10 years is such a short span of time compared to eternity.
But over the past decade, the world of NBA basketball has gotten more than its fair share of glory from what was once a new generation of players who are now emerging as future hall-of-famers.
And the purple and gold #24 jersey tops that list hands down.
About a little over a decade ago, the son of Joe “Jelly Bean” Bryant had yet to prove himself… He sure was an up and coming player, who not only knew how to play but also entertain and take showmanship to another level. Fans dubbed him “the next Michael Jordan” likely in a way to reignite the passion for basketball from the Jordan years. Of course, he wasn’t the only one who received that catchphrase during his time.
But as one legendary reviewer said, “the ring is the thing.” And KB 24 back then was a far cry from “His Airness” who sported 6 championship rings with the Chicago Bulls.
It was an uphill battle for Kobe, but he took the challenge head on.
10 years later, time, effort and, if we call it fate, had given their best.
After playing three times with the Los Angeles Lakers (2000-02), partnering with some of the best in the league, including undeniably Shaquille O’Neal, Kobe found himself in a transition period that involved controversy, heartbreak and frustration. The youngest player on the Lakers team, as time went on, he became the leader of the team, one that seemed to be going anywhere but another championship run.
Kobe wanted out at one point, but managed to hold on to a thin thread of hope. Playing through mediocre season records and swallowing the fact of losing playoff games, he refused to let his dream die. And great things happen to those who wait.
The Lakers organically grew their team into a strong and solid lineup, ultimately leading them back to the NBA Finals in 2008. Though they were beaten back then by their arch-rivals of yesteryear (Boston Celtics), they took it further as a challenge, and as a result, 2009 turned out to be its own storybook ending, with Kobe snagging his first Finals MVP.
If his first championship was memorable, his fourth was very dramatic.
This season, it doesn’t look like he’s about to throw in the towel… at least, not yet.
Bryant was selected for his 12th All-Star Game this February and along with that, just a month ago, he managed to reach the 25,000 career point milestone (in Cleveland), becoming the youngest ever to reach that mark.
He has hit 4 game winners in the last 3 months and 15 overall since the 2002-03 season, a feat unmatched in NBA history.
The Lakers currently have the second-best record overall, with their best player battling hand injuries and back spasms. They’re all normal signs of the times, and could probably be an indication of the upcoming “Black Mamba” curtain call. If that’s the case, then the last decade would certainly be his decade…’ he didn’t say anything.
But then again, in reference to Kobe Bryant: As time has told the story before, only time will tell it once more.