They say life is 10 percent what happens to you and 90 percent how you respond to it.
Through all the successes and setbacks in his storied career, from tragedy to triumph, Kobe Bryant has proven he knows how to respond.
His fire burns an unshakable flame that every July—whether coming off of a championship campaign or a disappointing first-round playoff exit—becomes reignited to make his next return more productive, more explosive, more remarkable than ever.
Early in his career, it was the bright lights of the big dance that fueled this fire.
During the early 2000's three-peat, it was the desire to be the greatest winner of the greatest dynasty in franchise history.
After Shaquille O'Neal's departure from Los Angeles, it was showing the nonbelievers that Bryant could win championships on his own without the Hall of Fame big man.
After the 2009 and 2010 championships that followed, it was being a torchbearer for the U.S. Olympic team and global goodwill ambassador for the game.
And no doubt, this last offseason, Bryant's fire was lit to prove his doubters wrong and come back stronger after cleanly tearing his Achilles at the tender age of 35.
Now, with news of the Black Mamba getting knocked down for an estimated six weeks with a fracture to his lateral left tibial plateau, Bryant's tested flame faces yet another moment of turbulence.
How cruel the game can be.
After laboring for eight months just to return from his Achilles tear, it took Bryant only six games before suffering a wayward fracture in his left knee on a spin move Tuesday night versus the Memphis Grizzlies to unjustly send him back to the rehab shelf for another round in his heavyweight bout against Father Time.
For someone who worked so hard to get back to form, it almost doesn...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
