RE: Second coming of...

["Nissen, David" <DNissen@ventnds1.telstra.com.au>]

Agreed (and with Dorine whoes post came in just as I was getting ready
to send off mine).

Is MJ the next (your choice of hall of fame player)  ?  Of course not,
he's the current and only Michael Jordan.  Is Kobe the next MJ ? Of
course not, he is now and always will be Kobe Bryant.  He may become a
player that reminds people of MJ, that dominates his position the way MJ
does, he may even (long shot:) make as much money as Jordan, but he will
still be Kobe Bryant.

When/if Kobe becomes the star some think he can be, the press will
hopefully realize this too and start looking for a future Jordan, Bird,
Bryant etc... somewhere else.


		- DN

 ----------
From: Douglas342
To: Celtics@igtc.COM
Subject: Second coming of...
Date: Friday, 24 April 1998 11:25AM


     Sorry to rant, but I have had it up to my wazoo with all this "The
Next
Michael Jordan..." crap.  First the NBC/LA media machine gears up for
Kobe
Bryant; (see this week's Sports Illustrated cover - as we say in LA,
"gag me
with a spoon!"); a few years ago it was Penny Hardaway.  Now Walker is
thrown
into the mix.  Michael Jordan became Michael Jordan because he has had a
spectacular career, makes some spectacular moves, leads his team to six
(so
far) titles, plays this game as well or better than anyone else ever
has, and
also because he is smart, image-conscious, and probably extremely
charming
and
articulate.  I'm not a judge of such things, but there are probably
those who
think he's a hunk as well.  Put all those together and THAT is how you
become
Michael Jordan.
    Anyone who thinks that 21-year old Antoine Walker, or 19 year old
Kobe
Bryant, can equal that is simply delusional.  The best we Boston fans
can
hope
for is that in twenty years someone wants to be the next Antoine Walker.
   I alluded to this in an earlier post, but think that we are getting
to an
age where if someone isn't "the next Michael Jordan," there are those
who
would think he's a failure.  Is Walker the next MJ?  I don't care.  Let
him
be
AW.
    Thanks for listening. I'll go take my medication now.

 - Doug