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At 34 years old, Kobe Bryant remains the world’s top scorer. A day after becoming the fifth player in NBA history to score 30,000 points, Bryant is leading the pack in 2012. In fact, Bryant is outpacing Kevin Durant, Carmelo Anthony, and LeBron James—and he’s doing it easily. Today, the top scorers in the NBA are:

1. Kobe Bryant: 28.0
2. Kevin Durant: 26.5
3. Carmelo Anthony: 26.4
4. LeBron James: 24.8
5. James Harden: 23.6

Yes, Bryant is older and less explosive. But, his game is changing. He is picking his spots more effectively and he is taking higher percentage shots. Now, he’s leading the league in scoring while shooting a career best from the field. Over the years, ESPN attempted to reshape his brand, telling viewers that his game was slipping and he was falling behind his peers. But, look at the numbers. Watch the games. What do you see?

At 34, Kobe isn’t falling behind the younger guys. Kobe is evolving.

Today, Kobe is tailoring his game, using superior footwork—and quite simply—outplaying his peers. Last year, he was the league’s second leading scorer. This year, Kobe is firmly in the lead. Yes, it’s a long season and anything can happen. But, he’s in control while he looks at the daunting task of slaying the biggest giants of the game.

As one of the greatest players in NBA history, Kobe doesn’t compare himself to his contemporaries. Instead, he battles with the legacies of Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, and Wilt Chamberlain. As his legacy continues to grow, he marches down a golden path, passing NBA greats along the way, letting the world know he’s worthy of a bronze statue in front of the Staples Center.

As Kobe gets closer to another scoring title this season, it’s important to note that the there’s only player to ever lead the league in scoring at the age of 34—Michael Jordan.

Durant and LeBron are clearly superstars in this league today. But, Kobe is more than a superstar—he is a legend. A legend with a golden legacy that’s growing with every game—even at the age of 34.

Here’s a video of some NBA talent telling it like it is. Who would win in a 1 on 1 game? Kobe Bryant or Lebron James?

I have been hearing a lot of chatter from the media about how the Lakers plan to amnesty Metta World Peace’s contract. He’s set to make $7.3 million this season and has a player option next year for $7.7 million. To me this seems more than fair a price for a player that is still arguably the best perimeter defender in the league and can also score when called upon. It was clear Artest still had game once he healed from injury late in the season last year. He was spry, quick, athletic, and confident again. It was great to see, and during the playoffs Metta was the only one to show up game after game other than Kobe.

Ron plays with heart, grit, determination, and loves the challenge of taking on the world’s best scorers. If the Lakers are truly trying to win a championship they will have to go through OKC and Miami, and there is no one better at defending Durant and LeBron than Mr. Ron Artest. So I plead to the Lakers front office, do not trade or amnesty Metta World Peace. The starting lineup with newly added Steve Nash desperately needs Ron’s defense and toughness. If moved he will be sorely missed.

As the Miami Heat handed the Lakers a burning defeat at the scorching hands of LeBron James last night, the team is still on the hot burner—to make a significant trade that propels them into contention. As the Lakers get ready to tip off against the Orlando Magic tonight, let’s hope that the team brought one of its most valuable assets to the Magic Kingdom. That’s right. Let’s hope Mitch Kupchack is traveling with the team and planning to schmooze up a storm with Otis Smith—and work a little magic to set the foundation for a blockbuster trade right after the All Star game. With D-Howard in the mix, the Lakers might find the winds of contention blowing quite favorably.

As a showdown between the league’s top two scorers looms, LeBron suddenly comes down with a cold and leaves practice due to “flulike symptoms.” The flu is no joke. But, remember this: Kobe and MJ both played with the flu—and played well. Kobe, meanwhile, is far from healthy—playing with a torn ligament in his shooting hand (and he’s taking injections before every game to deal with the pain). This is nothing new for Kobe. Last year, he played with a litany of injuries, including a surgically repaired knee without taking a game off. Is LeBron ducking his showdown against Kobe in the absence of super friend Dwayne Wade? As tonight’s game gets closer, we’ll get a glimpse to see if LeBron shows up or stays home to deal with a serious bout of Kobeitis.

As the 2011-12 season takes shape, it’s time to rank the best basketball players in the world. During the lockout, ESPN came up with a pseudo list to categorize the top players in the game. The problem? It was inaccurate. Why? It had little to do with basketball and more to do about nostalgia (Duncan and Nash), personal vendettas (Kobe and Melo), and hyping personal favorites (D-Wade and LeBron). Naturally, any list is likely to stir debate; however, the ESPN list was designed to reshape how the public views certain players—instead of actually ranking  players based on ability. To take a different approach, we constructed a list based on a player’s current ability along with a variety of intangible qualities that are difficult to quantify (such as a player’s ability to take over a game, convert field goals with a high degree of difficulty on a regular basis, etc.). So, let’s take a look at the league’s top 20 players in 2012:

20. Rudy Gay: A rising star on a rising team. With an $85 million contract, the Grizzlies are banking on him to climb higher in the rankings—and move his team deeper into the playoffs.

19. LaMarcus Aldridge: At 22.7 points a game Aldridge is blazing a trail of progress that keeps his stock rising in the Beaver State.

18. Andrew Bynum: Early in his career, Bynum was given a chance to start and went 8-8 from the floor against the New York Knicks. At that point, it was clear that Bynum had the tools to develop into a high level player. The problem? Phil Jackson decided to start Kwame Brown ahead of the young center until he was shipped out for Gasol. Today, Bynum is the second best center in the league—and he’s only getting better.

17: Monta Ellis: As the game’s third best shooting guard, it’s only fitting that Ellis breaks the top 20. After all, he averaged 24.1 points per game last year and is league’s seventh best scorer early into the 2012 season.

16. Rajon Rondo: Rondo controls tempo of the game and drops the rock in the right spot to an aging group of stars to keep the Celtics on the periphery of contention. If he ever gets a jumper, he might hurdle over a couple of the players ahead of him.

15. Chris Bosh: Although he’s not the best player on the Miami Heat roster, this 2008 US Olympic champion averaged 24.0 points per game in the year before he took his talents to South Beach. Now, he’s the second leading scorer on the team with 20.o points per game on 51% shooting.

14. Russel Westbrook: Westbrook is taking big strides in becoming a top tier player. If he continues to improve, look for him to join three other point guards to represent the United States at the 2012 Olympic games in London.

13. Amare Stoudomire: Amare is a beast—and among the most underrated players in the game. With the evolution of Kevin Love’s game and the meteoric rise of Blake Griffin, however, one must wonder if Amare can crack the top 10 again.

12. Kevin Love: A rebounding machine becomes a lethal scorer and three-point threat? Question Kevin Love all you want, but 25.6 points a game and 14.3 points per game indicate he’s evolving into a legit superstar. As Ricky Rubio becomes more acclimated to the NBA game, get ready to watch these two become a dynamic tandem that propels the T-Wolves into the playoffs—someday.

11. Blake Griffin: There’s no limit to how high this guy can fly. Teamed with CP3, watch for the Clippers to take flight as Griffin continues to leap out of the building—and right into the postseason.

10. Derron Williams: D-Will is a franchise player looking to join another franchise player to get a ring. Will he get help from D-Howard or will head West to join the Black Mamba?

9. Dirk Nowitzki: The best shooting seven-footer in NBA history certainly cracks the top 10. After taking two months off and coming in slightly out of shape, however, he showed everyone how he lacks one of those intangibles qualities that keeps him from becoming a truly elite players. In other words, Kobe and LeBron hit the weight room over the summer while Dirk decided it was too taxing to prepare for the 2012 season. Did anyone spot Dirk and Pau kickin’ it on the beach in the Basque Coast during the lockout?

8. Carmelo Anthony: Who needs defense when you can score like Melo? Silky smooth on the offensive end and one of the game’s top three closers, Melo is clearly one of the game’s elite players.

7. Dwayne Wade: A top five player until D-Rose blossomed into a superstar and CP3 reminded everyone that he’s game’s best point guard. Nonetheless, D-Wade remains among the game’s top tier players—and is in a good position to lead the Miami Heat to the finals in 2012.

6. Chris Paul: With incredible court vision and blistering speed, there’s no one better at managing a game and getting easy baskets for his teammates. Now, he’s surrounded with real talent. As a result, watch CP3 move into the MVP conversation as the season moves forward.

5. Dwight Howard: There is no greater degree of separation among players at a particular position. The three-time defensive player of the year and perrennial MVP candidate makes the Magic a force in East—until his inevitable move to the Westside creates a seismic shift in the NBA landscape.

4. Derrick Rose: The reigning MVP is simply one of the best in the game. Like Kobe, D-Rose is one of the few players in the league whom is able to put a team on his back down the stretch and score from nearly anywhere on the floor—and he’s only 23 years old.

3. Kevin Durant: Durant’s game is quickly closing the gap on the two players ahead of him. Although the ESPN ranking failed to place him in the top five, the reality is that the reigning scoring champ might become the league’s most valuable by the end of the season.

2. LeBron James: LeBron is clearly the most athletic player in the NBA; however, there’s a difference from being the best athlete in the NBA and best basketball player in the world. Like Durant, LeBron is in a rare position to make it to the top of the list within a year after putting in off-season work to improve his game—and after watching his quick start to the season—the gap is smaller than ever. Now, he just needs to learn how to close games and win on the big stage.

1. Kobe Bryant: Last year, Kobe led the league in scoring per 48 minutes—despite coming off knee surgery and playing through a litney of nagging injuries. In 2012, Kobe still maintains superior footwork, better range, and a deeper of understanding of how to evolve his game than his contemporaries. In short, the NBA’s greatest assassin is the greatest all-around player in 2012. At 33-years old and a torn ligament in his shooting hand, Kobe Bryant is leading the league in scoring at 30.8 points per game, pacing the Lakers for first place in the Pacific Division

Team USA unveiled its pool of players under consideration for the 2012 Olympic games—and it looks like the gold standard is making a comeback. With Blake Griffin, Chris Paul, and Kobe Bryant, the city of Los Angles has three players whom are likely to make the final team of 12. Here’s a list of the 20 players in the mix.

• Kobe Bryant
• LeBron James
• Kevin Durant
• Dwight Howard
• Derrick Rose
• Chris Paul
• Carmelo Anthony
• Deron Williams
• Russell Westbrook
• Blake Griffin
• Chris Bosh
• Kevin Love
• LaMarcus Aldridge
• Eric Gordon
• Rudy Gay
• Lamar Odom
• Andrew Iguodala
• Dwyane Wade
• Tyson Chandler
• Chauncey Billups

With Kobe Bryant teaming with Dwight Howard and LeBron James for a second time to compete for the gold, it’s clear that Team USA will have the Midas Touch in London this summer.

Pretty amusing…

The Loss of the Rings

As much as it stings to watch another team hoist the trophy it became clear the Lakers didn’t have what it takes this year with the blitzkrieg the Nowitzki lead Mavericks put on display in round 2. Dallas continued their hot shooting and superior game plan onto the Conference Finals against OKC and again in the Finals against Miami’s super team. The Mavericks were the best team this year and deserved to win the championship. Perhaps the best part of the Dallas victory is that we don’t have to hear how LeBron is better than Kobe and Jordan all summer long…thank you Dirk.

The new era of Mike Brown

Reports are coming in that former Cleveland Cavaliers coach Mike Brown will replace Phil Jackson as the new coach of the Los Angeles Lakers. The deal is reportedly for three years with a fourth year team option worth $18.5 million. Mike Brown was coach of the year in 2009 and took the LeBron James lead Cavs to the finals in 2007 where they lost to the Spurs.

Mike Brown has already coached Shannon Brown in Cleveland and also Ron Artest as an assistant coach in Indiana. Lakers executives were reportedly impressed with Brown’s defensive mindset as the Lakers look to put the Phil Jackson regime behind them with a fresh outlook from a new coach.

The following statement has been issued by the Lakers:

“In response to rampant speculation and reports about our head coaching position and Mike Brown, we’ve met with Mike and are very impressed with him. In addition, we have an outline for an agreement in place and hope to sign a contract within the next few days.”