Blog: The Artist, Kobe Bryant
Rahshaun Haylock -- (CBS) Former Lakers play-by-play announcer Joel Meyers once told me the basketball court is Kobe Bryant's canvas. We're fortunate to "watch an artist at work."
This was back in 2007 after Kobe scored 65 points to help the Lakers defeat the Blazers in overtime. It was his first in a stretch of four consecutive games in which he scored 50 or more points.
He does this from time to time and takes us on these wild rides --these stretches of games in which it seems every shot he takes, he makes, and the numbers are larger than life.
Right now we're in the middle of one of those rides. He's scored 40 or more points in each of the last four games. Each night is unique in it's own right, with the Lakers coming out on top in three of those four contests.
Last night on the Sunday Sports Central on KCAL9, we played what we like to call in the business a "drop tape" of Kobe. A "drop tape" is video that's played when the anchors on set are talking about a particular player or subject. In this case, it was Gary Miller and James Worthy.
As Worthy talked about this run Kobe's been on recently the tape of Kobe played.
That one tape demonstrated the artistry that is Kobe Bryant. As this tape played for close to 30 seconds, no one shot was the same. With lots of other players, you know how they got the majority of their baskets. Kobe is so diverse and so dynamic that he can get you from anywhere.
The tape we showed last night showed Kobe spot up jumpers. It showed a pull a jumper. It showed him finishing at the rim with a dunk. It showed him pulling up for a jumper off of the dribble --all things that are just a part of his repertoire.
There's also the post game and the ability to take you off of the dribble. Who can forget the off the dribble fallaways?
And then there are those shots that he makes that you can't really describe nor know how he does it.
I'm never surprised by the results yet I marvel at the outcome. The wow factor is ever present. Maybe even more now that he's 16 years into his NBA career. These numbers just don't happen for a player that is this advanced into his career.
Wow.
This Lakers team is still trying to find itself and come together. In the meantime, the artist is at work.
While there will be many that question shot selection and throw out words like "age" and "old" and "twilight," allow them to do so --because there will be plenty with something to say --and just sit back and appreciate the crafting of a masterpiece.
