Seven Years Later

A lot can happen in seven years. I decided to take a minute to reflect on everything that's happened to me in the last seven years.

One of the things I did was go from living in the Greatest City in the World to a city which may not be the best but is still in the top ten. Seven years ago, I was 19 years old and a freshman in college. In my mind, the world was my oyster. There I was poised to do what I had always dreamt off. Sure, things didn't go exactly as planned but that was fine.

I had all my plans ready, starting with a degree in Finance and Investments, followed by Law School and an MBA. Along the way, I'd meet the perfect girl, move in with her and make enough money to take care of my Mom, Didi and my brother (and give him shit for it!). Like I said, I was 19! I may not have been the legal age for drinking, but at least I could go to a strip club.

Fast forward today, seven years later and all I have is my degree in Finance and Investments which I have never put to use. Never went to law school, forget about finding the perfect girl and take care of my Mom, Didi and brother? Hah! I can barely look after myself. Did I mention I'm no longer 19?

Now why did I just give you a brief history lesson on my life?

Well, imagine seven years ago you are a 23 year old, you've just accomplished the rare feat of completing back to back to back championships. You're already being touted as the second most dominant player in the NBA. The most dominant player was on the same team as you. Life is good, you have a wife who is drop dead gorgeous and nothing can stop you from becoming the best basketball player in the world in a few years. Well nothing except you.

Now fast forward five years, you haven't won another championship. You committed adultery, you were accused and acquitted of sexually harassing a hotel employee. People hold you responsible for breaking up a team that could have been the most dominant team of the decade and just as easily have gone down in history as one of the best teams ever! Ranking among the greatness of Jordan's Bulls and Russell's Celtics. You became the best player ever in the NBA but it didn't matter you were stuck on a team that missed the playoffs and when you did make the playoffs you couldn't get past the first round. Life isn't looking good.

So you do what you know best, which is throw a tantrum and demand to be traded to another team. When your Boss obliges with a potential trade, you block it only because you realise the team you would join will end up being worse off. You have literally hit rock bottom. Forget about beating Michael Jordan's six championships. You just want to make the playoff finals!

Suddenly things change start changing in the next two years.

You are asked to be a part of the Team USA Basketball and take them from the dumps to Olympic Gold (and you do, you win gold), your team gets lucky and lands an All Star forward named Pau Gasol and another forward called (Trevor Ariza) who does a lot of the nitty gritty things you need to win a championship.

It's been six years and you are now 29. You have a team capable of winning the NBA Championship, you are finally emerging as the leader everybody hoped you would be, the coach who helped you win your first three championships and called you "Uncoachable" is back and now calling you the next best thing since MJ.

You finally reach the NBA Finals, except you lose to a team with more talent and hunger. You walk off the court with your shoulders slumped, another year and no championship. The next time you promise things will be different.

You and your team mates spend the Off season and next year busting your butt, you refuse to lose. You play hard 24/7 which is something nobody can ever take away from you and will become part of your legacy. You went months without breaking a smile and everybody kept saying it you were really focussed. People kept asking if you were bothered by the fact that you couldn't win another championship without a certain game changing center called Shaq. You scowl and say that is not what you focus on. Though you know it's a lie.

You get a few lucky breaks along the way like your rivals losing key players to injuries, a couple of foul calls and some clutch shooting from your teammates. Along the way, you also realise that it's not about you. There is more at stake than just your fourth championship. You realise, that every individual in your team has something at stake. So, you decide to share.

Guess what? It's been Seven years. Your coach Phil Jackson won his record breaking 10th Championship, your teammates were all vindicated. Lamar Odom proving he can keep his head in the game while the game is on the line, Pau Gasol proving he is one of the most skilled and toughest forwards in the league after being labelled soft, Derek Fisher whose daughter is suffering from a rare eye cancer came back and won again, Trevor Ariza goes from being a journey man player to a player who is a starting forward about to get a very big contract.

What about you? You just won your fourth championship, won your first NBA Finals MVP and you are now going down in history as a top three player. Congratulations to you.

Oh wait? You aren't Kobe Bryant. My bad.