The debate through the years has always been who is the air apparent to His Greatness Michael Jordan.  Names like Harold Miner, Grant Hill, Kobe Bryant, Vince Carter to Tracy McGrady have come up but none have ever done justice to ole? number 23.  Most try to emulate his aerial antics, some even taking them above and beyond, while others try to follow his swagger.  Last night at Arco Arena did we see the closest emulation of Jordan yet?

One of Jordan?s greatest moments came in the 1997 NBA Finals.  Jordan, struck with flu-like symptoms to the point where he could barely walk, fought through the pain and suffering of his fever to not only play on the road against the Utah Jazz in that Game 5 with the series tied at 2-2, but to win and take control of the series.  Jordan could not be stopped, hitting the game winning three pointer with only 25 seconds remaining to give the Bulls a 90-88 victory, Jordan having to be helped from the court by Scottie Pippen; an image which is now famous.

Last night a similar scene was set for Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers.  Suffering food poisoning from a bacon cheeseburger that slowed him throughout the entire day, Bryant was forced to take intravenous fluids in the lead up to Game 2 against the Sacramento Kings on the road, his team leading the series 1-0.

Kobe dragged himself onto the floor of Arco Arena and, as Frank Blinebury of the Houston Chronicle put it, he was still able to slash to the basket on occasion but not with his usual flash and finish, and he was still able to hit his jumpers out on the perimeter but not with the same deadly accuracy as usual.  Bryant was suffering, yet he was still on the court inspiring his team to a win.

Just as Jordan did five years ago Bryant was able to bury a long trey with only 12.5 seconds left in the game, setting the scene that a miracle was certainly possible.  The Kings, however, were able to succeed where the Utah Jazz failed and took advantage of their opportunities, icing the game to win 96-90 and in doing so tied the series at 1-1 as we move to the Staples Center for Game 3.

"You give Kobe credit for getting himself together and going out and doing what he could for us," Lakers coach Phil Jackson said. "A lot of guys might not have been able to do that."

It was just one of those games where we, just as we did with Jordan, expected Kobe to do something special.  He had already shown us flashes in this years playoff campaign; from the huge rebound over the Spurs Tim Duncan and David Robinson with Game 4 on the line in the last series, or of his silencing of the loud Sacramento crowd early in the first game with 10 quick points, then coming up big again in the stretch.

Jordan too had nights like this, coming all so close to victory but in the end being unable to pull it out.  Like Jordan, Kobe vows he too would bounce back.

"I'll be ready," Kobe said. "Feeling better."