Kobe Bryant's Ego is The Lakers Real Problem

What is up with Kobe Bryant? The NBA all star and champion is at it again. With the 2007 season quickly approaching Kobe is walking around pouting about being a Laker. Rumors have circulated that Kobe has cleaned out his locker. When asked about the situation Bryant said it wasn't true. When asked further about whether or not he was going to be a Laker this year, Kobe came across as if he did not really care. Kobe Bryant and the Lakers need to get their act together. If Kobe is going to be a Laker, be a man and stop complaining.

Bryant is tarnishing the legacy of great Laker players. Before him came Earvin Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Jerry West, James Worthy and yes, Shaquille O'Neal. All of these players played the game with passion. They were guys who stayed out of trouble and as good as they were, kept their egos in check. This is why they were all winners. They realized that ultimately it was about the team, and how much the team won. This is something Bryant has yet to realize. Bryant has been in the league less than ten years yet he has been in the news for a handful of controversial situations. He has developed a reputation as a ball hog and as having a super ego. As a result he has yet to win a championship on his own. The Lakers have barley been able to get out of the first round of the playoffs since the departure of center Shaquille O'Neal a few years ago.

Kobe is not without talent on his team as many would want you to believe. For starters he has star Lamar Odom with him in his starting lineup. Odom has played for the U.S. Olympic Team in recent years. This is a guy who is capable of scoring 20-25 points on a nightly basis. Bryant will be reunited this year with point guard Derrick Fisher. Fisher was the starting point guard for the Lakers during their championship run in previous years. The Lakers are loaded with young talent in the post. Power forward Kwame Brown is a super young talent. Youngster Andrew Bynum has shown signs of being another great Laker center. Other talented players on the roster include Bryan Cook and Luke Walton.

It is very interesting to compare Bryant to another superstar, Michael Jordan. Jordan won six NBA championships with a roster that is very similar to Bryant's. First of all they both had the same head coach, Phil Jackson. Jordan had one other solid scorer in Scottie Pippen who is very comparable to Lamar Odom in his style of play. Jordan did not have the post up help that Bryant has. Jordan's best post players over the years were Bill Cartwright and Will Perdue. Yet with less talent Jordan was able to win. Why? Not because he was just world's better than Bryant. He won because he understood how to get his teammates involved. He understood that in order to be a champion he needed the help of his teammates. This is something Bryant has yet to learn.

It's time for Kobe to put up or shut up. He needs to work with what he's got and get over it. He has enough talent to make it work if he will decide to keep his ego in check!