Who’s better? Kobe Bryant or Lebron James?
For the second straight year, the two basketball demigods are nominated in the ESPY (Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly) Awards for the Best Male Athlete category.
After leading the LA Lakers to a hard-fought seven-game series with the Boston Celtics, Kobe Bryant got his 5th championship ring and second consecutive NBA Finals Most Valuable Player award.
By doing so, Kobe once again proved to detractors that he can carry a team to a crown and that last year was no fluke.
As Shaq’s side kick during the Lakers three-peat from 2000-2002, Kobe is one of my favorite NBA players.
With the ultimate NBA champion Bill Russell personally giving him the trophy named in his honor, Kobe Bryant took home his second consecutive NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award after leading the Los Angeles Lakers in becoming just the seventh team in NBA history to win a championship after facing a 3-2 deficit.
In the deciding Game 7, Kobe made up for an otherwise poor shooting night (going 6-of-24) by grabbing 15 rebounds and going 11 for 15 from the free-throw line. He averaged 28.6 points in the series.
Last year, Kobe has proven he can win without Shaq.
This year, he got revenge against this almost same Boston Celtics team who embarrassed him in the 2008 NBA Finals (prompting Shaq to ask Kobe how his ass tastes). The Lakers too finally win a Game 7 against its bitter rival after four previous failed attempts.
With their backs against the wall, the Lakers played with a sense of urgency in blowing out the Celtics, 89-67.
LA’s defense held Boston to shot a series-low 33.3% and only Utah’s infamous 54-point performance against Chicago in 1998 was worse.
Kobe Bryant had his best game of the series netting 19 of his 38 points in the 3rd quarter and scoring 23 straight Laker points between the 4:23 mark of the second quarter until there was 2:16 left in the third.
However, it was overshadowed by Paul Pierce’s own best game with a performance that’s reminiscent of his 2008 Finals MVP play scoring 27 points of his own.
Best buddies Kobe Bryant and Derek Fisher were both taken in the 1996 NBA Draft.
Derek was with Kobe in the Lakers’ three-peat years (1999-2001) took a brief stint with Golden State and Utah before coming back to help Kobe get his 4th championship ring (and without Shaq).
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