We’re all waiting. Wasn’t this what you wanted, Kobe Bryant? You now have your ideal situation, right?

When the Lakers sent Shaquille O’Neal on a one-way flight to South Florida, Bryant was given the spotlight for his own. Anyone remember that trade? Thought so.

Thought by many to be the NBA’s best player, Bryant is surrounded by a cast of solid role players and a few budding young stars, like Caron Butler and Lamar Odom. Kobe’s team is ready for him to take it to the Promised Land.

But there lies the problem: It’s Kobe’s team. And unless something changes, his obsession to make sure you know that fact will devour his team’s chances.

Here’s a man that’s so maniacally driven with becoming better than Michael Jordan that he helped orchestrate the trade of one of the league’s greatest centers ever out of Lakerland, with a Hall of Fame coach and his nine title rings in tow, seemingly deciding that winning was nice, but only if it was on his own terms.

Here’s a man who was suffocated in the NBA Finals by Piston forward Tayshaun Prince’s defense, but refused to adjust and defer to the dominant O’Neal, even when the diesel was rolling. He shot his team into one game and out of four others.

Would Bryant trade his three rings won with Shaq and Phil for one ring won without having to share the spotlight? Sadly, his actions this off-season and so far this season indicate that he would.

Nobody is going to confuse Bryant with Jose Canseco. Only one seemed to ever take pride in giving his teammates shots. No one is more aware of this right now than Odom. A 6-foot-10 forward that can penetrate and handle the ball like a guard, Odom can beat most NBA players one-on-one.

Yet Bryant seems allergic to giving Odom any of the spotlight or the ball for that matter. Odom, in many games Bryant teamed with him, only has been able to muster five, seven or nine shots. On a team where one would expect Bryant to be getting all the defense’s attention, where are Odom’s shots going? It should also be noted that the Lakers maintained their eighth spot in the Western Conference with Odom at the helm while Bryant nursed an injured right ankle for 14 games.

As of this writing, Odom was rumored to be on the trading block. Some would have you believe it’s because their games don’t mesh on the court together. But Odom’s game isn’t so different from Scottie Pippen’s offensively, and Pip never had a problem being an effective Robin to Jordan’s Batman. Odom should be Bryant’s Pippen. Too many times, he’s just his Bill Wennington.

We’ve all seen Bryant take over games and carry the Lakers on his back for wins. But ask yourself this: Have you ever watched Bryant and really thought that he makes his teammates better, like a true great player would? Can he cover up his teammates deficiencies, while playing to their strengths?

Odom probably wouldn’t think so. Neither would Shaq, though he was dominant enough to get his own.

Bryant’s career may go down as one of the greatest tragedies in sports, with a long standing question of “what might have been?” to follow it.

He plays with incredible heart. His insatiable drive to be the best has propelled him to become a great shooter, a fine defender, and until now, a winner. But his drive is a blessing and a curse, because in the end, for all his talent, he’s so blinded by his obsession to be great that the team concept goes out the window.

Until Bryant changes his ways the Lakers are destined to be first round playoff fodder for the Spurs, Suns or Sonics.

This season and those coming will either prove him to be the great player he is so consumed with being or just another talented performer who at one time contributed on a great team.

So put up or shut up, Kobe. This is what you wanted. The ball is in your court, more than ever.