The Black Mamba has recently been stirring up the headlines as he continues his penchant for revisiting the Smush Parker days, yet for all the criticism, all the exorbitantly harsh soundbites he provides, all Bryant has ever cared about is winning.
And the Smush-killer himself took to Facebook to remind us all of that:
Leadership is responsibility.
There comes a point when one must make a decision. Are YOU willing to do what it takes to push the right buttons to elevate those around you? If the answer is YES, are you willing to push the right buttons even if it means being perceived as the villain? Here's where the true responsibility of being a leader lies. Sometimes you must prioritize the success of the team ahead of how your own image is perceived. The ability to elevate those around you is more than simply sharing the ball or making teammates feel a certain level of comfort. It's pushing them to find their inner beast, even if they end up resenting you for it at the time.
I'd rather be perceived as a winner than a good teammate. I wish they both went hand in hand all the time but that's just not reality. I have nothing in common with lazy people who blame others for their lack of success. Great things come from hard work and perseverance. No excuses.
Is Kobe sometimes difficult to love? Most definitely, but there is no denying there is plenty of truth to his most recent words.
Being a leader is a responsibility, one of the utmost importance, in fact. Championships are not won by teams without a structured dynamic; they're captured by franchises who have at least one player willing to do whatever is necessary for his team to win.
Even if that entails said player becoming a villain, a role Bryant himself has toiled with on many occasions over the last 16 years.
And yet as ...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
