The Black Mamba Strikes!

This post is part of Hardwood Paroxysm's Kobe Bryant Blog Day.

Would you like to know when I truly realized the greatness of Kobe Bean Bryant? About sixty seconds after this happened.



Now, you might ask why this particular moment made me realize just how special the Black Mamba is. My answer is simple: his presence is so great that not a single Grizzlies player even contemplates retaliating. That's right -- he wields his power like Darth Vader. Challenge him and get choked out by the Dark Side while he doesn't even break a sweat.

How else do you explain him scoring 60+ in only three quarters against the Dallas Mavericks, only to follow it up with his viruoso performance of dropping 81 on the Toronto Raptors? How does a guy who does that not get carried out on a stretcher at some point, if not for the ability to inspire absolute terror in the hearts of his opponents? Remember that clothesline that Raja Bell used to take him down? Only made him stronger. That was his version of getting mutilated by his mentor and left for dead, only to come back bigger and badder than ever as the rage within him grew. (Ok, enough with the geeky Star Wars references -- you're better than that. Actually, no you're not. Of course, I am......aren't I? Psst - your internal monologue is spilling over again. Crap! Where was I?)

Simply put, Kobe Bryant (formerly Employee #8) can do pretty much whatever he darn well pleases. If that isn't greatness, I don't know what is.