Leadership isn't about highlight reels. Its about who your're willing to follow into battle. As an ex-marine, I can tell you that I had officers that I would have followed into hell, and others that I wouldn't have followed into a Dairy Queen.
Leaders are generally selfless people who appear to care only about the job to be done and the people who will help them do it. Its someone you know has your back when you need it, and someone that will never throw you under the bus to save themselves. Its someone, most of all, that you respect.
On the old Kings, the leader wasn't Webber, and it wasn't Bibby. It was Vlade. And when Vlade left, the Kings were done. Vlade wasn't the best player on the team, and he certainly wasn't a highlight reel candidate. But he was a steadying influence on the team. I remember sitting behind the Kings bench one night as they came off the floor for a timeout. As they approached the bench Funderburke and J. Will started jawing at one another, and I remember J. Will's face getting as red as a beet. Teammates had to jump between them to prevent possible blows being thrown. The next thing I remember was Vlade having J. Will's head under one arm and Funderburke's head under the other and talking to them. I don't know what he said, but it worked. They both smiled at the end of it and played the rest of the game well.
My point is, that everyone else on the team at that time just sat and watched. Only Vlade did anything to resolve the situation. So Martin, or whoever it is that tries to pick up the mantle of leadership, doesn't have to be Kobe or Jordan etc. They just have to be leaders, and they're teammates will know if they are or not.
now tell me why martin is a leader again?
