Is Kobe Bryant afraid of Paul Pierce?

Kobe Bryant is the best player in the NBA, completely unstoppable when he chooses to be. The only way he's not the most feared player on the court is if he's sitting on the bench. It's easier for him to drop 50 or 60 points than it is for the rest of us to throw two paper balls into the trash without missing. You're more likely to miss what you're pointing at than he is to miss an open jumper. He doesn't even look like he's even trying hard half the time.

Unless Paul Pierce is guarding him. Then, playing basketball becomes a Herculean task to Kobe Bryant, like Zeus is making him play with a boulder strapped to his back. It really makes no sense because Paul Pierce is a 6'7", 240 pound fat kid inside of an athlete's body. He's a skilled basketball player because he's not incredibly athletic. When he retires from the NBA, he's going to do what Charles Barkley did when he retired: Not give a damn about his physical appearance.

Don't get me wrong, Paul Pierce is a great player. He's one of my favorites. I love to watch Paul Pierce shoot someone's eyes out. But he's never shown an aptitude or even a willingness to play defense. In the past, Paul Pierce was more likely to help his opponent score just so he could get the ball back and shoot again. Yet, 11 years into his career, he discovered a hidden talent that none of us knew he had: Being able to stop Kobe Bryant. Paul Pierce must be one of the X-Men, because his mutant power is making Kobe Bryant's balls shrivel up.

And it's not like he knew he had it in him all along. He discovered he could do this back in June, during the Finals. It was almost a lucky break, because the Celtics really didn't have any other options. They knew that Ray Allen couldn't stop Kobe, because Ray had been getting lit up by Kobe for years back when he played in Seattle. So, they gambled on Pierce, because he's bigger and stronger.

Kobe's game disappeared like Ja Rule's comeback. The guy who would take anyone to the basket, the guy who would shoot in anyone's face, the guy who would shake any defender, was reduced to heaving up contested threes and hoping that they'd go in. And then, he tries to act bad when some of them do. But there was no driving, there was no juking, there was no posting up, you know, the main parts of Kobe's game. Just three pointers. And he was forcing those. Kobe Bryant was playing like the slow, white kid that you played 21 with in 8th grade. If he stands far enough from the basket, maybe no one will notice him heaving up that brick before it's too late.

It makes no sense. It's almost like he's not even trying to challenge Pierce out there. Kobe makes playing against other defenders look effortless, until Pierce is standing in front of him. It's almost like he forgot how to cross someone up or drive with his left hand. He looks so hesitant when he plays against Paul Pierce, like the first time you play against someone who's been to jail. Does he think that Pierce is gonna go to the trunk if he scores too many points? It's the only explanation I can come up with, because Paul Pierce turning into Scottie Pippen against Kobe when he can't even stop Joe Johnson doesn't make sense at all.