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Los Angeles Lakers: Even with The King, Kobe Bryant’s throne is safe

By Leandre Ochoa

LOS ANGELES, CA - MARCH 10: LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Kobe Bryant #24 of the Los Angeles Lakers match up during the first half at Staples Center on March 10, 2016 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and condition of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - MARCH 10: LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Kobe Bryant #24 of the Los Angeles Lakers match up during the first half at Staples Center on March 10, 2016 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and condition of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /
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Los Angeles Lakers
Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images /

1. Room fit for two kings

Bryant, grand in his own stature in Lakers’ history, embodies what the US Bank Tower is to the Los Angeles skyline. The Wilshire Grand Center represents the new brute force that is LeBron, and like the four-time NBA MVP, the building has received criticism.

The 73-story skyscraper was given a three-hundred-foot spire that sits atop its apex. The addition of this architectural feature makes people feel like the Wilshire Grand “cheated” its way to becoming the tallest building in Los Angeles. 

People will stand by what they know and have come to cherish.

Using buildings as an analogy for Bryant and James is a major stretch, but the idea of LeBron coming in and stealing Kobe’s thunder by winning championships is just as crazy. The crux of these anxieties is built within Kobe fans, not by anyone else. And that’s okay.

Bryant’s legacy can never be touched. Those who were fortunate enough to watch his career will always defend his throne. He never cheated his fans, and are willing to hold up their end of the bargain: never let any player come as a threat to that throne. They deserve that right to do so, the same way Jordan fans have a right to defend his legacy from Kobe. The misunderstanding is that James is no threat at all, but a torchbearer for the future of this historic franchise.

No matter how new or how tall the Wilshire Grand Center is, it doesn’t disrupt the history of the Los Angeles skyline. After all, at a glance, the US Bank Tower still looks taller, maintaining its supreme stature — as will Bryant’s legacy.

Next. Kobe Bryant's 10 Greatest Games of All-Time. dark

It’s up to the NBA’s audience to determine where players rank on the all-time NBA hierarchy. And why not? These Lakers fans, gatekeepers of Bryant’s legacy, can rightfully say they were all witnesses.

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