Since THE BIG DREWSKI, Andrew Bynum, hurt his knee on Sunday everyone west of the Atlantic Ocean has begun to talk about "it" once again and the Lakers' chances of success.

What in the heck is KOBE BRYANT going to do now? Many believe he will complain and start hogging his way to 35 points and 40 shot attempts a game if The YOUNG GUNS go on a mini-slump.

Many more believe that BRYANT won't trust center KWAME BROWN enough that he'll go away from the one part of the triangle that makes the KILLER B's tandem of Bynum and Bryant so dangerous - the pick-n-roll- and revert back to jacking up three-pointers all day.

Many, including 24-year veteran sportswriter MIKE KAHN, believe that KOBE still possesses a high level of egotistical selfishness that he'll continue to place himself above the team despite the Lakers' quiet yet convincing rise to the top of the Western Conference standings.

It seems to me that the more KOBE does, the more KOBE is hardpressed in earning the respect of the many so-called NBA fans out there, simply because of his past transgressions on and off the court.

Perhaps those same fans who hesitate in giving KOBE the much-deserved reverence are also the same fans who once questioned Michael Jordan's leadership but are now calling MJ the greatest who's ever played on that "94 x 50 hunk of wood" (to quote the legendary Chick Hearn).

Whatever Bryant does or does not do, he will never get the admiration he deserves until he wins a title as the leader of the Lakers. That's a fact.

A wise man once told me, "THE THINGS YOU DO and THE THINGS YOU DON'T DO, THEY ALL SEND A MESSAGE." Never has this statement ever applied to any NBA player as much as it has with Bryant. You either love him or hate him, there's no middle ground. 

But what irks me the most is when KOBE makes great strides to show improvement in his game, personality, vocal leadership, and maturity level, yet so-called NBA experts continue to doubt him and say, "Not to worry, he'll be the same old ball-hog KOBE once his team loses a game or two in a row."

Notice I didn't say "hate." But it sure is close.

Everyone in the world respects his ability and his game. But why not respect the man?

Every year since Phil Jackson took over from Rudy Tomjanovich the Lakers have improved. Those who have watched every single Lakers game (preseason, regular season, and playoffs) can attest to this. Those who have analyzed the roster from the top down and assessed the moves Kupchak made and didn't make will all know where I'm coming from.

Like Mr. Kahn, I, too, have been a proponent of keeping this nucleus together and not parting with KOBE or BYNUM.

But unlike Kahn, I don't have reason to believe Kobe will revert back to his old ways. In fact I'm glad Kobe was what he was. Simply because when it's all said and done, his legend will tell an even greater story. 

Don't get me wrong, I have doubted Kobe's leadership abilities in the past because I always believed he wasn't being vocal enough with his teammates in the same way Magic, Larry, Isiah and Michael were with theirs. But beginning last year, I started to see a change in the man. An evolution wherein I knew it would lead to greater heights for the Lakers and their young team.

And we're beginning to see them blossom right before our eyes, much to the chagrin of the Phoenix Suns, Dallas Mavericks, and the rest of the Western Conference including Tim Duncan and the aging San Antonio Spurs.

Despite the overall progress of the Lakers the last couple of seasons (most notably this year), "experts" like Kahn nonetheless repeat what has constantly been repeated in the past without giving it much thought. He questions the Lakers resolve, mental toughness, and will to win.

He says about THE BIG DREWSKI, "the concern is how [the knee injury] will affect the growth and confidence he has developed this season as he has begun to dominate the interior at both ends of the floor", obviously questioning whether or not Bynum has the mental strength  and work ethic to overcome adversity and indirectly implies that Bynum may wilt under pressure when it's time to return to the floor because he may be tentative with his left knee.  

What I've got to say is this: Andrew Bynum is no chump. First of all, he's no Shaq because he's hungry enough to want to be in shape and physically capable enough to want to dominate. Secondly, take a look at his statistics and one will see that he has vastly improved every year he's been in the league and that speaks volumes. Thirdly, he is being taught, mentored, tutored, coached, guided, and led by the greatest big man ever to play the game in Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. 'Nuff said.

I have every bit of confidence in the world that Andrew will come back stronger than ever and the Lakers will be even better. But I don't blame people for doubting them because when you're a great franchise, it all comes with the territory just like the New York Yankees and now the New England Patriots. And also because in years' past the Lakers have given critics and skeptics every reason to doubt. Go ahead and favor the Phoenixs and Dallases of the world, teams who don't win titles. It's all good, because after all The Young Guns will need a little competition.

The bottom line is this: No other franchise in the history of the NBA gets to the FINALS as consistently as the Lakers do EVERY DECADE.

The reason? Because Jerry Buss and the Lakers front office know exactly what it takes to reach and triumph at that level.

Besides San Antonio and maybe Detroit, the rest of the NBA are just a bunch of pretenders who make the sport a fun game to watch.

Now getting back to KOBE...

The fact of the matter is... KOBE has begun to mature and that alone is lifting himself to the next level. Obviously, it has already rubbed off on the rest of the team (Bynum for one) and we are seeing the evolution of THE YOUNG GUNS, much like we saw in Chicago during the late eighties with Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Horace Grant, Bill Cartwright and co. after they got sick of losing to the Bostons and Detroits of the world.

Bryant is such a winner that two years ago, he HAD TO average 35 because he did it for the team in order for them to stay competitive. He realized (and so did Phil) that he had to take on that role because no one else could step up. No one else was ready so KOBE took over in Jordan-like fashion. If Kobe doesn't score that much then the team doesn't even make the playoffs, and how bad would that look for the city of L.A.?

And between 2000-2004, KOBE could have averaged 30+ if he wanted to, but SHAQ was the number one option so he understood that and kept the peace for the betterment of the team. It was Shaq who couldn't deal with KOBE's ascension to legendary status.

Why else did the INSECURE O'Neal keep saying, "The offense needs to go through me" or "I need touches" if it wasn't for his jealousy of Bryant's impending stardom?

Shaq basically knew that KOBE would potentially threaten his position as the leader of the Lakers. Shaq couldn't deal with it. Period. It wasn't Kobe because if it was, Shaq would still be here. And when O'Neal screamed at Buss to pay him, the final string was drawn. It is my hunch that Shaq took his final year with the Lakers for granted and that's why he didn't get in shape.

All the while, Kobe played within the confines of the system and held back in order for the team to be ultra successful while still being able to take over games when the situation called for it.

Yes, Kobe had his share of moments when he tried to do too much by himself during certain stretches of games. But he was also in his early twenties and he still had a lot to learn about the nuances of the game.

Nevertheless, he played his cards right. If he didn't, I guarantee the Lakers don't win three titles.

Fast forward to the present day...

Kobe bashes Bynum and since then the team has responded and is now first place in the WESTERN CONFERENCE.

The Lakers have defeated Phoenix twice, Utah twice, Denver twice, Detroit, San Antonio, Houston, New Orleans, and Golden State.

The team is responding to Bryant's leadership and tonight's OT win against Seattle was another perfect display of how far Bryant has come along.

Did you see all his teammates give him a hug after the game? Did you see how his teammates supported Bryant by playing hard the entire game, after seeing the total effort Bryant gave to his team the previous two games while being sick?

Like many people say, only time will tell. But I'll bet my BMW that Kobe has indeed evolved and does trust his troops. He'll go to battle with them and die for them, because he's already done so.

And Mr. Kahn... if Kobe, who has three rings, is not a championship caliber leader, then why don't you tell me who is.