I am a HUGE geek

Forget Hayden Christiansen: Kobe Bryant is the real-life Anakin Skywalker.

One of the biggest complaints leveled against the new Star Wars trilogy is how it undermined everyone’s childhood heroes. The most egregious example is that Darth Vader, one of the baddest villains in cinematic history, apparently got his start as a preening pretty boy.

It’s not really as shocking as it appears at first glance. In the original movies, Vader’s son was the biggest geek of them all (“But I was gonna go to the Tosche Station to pick up some power converters”), proving whining is a trait passed on genetically. When Luke struggles to live up to his familial destiny, he’s merely following in the footsteps of his father, who could barely hack it throughout the prequels. In the first trilogy, despite his enormous power, Vader, like everyone else in the universe, ultimately takes his orders from old white guys.

While, ultimately, it’s a tale of redemption, the saga told in the Star Wars movies also shows how Anakin’s selfishness derailed his life and kept him from his real potential.

And when I think of careers marred by selfish actions, I think of Kobe Bryant, who could have been one of the best basketball players and most beloved sports figures in American history.

We like our heroes with extra helpings of defiance. Kobe was the one player who joined the NBA straight out of high school and never blinked. He embraced the mantle of being the next Michael Jordan and seemed ready, willing, and eager to surpass His Airness.

But the backlash kicked in almost as quickly. After all, his hype has always preceded his highlights. When he made his first All-Star Game, in ’98, Kobe wasn’t even starting for the Lakers. How could that be right?

When the Lakers were winning championships, he still wasn’t playing on the level he was given credit for. Shaq and a mature supporting cast covered for most of Kobe’s deficiencies, like average-at-best defense and poor shot selection. If anything, he was turning into the classic case of an athlete who was given too much too soon.

While his off-court debacles are well-documented, the zenith of Kobe’s war against team basketball came in the 2004 NBA Finals against the Detroit Pistons, when his selfish gunning-and simultaneous Shaq avoidance-killed the Lakers’ hopes for a fourth title in five seasons.

Yet as Kobe’s play has finally begun to match his massive potential, public opinion may be swinging back the other way. An article in the most recent issue of Sports Illustrated examines him pretty fairly and shows that while he’s still widely despised, his popularity might be on the rise. And in recent weeks, he’s received serious backing for this year’s Most Valuable Player award.

Kobe’s continued to make progress on the court, just as he’s done steadily his whole career. Most notably, he had games this year of 62 and 81 (!) points. Some criticized his assist totals in those games, which is absurd. I don’t care if you had no boards, zero assists, gave up fifty to the guy you guarded and turned the ball over eight times¬-if you scored 81, you had a great game.

For the year, Kobe’s averaged more than 35 points per game and will win the scoring title. He still shoots way too many threes and a little too much in general, but he’s the most dangerous scorer the NBA has seen in years. With Tim Duncan hobbling and Shaq aging, he’s the one player this year who could win a playoff series single-handedly. Darth Vader had his high points, too.

When it comes to Kobe, with everything he’s achieved, the question will always be: what could he have accomplished being a little more patient and a little less self-centered? Couldn’t he have won more than Jordan’s six rings? Didn’t he have enough talent to put Magic and Bird to shame? And couldn’t he have taken Jordan’s place as a global superstar?

Will Kobe complete his character comeback and find redemption in his career? Maybe. But to me, his story will always be a sad one.