That box labeled `Jordan' might not hold Bryant.(Los Angeles Lakers' Kobe Bryant)

More and more, this season is taking the shape of one player's time line, one that curved sharply and doubled back on him until it resembled a concentric circle of hell.

The season has been defined by Kobe Bryant--22 years old, professional crowd-pleaser, glamorous yet mature, no distinguishing scars--and the idiotic expectations that continue to follow him, month by month.

December: His 32-point scoring average and human pyrotechnics made him the greatest player in the universe, one worthy of comparisons to Michael Jordan.

January: His occasionally wild play incited Shaquille O'Neal to issue the snarling reminder that the Lakers were his team, and that all suggestions to the contrary were counterproductive to the repeat effort.

February: A sprained ankle forced him to sit out for the first time in the season--for three games February 21, 23 and 25. The Lakers won all three, including one at San Antonio, validating Shaq's claim that he can carry a team better than Kobe.

March: His coach officially chose a side, broadcasting to the world by way of a March 21 Chicago Sun-Times column that Kobe was inherently selfish. Phil Jackson even accused his star of once shaving points in high school to set himself up as a hero. The pile-on had begun, with Jackson's blessing.

April: His sense that things could slip away inspired a subtle change in his game, and the Lakers decided they would stop losing altogether.