The same commitment is something that James will need if he hopes to keep his title of best player in the game, because while James is basically competent at this time, it stands out mainly because of his physical abilities. From the 6 Million Dollar Man theme, James is bigger, stronger and faster than most opponents he faces on a regular basis and so far his superior athletic ability was more than enough to overshadow any challenge to his throne. I do not know if the NBA has ever seen an athlete like James, but time waits for no one and the day will surely come when James was forced to rely more on the depth of skills rather than ability.
Just like Kobe...
Kobe is a great athlete himself, but far from the caliber of James, Bryant then had a lightning fast first step and an explosive driveto the rim begins to fade, he was forced to adapt. This is where the cerebral aspects of the game and attention to detail in the image, Bryant and the desire to refine his basic skills are the reason he is still relevant when it comes to discussing players elite of the game.
Can James and his fans say he shows the same type of commitment off the field as Bryant? I'm sure they're looking for it, but it seems that at this stage, James may be more interested in his celebrity status than his game. Bryant says his ultimate goal is to be remembered as one of the best ever to play the game, while James is said to prefer an international brand.
Bryant gives us seven hours of training and practice, after a tough loss, when James gave us a telenovela-like TV spot. This does not mean that James will not be finally realizing that the hard work and dedication will help him achieve his goal of becoming an international brand a little faster, but at the same time in his career Bryant was already a three-time NBA champion and legend in the making.
NBA fans will continue to marvel at the athletic ability and physical health of James, but at some point, they will probably want to see him become the kind of player his talent suggests he could be physical. Bryant fans can find solace in the fact that as a player he pushed his body past all reasonable physical, and when it reached its peak, he was able to fall back on the best core competencies defined in the game.
Part 1 here
(picture sources linked to the picture itself.)
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