Lake Show-Stopper: Is Kobe Bryant No Longer an Elite NBA Player?

Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant would probably love nothing more than to regain some of the youth and explosiveness that made him the NBA's top player for most of the past decade.

A broken index finger and a gimpy knee slowed Bryant for much of last season, and even though he still managed to average 27 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 5.0 assists per game, many people felt the torch of NBA individual supremacy had been passed.

Trying to determine the NBA's top player is a highly subjective matter, and the end result will always be a matter of opinion. But it is easy to assemble a list of worthy candidates.

LeBron James and Dwyane Wade should reside near the top of that list, as should Bryant, but there have been whispers that Bryant may no longer reside among th...

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