Bryant undisputed king of this court
Lunch with Kobe on Game Day does not encompass a plethora of choices. The crown jewel of the Lakers never deviates from his pregame ritual: a healthy dose of red meat.
"A nice filet," Bryant says. "It's all part of the routine."
He cheerfully orders his meal from a starstruck young waitress who forgets to write down the order. He is lounging in a cozy corner of the Bristol Lounge in the Four Seasons Hotel, hidden from most of the patrons, and lamenting the fact that his foray into the NBA has been past the prime of the epic Celtics-Lakers clashes. In fact, Boston Garden was already shuttered when Kobe made his Boston debut Nov. 27, 1996, at the Building Formerly Known as the FleetCenter.
"I hate it that I never played in the Garden," Bryant says. "[Lakers trainer] Gary Vitti and [assistant coach] Brian Shaw tell me all the stories, how the heat in the visitors' locker room would be turned way up, and all the dead spots, and how people would call your hotel room at 3 a.m., and when you showed up at a restaurant, people wouldn't serve you. I just love that.
"We just don't have the same rivalries today. It's a shame. Of course, rivalries are born in the playoffs. Magic wins a championship, Bird wins one, then they play each other for one, and then all of a sudden, you have it going.
"We had something with San Antonio at various points, and Sacramento for a while, but nothing like the Lakers and the Celtics."
Bryant grew up hissing at Ainge, Parish, D.J., and McHale. He spent much of his young life overseas while his father played professionally in Italy, and the only televised games were Boston and LA, often at 3 a.m. He watched as many as he could, rubbing his No. 32 Magic Johnson jersey for luck.
"The NBA wasn't global like it is now," Bryant explains. "You couldn't get a James Worthy jersey even if you wanted one."
At one time, there was no hotter jersey on the market than Kobe's No. 8. But that was before shocking rape allegations shredded his spotless reputation and reduced him to a Court TV headliner. The charges were eventually dropped, but the damage was done.
Or was it? Kobe has risen again, with a new jersey (No. 24) that has again become the top NBA seller, and a new approach to the game that transformed him into an international superstar. Some will never forgive or forget, but enough are mesmerized by his considerable skills to separate his personal life from his immensely entertaining professional life.
This Kobe vows there will be no more 81-point outbursts, no more score-at-will showcases, no more one-on-one encounters with the game's brightest stars.
"You know you're growing up when the big matchups don't excite you anymore," he says. "I used to crave all of them. Vince [Carter] to Tracy [McGrady] to Ray Allen to [Allen] Iverson. I was ready.
"But now? I've got other things I'm working on."
Kobe is 28 years old, and it's time to share. If he wants to win another championship -- and he does -- he must learn to elevate the play of his teammates by creating opportunities for them instead of cashing in on the obvious opportunities for himself. (See Michael Jordan, circa 1991.)
"It's got to be about us getting better and not having me be a crutch for us as a team," he explains. "We can't rely on me when we're struggling. We've got to stick with moving the ball."
It is easier said than done. When you can score at will, and Kobe can, it's hard to condition yourself to dish it off to a young guy who might A) drop the pass, B) knock the ball off his kneecap, C) take an ugly, off-balance shot, or D) all of the above.
"Sometimes you go, 'Aw, jeeezzz,' " says Kobe, grimacing for effect. "But it's what we need to do. I understand."
Wondering what these surprising Lakers would be like without Kobe? The team found out Tuesday night in New York, when Bryant was suspended for one game in the wake of whacking Spurs guard Manu Ginobili in the face while going up for a potential winning jumper Sunday.
"They said it was intentional," Kobe sniffs. "I challenge anyone to find a player who is going up to take the winning shot and tries to intentionally hit someone in the face. What kind of sense does that make?"
Ginobili hit the deck on the play, clearly smarting from Kobe's errant forearm. Kobe called his friend, Bruce Bowen, of the Spurs to check on Ginobili the next day, and Bowen told him the NBA had contacted Ginobili about the incident.
"Bruce told me Manu told them it was completely unintentional," Kobe says. "I figured that was that. But then I got word later I was suspended.
"I don't understand it. I guess if someone gets hit in the face, they feel they have to do something. If they don't want players to flare their arms out when they are shooting, then call us and let us know at least.
"Guys have been doing that as long as I've been in the league. [Former Pacers star] Chuck Person has been doing it for years."
The forced day of rest left Kobe fresh, full of filet, and ready to right the Lakers' ship last night.
He submitted 16 points and a team-high four assists in the opening half as the Lakers led, 57-49. He implored big man Vladimir Radmanovic to play harder and encouraged Smush Parker to keep pushing tempo. He does not have his own Scottie Pippen -- at least not yet. But he likes his young big guy, Andrew Bynum.
No longer the brash kid who was anointed as the next heir to Air (Jordan), Kobe says he just wants to teach these young Lakers how to win.
"I'm the older brother now," he says. "They're looking to me, and I have to be conscious of that. Like [Tuesday] at the shootaround. I had found out I was suspended, and even though I was really ticked off about it, I had to put my own feelings aside and talk to the guys about what we needed to do.
"I can't worry about myself and how I'm feeling."
He still hopes the Lakers and Celtics will regain their place in the NBA hierarchy someday so he can experience the storied rivalry that is as frayed as the nerves of the Boston coaching staff.
"I knew things were changing around here when I showed up last year and there were kids in the stands wearing Laker jerseys," Bryant confesses.
Kobe's Lakers defeated Boston, 111-98, last night at the New Garden. He finished with 43 points (on 13-of-25 shooting), 8 rebounds, and 8 assists. He drained a 3-pointer at the buzzer to end the third, and bowled the crowd over with one acrobatic move after the next in the final frame.
The stands were full as the Celtics dropped their 13th straight, tying a franchise record. A few reverently called Kobe's name. Others chanted, "MVP," which Vitti said afterward he had never heard in 24 years of coming to Boston. Too many wore No. 24 Lakers jerseys.
Maybe the Celtics had better try the pregame filet next time.
Jackie MacMullan is a Globe columnist. Her e-mail address is macmullan@globe.com. 
