Kobe Bryant Week, Day 2: Kobe Bryant Day or How I Learned to Love the Mamba

From the moment he entered the league, I was immediately against the whole idea of Kobe Bryant. I can't narrow down why, exactly; but I'm sure it was a combination of his entitlement, Jordan imitation, cockiness, and eventually small afro. However, I know exactly when I became a fan (0:16 point in the above video).

Words can't describe the creativity needed to even consider a shot like that, not to mention the nearly unrealistic odds of making it. That Kobe would take this shot with the game on the line was (and is) a signifier that he lives on a different basketball planet than the rest of us. There is a state of thoughtless awareness that Kobe inhabits far more frequently than anyone else in the League, and that's why his triumphs seem so otherworldly.

Kobe Bryant Day