10 years is such a short span of time compared to eternity.

But over the past decade, the world of NBA basketball has gotten more than its fair share of glory from what was once a new generation of players who are now emerging as future hall-of-famers.

And the purple and gold #24 jersey tops that list hands down.

About a little over a decade ago, the son of Joe “Jelly Bean” Bryant had yet to prove himself… He sure was an up-and-coming player, who not only knew how to play, but also entertain and take the lead. performance art to another level. Fans dubbed him “the next Michael Jordan” likely in a way to rekindle the passion for basketball from the Jordan years. Of course, he wasn’t the only one to receive that catchphrase during his time.

But as one legendary critic put it, “the ring is the thing.” And KB 24 back then was a far cry from “His Airness” who sported 6 championship rings with the Chicago Bulls.

It was an uphill battle for Kobe, but he took on the challenge head-on.

10 years later, time, effort and, if we call it destiny, they had given their best.

After playing three times with the Los Angeles Lakers (2000-02), associating with some of the best in the league, including undeniably Shaquille O’Neal, Kobe found himself in a period of transition that involved controversy, heartbreak and frustration. The youngest player on the Lakers team, over time, he became the leader of the team, one that seemed to be going anywhere but another championship run.

Kobe wanted out at one point, but managed to hold on to a thin thread of hope. Playing through lackluster season records and swallowing losing playoff games, he refused to let his dream die. And great things happen to those who wait.

The Lakers organically grew their team into a strong, solid lineup, which eventually took them back to the NBA Finals in 2008. Although they were then beaten by their arch-rivals of yesteryear (Boston Celtics), they took it further. as a challenge, and as a result, 2009 turned out to be its own storybook ending, with Kobe snagging his first Finals MVP.

If his first championship was memorable, his fourth was very dramatic.

This season, it doesn’t look like he’s about to throw in the towel… at least, not yet.

Bryant was selected to his 12th All-Star Game this February and along with that, just a month ago, he managed to reach the milestone of 25,000 career points (in Cleveland), becoming the youngest to reach that mark.

He has hit 4 game-winning shots in the last 3 months and 15 total since the 2002-03 season, a feat unmatched in NBA history.

The Lakers currently have the second-best record overall, with their best player battling hand injuries and back spasms. They’re all normal signs of the times, and could probably be an indication of the upcoming “Black Mamba” curtain call. If that’s the case, then the last decade would certainly be the decade of him…’ He didn’t say anything.

But again, in reference to Kobe Bryant: as time has told the story before, only time will tell it once more.