I am not a homo-sexual. I am not even willing to experiment. As a matter of fact, after having a conversation with a few friends last weekend, I decided I wouldn’t take it from another man even for a million dollars (I was sober when I made this claim). It’s simple, from a sexual perspective, I simply love the females.

However, and yes, there is a however, I can’t help but get hot and sweaty every time Kobe goes on fire. I’m not ashamed to admit that I have a man crush on Kobe. I have been a Lakers fan for quite a while and if you have read my articles in the past you will know that Kobe Bryant is my idol. I have never played on an organized basketball team, I have never had a basketball practice, but I love to play and gotta admit, I have a solid stroke and can put the ball down from three point land. Obviously, it’s highly unlikely that I can do what Kobe does from the three point line, but I can shoot pretty consistently (take a look at Kobe’s random left handed three pointer).

I am a huge basketball fan but truly don’t care about the individual achievements of specific players, not even Kobe. I am more amazed by work ethic, discipline, responsibility, and heart. There are plenty of great players out there: Allen Iverson, Kevin Garnett, Tim Duncan, Tracy McGrady, Dwyan Wade, Lebron James, Carmelo Anthony… you get the point. These players have a lot in common with Kobe, in terms of accomplishments and popularity, but there are two major differences that separate Kobe from the rest of the league.

1. The first major difference between Kobe and the remainder of the league is his work ethic. I have never heard of an NBA player that has worked harder than Kobe Bryant to achieve what he has. A few years ago, Kobe decided it was time to overpower the rest of the league, so he gained 19 pounds in three months. This past summer he realized he wanted to increase his speed, so he lost some weight and started sprinting. Kobe has been known to be the last man out of the gym on a regular basis and always the first to arrive the next morning. When Kobe questioned the Lakers management for not trading Bynum to New Jersey for Kidd, there was support for his claim. He wanted a teammate to be on his side that would be willing to work as hard as he does. Lets fast forward a few months and suddenly we have Kobe’s work ethic rubbing off on Andrew Bynum who has now hired his own training coaches to get into better shape and has been recognized for doing his best to match Kobe’s intensity in the gym and practice court. Kobe was one of the first to give Bynum his props for his hard work and it has clearly paid off. I can only imagine the level of basketball if all the players put in as much work as Kobe Bryant.
2. The other difference between Kobe and the other big names in the league is exactly that, “the big name.” Kobe doesn’t care about his name. He doesn’t care about his image. He doesn’t care if people like him. He doesn’t care of people hate him. Kobe goes to work everyday just like the rest of us. The difference, Kobe plays basketball and knows what it takes to win. He doesn’t care whether people chant his name during or after the win, as long as he gets the win. He has already stated a few times this year alone that the MVP doesn’t matter to him nearly as much as winning as many championships as possible. Blake Murphy of The On Deck Circle quoted Mr. 3000. I like the thought, it’s extremely fitting, but Kobe doesn’t need Bernie Mac to describe who he is, he does it himself.

Kobe Bryant, in my humble opinion, is the best basketball player in the world today and will go down in history as one of the absolute best to ever play the game. The transformation from a young showy boy who loves to score into a mature man who plays for one reason only, to win games, has been amazing to watch. There are a bunch of idiots that wear shirts to idolize Lebron as his “Witness”; truth be told, this is Kobe’s game and Lebron, as the rest of us, are just witnesses of history.

Thank you Hardwood Paroxysm for announcing today as Kobe Bryant Blog Day! Us Laker fans truly appreciate the recognition that everyone has finally given our beloved star.