I'll write more later, but I think a couple major reasons the NBA is so uninteresting today is 1. there are very few really compelling personalities; and 2. because New York has been so bad for so long the NBA expanded the playoffs so that damn near half the NBA is in the fifteen month long playoffs. I think it would really help, from a fan's standpoint, to shorten the season (or at least shrink the number of teams that can make it into the playoffs).
I do agree with you that the "illusion" that one man can do it all (although I think Jordan realized better, and consequently won, later in his career) and more specifically, the individualization of the NBA has led to professional basketball being sub-par. From the camera angles to the no-zone defense, professional basketball isn't real basketball. However, Kobe is truly MJ's protege in that department, more so now that he is on a shitty team.
As far as winning, Kobe was in the perfect position before. Let's see him win with a team in which he has to be a leader. When the Bulls were winning, they were winning with help from others but because of Jordan. Watching those series', he often willed his teams to victory. I have seen moments of that from Kobe but nothing on that level. Granted, he's still young.
I do agree with you that the "illusion" that one man can do it all (although I think Jordan realized better, and consequently won, later in his career) and more specifically, the individualization of the NBA has led to professional basketball being sub-par. From the camera angles to the no-zone defense, professional basketball isn't real basketball. However, Kobe is truly MJ's protege in that department, more so now that he is on a shitty team.
As far as winning, Kobe was in the perfect position before. Let's see him win with a team in which he has to be a leader. When the Bulls were winning, they were winning with help from others but because of Jordan. Watching those series', he often willed his teams to victory. I have seen moments of that from Kobe but nothing on that level. Granted, he's still young.