Videos: Kobe Bryant Visits the Tonight Show

Full disclosure. We’re posting these videos with guilt. It’s nothing against Kobe Bryant or the Lakers and certainly not our dude Conan O’Brien.

When a team wins the title, they own the media for weeks. And rightfully so. But appreciation is often overdone, and the NBA Finals is never an exception.

Luke Walton has already guested on more radio interviews in the past two days than he has in his career. Derek Fisher all of a sudden gets as much media space as a Brett Favre press conference. And the Finals MVP gets an obligatory invitation to guest on the late night talk shows. We’re hating, but not on the players. We’re hating on the predictability of the system. The repetitive love sessions quickly leave a sour taste.

You already know who’s on the cover of SLAM 131. We gave Kobe and L.A. ample appreciation online, and it will continue. So who are we kidding, we’ll appreciate over and over until we can appreciate no more. No matter how contrived it all is.