Kobe "The Black Mamba" Bryant Making That Doe!

Many NBA fans feel that LeBron James is the top player in the NBA thanks to back-to-back regular season MVP trophies and the constant hype surrounding his July 1 free agency. Yet James' Cavs were bounced in the second round of the playoffs and for the second straight year the man holding the playoff MVP and Championship trophies in June is Kobe Bryant. Despite the LeBron buzz Kobe is still the biggest star in the NBA and his on-court accolades are nearing Jordanesque levels: 5-time champion, 12-time All-Star, 8-time All-NBA, 8-time All-Defensive team and 25,790 points and counting (12th all-time). Bryant has likely surpassed Magic Johnson as the greatest Laker of all-time, blasphemous as that may seem.

Kobe is also the king of the NBA off-the-court. He earned $48 million over the past 12-months, the most in the NBA. He supplemented his $23 million Lakers' salary with $25 million from endorsements from the likes of Nike, Panini (trading cards), VitaminWater and several deals in China. Bryant's income is heading up also as he recently signed a three-year extension with the Lakers for $83.5 million. Bryant will be the first NBA player to earn more than $30 million in a season since Michael Jordan during the 1997-98 season. Bryant might be the most popular athlete in China thanks to the huge popularity of basketball in China and the fact that he lead the U.S. to the gold medal during the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. His jersey is the NBA's best seller in Europe, Asia and the U.S.

LeBron James and his search for a new team will consume NBA fans in July. It is in June though when the all-time greats rise to the occasion and once again the player rising above all others was Kobe Bryant.