An update.

Following up on my completely frivolous and irrelevant Kobe Bryant post from a few weeks ago, which was really only wrtitten as a diversion to provide content and get a few hits (and a touch of boredom), I would like to partially revise my position.

I still maintain that the Kobe's reputation as the de facto "best player in the NBA", who at worst is #1 to any other hopeful's 1-A, according to some, is unfounded.  In fact, I think LeBron James may have futhered the gap with his performance in the Conference Finals.  His game 5 performance in particular was legendary.  He was simply out-gunned in the series.

But Kobe Bryant put together perhaps his best playoff series since the Lakers sweep of the Spurs in 2001, and certainly the best of his veteran years.  He did everything he is always accused of not doing in the Nuggets series.  Very remarkable.  And of the two, Kobe is the one in the Finals, while LeBron is chillin on the couch. 

So while I still hold to the larger points, and still think LeBron is currently the more dominant player, Kobe is right there, maybe even 1-A.

An aside.  I view the stuggles of both Kobe last year and LeBron this year as a reminder that the only player to win when it mattered EVERYTIME was Michael Jordan.  The only one.  Compared to MJ, everyone else is mortal.  

The one certainty is that Michael Jordan is the greatest to have ever played.  I don't see that changing.