You Like Me! You Really Like Me!

M-V-P !!!

M-V-P !!!

M-V-P !!!

This is two years too late, but finally Kobe is getting his props. Do you think people are noticing that 2-time MVP Steve Nash is a defensive liability? And certainly the NBA was a little stung when Dirk had to come back from vacation to receive his MVP trophy (named after some jew lawyer, go figure; no offense -- some of my best friends are jews and lawyers).

So it's about time. Lebron and CP3 are great, and deserve to be all-NBA, but will either of them be within sniffing distance of All-NBA Defense 1st Team? To be fair to Paul, he deserves it more than Nash did two years ago, but now he'll have to bide his time because this is the first of three in the next four years (ala Magic) for Kobe. He's 29, and the prime of an NBA career is 28-32. The rest of the West should be scared.

I think if we'd set some pre-season goals, they'd have looked like this:

Standard Goals:
1) Keep Kobe a Laker (check)
2) Improve the backcourt (check)
3) Sign or trade for some championship-caliber talent (check)
4) Win 46 games (check)
5) Make the playoffs (check)
6) Make it past the first round (check)

Stretch Goals:
1) Win the Pacific Division (check)
2) Unload Kwame for something more valuable than a bacon-wrapped hotdog (check)
3) Get home-court advantage in the 1st round (check)
4) Win the #1 seed in the Western Conference (check)
5) Kobe MVP (check)
6) Make it past the 2nd Round (incomplete)
7) Win the Western Conference (incomplete)
8) 2008 NBA Champions (incomplete)
9) Kobe All-NBA 1st Team (incomplete)
10)Kobe All-NBA Defense (incomplete)
11)Bynum Most Improved (nope)
12)Phil Coach Of The Year (nope)

If I were the Lakers manager, I'd say they deserve a promotion and a big raise. Work well with others, can-do attitude, exhibit leadership skills, etc.

But now I have a big assignment for you: go beat the Jazz in 5 games. You're the MVP Kobe, go get it done.