KOBE BRYANT. Possibly the most polarizing athlete in the last 20 years, either beloved or despised. But you cannot question his work ethic, his desire, his drive to maximize his potential in all facets of his game.
THAT is what I respect about him more than anything else – he simply outworks everyone else in the NBA. (Lebron, are you listening? No, probably not…too busy looking for a shortcut to the top…)
And thanks to Phil Jackson, the argument can now be made that he's the greatest Laker of them all…and probably in the top 5 players of all time.
Hopefully Phil comes back, because with a healthy Bynum I think they can 3-peat.
(PS – I want a poster of that photo above…inspiring.)