Kobe Time

I love watching NBA games. Playoff time. I usually skip the regular season. I do think professional basketball is the best sport to watch. It's a great game for TV. Baseball for instance is a lousy game to watch on TV. It just looks bad.

I think I can thank Michael Jordan for my NBA addiction. The Jordan years were absolutely extraordinary. Chicago was the center of the sports Universe. In my book, Jordan is the best player to have ever played the game. He always hit the clutch shot, he always wanted to be in the pressure situation, and he always excelled. And he did it all with maximum style and grace.

There are lots of good players today too. In fact, the next best thing to Jordan is Kobe Bryant. It's funny, Jordan's long-time coach, Phil Jackson is also Kobe's coach. I don't think it's a coincidence. Phil Jackson knows his shit.

Kobe and company took on Denver last night. It was a great game. The Lakers are a fascinating team, they can be had, but they are plucky and tough, the roster is like the U.N. Denver is young, and brash, a bunch of upstarts. Kobe had his hands full last night. He and Carmelo Anthony battled all night long. It should be a wonderful series.

Kobe came through in the clutch. He took the ball to the hole. Could not be stopped. Very Jordan-esque. He hit his free throws. A true sign of a great.