Kobe Bryant Morale MVP
Kobe Bryant deserves the MVP award from the National Basketball Association for numerous bodybuilding reasons. Before I write about this though, I must confess that I am a huge and proud lifelong fan of the Los Angeles Lakers. Bodybuilding does not believe in objectivity. Keep in mind that I have long loved, supported, and admired Kobe Bryant. That being said, there are legitimate and important reasons for bodybuilders to celebrate Kobe receiving the MVP award.
Kobe’s work ethic provides a bodybuilding standard to which we should all aspire. Kobe answers almost every question about bad nights: “We have to work harder, we have flaws that need to be addressed, and we haven’t reached our potential or personal goals.” Even more impressive, Kobe answers questions about winning nights in the same way. Kobe’s poor personal relationship with Shaq O’Neil led to the dismemberment of his three-time champion team. They were winning, but Kobe didn’t respect Shaq’s bad work ethic. If more people consistently valued the work ethic, as Kobe does, we would be a better nation.
People have criticized Kobe for being selfish. This stems from an expectation of entertainment and clownish behavior in celebrities. Kobe smiles often, but he doesn’t show up at parties and causes scandal. His public image and his responses to questions reflect seriousness. He has been accused of not helping his teammates and hogging the ball. All his decisions have to do with winning. Would you call Michelangelo cocky for not having a small talk with the Pope? Was it selfish of Einstein not to teach much? Kobe has had harsh words and has criticized colleagues who do not work. This reflects that he is serious about his job. Those who want populism should not see competing efforts. To call Kobe ungenerous is to misinterpret greatness.
The League has ignored Kobe because of the rape charges in Colorado. Kobe deserves some blame for this. But, our sick society deserves more. The woman who accused him had semen from several men in her underwear when the police arrived. She was seeking fame or infamy and didn’t care about the difference. We know where she got these values from. Kobe was found not guilty. Since then, four years ago, Kobe has been, as far as we can tell, totally devoted to his wife, children and his craft. How many NBA players do interviews with their kids on their laps? Very few people show the devotion and dedication that Kobe shows on a daily basis. I’m glad the league cares about morality. However, they are long overdue in acknowledging that Kobe has long been a role model for hard work, dedication, respect and good morals.
Kobe received a lot of criticism for his anger at management and made comments about leaving the Lakers earlier this year. As a Lakers fan, he hated this and it scared me. But Kobe only has a limited number of years to master and he’s competitive. The front office was surrounding him with players not of his caliber. Kobe is not a socialist. His dedication is to excellence and winning. His pronouncements likely led management to rise up and operate aggressively. His complaint reflected real concerns and showed leadership that likely made our playoff success possible. Stillness in the face of mediocrity is not a virtue.
Kobe Bryant deserves the MVP award. You are to be congratulated by all who honor achievement, dedication, work ethic, excellence and competitiveness. Sports provide one of the only areas of media where we still have the joy of seeing people dedicated to the craft. Basketball has teams that are small enough to see earnestness results in individuals. The actor’s success comes through agents, lucky breaks and in spite of themselves. Interviews with important people don’t discuss the work they did to get to that point. When we celebrate Kobe Bryant, we celebrate the ethic that has made America a premier competitor on the world stage. Kobe Bryant has won the MVP award. He deserves enthusiastic congratulations from bodybuilders across America. So, congratulations to Kobe Bryant, the 2007 – 2008 NBA Most Valuable Player!