Saturday, December 02, 2006
Mariano is universal--Yahoo writer says "Kobe is the Mariano Rivera of the NBA"
'But here are seven reasons why Jackson's team just might become title contenders by the end of the season.
1. Kobe. He's the Mariano Rivera of the NBA. He closes out games like nobody in the league, which means if the Lakers can stay close, they always have a chance. On top of that, Bryant appears to be maturing and gaining confidence in his teammates. Last Sunday night in a game against New Jersey, he passed up a tough shot to swing the ball to an open Luke Walton, who drained the game-clinching three-pointer.'
From Yahoo Sports story, 12/1/06, by Steve Kerr, NBA analyst
