ESPN

Kobe Bryant called into Max and Marcellus on 710 ESPN this afternoon -- I believe he appeared on the call screen as "Kobe in Orange County" -- and stayed on the phone for about an hour. Needless to say, with that kind of time there was an incredible amount of ground covered.

Listen to the whole hour here.

One of the more interesting moments came when Kobe was asked whether or not the idea of catching and perhaps exceeding Michael Jordan's ring count (that would be six) is a major motivating factor for him:

“To be really frank with you, I really do not look at it as that, for the simple fact that Michael has really taught me a lot. Really taught me a lot. The trainer of his, Tim Grover, he’s passed on to me and I work with him a great deal, and he’s shown me a lot. So I can’t sit there and say, well, I’m trying to catch Jordan at six, I want to pass him after six. That’s not how I approach that, because most of the things that I have learned, most of the things that I do, I owe to him. People don’t really understand that. They want to make it a me vs. him type of thing, and I just don’t feel that way.

I have a great sense of admiration and respect for the things that I’ve learned from him. I feel like I owe it to him, and I owe it to Jerry West, and I owe it to Oscar [Robertson], and I owe it to Elgin [Baylor] and I owe it to all those players who I’ve come in contact with and have passed on a lot of information to me, to carry that torch and to carry that mantle...

...It’s truly not [what motivates me]. I want to win as much as I can just because if anything else, you have to hear everybody talking about this is it for him, he’s done. The newer generation is taking over, and this that and the other. That’s more of a driving factor. If I win six and I end up tying M.J., that’s great, but he and I have had completely different career paths.”

Some won't believe him when he says chasing Jordan isn't a major motivation -- listening to the interview, certainly Max Kellerman doesn't -- and it indicates the battle Kobe faces having his career evaluated on its own terms. It seems like a mistake as well to distill Kobe's admittedly pathological competitiveness so neatly. The M.J. factor probably fits in there somewhere, since Bryant has said before he sees those legends coming before him as measuring sticks. But so do other factors like the desire to quiet those who doubt him, and an internal motivation fueled not just by intense desire to win, but a hatred of losing.

Kobe hates losing. Hates, hates, hates it.

More from the interview below, including comments on L.A.'s postseason championship odds, his relationships with Mike Brown and Jim Buss, Derek Fisher's battle with Billy Hunter and the NBPA, and more.

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Even though it's been nearly 10 years since Michael Jordan played his last All-Star game in 2003, you couldn't watch this year's All-Star game in Orlando without getting a heavy dose of MJ nostalgia. The Lakers' Kobe Bryant had a lot to do with that, as he pushed his career All-Star scoring total to 271 points, passing Jordan for most points in All-Star game history (Jordan had 262 points in 14 selections; Bryant has played in 14 All-Star games as well).

Jordan was also recognized as one of the stars who was out-dueled by Magic Johnson in Orlando 20 years ago when Magic made his memorable one-game MVP return to the All-Star game after announcing his retirement because of HIV months before.

And if you watched the commercials, instead of flipping back and forth between the All-Star game and the Oscars, you would have noticed Jordan in a new ad for Gatorade featuring former Bulls and Lakers coach Phil Jackson reflecting on Jordan's "flu game" in Game 5 of the 1997 NBA Finals against the Utah Jazz. (Click here to watch the commercial.)

ESPNLA.com was on the set of the commercial shoot at the Walter Pyramid on the campus of Long Beach State back in December and had a chance for a 1-on-1 chat with Jackson about his memories of Jordan's performance with the flu.



ESPNLA.com: When you think back on all the significant games you coached, where does Jordan’s “flu game” rank? On the set, you said something to the effect of, "We know he can score 40, we know he can get triple-doubles, but this stands out because it’s more than that."

Jackson: “Yeah, the big thing was we knew that coming back and playing in Salt Lake was going to be a difficult thing, as it always is in the playoffs. That team was talented and they were good at home. So, after winning two in Chicago, we said, ‘Let’s go out and make sure we win one game out there in Salt Lake.’ We didn’t want to come back [to Chicago] behind 3-2 in a series like that. We lost the second game [in Utah] at the end of the ballgame in a close game.

"Perhaps Michael was doing too much. I can’t remember what his totals were in that ballgame, but he made a spin at the top of the key and [John] Stockton stole the ball and it set up a win for them that we shoulda, coulda won.

(Editor’s note: Jordan finished with 22 points on 11-for-27 shooting in Game 4.)

"So, it was a really a hard defeat. I remember having really a sleepless night that night. I was meeting the owner the next day and I was just really fatigued about it. That mental fatigue that you have after a loss that you think you’re going to win and you don’t sleep very much at night thinking about it. Then, we had a little time to recover and it came down to this game, we ought to take this one home and then the disappointment of finding out on game day that the guy that’s the superstar on our team didn’t sleep, was sick, felt like crap, didn’t feel like he could eat, was nauseous and wasn’t going to go to shootaround. That’s happened before. Guys have felt like they couldn’t go to shootaround. It’s not like the end of the world. But this was a pivotal game and then when we saw him and we saw what he looked like …"

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Sunday was a busy one for Kobe Bryant. First, fueled by a red hot start -- he'd finish with 27 points as the Western Conference held on against a furious rally from the East -- Kobe passed three legends on the all-time list for All-Star Game scoring: Oscar Robertson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and with a fast break dunk just past the seven minute mark of the third quarter, Michael Jordan.

Not a bad evening's work.

While eclipsing M.J. is certainly a big story, the points Kobe needed to tie him were potentially more impactful. They came on free throws following a hard-particularly-for-the-All-Star Game foul across the bridge of his nose from Dwyane Wade on the left baseline. It drew blood and like every pop to the nose, looked pretty painful. Bryant was able to stay in the game, and showed no ill-effects down the stretch as he admonished Miami's LeBron James for passing on shots that could have tied the game.

After, though, he left for evaluation before speaking with the media. A CT scan revealed a nasal fracture. He'll be evaluated again today in L.A. by ear, nose and throat specialist Dr. John Rehm.

The Lakers don't play until Wednesday, when Minnesota comes to town. There's currently nothing to suggest Bryant won't play. Similar injuries have forced some players to wear a mask, and I suppose that's possible here, depending on the severity of the break. I'm sure we'll know more after the follow up appointment.

In other ASG news, as expected Andrew Bynum played very short minutes after receiving a Synvisc injection in his surgically repaired right knee. The procedure, designed to add some lubrication to the joint, isn't expected to keep Bynum from missing any time.

Standing in that meeting room Monday afternoon in Times Square, things felt grim. Today, a little less so.

The NBPA, now the world's tallest trade association, has in David Boies a legal eagle currently bringing a level of calm to the proceedings in otherwise short supply. How much it matters in practice is still open for debate: Just as fiery rhetoric can disguise moderation, so too can moderation disguise a more strident position. For now, though, Boies doesn't sound like a guy desperate to get the league into a courtroom, or unwilling to continue negotiations.

But that there will be a season, in one form or another, is hardly a given. There's still an all-too-legitimate chance the whole thing gets canceled, and with that the impact on the Lakers, as individuals and a team, would be profound.

Starting with Kobe Bryant.

The list of his losses in the event of a "nuclear winter" is hefty. Start with the obvious, namely $25.2 million in salary his bank account won't see. Yes, he's earned -- earned-- vast sums over the course of his career (pocket change over $196 million, for those scoring at home), but I don't care how rich you are, losing $25 million is no fun.

What he loses on the court is tougher to price out.

Kobe has missed only 94 games in his 15-year career (and only 16 since '06-'07) because of injury or suspension, but should the season disappear he will have lost a total of 114 games thanks to labor strife. Thirty-two in 1998-'99, and another 82 now. Just as the money is gone forever, so are the stats he'd likely have posted. During the first lockout-shortened season, his first as a full-time starter, Bryant averaged 19.9 points a game. That's 640 points, give or take, disappearing into the ether. Using last season's scoring average (25.3) as a guide, it's reasonable to believe a full 2011-12 season would bring another 2,000, give or take.

Maybe games are played and he gets some of the missing inventory back. But maybe not.

Bryant is sixth on the NBA's all-time scoring list with 27,868 points. When he finally hangs up the sneaks, will he miss those 2,600 or so points? Would they be enough to guarantee he passes Michael Jordan for third on the NBA's scoring list? Would they get him to Karl Malone for second? What about the other big categories? Whether games played, minutes, steals, and so on, the same "what if's?" apply. Kobe already has high end real estate secured on the NBA's Mt. Olympus, but it's impossible to argue another 100-plus games wouldn't enhance his final statistical profile, and equally impossible to deny the link between sports history, stats and perception.

What other superstar has had his career impacted this way?

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I eagerly look forward to the day when PodKasts aren't focused on the lockout or lockout-related developments. Sadly, that day remains on the distant horizon. Still, a conversation with ESPN The Magazine's Chris Broussard is always enjoyable, and we fired up the "Sasha Vujacic in the South Bay" clip, which never gets old. Never accuse the K Brothers of not trying to make NBA limbo as much fun as possible.

Click this tab to hear the show, and below is the rundown:

-- Kobe Bryant reportedly has an offer from Virtus Bologna in Italy to join their squad. Is this good idea? For all the reasons Brian listed and more, I agree it's an opportunity (of sorts) Bryant should decline. Granted, I think the odds of him actually taking the offer are slim to begin with.

-- Speaking of Lakers with outside-the-box athletic opportunities, Metta World Peace stunk up the joint on "Dancing With The Stars." In our conversation before a recent practice, he seemed much more confident and, quite frankly, competent in his dancing skills. But just like Vujacic was an "11 a.m. shooter," MWP is apparently an "11 a.m. dancer."

-- With those matters chopped up, we got an update from Broussard on the labor negotiations. As he shares, aside from the basketball related income percentages, the question of a hard or soft cap, and revenue sharing among owners, all the loose ends have been tied up. In other words, the scheduled Nov. 1 start to the regular season is in serious jeopardy.

-- On a positive note, Broussard thinks decertification remains a decided last option for the players' union, despite a handful of powerful agents pushing hard.

-- It's important to remember the recently canceled preseason games and delayed training camps were expected developments on both sides. And in terms of the bigger picture, willingly accepted. Not that either situation is ideal, but as Broussard confirms, neither points to the entire season potentially lost. (For those keeping score, Chris thinks we'll eventually end up with a 50-ish game season.)

-- In discussing Bryant and Italy, Broussard raises an excellent point. Virtus Bologna makes a big splash just by having their team associated with Kobe, much less signing him. Similar to the Besiktas hoopla, this is as much about publicity as earnest hope to land The Mamba. The offer may be legitimately on the table, but we're a long way from Kobe donning a Virtus jersey.

-- Like me, Broussard took issue with the question examined in a recent Triangle (whether the NBA now "belongs to" Kevin Durant). From Chris' perspective, the league has never in its entire history belonged to any one player other than during Michael Jordan's prime.

For those unable to join the party in person, you can always live through those with no day job, a day job with a clueless boss, or a day job with a boss who also participated in the chat. Among the talking points...

• Who is the NBA's ultimate alpha male? Believe it or not, my answer wasn't "Eddy Curry."
• The potential push and pull next season between Kobe Bryant and Andrew Bynum when it comes to touches and importance in the offense.
• How will Luke Walton fare as an assistant coach in Memphis? If the answer is "the next John Wooden," is there any chance the Tigers would facilitate a buyout with the Lakers?

Plus, there's even NFL and Dodger talk! Fun for everyone! Here is the link.

Check out my discussion with Dave McMenamin and Ramona Shelburne about Tex Winter's absurdly long wait to enter the Hall of Fame, and the mutual success enjoyed by Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan in the triangle.

It's the perfect complement to a podkast with Roland Lazenby about Tex's career and legacy.

After the Lakers' unceremonious exit from the playoffs, I noticed a common cry in our blog's comments section, mail bag, and chats: Kobe Bryant proved once and for all he's "not Michael Jordan and he never will be." It's not even a matter of Jordan's rings and records, both of which Kobe could eventually match or best. The Mavs waxed the Lakers, the straw that broke the camel's back -- along with Kobe's resume -- for many in evaluating "contender vs. pretender."

Kobe has two losses in the Finals vs. Jordan's undefeated clip. Bryant's teams were eliminated by a margin of 28 (2003 semifinals vs. San Antonio), 31 (2006 quarterfinals against the Suns in a Game 7 where Kobe supposedly "quit") and 39 (2008 Finals against Boston) and now 26 in these recent playoffs. Failure to reach the second round of the 2006 playoffs after going up 3-1. MJ's superior collection of individual awards. The Three-peat teams "belonged to" Shaquille O'Neal. (And for those truly obsessed with keeping score, the '97 air balls, the radio tour, "running Shaq and Phil out of town," etc.)

Getting swept by Dallas was the icing on the naysayer cake. There's just too much failure now staining Kobe's career to put him in the same class as Jordan. Thus, it's over. Let us never mention Kobe in the same breath again.

Better late than never to reach this pact.

This reaction, by the way, shouldn't be interpreted as agreement. Honestly, I've given this never-ending debate very little thought, and don't imagine that changing anytime soon. Personally, I find the "Jordan vs. Kobe" regurgitation as a matter of course beyond cliched at this point. As I said after last season's title, the fervent denial of his own identity often astonishes me. Bryant has embarked on one of the most fascinating -- much less successful -- careers in recent sports history, and yet it's barely viewed through any prism other "MJ." Even if you think Kobe falls short of Jordan by every quantifiable measure known to mankind, his accomplishments are strong enough to be the primary factor shaping his legacy.

Plus, it's not even a fair fight. For so many basketball fans, nobody will ever pass Jordan. Period. Point blank. End of story. Again, the validity of this opinion isn't the issue, but if Bryant can't win in the first place, stop pushing him into the ring. After these playoffs, perhaps the knee-jerk comparisons may lessen, which should make a lot of people happy (not the least of which, Kobe himself).

Fingers crossed, after 15 seasons we may actually be embarking on a time in Kobe's career where, for better or worse, he's seen as himself.

However, this isn't the only potential transformation in the making for Kobe. And since old habits die hard even for those not in need of breaking them, there's still one way where he can get a leg up on MJ, regardless of how many more rings do or don't come:

The ability to age gracefully, in perfect fashion and with clear purpose.

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Kobe Bryant will own a multitude of franchise records by the time he calls it a career. Some will require a few more years of toil. Others, about 24 hours. Assuming he's not traded or cut before Tuesday's season opener against the Rockets, Bryant will enter his 15th season in purple and gold, breaking a tie with Jerry West, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Elgin Baylor.

Given the mechanics of modern sports, the NBA certainly being no exception, this may be the most unbreakable of all the marks Bryant sets as a Laker. With the contract extension he signed last season, Kobe should complete 18 seasons in L.A.. Since few are convinced that was the last of his contracts, the number could rise even more.

It's also a number illustrating why, while it may be fun to engage in Kobe vs. Magic/Michael/Fill-in-the-blank debates (and we will), they should always be held with context in mind: Bryant isn't done yet. And even those who feel it will be very difficult for Kobe to "pass" Jordan on the all-time list (count me as one) have to understand 20 years after he retires the 20 years or so Kobe will log in the NBA will mean a lot more to the generations (and his career will encompass more than one) who saw him. They'll tell Kobe stories like others tell tales of Magic and M.J., or West and Wilt.

Nothing in sports is static. Bryant will pile up more numbers, and could very well add more jewelry to his collection, but for those hoping he reaches the top of Mt. G.O.A.T., time could be your best weapon.

Last week, I noted my disappointment regarding Michael Jordan's comments about Kobe Bryant's place in basketball history. If you missed it (how did you miss it?), here's what His Airness said:

"I think he is always going to be within the conversations of some of the greatest players who've played by the time he is finished," Jordan began. So far so good. "Where does he rank among those, if you are talking about positions? If you are talking about guards, I would say he has got to be in the top 10."

Based on Jordan's post-career track record, evidenced most spectacularly by a bitter, petty Hall of Fame induction speech, it's reasonable to believe his words were a swipe at the guy almost universally seen as the only backcourt challenger even remotely able to knock down Jordan's flag atop G.O.A.T. Mountain.

Bryant would rather undergo un-anesthetized root canal surgery than engage in M.J. comparisons, but pinned down by Marc Spears of Yahoo! Sports, he refused to fuel any controversy:

“It’s an accurate statement,” Bryant said. “I’m definitely one of the top 10 guards. It could mean two, it could mean one, it could mean four or five. I’m definitely one of the top thousand. Look, I know how he feels about me... “There have been a lot of great guards to play the game. For me to sit here and say, ‘He should have said top five,’ that’s disrespectful to the other guards that I’ve watched.” When asked whether Jordan’s words were motivating, Bryant said: “That stuff doesn’t get to me. You can’t motivate me or take me to a place that I’m not already at.”

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The preseason is in full swing, and even though the final scores don't count, there's plenty to kick around with the purple and gold. Which explains why this week, after a quick Phil Jackson soundbite, we spend the next 10 minutes or so talking about old school professional wrasslin'. From Cowboy Bob Orton and "Mr. Wonderful" Paul Orndorff (common thread- both used plaster arm casts for nefarious purposes inside the ring) to the Von Erich brothers and Kamala the Ugandan Giant, we cover a fair amount of ground.

PODCAST
Andy and Brian break down Kobe Bryant's (very) early shooting problems, and why he rightly rolls his eyes at questions about the Heat. Plus, Browns Shannon (good news) and Kwame (bad news), and some wrasslin' talk! Podcast

This before getting sidetracked by other matters (9:45), like the state of Kobe Bryant through the first three games of the preseason. On the one hand, he's moving well, playing without a brace or sleeve, and reporting no problems. On the other, he's coming off another surgery on his right knee- they're piling up- and what was an injury plagued '09-'10 season. And he's 4-of-28 from the floor heading into the weekend.

If it's too early to worry now (and it is), Andy and I pin a date to the calendar when, should Bryant still be struggling, it's ok to get concerned, and why.

From there (14:30), it's on to Michael Jordan's comments about Bryant's place in history. Is saying Kobe "has got to be in the top 10" among guards just a simple and honest answer to a question, or a poke at the guy seen by many as at least approaching M.J. in the rear view mirror? And if Jordan's comments, which will be relayed back to Bryant, aren't enough to make Kobe's eyes roll back into his head- there are few subjects he dislikes talking about more than comparisons to Jordan, or their relative places in history- we touch on another he clearly doesn't like: So Kobe, what do you think of the Heat? (18:00)

Who can blame him?

Still, how much do the Heat motivate the Lakers? (22:30)

From there, we wrap things with praise for Shannon Brown's performance in the early going (30:30), praise for opposable thumbs, and ask if former Laker Kwame Brown really is the worst fantasy basketball player in the world.

I'm not shy about pointing out when I think Lakers fans -- Kobe Bryant fans, specifically -- get a little too reactionary in defense of their guy, turning every slight, real or perceived, into evidence of widespread anti-24 conspiracies. Today, the Kobe Nation's feathers are ruffled, and this time they have a point. Michael Jordan was asked about Kobe's place in history:

"I think he is always going to be within the conversations of some of the greatest players who've played by the time he is finished," Jordan began. So far so good. "Where does he rank among those, if you are talking about positions? If you are talking about guards, I would say he has got to be in the top 10."

He's got to be in the top 10? Among guards? How generous. I understand one more ring takes Kobe from Jordan's neighborhood to his block, but is he really that insecure? Apparently so. (My favorite part of the quote is the "got to be" part. Like he's really sticking up for Kobe against anyone who might leave him out of the top 10. Among guards.)

Clearly Kobe has taken much of his game from M.J. The similarities are undeniable. And why not? M.J. is the best the game has ever seen. But perhaps something else he could learn from Jordan, something becoming more apparent in recent years, is how to exist as an iconic figure in the game, one already with a legendary spot in basketball history even as it continues to grow. For that, he can look at everything Jordan has done in that role ... and do the opposite.

Tonight at 8pm, ESPN will debut "Jordan Rides the Bus," the latest film in its 30 For 30 series. The Ron Shelton-directed documentary examines Michael Jordan's 1994 foray into baseball, which began as a spring training tryout with the Chicago White Sox and mostly consisted of a stint with the Birmingham Barons, the team's Double-A affiliate. To say the least, this development threw the sports world for a loop, as everybody and their mother theorized why Jordan would leave basketball at the top of his game to grind away in the minor leagues.

PODCAST
Andy Kamenetzky talks with director Ron Shelton ("Bull Durham," "White Men Can't Jump") about his new 30 for 30 film "Jordan Rides The Bus," which takes a look at Michael Jordan's stint as a professional baseball play Podcast

Count Shelton, the director of "Bull Durham" and a former minor leaguer himself, among those skeptical of Jordan's motives. At the time, it smacked of unbelievable arrogance to him. After some reexamination and research, however, Shelton concluded this period in MJ's life has gone largely misunderstood. Rather than foolhardy and perhaps shady hubris, Shelton now regards Jordan's baseball career as an introspective journey (fueled in part by a desire to come to grips with the murder of his father) and, contrary to popular belief, legitimately accomplished in its own right.

Shelton was quite generous with his time as we discussed a wide variety of topics: Jordan's baseball prowess. The warm relationship between MJ and Birmingham. Shelton's other films like "Bull Durham," "White Men Can't Jump," and "Tin Cup," plus his favorite sports film of all time. I really enjoyed the discussion and the documentary, and think others will, too. Before folks listen to the poddy, I wanted to share a few thoughts:

- It really hit me watching this movie how the obsession to figure out "why" Jordan left basketball (in particular, the gambling connection) allowed the media to overlook an even more interesting angle: This was the most vulnerable we had ever seen Jordan over the course of his professional life. Before 1994, his image was always either the on-court assassin or cooler-than-thou pitchman. Baseball pushed MJ out of his element and offered a more human side, but the frenzy to uncover "the truth" took first, second and tenth priority in covering this story.

A wasted opportunity, and even worse, as Shelton notes, nothing was unearthed:

"The journalists that I talked to, sportswriters, really top rate ones: Jack McCallum, Rick Telander, and Sam Smith. National guys. The Chicago guys. Mike Downey. All those guys. They were very honest. They said, "We were looking for the smoking gun." All the gambling stuff had come out. He had refused to go to the White House with the Dream Team and said he needed family time. He was out with gamblers golfing. There was that guy who was a bail bondsmen or something, I forget his name, I think he was mentioned in the movie who was murdered. There was a check from Michael. This was really sordid stuff.

"But it simply was unconnected. He had gambling issues and he had personal issues. But it had nothing to do with why he was out of the NBA. But the sports writers freely admit [they] were looking for connections, because [they] wanted the cover of SI or wanted the Pulitzer. And they all came away saying, absolutely no connection. It was a personal quest."

- That personal quest was also more impressive in retrospect that often given credit. Without question, the guy was initially a train wreck. But by the end of the summer, Jordan had improved his swing, his fielding acumen, and developed into a base stealing threat. It's pretty remarkable, considering how Jordan was learning on the fly at the professional level. His stats weren't mind-blowing when the dust settled, but the transformation was, even if people missed it. Or, in some cases, weren't as wild about any angle where Jordan didn't flat out stink. The movie addresses how Sports Illustrated spiked Steve Wulf's positive story and the general reluctance to see this labor love and effort as anything but a failure.

"I was as judgmental as everybody else until I started looking into it," admits Shelton.

- Lest anybody accuse me of sucking up to my guest upon hearing his unorthodox choice for best sports movie, this 2004 piece proves our shared mentality.

"Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once and a while, you could miss it."

These are the immortal words of Ferris Bueller, one of my heroes growing up as a teenager in the 80's. Bueller became famous for engaging in a fake sick day from school as his principal and bitter sister tried to catch him red-handed. What was most memorable about this bit of trickery wasn't even how Ferris eluded his pursuers, but the way he made the risk of getting busted worth his while. Ferris recognized the importance of style, tooling around Chicago in a vintage Ferrari. More importantly, he took the time to smell the roses while on the lam. A trip to Wrigley Field and a museum. Fine dining at Abe Froman's expense. Participation in a parade. Pool hopping.

Ferris Bueller's day off wasn't just a homeroom ditch. It was an epic journey, and the kid had enough wisdom to make sure every minute registered. Otherwise, what was the point of experiencing it in the first place?

Along those lines, as Kobe Bryant decides which finger to get sized for a fifth ring, it dawned on me his 14th NBA season was just completed. 14 campaigns in the NBA, and it doesn't feel like all that long ago he was a kid about Ferris Bueller's age making a direct leap to the NBA. I still remember my initial "Whoa!" upon learning Jerry West traded Vlade Divac for a 17-year old. Since then, so much has happened. Five championships. Seven Finals appearances. Oodles of records. The triumph and tribulations alongside Shaq. Colorado. Kobe and Phil, Part II. An image revamp in staggeringly quick time coinciding with a roster revamp of equally remarkable speed. Back at the top for two years running.

During that time period, two constants have existed: Consistently remarkable achievement. And talk of why that remarkable achievement does or doesn't out him on Michael Jordan's level. Nothing has changed, and nothing likely will, as we learned watching Bryant hold the Larry O'Brien yet again.

Well, that's not entirely true. A new wrinkle has been added...

Instead of the talk focused solely around how a fifth championship stacks Kobe against MJ, we now debate where he ranks compared to Magic Johnson or West. How does his new jewelry enhance his G.L.O.A.T. credentials, particularly with a victory against the Celtics? Do we knock him down a peg for struggling throughout much of this Game 7 victory, since MJ would have NEVER choked in an NBA Finals Game 7? (And Jordan conveniently never played in one, allowing us to merely speculate instead of know one way or the other.)

The more Kobe achieves, the more we look backwards, reliving the memories of Air Jordan, Showtime, The Logo. In the meantime, know what's kinda getting lost in the shuffle?

Kobe's actual career.

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Yesterday after practice, Phil Jackson was asked if he thought Kobe Bryant takes things -- say a Finals loss capped by a humiliating Game 6 in '08 -- more personally than other players:

"You know, he devotes so much of his life to this game. It really does take an inordinate amount of time in his daily life. It's not a pastime to him. This is a devotion, not just an avocation. And when you do that, when you throw yourself into it as deeply as he does, all those things count a little bit more."

So is it important for him to be recognized as the game's best player? "I can't answer that for him," Jackson said. "Personally, I think it is. From his own standpoint, I think he wants to be recognized as the best player in the game. I think he wants to show it. He knows it's ephemeral, that [it doesn't] last."

Kobe will say he doesn't care, and avoids comparisons to other players like the plague.

Mark Kreigel of FoxSports.com explores the issue in more detail, including commentary from Kobe's teammates, and believes firmly Kobe wants that sort of recognition. I agree. It's almost impossible to have his supernatural drive without the accompanying ego/desire to see the results acknowledged.

(He gains nothing from admitting as much, besides the opportunity to be branded petty and selfish.) There's certainly no question Kobe wants to be the best. But, playing armchair psychologist for a moment, I don't think he sees the equation as simply as "I want people to think I'm better than LeBron," or even having people look at him as the best the game has seen. At this point in Kobe's career, he defines "the best" as the guy who wins the most.

Titles are the most important number he watches. This I believe.

One common deflection Kobe uses when people make the Michael Jordan comparison is pointing out he's still got a lot of career left. Inherent in the answer is an eye toward history and his place in it. The time will come for you to decide, but let me finish writing my resume.

The guy clearly cares, and it's a large part of why he's so absurdly good.