There are pretenders, contenders and champions, and then there are rarities like Kobe Bryant.

The kind of player who prefers to sip champagne only through the funnels of championship trophies, who celebrates just long enough for his clothing to get drenched before new challenges pique his imagination and fuel his motivation.

We call it an inability to smell the roses, to enjoy the sunshine before it rains, but Bryant has had a beautifully scented garden for some time off a boulevard in Hollywood. Even when it rains, his life continues to blossom.

Bryant is 24 years old. A three-time NBA champion. A recent husband, father, and $45 million man with Nike. Yet he is so far from satisfied, he's also the potential nightmare that could paralyze Tinseltown, the very place where dreams are created.

Bryant made news on Thursday when ESPN announced that he plans to opt out of his contract and test free agency after next season expires. But for anyone close to Bryant, this hardly qualified as a surprise.