Kobe still an idol for DeRozan
Lakers star will make final visit to Toronto to play against Raptors next week
DeMar DeRozan is certain that history will judge Kobe Bryant fondly, that an odious start to the final season in a 20-year career for the Los Angeles Lakers icon will quickly be erased from the consciousness of fans and be replaced by memories of an honour-laden career.
There is a bias to DeRozan’s opinion, of course, because he grew up in Los Angeles idolizing the now 38year-old, and the Raptors swingman has nothing but high regard for Bryant.
“That man has five rings,17 all-stars, MVP,” DeRozan said after Bryant suddenly announced Sunday that this will be his final year. “There’s nothing he hasn’t done. It’s just Father Time catching up with him, injuries catching up with him this past year. People will appreciate it when he’s away from the game.”
There is no doubt that Bryant is a dead-certain, first-ballot Hall of Famer and one of the greatest players in NBA history.
The five championships put him in the pantheon of all-timers, he is third on the NBA’s all-time scoring list, the number of awards won and accolades earned is almost endless. Still … There is something oddly polarizing about Bryant, despite the totality of his career. He is a ruthless competitor and that rankles some, and he is seen as a shot-happy ball-dominator and current team killer who doesn’t know enough to get out of the way and let the abysmal Lakers get on with a rebuilding process. The detractors are many. “I think a lot of people don’t understand Kobe, they look at Kobe like he’s an a--hole,” DeRozan said. “He’s not. He’s just one of them guys who want every single thing out of the game of basketball.
“He’s sacrificed so much to do that. I think a lot of the time people don’t appreciate that side of him. My experience with him, he’s a hell of a guy. People won’t realize that until he’s away from the game.”
Perhaps Bryant’s greatest accomplishment, and one that stands him apart from all but a handful of his iconic contemporaries, is that he has spent the entire 20 years of his career with the same team. There was a dalliance with the Clippers about half a decade ago, and the Lakers rewarded him with a salary-cap killing $50-million contract as a golden parachute in his athletic dotage, but he will go down as synonymous with one of the NBA’s most recognizable brands.
He is the Lakers now and has been for more than 10 years. His game is diminishing, no question, but his longevity would be the envy of many.
“Especially playing at a high level, doing the things he was doing. People don’t understand how hard that is,” DeRozan said. “Even now, a lot of us find ourselves tired (on) back-to-backs. It’s tough. It’s really tough. To do it 20 years at a high level, you have to give that man every credit in the world.”
Where Bryant ultimately lands on the list of top 10 or top 15 or top 20 players of all time is for bar stool conversations and debates; it is impossible to quantify and a matter of personal taste. But there is no denying the strength of his will, his demanding presence, his single-mindedness whether that’s good or bad.
“He has that killer instinct, that grit that you don’t see too often,” DeRozan said. “He demands that presence every time he steps out on the court and it’s hard to find guys like that, that have that dominant presence. You just see it in his eyes.
“So with that, you’ve got to give a guy credit because that just don’t happen overnight, it comes with work ethic and somebody that’s really passionate and wanting everything out of the game of basketball.”