Rick_Garcia's Blog

Will being named the NBA's most valuable player finally make Kobe Bryant happy?
I mean it's not enough that he's won three NBA championships. For Kobe Bryant to feel fulfilled does he need to win the sports most prestigious INDIVIDUAL honor? Sadly I think the answer is YES. If Kobe is the greatest player in the NBA then why did the Lakers need to pull off their biggest move since they signed Shaq to make them a winner again?
And look at the numbers starting with Kobe. He averaged 28 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists. The surprising New Orleans Hornets would have never made the playoffs without Chris Paul. He averaged 21 points, 11 assists and 4 rebounds. A most valuable player in my eyes is one who a team can't do without.Or one who makes those around him better. Paul did that this season. How about the Cleveland Cavaliers? Lebron James averaged 30 points almost 8 rebounds and 7 assists. And you can hardly name anyone else on his team. That's an MVP. Now back to the Lakers big acquisition. No matter how well the Lakers were playing when Andrew Bynum was healthy they were not as good as they are with Paul Gasol. In fact I find it interesting that the guy who was the biggest disappointment on the team, Lamar Odom, has never played better. Where was Lamar all this time while side by side the best player in the league? Does that mean that Pau Makes everyone around him better? Perhaps? Or perhaps it's as simple as Kobe does not. Kobe may be the best athlete to dribble a basketball. But I've been told by people in the know that his basketball I.Q. leaves a lot to be desired. That may be due to his strong urge to not play within the teams system but rather his own. Pau on the other hand picked up the Lakers triangle offense like he invented it. Lebron and Chris Paul realize that in order to be succesful you get your teamates involved all the time not just when your'e in a slump.
Now if winning the MVP means Kobe no longer has to prove how great HE is. Then the Lakers will go back to being GREAT!