It was Robert Burns who wrote, some 200 years ago, that “the best laid schemes of mice and men go often astray.” Apparently, the same could be said of Black Mambas.
That was the only conclusion one could draw at L.A. Live on Tuesday, where, just one day before the career of one of the most talented, successful and above all else, famous players of a generation, comes to a close, a video board across from Staples Center advertised the farewell game, Wednesday, at 7:30pm Pacific, on ESPN.
Of course, those of us who follow the machinations of sports religiously now know that this is only partially true. Kobe Bryant’s final bow will still be broadcast to a national audience, as it should be. But all the pomp and circumstance, the tributes from former teammates, the national anthem as performed by Nihilist #2, all of it will now be seen on the Worldwide Leader’s secondary network, ESPN2.
Inevitable hype and promotion has run headlong into completely unpredictable history, and so, the Golden State Warriors have managed to do what Byron Scott wouldn’t dare, all season long: relegated Kobe Bryant to second string.
https://youtu.be/qQYz0I5dE_A
Perhaps there is some part of Kobe that relishes the fact that he’ll be, at least relatively speaking, under the radar in the last game of his storied career. When the retirement was first announced, after all, Bleacher Report’s Kevin Ding noted that Bryant insisted on no on-court ceremonies or public gift presentations before games. “Business as usual” has been the theme put forward by the 18-time All-Star throughout the season, and that attitude has carried all the way through this reshuffling of programming schedules. “What the hell do I care?” asked Bryant, according to Mark Medina at the LA Daily News, when informed of the change, “It hurt my feelings.”
But then, one does not send free verse poetry to Derek Jeter for immediate publication, wrap a farewell letter in a black envelope embossed with a gold logo, or hire a camera crew to follow you around for an upcoming documentary film, if they aren’t at least somewhat concerned with how they’re perceived. The inevitable fog of corporate campaigns, personal branding, and #legacy seem to ensure that we’ll never know how Kobe Bryant feels about any of this. Not when his every syllable is being parsed for some clue on how we should truly understand the kid from Lower Merion who’s been an integral part of our basketball lives for two decades now.
But regardless of Kobe Bryant’s own feelings on this last-minute relegation, you’d be hard-pressed to argue that there isn’t something brutally meritocratic about the whole thing. This Lakers season, bluntly, has been nothing short of a disaster, from the front office’s unapologetic embrace of a nostalgia tour, Byron Scott’s stubborn refusal to facilitate the future, and of course, most recently, DeAngelo Russell proving to the #NeverTweet crowd that Snapchat can be just as dangerous. The team was spared the NBA cellar only through the misunderstood genius of Sam Hinkie, whose resignation letter to the managing partners made about as much sense as #KobeSystem ever did.
And so, Wednesday will play out as it undoubtedly should, with Golden State — gunning for one of the most incredible records in sports — on the marquee, and Los Angeles — saying goodbye to a superstar at the end of a lost season — available as alternative viewing. There is justice in this, given that so much of Bryant’s stardom was predicated on his team’s success in the first place. Kobe’s individual game — all but his most irrational fans would agree — was breathtaking, but inevitably flawed. Even at his his best, Bryant lacked the dominating physicality of LeBron James, the game-changing shooting of Steph Curry, or the overall arsenal of the man to whom he was most often compared, Michael Jordan.
But the one thing, we were told, that put Bryant on the same plane as His Airness was that once-in-a-generation competitiveness, that drive to win at all costs, the willingness to study film to the point of exhaustion, harangue teammates until their inevitable alienation, and, as documented brilliantly by ESPN’s Baxter Holmes, to push himself to the point of physical disintegration, all in the hope of salvaging a playoff berth during one of the most disappointing seasons in the franchise’s history. This, more than anything else, is what made Kobe be Kobe. The hero-balling, jumper-counting, “soft like Charmin”-shouting force of nature who would probably be considered sociopathic if he existed anywhere other than the single-minded world of professional sports.
And what made Kobe a legend, rather than a lunatic, were the team’s results. Fifteen playoff appearances, eight division titles, and of course, five championships. Yes, Bryant was blessed to play with Shaquille O’Neal, Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom, and a bevy of other talented teammates. But there was no denying that he was the engine, the catalyst, for every team he played with, and more often than not, that team found a way to succeed.
Most everyone has come to agree that simply counting rings is a poor way to assess a player’s career. (And if you needed a reminder, well, that sad Tracy McGrady video which made the rounds Tuesday should probably do the trick.) Nevertheless, one can’t help but look at a Clippers’ core than can’t seem to get over the hump, a closing window for Durant and Westbrook, and a still unfulfilled quest for King James to bring the Larry O’Brien Trophy to “The Land,” and realize that any player who collected them as Kobe did must have had some method to his madness.
The last few years in Los Angeles have taught us that when you strip that triumph away, when a combination of age, injuries and roster mismanagement finally take their toll, all that’s left are happy memories from a bygone era. This season began with full-throated criticism of Bryant’s refusal to step back into a supporting role, followed by a temporary reprieve once he announced his departure from the game, ultimately progressing into that cruelest of realities: utter irrelevance. The Purple and Gold have not meant much of anything this season, with the primary concern for their fan-base being whether Kupchak and company can hold on to their Top-3 protected 2016 draft pick. (Odds currently sit around 55.8 percent, and the May 17 NBA Draft Lottery promises to be far more important, and dramatic, than any game this season.)
But on Wednesday night, if only for a few hours, the Lakers will matter again, as they send off one of the most important figures in their history. Sure, it’ll be overshadowed. But only because of a team that can stake a legitimate claim as the greatest of all time. Chances are Kobe Bryant can understand and appreciate that. He knows just how much goes into collecting wins — from all those years when it looked easy — to the present day, when it’s been anything but.
So sure, Kobe Bryant may have been unexpectedly bumped down the end-of-season totem pole, but as is often the case, these serendipitous changes have a way of working out. Consider that the Warriors’ run at the record will now feature their former coach, Mark Jackson, on color commentary. Given how salty he has proven in the past, that should make for an entertaining experience. And as for Bryant? His farewell will now be called by Hubie Brown, one of the best hoops historians a fan might hope for and a man who, back when the future Hall of Famer first declared for the draft out of high school, called him “a winning style guy”.
Congrats Hubie. You nailed that one. Now good luck keeping us interested when the game gets out of hand.
