Takin' on Kobe

I'm taking this opportunity to give my take on Kobe Bryant.  We all know that Kobe is one of those iconic players that causes a division among the masses.  You either love him or you hate him.  I'm gonna go ahead and channel my inner politician by saying that I neither love him or hate him.  I respect him.  He is without a doubt one of the greatest players in NBA history.  I enjoy watching him play.  I admire his fearlessness and his confidence.  I am definitely not a Kobe-hater.  I would probably like him more if I wasn't always surrounded by Kobe-lovers who try unsuccessfully to convince me that he's better than Michael Jordan.  That kind of annoys me, and so I like to mess with them sometimes and bag on Kobe a little bit, but it's all in good fun.

On a related note, the Lakers are an interesting phenomenon this year.  There's been all of this talk lately about their chemistry problems, rumors that Mike Brown doesn't have control of the team.  Mike Brown isn't Phil Jackson.  Of course there will be some bumps in the road in his first season as head coach.  The Lakers have had to learn a new offense and adjust to Brown's style.  All this worry about their chemistry is an overreaction in my opinion.  There are certainly a few rough edges, but nothing to be too worried about.  Bynum is playing great, Gasol is as solid as ever, Sessions has breathed new life in them with his uptempo play, and Kobe is Kobe.  There's no Fisher, though.  I'm not even a Lakers fan, but it's sad to see Fisher in a different uniform.  I watched the Lakers/Thunder game last week with my older brother, Thayne, who is a big Lakers fan.  He was definitely sad to see "Fish" wearing something other than the purple and gold.

On a different note, congrats to Kentucky on winning the National Championship.  They were the best team all year, and now they've proven that the rankings were correct.  I'm excited for this year's draft.

Tomorrow my intramural basketball team plays in the Sweet 16 of the 2nd division tournament.  Wish us luck, and for anyone in Provo who wants to come watch, the game is at 9 pm in gym 144 of the RB.

That's my take.