Kobe Bryant has played a careerlong
game of one-upmanship with the NBA's greatest. This is most
pronounced with Michael Jordan, the player with whom he is most often
compared. It's no secret that Kobe wants to be the greatest ever and
that he's almost painfully aware that to be so considered, he has to
surmount Jordan in achievement and legacy.
There is no end of comparison. Their
careers cross over on many levels, from skills, to gifts, desire and
even career achievement. Despite his stated protests, by so patently
aiming to dethrone the NBA's all-time greatest, Kobe actively invites
the Jordan comparison. And he can't ever hope to win. This futile
struggle, perhaps more than any other, is the core of his narrative.
He will never be as universally respected and admired as Jordan; his
presence in the internet era (where naysayers proliferate) and the simple fact that he is so often compared to his motivation underlines that.
Bryant is certainly admirable: his
desire to be the best and to work hard to achieve is laudable; his
blatant pursuit of the title “Greatest Ever” even lays bare an
honesty not normally associated with pro ballers, least of all the
enigmatic Bryant and calculating Jordan. However, that honesty works against him: Jordan never felt
the need to publicly state his ambition/case for being the best
baller ever; it was unstated and dignified.
It is telling that Kobe has felt – and at times appears to service – that need.
It is telling that Kobe has felt – and at times appears to service – that need.
