LOS ANGELES — I thought it rather noteworthy that Adam Maya got the answer “Kobe Bryant” from LaDainian Tomlinson when the question was: “Who’s the best athlete out there right now in any sport?”
I mentioned the topic to Lamar Odom just now in the Lakers’ locker room and asked him who he thought L.T. would say was his answer. L.O. said: “LeBron James.”
I said, “No, but it was a basketball player.” Odom then immediately pegged it as Bryant.
That spawned a discussion over just how Tomlinson perceived the question … whether he was naming Bryant because of intangible competitive qualities that Odom likened to Tom Brady’s. Odom had originally been viewing it strictly in “athletic” terms for “best athlete,” in which case, Odom said, no one has the crazy size, speed and skill of James.
