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You're not supposed to look at statistics, you're supposed to believe that Kobe is the closest thing to MJ and you're supposed to buy what he endorses.
For someone whose name comes up in such discussions like "Who is the best player ever?" and "Who will be the next Michael Jordan?" Kobe Bryant still has a long way to go.
Sure, I'll admit Bryant has been a prolific scorer throughout his career, but he has shown me nothing that would have me compare him to Michael Jordan.
Let's take a look back to the year 2000, the year L.A. won its first championship with Bryant. During the regular season, Bryant averaged almost 29 points and five assists per game. How did these stats translate over to the NBA Finals? They lowered to 15 points and four assists per game.
Shaquille O'Neal, on the other hand, raised his scoring average, from 28 in the regular season to 38 in the finals.
In 2001, the Lakers once again won the NBA Finals. Any thanks to Kobe? Sure, but his scoring average dropped in the clutch once again, forcing O'Neal to step up and raise his scoring, from 27 per game in the regular season to 33 in the finals.
The Lakers achieved a "three-peat" in 2002, winning their third straight NBA championship. Let's look how Bryant deemed "The Next MJ" stepped up his game to lead his team to the le.
Oh wait, we can't. For the third straight time, Kobe's scoring and assists declined in the series. Bryant once again hopped on O'Neal's humongous shoulders and rode him through the finals. And O'Neal, not Bryant, won the NBA Finals MVP award.
Kobe Bryant has never shown any signs of being a team leader. Nor a team winner. When Jordan led his team to six NBA les; he wasn't the second option. He took over the game and demanded the ball in clutch situations. Bryant simply passed the ball underneath to O'Neal and watched him manhandle anyone who got in his way.
Without O'Neal, Bryant would have no rings. Plenty of scoring les, but no rings. He wouldn't be considered one of the best players ever. And people would laugh in your face if you said he might be the next Michael Jordan.
If Bryant couldn't even be the best player on his team during his championship runs, then how can anyone say he is the best ever?
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/9...sports-history
You're not supposed to look at statistics, you're supposed to believe that Kobe is the closest thing to MJ and you're supposed to buy what he endorses.
son ESPN says he is best so it must be true! no stats or facts needed!
Bleacher Report? BR you are better than that son.
Old man Bryant, just declining like old men do.
Nothing to see here. It was just a matter of time until ol' bone on bone started farting dust.
I think he's overrated by analysts these days because the game needs a great one and he's on winning teams nowadays and he's marketable, as marketable as someone accused of rape can be. But I also think he's figured out his game about as much as anybody since MJ. Problem is that he lacks MJ's consistency.
To me the real Kobe Bryant is the guy we saw ing and moaning after Phoenix beat
them in the first round. It's a cliche, but it's true sometimes that you get to see the real character of a person in times of adversity and not in times of triumph.
...and with the 13th pick in the 1996 NBA Draft, the Charlotte Hornets select Kobe Bryant, from Lower Merion High School in Philadelphia.
Ahh, what could have been. Imagine a Kobe/CP3 back court. That would have been sick, huh BR?
They wouldnt have Paul with high draft pick, cause they would be gazilionpeating with Kobe.
Ahh, what could have been. Imagine a Kobe/CP3 back court. That would have been sick, huh BR?
If goes down and Lakers lose, they always blame, Odem, Gasol or Drew, but never kobe. If he is so clutch and the best player ever and does not need to be carried by anyone like some Laker fans say here...why is he not getting it done when his team is down? Just saying...
Does "BR" in your name stand for Bleacher Report?
son even if that article is mostly true
Kobe: 5
tired old bag Duncan: 4
Does "BR" in your name stand for Bleacher Report?
son even if that article is mostly true
Kobe would've demanded out long before Paul ever got there like the little he is. Does it hurt to be stupid?...and with the 13th pick in the 1996 NBA Draft, the Charlotte Hornets select Kobe Bryant, from Lower Merion High School in Philadelphia.
Ahh, what could have been. Imagine a Kobe/CP3 back court. That would have been sick, huh BR?
I doubt BR cares about this statistic.
anyone who knows anything about math knows that Bean had an ankle injury early in game 2. Missed game 3 and limped around in Game 4. Just do the math. You score like 4 points after playing 6 minutes, of course you average is gonna take a huge hit. And he avg'd 19.9 points in 2000. Bleacher is really full of .Let's take a look back to the year 2000, the year L.A. won its first championship with Bryant. During the regular season, Bryant averaged almost 29 points and five assists per game. How did these stats translate over to the NBA Finals? They lowered to 15 points and four assists per game. Shaquille O'Neal, on the other hand, raised his scoring average, from 28 in the regular season to 38 in the finals.
Shaquille was beasting that series ......
Bean avg'd 24.6 in this series. He had a 31 point game in game 2, a 32 point game in Game 3, was one assist short of a triple double in game 4 (19/10/9assists), and scored 26 in the close out game in game 5. The scoring went down because Fisher's average went up. Dude couldn't miss. Ask San Antonio about Fisher that year. Fox and Horry scored more - so once against BR tells half truths.In 2001, the Lakers once again won the NBA Finals. Any thanks to Kobe? Sure, but his scoring average dropped in the clutch once again, forcing O'Neal to step up and raise his scoring, from 27 per game in the regular season to 33 in the finals.
And in 2001, we know who was the best player on the floor when the two best teams went head-to-head: Spurs vs Lakers Western Conference Finals (The real NBA Finals). Dude avg'd 33 in that series.
Look at the match up in that series. The Nets best players were on the perimeter. All the Lakers did was feed Shaquille which they should have every time down the court. At center for the Nets: legendary Todd MacCullough, Jason Collins and Aaron WilliamsThe Lakers achieved a "three-peat" in 2002, winning their third straight NBA championship. Let's look how Bryant deemed "The Next MJ" stepped up his game to lead his team to the le.
Oh wait, we can't. For the third straight time, Kobe's scoring and assists declined in the series. Bryant once again hopped on O'Neal's humongous shoulders and rode him through the finals. And O'Neal, not Bryant, won the NBA Finals MVP award.. Feed the Daddy and that's what they did.
What did Bean avg. that series? 26.75 points, while force feeding the Diesel.
And since that article was in 2008, where is his updated one?? I don't kiss Kobe's ass or hug his balls like most Laker fans but you gotta give credit where credit is due. Without Bean, Laker don't pull out Game 7 against Portland, since Kobe was the leading scorer. Shaquille wouldn't be in the finals.
If Bean didn't avg. 33 on the Spurs in 2001, Lakers don't face the Sixers and Duncan more than likely slaps another ring on his finger. The road getting to the finals was a uva harder than the actual finals. You wanted stats, there you go.
Last edited by Ashy Larry; 05-06-2011 at 09:04 AM.
Kobe is pretty much a bag of nowadays
Get your own , Che. I invented tired old bag for your Duncan.
If I was the Lakers and I am facing Philly, Indiana and Nets, wouldn't I feed the ball to Shaq non stop? I mean, Todd Macoulloch? Rik Smiths? Jason Collins? Other than Mutombo, there wasn't one guy who could come close to slowing down Shaq. I would feed the ball to Shaq every single time, and let Shaq dominant, of course Kobe's stats are going to take a hit.
That said, Kobe is overrated for sure. Most overrated is stretching it, by quite a bit. But this is no surprise, because he plays in LA. Look at Shaq, he was compared to the next Wilt Chamberlain back in the day, he was ranked as one of the top 4 centers ever (Over Hakeem, and sometimes over Russell). Look at him now, he is widely considered to be at the same level, or slightly less than Duncan, who never went any higher than Hakeem in big man rankings.
Same for Magic. Magic was the greatest back in the day. But now people look at his teammates, and thought that any good point guard on that team would have at least won a championship, and is starting to discount Magic's accomplishments.
The same will happen to Kobe. People will look back, and realized that with those 5 rings, Kobe had some immense help along the way. People will realize that in place of Kobe, Shaq would have won at least 2 rings with a T-Mac or a Carter, they would have realized that the 08 to 11 team would have at least won 2 championships with a Wade or Lebron instead of Kobe. They would have realized that in no way in could Kobe have won a championship in place of Wade in that 06 Heat team, or gone to the finals with that awful 07 Cavs team in place of Lebrong. Not to discount Kobe's accomplishments, because we are stacking him up against all time greats. But to say he is one of the top 10, even top 8 players of all time is really stretching it.
He is one of the top 15 though, I would say.
In no particular order:
Jordan
Magic
Bird
Kareem
Wilt
Russell
Hakeem
Shaq
Duncan
Moses Malone (seriously, I don't think people remember how ridiculously dominant he was back in the day)
Big O
The next tier:
Havlicek (again, one of the most underrated players in league history because the 70's sucked)
Kobe
Baylor
Cousy
Note, I am not saying Kobe and Cousy 1-1 would be a compe ive game, or that Cousy could have led the 09 Lakers to the championship, because that would be silly. Kobe would have destroyed Cousy and the whole 55 Celtics team by himself. I am saying in terms of career accomplishments, they are in the same tier given what they have. Advancements in training, sports medicine, etc ... have created these super athletes that just weren't possible back in the day.
I'm gonna go with bag of for Kobe.
I invented it though.
***& furthermore, (Iron Mex don't look here), but, if we get beat flat I don't want anyone trying to use The Skunker. That's mine.
Just checkin' assholes.
imincontrolnao
you invented bag I improved it to bag of . Like when Microsoft improved Xerox's Windows System.
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