Kobe Bryant isn’t known for his leadership. He’s known for his shooting, his scoring and even his missing, but never for constructive leadership. Until now.
There’s a prevailing misconception that gets tossed around far too often when it comes to the Black Mamba. The belief that he is selfish just isn’t accurate. He has a reputation as a serial shooter, and rightfully so, but he’s always cared about winning more than anything.
Watching Bryant, it also becomes clear that he’s an astounding passer. He uses his angles well and tends to draw double- and triple- teams by holding onto the ball and remaining stationary well into the shot clock, which allows him to defer to someone else at the last second. Those six assists per game he was averaging before going down against the Golden State Warriors were no joke.
Yet, we (or many of us) consider Kobe selfish. Whether it be his past feuds with Dwight Howard or his confidence that is often taken as arrogance. And in some ways, it is. Bryant carries himself with this bravado that is really certainty. He knows he’s the best, and he’s not afraid to admit it.
Over the years, his public discourse has been rather rough around the edges. From feuds with Shaquille O’Neal, Smush Parker (could you blame him?) and even Dwight Howard, to countless sound bites that are brimming with seething comments. Years of playing on one of the league’s brightest stages can do that to you, though. Let’s also not forget that, for the most part, Kobe hasn’t had to depend on anyone but himself.
Still, it’s always been about winning. He and Shaq won together, and he has nearly 6,000 assists for his career. He has always been a leader, a willing teammate. And now, as he’s aged, he’s gotten even better at relating to his peers.
Speaking with Andy and Brian Kamenetzky of the Land O’ Lakers, the Black Mamba-certified Tim Grover touched upon various aspects of his book (which he also discussed with The Hoop Doctors), while also explaining how Kobe has improved as a leader:
He’s gotten much better, but a Cleaner, the majority of the time, they’re always gonna revert back to who he is and say the first thing that comes to his mind. It’s going to be very short. It’s usually gonna be very harsh. But that’s the way they really know how to get their point across. And that’s their natural instinct, so they always have to catch themselves for a split second. He’s gotten much better. [Last week’s game against Portland] was a great example. Normally, you see Kobe, when he had a first half like that, he’s trying to go out and get 50, 60, 70 points. But in his press conference afterward, he said,” In the second half, I wanted to make a conscious effort of getting my big man involved in there, because I know if I don’t, they end up standing around, just watching me.”
That’s the evolution of starting to think, “I need these guys, not only to get to the playoffs, but to go far into the playoffs. I gotta keep them engaged.”
Kobe isn’t perfect. Far from it, in fact. But he’s making an effort to be more of a well-rounded leader. Not someone who just leads the team statistically, but someone who ensures that his teammates remain involved and the proper game plan is executed.
How many times only this season have we seen Kobe out of an island, seemingly battling on his own? Too much. But he doesn’t do it out of selfishness. Again, it’s all to win.
Trying times have forced Kobe to change his approach. He still needed to carry the Lakers, but in a different way. Simply scoring 30, 40 or even 50 points wasn’t enough. He needed to take the games of Howard and the rest of his brethren into his hands. He needed to become more of a playmaker, more of a mentor, more of a motivator.
And as his on-court demeanor has changed, so has the man off the court. He’s still as sarcastic as he was, but he’s more aware of the world around him. This business as changed. It’s not how it was 10 years ago, when hard-nosed players willing to disregard who they were speaking of are readily accepted. That kind of behavior is frowned upon.
So Kobe had to change. He still says what’s on his mind, but in a different tone. He’s not demeaning or condescending, he’s just being Kobe.
This is the new Bryant. The one the Lakers lost. The one who’s a much better leader because he’s adjusted to his surroundings.
And the one the Lakers cannot wait to have back.
Dan Favale is an avid basketball analyst and firm believer in the three-pointer as well as the notion that defense doesn’t always win championships. His work can be found at Bleacherreport.com in addition to TheHoopDoctors.com. Follow @danfavale on Twitter for his latest posts and all things NBA.
