Kobe Bryant Evokes Michael Jordan In Twitter ‘Defense’ Of Russell Westbrook

Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan
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Count the misses. Count the turnovers, count the arguments, count the negative headlines. Even count the losses. As long as the public counts Kobe Bryant’s five championship rings, he doesn’t care what else it does – an attitude the Los Angeles Lakers legend just refuses to let anyone forget.

After decrying the media’s reaction to Russell Westbrook taking 43 shots by posting a meme on Instagram earlier today, Mamba continued defending the Oklahoma City Thunder superstar – and himself, naturally – by evoking the name of basketball’s only untouchable.

That would be Michael Jordan, of course. His Airness went 18-of-43 in Game 3 of the 1993 NBA Finals against Charles Barkley and the Phoenix Suns, posting 44 points, nine rebounds, and six assists along the way.

And though Jordan’s Chicago Bulls lost in triple-overtime by a score of 129-121, Bryant didn’t let that unfortunate reality get in the way of his self-serving agenda.

Yes, Kobe. You and MJ were the only ones who ever shut up the critics by putting an emphasis on winning above all else.

Not LeBron James when he angered millions by spurning the undermanned Cleveland Cavaliers to create the star-studded Miami Heat. Not Rick Carlisle when he started J.J. Barea in the 2011 Finals. Not Manu Ginobili for coming off the bench during the San Antonio Spurs’ ongoing dynasty. Not Shaquille O’Neal when he handed the keys to Dwyane Wade in 2006. Not the Detroit Pistons when they embraced defense and team-ball en route to a title two years earlier. And not David Robinson when he took a backseat to Tim Duncan after Jordan’s final year with Chicago.

But those guys did just that, of course, directly refuting the overarching point of Bryant’s tweet. Which begs a question: To which specific attribute that he, Jordan, and presumably Westbrook share is Bryant alluding?

Shot-chucking? Maniacal intensity?

Effectiveness and necessity of the latter approach is something we’ve discussed before and doesn’t seem at issue here. It bears mentioning, though, that Westbrook doesn’t employ the Whiplash-style leadership made most famous in the NBA by Jordan and further championed by Bryant. Intensity and dedication aren’t mutually exclusive to verbal and physical abuse.

But shooting a lot to win? Note that Westbrook’s 43-shot, 54-point performance came in a loss, like Jordan’s game in the 1993 Finals. Also remember that Bryant was more derided for ball-dominating this season than at any other point in his career, and that he was historically inefficient while leading the Lakers to a 12-32 record before succumbing to injury.

The winning of which Bryant speaks wasn’t happening for him, didn’t happen for Jordan in the game he references, and didn’t happen for Westbrook on Sunday, either. But it has happened for the Oklahoma City Thunder this season despite the loss of Kevin Durant, and that’s why Russ sits on the MVP periphery as award season has finally arrived.

Kobe is really reaching to prove a point here, and we’re not exactly sure what it is other than an obvious reminder that his five championship rings put him in rarified air. But is that really at issue? Is anyone disputing that fact? Or even Westbrook’s brilliance, to get back to the supposed matter at hand?

No way. But keep on doin’ work, Kobe. Your followers will continue fawning over similarly spewed nonsensical rhetoric no matter what.

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