Kobe Bryant, LA Lakers Star, Still Outshining Everyone on Twitter at Height of NBA 2013 Finals; Mamba Snubs LBJ in All-Time Starting Five

Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant still found a way to at least share the spotlight with LeBron James and company after trending worldwide on Twitter despite having no connection whatsoever to the Game 7 showdown between the San Antonio Spurs and the eventual NBA champion Miami Heat on Thursday night.

Bryant, who hasn't played since tearing his Achilles tendon late in the regular-season, once again proved he's still the NBA's most influential players as fans took to Twitter to show their excitement for the Lakers next season, particularly on seeing Bryant donning again the purple and gold jersey.

Bryant ranked 7^th among the hottest topics on Twitter, and that's after the Heat won their back-to-back title with a Game 7 victory over the Spurs.

Yes, the 2013-2014 NBA season is still five months from now and a lot things could happen in a blink of an eye this offseason. However, that doesn't stop the legion of Lakers fans to believe in their team's future with Bryant still in the forefront of the organization.

The Lakers star recently named his All-Time starting five in an interview with ESPN Radio Los Angeles, and by no surprise, there isn't any sighting of him or even LeBron James.

Bryant's starting five is Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Bill Russell and Kareem Abdul Jabbar.

When asked why picking Larry Bird at the small forward spot over a certain two-time NBA champion and four-time MVP player south of Florida, Bryant stressed that Bird deserves to be in his list because of the incredible feats "Larry Legend" achieved during his career, especially at the peak of the Lakers-Celtics rivalry in the 80s

"I will say as the years go on people really forget how great Larry Bird was," Bryant said. "He was ridiculous. And I grew up in LA - just like everyone else here - hating his guts. Dude - the guy was just money."