A lot has transpired since then. For one, Kobe and Shaq have made peace. Shaq took the initiative to put the silly grudge behind them when he approached Bryant during warm-ups before their game Jan. 16. It came at the urging of many, including Bill Russell and Pat Riley, and occurred on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

What it did was neutralize Kobe’s major antagonist in the NBA. There are others among his peers who resent Kobe, those who are jealous, those who don’t like his style or his attitude. But when the superstar who was perceived as being the main recipient of Kobe’s supposed malice — remember when Kobe told the cops in Colorado that Shaq liked to step out on occasion? — agreed to forgive, it vaporized a lot of ill will throughout the NBA.

Bryant still has his detractors, as evidenced by some of the comments that followed his 81 points. Vince Carter suggested such an outburst might send a bad message to kids; considering that Carter once said in a TNT interview that he didn’t always give his best effort while with the Toronto Raptors, he’s obviously an expert in bad messages. Antoine Walker of the Heat suggested he would have clotheslined Kobe. And undoubtedly there are others who grumbled in silence.

But there seem to be far more who suddenly have a Kobe fixation. It’s the newest fad. When LeBron James or Tracy McGrady or Allen Iverson or others in their class set foot on NBA hardwood for a game, there is still interest. But Kobe has become the star of stars. He’s the headliner and the others are understudies. The 81 points have moved him to the top of the A list from the (bleeping) A list.

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Of course, all that could turn into so much sad Broadway litter if Kobe doesn’t get his teammates involved. The goal is to win a championship. The Lakers are far from that goal. They won’t reach it this season, or next.

In order to attain the level of the Detroit Pistons and San Antonio Spurs, two things must happen: The Lakers have to find out about the players they have now and develop the ones worth developing. The only way that will happen is if Kobe shoots less — except when his team absolutely needs him to score, of course — and passes more.

The other involves attracting free agents to come to the Lakers. That will require Kobe to create the perception that he is a team player. Why would any free agent worth his Nikes come to the Lakers simply to serve as Kobe’s ball boy?

New York is a magnificent stage. What Kobe does on it Tuesday might go a long way toward deciding which way public sentiment will go, and whether the Lakers’ fortunes follow.

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