Kobe leads the Lakers to a win against the Jazz despite back problems, and scores 26 points, 7 assists and 6 rebounds.

My Mom didn’t let my brother and I watch much TV growing up. Only one hour a night and only after all studying/homework. EXCEPT for the NBA. My brother and I lived to watch basketball. He was a NY Knicks fan, and I was a die-hard Chicago Bulls fan. He said I was on the bandwagon, and maybe I was, but I just loved watching Michael Jordan kick ass with his wingman Scottie Pippen and of course, badboy Dennis Rodman.

Now that I live in the City of Angels, home of the Lakers and golden boy turned bad boy turned golden boy, Mr. Kobe Bryant, I was struck by the similarities of how he played last night against the Utah Jazz and Jordan during Game 5 in 1997 against the Utah Jazz.

-Sick with the flu, Jordan scores 38 points including a tie-breaking 3-pointer to win the game against the Utah Jazz
- With back problems, Kobe scores 26 points, leading the Lakers in a win against the Utah Jazz

-Jordan was coached by Zen guru/coach, Phil Jackson
- Kobe was coached by Zen guru/coach, Phil Jackson

As Coach Jerry Sloan (former coach of the Bulls) says, “That’s what great players do. They put it on and go to another level. That’s all I’ve ever seen. That’s always kind of scary to talk about, but I have to be honest.”

Holla.