Whenever any discussion concerning Bryant's legacy in the NBA is commenced, the debate will inevitably shift towards a comparison to Jordan, and how Bryant falls short in that respect.
Every child grows up trying to emulate the style and game of their favorite NBA heroes, and for the few lucky enough to realize the dream of actually competing in the league, their respect for said hero is displayed in their game.
The only reason Bryant and Jordan are so fervently debated is because Bryant is the only player who has merited the comparison, and he has also managed to craft his own brilliant legacy in the process.
I was attending a Fatherhood conference in New Orleans LA during the last two games of the NBA Finals, and in an atmosphere dominated by men talk normally drifted to basketball.
Most of the people I encountered were rooting for the Celtics to pull it out, and their reasons had much more to do with Bryant losing rather than Boston winning.
The amount of resentment directed at Bryant was immeasurable, and the mood of the hotel after the Los Angeles Lakers prevailed over the Celtics in Game Seven was predictable.
Most people seemed less concerned about the fact that Los Angeles had just clinched their 16th championship, and first in a seven game series against the Celtics, and more eager to defend Jordan's legacy.
The final game was sloppy on the offensive end, but from a defensive point of view, it was a basketball purist's dream.
However, few people wanted to discuss the dramatic fashion in which the Lakers overcame a 13 point disadvantage in a game which became an instant classic on ESPN.
In fact, the only word to describe the sentiment towards Bryant was hatred, and as is often the case with that particular emotion, the anger is usually ill-conceived and baseless.
The&n...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
