After the Los Angeles Lakers surrendered a seven-point lead with only two minutes left in Wednesday's Game 2 contest against the Oklahoma City Thunder, many people, including our favorites over at ESPN, were beginning to question Kobe Bryant and his ability to close out games. Of course, Kobe must have been hearing all the chatter because when the time came for KB to come through again in the clutch during Game 3 last night, the 14-time All-Star did not disappoint. In the end, the Lake Show defeated Durant and Co., 99-96.
Throughout his career, Kobe has also taken on a different opponent off the court: the media. In a conversation with Yahoo! Sports, the Lakers guard talks about the media and his outlook towards failing in the big moment. Here are some excerpts from the story by Adrian Wojnarowski.
“I don’t give a [expletive] what you say,” Bryant told Yahoo! Sports late Friday. “If I go out there and miss game winners, and people say, 'Kobe choked, or Kobe is seven for whatever in pressure situations.'
Overall, you have to believe that it's not as easy as wiping the metaphorical dirt of your shoulder for Kobe Bryant. Deep down, he does care what people say about him because, after all, he wants people, the media included, to recognize him as one of the best to ever play the game.
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[via Yahoo! Sports]
