There’s something about Kobe Bryant’s mask.
Ever since Bryant fractured his nose and suffered a concussion from a foul by Dwyane Wade during the All-Star Game, Bryant has been sporting a “Phantom of the Opera”-esque protective mask.
Frankly, it’s been having the same effect as Jim Carrey inheriting Loki’s powers in the movie “The Mask,” except in a deadlier way.
In his three games, Bryant has scored 33, 37 and 39 points. His field goal percentage in those three victories is 54.3 percent, 10 percent higher than his season average.
So far, Bryant’s play with the mask has been nothing but positive. It looks cool. It’s making a lot of basketball fans want to be “The Masked Mamba” for Halloween. This is a golden opportunity for the NBA to market the mask while it lasts.
I highly doubt this will be a permanent fixture like in Richard Hamilton’s case. After all, there is a famous story of Bryant tearing off his mask during halftime of one of his high school games and throwing it against the wall to inspire his teammates.
Then again, it’s no secret Bryant loves to play against adversity.
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