756

Bonds hits 756.

Why am I talking about baseball on a basketball blog?

Because this story draws parallels to a superstar basketball player.

Follow along.


Fireworks lit up AT&T Park as Bonds trotted around the bases in an almost nonchalant manner. Only there was nothing nonchalant about this record. The frenzy of the Giant diehards and the unity of the Bonds family was evidence enough that this was truly a great milestone.

From the beginning of the season to now, Hank Aron stayed solid in his stance that he would not be able to make it the game to watch Bond's surpass his home run record. Many speculate that he wanted to keep his distance and uphold his dignity as the natural slugger and one of the all-time greats of baseball.

But when all was said and done, Aron appeared on the ballpark big screen, acknowledging Bonds' achievement. It almost seemed as though he were some divine figure, accepting and understanding all of the son's challenges, faults, and ultimate perseverance.

Amidst the clouds of speculation surrounding his use of steroids for several years now, one can only begin to imagine a day walking in the shoes of Barry Bonds. His case for innocence seems even more hard to prove, with the chemist at Balco claiming Bonds knowingly took the performance-enhancer. His slugging numbers in the eyes of baseball experts prove to be an anomaly as some of his most prolific seasons as a power hitter came after the age of 35; around the time Mark McGuire and Sammy Sosa shattered Roger Maris' single season home run record.

As one of the most polarizing and controversial baseball players of our time, he's been labeled a fraud by opposing fans, bashed by media analysts, and heckled by throngs of fans holding up asterisks at every stadium he entered this season.

And then, at the other end of the spectrum, the forever loyal San Francisco fans. A city, much like other big sports-crazed cities. A city of different people embracing all of a professional athlete's tribulations and triumph.

So by the time, Bonds had smacked his 765th into the right field stands and the noise started to settle, I began thinking.

This is all too familiar sounding. A story about how the city's love and acceptance of a player spreads to the entire nation. A story about an isolated and misunderstood athlete displaying a vulnerability and humility seldom seen in them. A story about one man's displays of fault and ultimate redemption.

The name is Kobe Bryant. The city is Los Angeles. The year was 2004. His dilemma was different from Bonds' in that it was an off-court incident, but everything else was the same. A media blitz covered the Bryant sexual assault scandal and sponsors retracted their endorsement deals with the once clean-cut wholesome role model of a figure. He admitted to the wrongdoings of adultery, but in the public eye, he was a sexual predator, and at the time a seemingly hopeless example of an athlete's image going down the drain.

Just like Bonds, he endured countless road games where opposing fans would boo him whenever he touched the basketball and presumably spent just as many nights in agony, self-remorse, and self-reflection. Where would he to go after this? His championship glory days seemed a fond and distant memory.

But the player chooses to continue striving to be the greatest player that ever played, baseball or basketball. Same hall-of-fame material, same work ethic. This is where the story begins to change.

Fans understand with time that athletes are humans, just as vulnerable to their greed or deceit or wrong-doing as any other human being. An off-court incident of mistakes could take its toll on a player's image, but not forever.

After all, whether it's the home runs or the three pointers, an athlete's reputation and image is still largely decided upon by a player's on-court performance. It's amazing how a single play can sway the undercurrents of an otherwise nightmarish season.

Following the dropped sexual assault allegations, Kobe Bryant went on to accomplish tremendous feats, including the 2006 season culminating with an 81 point outburst; turning the harshest critics into believers overnight. But his ultimate form of redemption would come in Game 4 of the 1st round slug fest with the Phoenix Suns. In front of a packed and nervous Staples Center crowd, Bryant, along with his young Laker teammates, staged one of the most miraculous comeback victories in Lakers history. Bryant would tie the game with a rainbow floater at the end of regulation, and sink the buzzer beater in overtime to put the max capacity Laker crowd into complete mayhem.

The sexual assault case was behind him. The team that had been completely clueless, scared, and disoriented in Bryant's presence were now jumping onto their leader and surrounding him with a sea of emotions; of jubilance, pandemonium and relief. For the team, and for Kobe Bryant, it was redemption of the sweetest kind.


















Their individual stories have yet to conclude though.

Bonds will no doubt face an uphill battle with a pending court case for allegations of steroid use, but for one night....just one night, the clouds seemed to disperse and Bonds seemed to be engulfed with a sense of resolution.

The game is what mattered to them the most, and it's only fitting that two stars would find their ultimate solace in the game itself.