Poor Management Destroys Greatness

I haven't written or a few weeks...not for a lack of trying, but because inspiration hasn't struck me and I don't believe in writing just for the sake of writing. Last night, inspiration struck, though under the circumstances, I wish it hadn't.

Most of you have probably heard by now that Kobe Bryant was injured last night and it is believed that he tore his Achilles' tendon. This, unfortunately, is a season ending injury (hopefully not a career needing injury) for one of the greatest players to ever play the game of basketball.

If you follow basketball, then you know the Lakers have had a very difficult season and are struggling just to make the playoffs. This is not typical of this team and it is especially not typical for a team that has four potential Hall of Famers (Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash, Dwight Howard, and Pau Gasol). It is downright shocking that they have struggled as much as they have and I can only blame one person...Mike D'Antoni. Without getting into the mechanics of basketball, he's been an awful coach, who seems to know absolutely nothing about defense. He has run this great team into the ground and he has run its greatest player into the ground, because he let Kobe play just about all 48 minutes of the last several games in a desperate attempt to make the playoffs.

If you're wondering where I'm going with this...here it is. Kobe Bryant and the Laker are the United States of America and its people. Mike D'Antoni is Obama. I know it's a stretch, but it's how I see it. Kobe struggled and sacrificed only to endure a devastating injury doing a basic move he's done thousands of times, because he was fatigued from being overworked. Hard working Americans struggle and sacrifice only to have our efforts stifled by a government that seeks to penalize (tax) success and greatness. D'Antoni is probably a good coach and a decent guy, but he just doesn't know how to coach this caliber of a team. Barack Obama is a smart guy and probably well-intentioned, but he just can't lead a nation of this caliber. The lakers had an opportunity to rehire Phil Jackson last Fall. They didn't. The American people had the opportunity to rehire the Republican Party last Fall. They didn't. I doubt the Lakers will ever make a mistake like this again and I hope the American people won't either.

Thanks for listening,
The Urban Republican


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