They swept a Denver Nuggets team that played no D but had enough talent that it should have at least been interesting. Then they halted the Jazz in six, winning the clincher inside Utah’s brutal pressure cooker. And now they dispatched the Spurs, winning Game 1 after being behind by 20, crushing them in Game 2 by 30, and rallying again Thursday in Game 6 after being in arrears by 17 in the second quarter.

They did all this first and foremost with the leadership of Kobe Bryant, playing his best basketball ever. He is not only putting up statistical nights like he did again in Thursday’s closeout game — 39 points on 16-of-30 shooting — but his attitude and refusal to lose seems to be rubbing off on his less experienced teammates.

Some of that may be the Jerry West influence on him.

“He said something to me that was really interesting,” Bryant remembered of West. “He said when the game is on the line, he feels like the shots are actually easier to make. It was just interesting to hear him say that and to try to understand how he views those clutch situations and how I can learn from that and try to be that way.”

Try? Whenever the Spurs made any kind of move in the series — or, for that matter, the Nuggets and Jazz in previous series — Bryant was there to knock down crucial shots.

That resolve has spread to the rest of the Lakers. Besides more seasoned vets like Pau Gasol, Derek Fisher and Lamar Odom, the Lakers are getting important contributions from Sasha Vujacic, Vladimir Radmanovic, Jordan Farmar, Luke Walton and Ronny Turiaf. The Lakers right now have so many weapons that they’re a nightmare for even the best of defensive teams like the Spurs.

“He (Bryant) has a great group around him,” said San Antonio’s Bruce Bowen. “Not to take anything away from what he does on his own one-on-one, but now you add other aspects into the mix to create something difficult.”

A Lakers team with superstar leadership and loaded with talent. Just like old times.

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