Kobe Bryant had a good night last night, but our overhyping of performances like this an insult to his legacy.
Future Hall of Famer Kobe Bryant had a decent night last night in the Los Angeles Lakers’ 107-87 loss to the Houston Rockets, scoring 22 points, gathering eight rebounds and handing out three assists.
There were even a few moments where Kobe looked a little bit like his old self.
It was great to see this version of Kobe Bryant, not the one chucking airballs and making us cringe like an episode of Arrested Development where the characters lack self-awareness so much that they don’t realize how ridiculous the situation is.
This Kobe, not the Gob Bluth one, is the one I enjoy.
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This is why I feel like when some people get so amped about a 22-point game, I feel like we are almost insulting Kobe for having a good night and treating it like he’s done something amazing.
Kobe Bryant is a 5-time NBA champion, an MVP, 17-time all-star, 15-time All-NBA Team selections, 12-time All-Defensive Team selections, and that’s not even close to a full list of what he’s accomplished.
That’s why I feel like when Reggie Miller dashed the hyperbole on Kobe, I felt like in an effort to praise him it is almost an insult to hype up these decent Kobe games. This isn’t to slight Kobe or to say don’t enjoy these moments. We really should enjoy these last glimpses we do get of him. He’s a legend, one of the best, and this isn’t something you see every day.
I am very glad he’s found his shot again after 17 ugly games. Only the most ardent Kobe Haters want something like that. Please keep making shots Kobe.
Kobe first 17 games: 29.6% shooting on 17.9 FGA per game.
— Tom Haberstroh (@tomhaberstroh) December 18, 2015
Kobe last 6 games: 48.9% shooting on 14.7 FGA per game.
But can we chill on some of the hyperbole? The man as done too much for as to get this amped about a 22-point game. It is a fine line between the appreciation and over-reaction, but I think it is fair to say some of this is overblown.
Let’s enjoy the retirement tour, let’s enjoy the vintage dunks, but let’s not overdo it. I think in a reaction to the criticism that was rightly leveled at him before the announcement that some are now treating him with the kid-gloves that Kevin Durant wanted the media to use.
Somewhere in between the two would be a nice compromise.
Basketball is a Game of Runs
Late in the third quarter the Cleveland Cavaliers trailed by 8 points to the visiting Oklahoma City Thunder, but a 13-0 run ended up ultimately tipping things in the home team’s favor.
The Tristan Thompson basket was one thing, but giving up an uncontested dunk to Richard Jefferson and following it with a four-point play by Kevin Love and then fouling LeBron James on an outlet pass began to put the Thunder on the wrong side of the scoreboard. Cleveland made all the right moves, but Oklahoma City should be a little embarrassed by how easy some of that was.
The Thunder never recovered, leading to a 104-100 win for the Cavaliers.
Linsanity in Toronto: Part II
Jeremy Lin returned to one of the locations of Linsanity and dropped 35 points on the Toronto Raptors last night in a 109-99 win.
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Lin was never going to live up to the unrealistic standards he set for himself a few years ago, but people shouldn’t be surprised when he has moments like this either. At worst he was going to become a backup point guard after Linsanity, but last night as a starter he showed that he’s more than a good memory from 2012.