Throughout his career there have been few questions on the talent level of Kobe Bryant. He has been without a doubt one of the top 5 players in the NBA for the past 10 years. Nobody trains harder in the offseason than Bryant. However, questions have come up about his ability to lead and be a great teammate. Teammates and NBA players have had negative perceptions about his attitude, suggesting that he was basically a 'me first' type of player.
This past year, Kobe has stepped up his leadership to a level in which he has gained the respect of teammates, opponents, and fans. Bill Plaschke of the LA Times wrote an article recently on the respect that Kobe has gained. Here are some great comments from the article:
*Players speaking glowingly of him. Players speaking kindly of him.Players who once universally distrusted him, well, they like him. They really like him.
*Every game, Bryant has been the first player in a defensive stance, the first guy guarding the opponent in the backcourt, squatting and straining alone in front of four guys who have no choice but to imitate.
*"He gives it his all on every second of every play. You see that and you're like, you've got to do the same thing," said center Chris Bosh. "You see a guy playing that hard, you'll do anything not to let him down."
*As recently as a year ago, you couldn't write a story about Kobe Bryant's impact on a team without talking to Kobe Bryant. His teammates never had much to say, and when they did, they seemed to say it with fear.This time, though, there are no Bryant quotes. There is not enough room. His teammates said plenty.
This sums up what every player should strive for: to be the best teammate possible and to gain the respect of your team through hard work and unselfishness!
Make sure to read the entire article which is linked above!
