, but the team isn't going anywhere. Therefore, Kobe reverts to his whining tactics and starts demanding a trade. Meanwhile, Shaquille O'Neal partners with Dwayne Wade to win another championship in 2006.
The Lakers can't win this battle.
Kobe Bryant is a fantastic player. He may possibly be the best player in the league in terms of talent. It can certainly be argued that he's the best one-on-one player in the league, and he has matured on the court in that he is better now at scoring within the offensive system and playing with teammates than he once was. This is evidenced by his increased field goal percentage and decreased turnovers this past season. However, Kobe still doesn't get it. He has tried to emulate Michael Jordan throughout his career. Yet, Jordan was about winning and even more about rising to challenges that made his team better. He even came out of retirement to try to turn around a woeful Washington Wizards team. Kobe Bryant might say the right thing in interviews, but the reality of it is he's about individual challenges and feeding whatever selfish desire he has at the given moment (and that is in no way meant to be a cheap shot at the infamous rape accusation made against him).
The Lakers are an awful team. Without Bryant, they would not have made the playoffs in either of the past two seasons. However, Kobe's selfishness and consistent whining throughout his career might over shadow his accomplishments on the basketball court to many fans, and that is unfortunate.
In all likelihood, Bryant will remain a Laker at least until his contract is up. Moreover, rumors are somewhat vague about what teams he might be pursuing. Some rumors say he wants to go to Phoenix, Dallas or Chicago, while other rumors say he wants to be traded to an Eastern Conference team. At any rate, Bryant might consider getting over himself just a bit if he wants the same kind of legacy as, say, a Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson or Larry Bird.
