the elevator pitch

Kobe Bryant will always have his critics and detractors. But their words can’t diminish the fact he is the best basketball player in the world. The Los Angeles Lakers’ superstar has accomplished a feat few people in life can lay claim to. He’s survived a public relations nightmare and not seen his professional stature plummet.

Sure, no suit is knocking on the Black Mamba’s door ready to ink him to a sneaker deal but endorsements are part of the world outside the court. On it, Bryant is supreme. A sex scandal removed him from the ranks of America’s most marketable athletic stars yet Bryant has never been better where it matters. He has a reputation of being misogynistic, arrogant, selfish and surly. These days, as he prepares to lead the Lakers into the NBA Finals against the Boston Celtics, he’s also a hero on the West Coast.

What can we learn from this? It’s simple, really. If you’re going to engage in activities that can destroy your public image you better be sure you’re damn good at what you do. Many athletes would have seen their careers end with a legal episode like what Bryant went through a few years back. Even though he was found not guilty of rape, public opinion had damned him for having a criminal mind.

Far from being a pariah in basketball circles, Bryant is embraced by the likes of LeBron James and Dwyane Wade as the game’s top player. He’s only validated that standing this spring by carrying a team he threatened to walk away from just last year. The Lakers’ turnaround is one of the most compelling sports stories of 2008. Their renaissance evokes memories of Magic and Kareem as well as marks a personal triumph for their current star.

Bryant will never be the great successor to Michael Jordan the NBA had hoped for. Jordan deftly averted PR damage during his career. Scarred as he is, Bryant still has his fans and admirers. Why? Because we watch pro sports to see displays of physical greatness and few athletes can provide a spectacle like Kobe.

We like him for his game, not for who he is. Some would argue that’s the only way it should be.

2008 NBA Finals Schedule – Boston Celtics vs. Los Angeles Lakers
(all games 9 p.m. ET on ABC/TSN in Canada)

Game 1, Thursday, June 5: At Celtics
Game 2, Sunday, June 8: At Celtics
Game 3, Tuesday, June 10: At Lakers
Game 4, Thursday, June 12: At Lakers
*Game 5, Sunday, June 15: At Lakers
*Game 6, Tuesday, June 17: At Celtics
*Game 7, Thursday, June 19: At Celtics

*If necessary

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