Despite spending the better part of the last two seasons recovering from a pair of injuries, Bryant is optimistic that he can close out his nearly two-decade career on a high.
Fan support for Bryant in China goes beyond mere cheering to a deeper sense of engagement.
The fan reaction to Kobe in China is different than it is in the U.S. In Shanghai, these admirers showered him with unconditional love.
Bryant’s focus at this point in his life and career is on efficiency. He knows what he needs to do to return to the level of play that expects for himself and for his team. He is also keenly aware of the importance of finding a purpose for his life beyond basketball.
While Kobe says that he and his father, Joe (Jellybean) Bryant, “couldn’t be more opposite,” the son has lately been showing the sort of joy in the game for which his father was so well known.
Bryant’s career has been marked by transformation. He began as the precocious heir to MJ, then won titles as the uneasy sidekick to Shaquille O’Neal, weathered a reputation-damaging trial for sexual assault (the charges eventually dropped) and finally emerged in 2009 as a champion again, this time on his own.
His 19th season awaits him, and Bryant appears determined to will himself and his team to a level beyond what reasonably could be expected. Beyond that, the NBA’s most fearsome competitor faces new challenges with the same fierce spirit.
Read this longform here : http://www.si.com/longform/kobe/
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