People are ready to anoint LeBron James the best player in the NBA but the crown remains on the head of Kobe Bryant. His 2010 statistics are comparable to James’ so there’s an argument there. It’s becomes no contest when you look at their mentalities. Kobe approaches the basketball court like a battlefield. LeBron uses it as a dance floor.

Bryant recently gave kids and parents at his basketball camp some insight as to how he approaches the game and life. The campers were allowed to submit questions for Kobe to answer and one of the kids asked how the Black Mamba became Kobe’s nickname. Bryant’s answer reaches a place that LeBron James will never, ever reach.

“I won’t encourage you to be like me. I’m a thrill-seeker. So I love sharks. I love Black Mambas. I love King Cobras. I love stuff that can really kind of do you bodily harm.”

That’s a cold statement. LeBron isn’t wired that way, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but when vying for the title of “Best Player in the League” you need that Great White/Black Mamba/King Cobra mindset. James can continue to be the regular-season, statistical MVP candidate year in and year out. If he wants to be one of the league’s greatest players and competitors he needs to add some predator to his personality.

One of the many things I’ve learned watching sports over the years is that some star athletes just can’t get enough of the spotlight, leading to all kinds of branching out. Some choose to form management companies or clothing lines. That’s cool and all but it’s usually not that interesting.

The real fun starts when these talented sports figures try their luck at music. Based on what we’ve seen and heard through the years, there’s a reason why they have their day jobs. The latest guy to make headlines for his music is Los Angeles Lakers starter and NBA Champion Ron Artest. Ron-Ron is no newcomer to rapping and his hometown of Queensbridge, New York has been the birthplace of many rap superstars (Nas, Mobb Deep, ).

His latest song has been his most famous though, especially since he plugged it during the live postgame speech after game 7 of the NBA Finals. It immediately became a hop topic online and by the next day he released the song – appropriately called “Champions” – and it was a viral hit. Trey Kerby over at Yahoo’s Ball Don’t Lie called it the “best athlete rap song of all-time in the non-unintentional comedy division.”

After more than a few listens it’s hard to say it isn’t a good song. Artest covers all bases, using several examples of sports superiority throughout the lyrics and it’s actually missing most of the antics that earned him the nickname “Crazy Pills” among fans. It’s certainly better than his puzzling tribute to the late Michael Jackson.

Since it’s brought up the topic of rapper/athletes again, we thought we’d line up a few of the most well-known examples and let you decide. If you want to know what some of the NBA guys think, you can catch Artest’s list here or watch Amare Stoudemire and Brandon Roy break down their picks. Whether you think they are good, unintentionally funny, campy cult classics or just plain awful, enjoy.

The Good/Decent:

The Bad (yet still memorable):

The Ugly:

It seems like a recipe for some success on the mic involves the right mix of charisma (Shaq), originality (Da Bears), and a bit of craziness (Artest). It’s a delicate balance though, as we can see with overdoing the cheesiness (Deion, the Dolphins and Eagles) or just lacking any flow (Barkley was turrible). If the rumors about Delonte West and LeBron’s mom are true, I doubt he won her over with his rap lyrics. Iverson went a bit too overboard with the homophobia (safe to say John Amaechi wasn’t waiting in line to buy his CD) and Kobe just S.U.C.K.E.D.

Whether they end up being ridiculed or accepted for trying to cross over, it’s unlikely we’ll see a decrease in rapping athletes anytime soon, especially when looking at the long list of those who hit the booth.

- Will.

Will R. is a journalist/writer who covers sports, news and music for several websites. His music work can be found on www.WestCoastRydaz.com

Referees in the NBA seem destined to forever be a hot topic, especially among the fans of whichever team loses, so today I’m tackling the officiating so far in the NBA Finals.

The Tim Donaghy scandal and the recent parade of knee-jerk “the refs made sure we didn’t win” reaction losing teams and their fans employ have almost irrevocably blurred the line between legitimate gripes with officiating and just plain old whining.

There’s a big difference between the two and it’s no surprise that most of the improper criticizing of officials comes from bandwagon fans. The problem has become even more glaring with this year’s Finals, a hotly contested, physical battle between two teams that genuinely dislike each other.

Whether you highlight Kobe’s angry physical antics when losing (does anyone hysterically throw their arms up more during games?) or the venom exchanged between the two fanbases during the historic rivalry, enraged fans have been looking for the easiest excuse when their team loses.

You know, other than “the other team just played better.”

Kobe is among the leaders in complaining to referees.

Blaming the refs has fit that mold perfectly, although it’s a big joke coming from Lakers fans. I have very little doubt that crooked or impartial refs, gambling and the almighty dollar in general are possibly influencing how games are called in some form. If you honestly believe a money-making organization as big as the NBA is 100 percent clean then you’re a fool. But to listen to fans of the very franchise that has arguably benefited most (and in the most egregious ways) from questionable calls since the Shaq era in Los Angeles until now complain is absolutely ridiculous.

The officiating during the infamous 2002 Western Finals between LA and the Sacramento Kings was a downright travesty. The epic game 7 collapse by the 2000 Portland Trailblazers has also been redefined to exclude a sizeable free throw disparity (37-16) and awful calls. Derek Fisher has gotten more flops called his way than anyone since Vlade Divac. And I won’t even talk about how Shaq used to get away with camping in the lane and offensive fouls during the three-peat. It’s no coincidence that despite playing the same way since then he’s lost the benefit of his Lakers pass and gotten more whistles.

That brings us to this year. The Boston Celtics currently hold a 3-2 advantage in this year’s finals and are one win away from their NBA record 18th championship banner.

Every single game Boston has won was followed by Lakers fans complaining that the refs “screwed” them and favored Boston. Aside from the first two games, which were universally bashed as foul-fests created by whistle-happy refs, the last three games have been called pretty evenly. Both teams had some bad calls go against them, but it’s been mostly neutral. If there appeared to be any type of advantage at all, it’s actually for the Lakers.

This is why the anti-ref rants of LA fans seem even more hollow and hypocritical.

Of the five games played so far, the Lakers have shot 22 more total free throws (144-122) and have twice shot 10 or more in a game than Boston. So to suggest that the referees are giving the Celtics an advantage at the line is just a lie.

Well then they call more fouls on LA right? No.

Let’s look at the numbers; 127 total fouls called against Boston, 121 against Los Angeles. Combine that with the fact that the Lakers drive to the basket considerably less than Boston (LA has shot 18 more 3-pointers so far despite having six fewer total attempts) and at least 10 late-game intentional fouls LA has committed and you see just how many breaks they’ve really gotten.

Scientific diagram depicting the logic behind Lakers fans complaining about officiating.

The bottom line for the last two games has been that Boston has just wanted it more and played harder as a team, something LA has failed to do. The refs have done a decent job of not being the focus of each game and “let the players play.”

So quit the whining Lakers fans, because complaining about NBA officiating while supporting a franchise with such a checkered history on the issue just looks pathetic. Nobody believes your empty cries, especially not when guys like Mike Bibby, Jameer Nelson, Dikembe Mutombo, and countless others look back at all the uncalled elbows and phantom fouls.

LA is the major market team with the top-selling star and all the Hollywood glitz, so I won’t be surprised if this series goes seven games or if they once again benefit from some home cooking to get a ring. This is entertainment and deep pockets and all that shine go a long way.

Just don’t be too shocked if every so often someone without all that glamour exposes your carefree entitlement and punches you in your mouth and takes what you want.

Do like your hero Kobe says and man up or get out.

- Will.

The Sports Snob will be published once a week here on YouBeenBlinded.com. Will R. is a journalist/writer who covers sports, news and music for several websites. His music work can be found on www.WestCoastRydaz.com

Kobe Bryant hit six game-winning shots during the regular season but his two missed game winners in the playoffs have been more important. The first was a Game 6 miss against the Oklahoma City Thunder that Pau Gasol rebounded and put back with .5 on the clock to give the Lakers the series win. The second gave birth to Ron-Ron’s game winner against the Suns.

Kobe’s late-game performances have some, including Bryant and Vitaminwater, calling him The Closer. Or Kloser. Either way the Kobe haters will say you can’t spell C/Kloser without “loser.” The Kobe Krazies will stick out their thumbs.

Welcome to The Sports Snob, a column that gives commentary on the sports world with an elitist slant that can only come from ravenously watching it your whole life. Be warned, this isn’t a place for fair-weather or ignorant sports followers, unless they want to convert over to the real fan side.

For the introductory post I want to talk about Los Angeles Lakers fans or as many of them deserved to be called – homers, frontrunners, bandwagoners, groupies, etc.

Before any legitimate Lakers followers get all upset, relax. If you’re not a groupie this isn’t directed at you.

This is aimed as the illogical, vastly uninformed group of part-time fans who incessantly inject themselves into basketball talk during the playoffs proclaiming nonsense like “OMG we won a game, we’re the best ever!” in between rushing to buy “trendy” car flags.

I’ve also got my bulls-eye set on the comical cult of Kobe Bryant members that think he’s better than Magic Johnson or Michael Jordan. It’s hard to tell whether they actually support the organization itself or if they think Kobe came down from the heavens and created the Lakers in 1996.

As a lifelong NBA fan that religiously follows the season from the pre-season until the final buzzer of the championship, I hate reading and hearing these people. It’s a disgusting stew of vomit-inducing hyperbole mixed with an utter lack of knowledge about historical context.

For instance, take the tired storyline asking if Kobe is the greatest Laker or even worst, greatest player ever. The subject has elicited responses from legends like Jerry West to hacks like Rick Reilly.

Look, Kobe is definitely one of the top 10 NBA players ever and he’s top five in Lakers history. But people need to relax with all this nonsense about him being the best Laker when his resume still doesn’t stack up to Magic and has glaring, undeniable blemishes. With a franchise as historic as the Lakers, it’s about a lot more than just titles.

Kobe and the Lakers blew a double-digit homecourt lead in the NBA Finals, leading to his 2nd straight Finals loss.(Getty Images/ESPN.com)

Kobe revisionists are going to hate this, but oh well. In the prime of his career Kobe not only failed to carry teams to titles but openly displayed a selfishness and ego that cost him and his team playoffs wins and rings.

Like the 2004 season where he denied Phil Jackson, Shaquille O’Neal, Karl Malone and Gary Payton some hardware after he got tired of being Robin to Shaq’s Batman and flushed their title hopes away with his 38 percent shooting and 23 shots per game. After that series Phil Jackson famously called Kobe “uncoachable” and Shaq was traded.

That led to missing the playoffs with a losing record and then losing two straight series, including a historical choke against the Phoenix Suns where he blew a 3-1 series lead and gave up in the crucial game seven.

When did you ever see Jordan or Magic just flat out quit? In Kobe’s world it’s all about him, and if it doesn’t serve his interests he’ll cut and run, teammates or fans be damned.

Kobe lost a 3-1 lead and was eliminated against the Phoenix Suns in 2006. He infamously took only 3 shots in the 2nd half of the crucial game 7 loss.(Getty Images/YouBeenBlinded Illustration)

Then there was yet another first round exit leading to Mr.Laker demanding a trade, publicly berating Andrew Bynum and team management. If it weren’t for Chris Wallace and Jerry West giving away Pau Gasol, Kobe’s true colors would still be showing.

And as much as his fans try to use statistics as an argument, even those don’t match up to the sheer greatness of the two M.J’s.

Magic Johnson won five NBA championships, three regular season MVPs, an Olympic gold medal, NCAA title and three NBA Finals MVP trophies, including one his rookie year.

Jordan collected six NBA championships, five regular season MVPs, an Olympic gold medal, NCAA title, six NBA Finals MVP trophies, 10 scoring titles, has the highest career scoring average, rookie of the year and defensive player of the year.

Kobe has four championships, one regular season and one Finals MVP, an Olympic gold medal and two scoring titles.

Kobe apologists love to pretend all of the above never occurred, but it did.

It also amazes me when I see these fans badmouth Magic every time he criticizes the team. The fact that random nobodies sitting at home think they have more of a right to speak on the Lakers than Magic freaking Johnson says a lot about how dumb they really are.

Can this team win a championship? Obviously yes, and they probably will. But there’s more to a franchise as storied as the Lakers than simply just stacking rings. There’s the honor, legacies and stories of how those rings were won. The rings alone are nothing without the battles fought to earn them, and nobody knows that better than a guy like Magic.

Kobe recently said he “wasn’t a fan of Jordan.” Really? We don’t believe you, you need more people. Word to Jay-Z.(Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE/Getty Images)

There used to be a time when only Kobe believed the nonsense he crafts about him being a great teammate and leader, about being a victim in the rape case and about being anywhere near Jordan when it comes to a winning pedigree or accomplishments. These days, thanks to moronic fans, he had the audacity to get on ABC during halftime of the Finals and say he wasn’t really a Jordan fan.

Coming from a guy who clearly idolized Jordan and has desperately mimicked him, it was incredibly unbelievable. The sad part is his fans actually tried to rationalize it as true.

It’s no shock though, because they are Laker fans. The same people who get excited about free $1 tacos during the NBA Finals or actually say stuff like this on Twitter after a pedestrian dunk from Kobe in game one;

“Omfggggg did y’all see that alleeey ooop kobe officailly gots my respect best player in the nba.” (Actual tweet)

There’s a reason why 98 percent of the people who say he’s the best are Lakers fans from this generation. Some of them might even be reading this and agree with that tweet or laugh at all this extra stuff about how rings are won. In their minds the only thing that counts is the number of rings and whether they win this year.

All I can say is, I’m not surprised.

It just helps prove why I’m a better sports fan than them.

- Will.

The Sports Snob will be published once a week here on YouBeenBlinded.com. Will R. is a journalist/writer who covers sports, news and music for several websites. His music work can be found on www.WestCoastRydaz.com

World Cup Soccer picks

Kobe Bryant wants his fifth championship worse than Lil Dez wants to know what’s up with those Delonte West rumors. The fifth ring puts him one ahead of Shaq and Tim Duncan, even with Magic, and one behind MJ. Now that finish line is in sight nothing and nobody is going to get in the Mamba’s way. Even Chris Rock. The comedian tried to chop it up with Kobe during a break in the Game 1 action and was met by a stone-faced Bryant.

The toughest audience Chris Rock has ever faced.

This Cody Harris Twitpic remix explains why Kobe didn’t feel like talking:

Kobe Bryant sat out the 2010 NBA All-Star game due to a sore left ankle and to pick up some much needed rest. He was still able to attract the attention of the fans, a little too much attention in the case of one woman. Craig Sager asked Kobe what the heckler said before being removed from her seat by security, but Kobe said he didn’t hear her. Thankfully Sager did and filled everybody in.

The dryness of Kobe’s “she must not have Sportscenter” killed me. And that woman’s nuts for paying $8,000 for NBA tickets. All she had to do was shake her ass for Terrell Owens and Ludacris.

The Los Angeles Lakers and Kobe Bryant overcame a six-point deficit with less than a minute and a half remaining in overtime to escape Milwaukee with a 107-106 victory. KB24 had 39 points including the game-winner in overtime. It might not be pretty but the Lakers aren’t losing when Kobe’s in Mamba mode and Pau Gasol’s going 20-20.

Still the baddest man in the game.

Kobe Bryant and Dwyane Wade matched each other shot for shot and move for move Friday night at the Staples Center. Wade’s Heat lead 107-105 with 3.2 seconds left in the game but the Lakers were taking the ball out of bounds and everybody in the world knew it was going to Kobe Bryant. But nobody expected the game-winner to be running bank-shot three-pointer.

That’s a heartbreaker for the Heat and business as usual for Kobe Bryant. He finished the game with 33 points to Wade’s 26 and showed he’s still the best player in the league.

Kanye West reached legendary status Sunday night when he interrupted Taylor Swift’s VMA acceptance speech. He officially became the biggest jackass of this generation, this decade, and his interruption has given YouTubers plenty of material.

Kanye has busted in on President Obama, swine flu news, and now he’s giving the Keyboard Cat treatment to Kobe Bryant.

The respect I gained for Kanye West when he said “George Bush doesn’t care about black people” took a hit Sunday night. Kanye interrupting Taylor Swift is the reverse of what that moron Joe Wilson did during Obama’s speech. Wilson wouldn’t have shouted out at a white president and Kanye wouldn’t have, well.. Kanye’s an asshole. He probably would’ve done that to anybody.