There’s only 1 Kobe Bean Bryant

I’m supposed to talk about local sports in this column.

But I’m sorry, guys, this week, I have to make an exception.

I saw something on Wednesday night that I will remember for the rest of my life. Millions of other people saw it, too. It’s something that the fraternity of sports fans will be talking about for a long, long time around water coolers across the globe.

Simply put: There’s only one Kobe Bean Bryant.

That’s it. Just one.

He’s unrivaled. His greatness is something that we will only see once in our lifetime.

Others will compare to the Black Mamba, but very few will ever be able to add up to his greatness and competitive drive.

I’m not even a ‘Kobe Guy’ by trade. I’m a Rockets fan, who is a gi-normous mark for James Harden and everything that he does. Don’t believe me? Just follow me on Twitter (@casey_gisclair). There’s a debate there seemingly three times a week.

But it doesn’t matter.

Harden’s excellence pales in comparison to that of Kobe Bean Bryant.

He’s a basketball icon – literally. He’s the last of a dying breed of superstars.

Kobe is to my generation what Michael Jordan was to the generation prior. It’s a damn shame to see him go into retirement. But his last act sure was amazing – a reminder that we’ll never forget about just how amazing of a player Kobe really was.

Wednesday night’s game was a like a movie. It was beautiful theatre played out live before a nationally televised audience.

Just think about the pressure that Kobe had on his shoulders to perform in the big game. The dude announced mid-season that he was going to retire, which sparked a multi-city party and fan-fest, which all culminated into Wednesday night’s tilt with the Utah Jazz at the Staples Center.

The Mamba has been a mess all season – a beaten up sack of bones who is a complete shell of himself.

But injuries be damned – fans don’t care about real-life obstacles. They want to see a show. Kobe had the weight of the world on his shoulders to give an epic final performance.

He delivered – giving us 48 minutes of beautiful basketball that we’ll never soon forget.

Sure, we saw some of the age. Kobe drove to the cup a couple times and could hardly get above the rim to throw down a one-handed slam.

He also was visibly gassed at times throughout the game – often gasping during breaks in action to regain his wind.

But when the money was on the table, the old lion’s claws were just sharp enough to claim one last victim.

Kobe was unbelievably good in the final minutes of last Wednesday’s game.

For the final six minutes of the game, he wasn’t the battered 38-year-old fossil, but he was Kobe Bean again – the young man obsessed with both basketball and success.

His jumper was flush. His footwork was pristine.

Kobe’s killer instinct was in high gear, and his sheer will overpowered the Jazz and pushed the inept Lakers to victory.

It was 48 final minutes for the rest of the legend’s life.

And it was a perfect microcosm for why I have so much admiration and respect for the now-retired Lakers legend.

Kobe Bryant isn’t like most modern NBA stars. He’s not the same personality type of a LeBron James or a Kevin Durant.

He’s not a nice, cuddly, loveable guy who’s concerned with being a good friend to the other stars of the day.

Heck nah, Kobe is a jerk! And I mean that in the best way possible.

He’s a jerk because he’s insanely competitive and wants to win more than any human on the planet.

Because of that obsession, Kobe’s been known to work harder than any human being in the NBA – which has allowed for his greatness to take place.

Sure, there are folks out there who might not like his perceived arrogance. Others may not like the fact that he’s a shoot-first combo guard who’s never averaged a high volume of assists in his career.

OK, now for the elephant in the room. Some of you also probably don’t like that Kobe is an admitted adulterer, who was once accused of rape – a charge that was dropped, then settled outside of criminal court between Bryant and the alleged victim.

And all of those are good reasons – especially the latter, which cost Bryant millions of dollars in endorsements and other business opportunities.

But no matter what one’s opinion is, no one can deny that Kobe Bean Bryant was an unbelievable, once in a lifetime basketball player – a guy that we may never see again in NBA history.

Thanks for the memories, Bean.

Thanks for entertaining me and my friends for 20 years.

It’s sure been fun – especially that last game.

We’ll sure remember and talk about that one for a long, long time!

There’s only 1 Kobe Bean Bryant