Truer words...

As true today as it was in 1998, Kobe Bryant is currently playing some of the best basketball seen this side of the year 2000. His 33.7 points 8.3 assists and 7.2 rebounds in the series against the Suns are only slightly more stunning than his 29.4 6.2 and 5.1 over the course of the playoffs.
At 31 and 14 years in the casual fan would say he is past his prime , slowing down and at best second best. As more than a casual fan I'm here to tell you that while he can't jump as high or dunk with as much flash as he used to , Kobe Bean Bryant is better than ever, and currently the best player in the game.
The only real competition he had , Lebron, is currently sitting at home watching the playoffs, eliminated convincingly in the second round by a Celtics team that no one had given a chance. If Kobe is no match for Lebron physically , then I counter that Lebron is no match for Kobe mentally. For all his flaws , (and all the rumors) Kobe has never took 2 nights off in a playoff series. His will to win is unmatched by his current peers, and possibly only matched by the consensus G.O.A.T. Micheal Jordan. I don't know that we can yet say that about Lebron. He is easily the most physically imposing player in the league, but he has yet to put it together in a way that wins.
Kobe's accolades should speak for themselves , but the fact is Lebron has been handed his throne before his time is up. Seven time conference champion, four time nba champion (playing for a fifth), twelve time all star , eight time all-NBA first team , eight time all defense first team, mvp , three time all star mvp and finally the most important of his career a finals mvp. Still scoring 27 a game , grabbing 5 and half boards on a team loaded with rebounders and when healthy locking down the best player on the opposing team. What else does this man have to do before you stop trying to strip him of his best player in the game title? A better question what has Lebron done to earn it?
We are all witnesses at the moment. We just witnessed one of the most masterful performances in playoff history. We are witnessing one of the great talents of all time, locked in and skillfully picking apart whoever is in his way. We are witnessing a player still in his prime, still putting a stranglehold on a title that only belongs to him. The title of best in the world.
When the votes were cast and the ballots counted , nobody asked Kobe if he was ready to pass the torch. It's an old sports cliche' that you don't lose your position due to an injury, but as any quarterback can tell you, if you blink you're out and sportswriters across America are wondering aloud if your team is better off without you. Kobe Bryant was hurt all season, he didn't get worse, his skills haven't diminished, yet for the past two seasons all we've heard is how he has been surpassed. His injury had cost him his standing and right now, healthy for the first time in months he is dominating the landscape and taking back what should never have been lost to begin with.
The 2010 NBA finals begin in 3 days and still the most dominant question in the sports media is "where will Lebron end up next year?". While supposed journalists fall over themselves trying to get the inside scoop that none of them will get, the best player still playing will be playing in his seventh finals for his fifth championship, with no end in sight. In what should be the most exciting few weeks in basketball, time is being wasted on trying to figure out the next destination of the second best player in the world. I refuse to give in and I'll be busy enjoying the two best teams in basketball fight for the most important prize they can have. And when it's all over, and the dust settles Kobe Bryant will still be the best player in the game, no matter how many people try and take it away from him. He's not giving it up anytime soon.