I don’t think Kobe Bryant can sleep these days. Is Djokovic there too?
Posted by tennisplanet on March 1, 2008
With Pau Gasol’s addition, Lakers are suddenly contenders for the NBA title, something Bryant has been dying for, since Shaq left. That hunger has become even more intense since the emergence of LeBron James.
James just knocked out Bryant’s record of being the youngest to reach 10,000 points – by almost a year!!!! And it appears every other record of Kobe is on the block too – yeah even the 81 points.
The only edge Kobe can feel secure in is to amass as many championship rings as possible, making all other records less important. He hopes he can say ‘Yeah, you smashed all my records, but I have more rings’.
And this is as close he has ever been to winning a championship since Shaq’s departure. He has even postponed the surgery on his finger to make sure he gets a ring this year. With time running out, he is almost 30, he must be super hyped up to close the deal right NOW.
Djokovic may not be right in that same boat, but his steamer is not too far behind. He has defeated Federer convincingly two out of the last three times they have met. He knows he is right there. With Nadal fading on hard courts, Djokovic sees an open road at least this year, IF he can continue his mastery over Federer.
At barely 20, it has to be tough sleeping at night, with what Djokovic can achieve this year. Other than a post-26 and post-27 Federer and his own physical problems, there is very little standing in his way to at least win another Grand Slam this season, if not two.
Very few players in the history of the game have reached where Djokovic is now, at just 20. His quick return to the court after the AO win, instead of extending the celebration, demonstrates his understanding of the situation.
Clearly he is way ahead of his years in maturity at many levels. Unlike Nadal, he is willing and able to adapt, acclimatize, improve, do whatever it takes to continue his vertical rise. If he does not do well this year, it will most certainly be not because of being complacent or lack of enough weapons in his arsenal.
Both Kobe and Djokovic realize that they are at the threshold of a journey that can take them among the immortals of the game. That feeling in itself generates its own unique form of hunger, not known at other moments.
But this threshold demands a laser-focus level headed approach, that uses this fuel to motivate instead of paralyse the one in possession of this invaluable intangible weapon. Many have succumbed to the strain and anxiety of just being there, failing to complete the travel to the promised land.
Can Kobe earn another four rings to surpass Jordan, or Djokovic win three Grand Slams this season? It looks like a stretch now, but weirder things have happened.
Claire said
Don’t know where to post this where everyone will notice but has anyone else see Federer in “Jura 2008 campaign? I found it on Youtube!
I like the part where Mirka hand feeds Federer some food!
found it by google -put in Federer 2008.
Sam said
Interesting comparison, but aren’t you exaggerating when you say that Djokovic beat Federer “convincingly” in Montreal last year? Just looked at those stats; agreed that Fed lost both tie breaks (7-2) easily, but the overall numbers are quite even. Shades of the loss to Nadal in Dubai two years ago?
Of greatest concern for the Fed fans is the point you often stress about his age and, of late, his focus. Let’s just hope that he regains his speed, literally, in Dubai and delivers. If so, then yes, the virus was instrumental in the eventual loss to Dkokovic. If not, then — as you wisely (!) say, TP — age is indeed catching up with the great man.
Fedal Fan said
Nadal is not FADING on hardcourts. He is ALWAYS improving.
Eva said
Sorry ,TP,you were right in the last 3 head-to-head meetings between Djokovic and Federer. But that does not paint an accurate pictureof their meetings int he past year, say.
Also, what should be considered is when they were both in the same tournament, and which one won.
This limited comparison doesn’t paint a very good picture. For example, at the Shanghai Cup, Djoko was not in contention, although he was in thte tournament.
Also, players can have an artifically constructed good record against another player when they don’t come head to head. Nadal, for exlample, didn’t have that many head-to heads with Federer. That can be used to maintain a misleading state of affairs overall.
I understand that these are ATP head-to-head loooks, but then it should not extend to only 3 meetings. That way, if a player all his career played Federer twice, let’s say, and won twice, he would have a 2 to 0 lead, and it wouldn’t paint an accurate picture of the situation by any stretch of the imagination.
One could have also looked at other players this way, when they were having a hot streak, for example.
It is not an accurate assessment on which to gauge future performance.