Half-Man, Half-Machine

Following a tumultuous three year stretch that saw the Los Angeles Lakers fail to advance out of the first round of the NBA playoffs, Kobe Bryant answered his critics with an MVP award and three Finals appearances since 2008. He has matured as a basketball player and (somewhat) repressed his pathological tendencies for the greater good of teamwork and chemistry. He has won two titles without Shaquille O'Neal and, perhaps even more impressively, with Luke Walton. But has Kobe really proven his mettle? The 350-pound monkey may be off his back but Kobe's greatest challenge still awaits. Can he win a title without Sasha Vujacic?

"He's not a man- he's a machine. A Terminator. A Cyberdyne Systems Model 101." -Kyle Reese in The Terminator