Kobe now a picture of clutch

Links (2)

First Cup: Monday
Published 5/5/2008 at ESPN.com - True Hoop - Blog
... Brad Rock of the Deseret News: "Love or hate him, the thing about Kobe Bryant is the man's tough. You have to be when you're 19 and tossing blanks, and the opposing crowd is loving it, and the media is replaying it in every excruciating detail. You learn how to take the bad stuff and put in a place where it hurts just enough to fuel the fire, but not enough to ruin you." ...

The Internets are alive: Jazz at Lakers, Game 1
Published 5/5/2008 at Ball Don't Lie
... Brad Rock, Deseret News: "Even in 1997, when yet a teen, Kobe Bryant had the world by the tail. Until that moment in Game 5 of the playoffs in Salt Lake. Waning seconds of regulation, neck-and-neck, frenzied crowd. And he missed an 18-footer. The overtime was even worse: He air-balled two more shots down the stretch as the Jazz went on to win the series, four games to one. But even then, Bryant had composure beyond his years. In the locker room, he gamely faced the microphones and cameras, saying he hoped he would learn from the experience, and that the ...