In NBA news, Kobe Bryant has accepted his fate and settled for winning just five championships in his career, according to ESPN .
Even before he played his first official game in the NBA, people knew that Kobe Bryant wanted nothing more than to be like Michael Jordan. Kobe studied all the moves that Michael did when he was dominating the league with the Chicago Bulls. He studied the relentless work ethic and competitiveness that Jordan was famously known for. Bryant went deep into details, as he even emulated certain mannerisms, such as the tongue thing. The biggest thing that Kobe wanted to copy, though, was the six NBA Championships owned by Michael.
Coming into the season, Kobe Bryant believed that the Los Angeles Lakers had a chance to win the NBA Championship. Not a lot of people shared his opinion and conviction. The six-foot, six-inch, 212-pound guard has enough self confidence that he believes he can win any game that he plays. Father Time, though, had other plans. Kobe has struggled this season, and so have the Lakers. Sitting at the bottom of the Western Conference with a 3-16 record, Bryant has decided to tell the world that he is content with winning just five championships.
Kobe Bryant vs. Michael Jordan
While he may have come to peace with winning one less championship than Michael Jordan, do not expect Kobe Bryant to concede the title of “best NBA player of all time.” His historic run with the Los Angeles Lakers allows him to be in the conversation. A more humbled Kobe has publicly stated that he gave everything he had to the sport of basketball. Whether or not he surpassed Jordan, Bryant knows that he did his best to achieve his lifelong goal of being better than the man that he idolizes.
When NBA fans debate about Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant, there will inevitably be people who will use the “five versus six” argument. It is not that simple to judge the greatness of players. Former Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Lakers forward Robert Horry has won a whopping seven championships in his career. No one really brings him up during a debate about the greatest NBA player of all time. In fact, the former University of Alabama star never once made an All-Star game during his 16-year career.
Trading Kobe Bryant
Since most people do not believe that the Los Angeles Lakers would ever do it, there is a chance that the team trades Kobe Bryant at the trade deadline. The Philadelphia native has a no trade clause in his contract but he does own the right to waive that if he wants to. Bryant’s $25 million salary is going to make it difficult for team owner Jim Buss and general manager Mitch Kupchak to find a deal that is suitable for all parties involved. However, it is not an impossible task to pull off.
A trade that would work under the guidelines of the salary cap would involve Kobe Bryant going to the New York Knicks. The franchise is one of the early surprises of the NBA season because rookie forward Kristaps Porzingis has exploded onto the scene. He isn’t just one of the best rookies in the league. He is also one of the best players period. To make the salaries match, New York can send Sasha Vujacic, Jose Calderon, Derrick Williams, and Robin Lopez. Though the Knicks would lose two valuable role players in Calderon and Lopez, the thought of having Bryant joining good friend Carmelo Anthony in the Big Apple is appealing.
Can Kobe Bryant still be considered the greatest if he does not have as many NBA championships as Michael Jordan?
[Featured Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images]
