The Epitome of Kobe.

After LeBron's collapse, I made a big deal about Game 5's of series especially when they were knotted at 2-2 and proclaimed that Kobe Bryant really hasn't cost a team a game five defeat.  Honestly, he played a great game Sunday but this sums up Kobe's career without Shaq.

It was the perfect example of Kobe Bryant and why people can never say he is the best player ever. The Lakers needed their best performance out of Kobe and they sure as hell got it, but here's the thing when Kobe is at his very best he will go into a mode where he makes nobody better, just himself.  Then after the game, calling out his teammates for not playing defense is ridiculous. 

I think Kobe thinks he is playing with the 2005/2006 teams and completely forgot that when the Lakers were at their best this playoffs, Kobe dropped around 10 assists a game and still got his points. Nobody is getting involved and Kobe just went into a mode where he said 'fuck it' I am going to have win this game myself because no one else hit shots in the first half. Sure what we saw in the third quarter was amazing but still, the Lakers were still trailing in the ball game.  I remember seeing performances like that out of Michael Jordan but he will spread his 38 points over four quarters which in turns leads his team to victory because he is doing other things than scoring. People who hate Kobe loved Sunday night for this reason, they can play this tape back and say 'no way would MJ lose a game where he had this kind of shooting night.' Kobe lost it mentally and now if you're a Laker fan, you have to worry that the series might be over.

How do the Lakers respond?  I mean the first quarter will be the key for sure because we will get a sense of what Los Angeles team came to play. I personally believe emotionally other Lakers not named Kobe are shot, I mean Ron Artest looked shaky at best after Bryant told Coach Phil Jackson that he wanted to 'cover Paul Pierce. Then add the fact, Artest missed two free throws to cut the lead to three is just the evidence I need.  Tonight could be a very weird game and the Lakers will need Kobe at a level where he drops 25 and 10 or so instead of 40 5 4.

I think the Celtics end it tonight, the Lakers are rattled and Andrew Bynum not being able to be 100 percent is killing their team.  I think Boston is poised and ready to go back to L.A. to win this game. Also if the Lakers win tonight, they will take the series in Game 7. Boston has them on the ropes, they just need to deliver the knockout punch.