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Not close to the best ever. But it would definitely bolster his legacy. He'd go from 10th all time to 6th, finally surpassing Duncan and Shaq.
So if Kobe rings this year without Gasol and Dwight..if they're both hurt and sitting...would you say he's the best ever? Where do rank him if he pulled something like that off?
Not close to the best ever. But it would definitely bolster his legacy. He'd go from 10th all time to 6th, finally surpassing Duncan and Shaq.
You only give him 6th ...ringing with no Bigs at all and a 40 yr old PG? Tell me how ya really feel
It's not nonsense. Kobe Bryant has never won a championship without a top 2 big man or the best overall frontline (as was the case with Gasol, Bynum, and Odom) in basketball.Nah, I'm just calling out nonsense.
Nice sig BTW.
Not hating here. It's a fact. For all but three years of his career, Kobe has had the luxury to play alongside the best bigs in the NBA.
- Shaq (best big in the league during the 3 peat. Other years he was either the best big or 2nd behind Duncan)
- Gasol (when he came to LA, he was probably the 2nd best low post PF in the league behind Duncan)
- Odom (one of the most versatile forwards in the NBA)
- Bynum (emerged as the 2nd best center in the league sometime around '10)
- Howard (sure, he's been disappointing and injured thus far, but he's pretty much the best center in the league by default. And if he resigns, and regains his athleticism, the Lakers will once again be a threat)
When you step back and consider the big men the Lakers have acquired over the past 20 years, it's kind of unfair
To put it somewhat in perspective, this would be like Duncan playing with Kobe (Shaq), then after Kobe declines (for the sake of the argument, let's say Kobe was 5 years older), he gets a healthy T-Mac (Gasol) in addition to Manu (Lamar Odom) and Tony Parker (Andrew Bynum). Then Tony Parker is traded for Kevin Durant (Dwight Howard). And yes, I know the last comparison seems silly as this point, but Howard was insanely hyped pre-season and considered the 3rd best player in the league.
Real talk. This is why the comparisons to Jordan are ridiculous. Throughout his career, Jordan played with one star and one star only. Scottie Pippen. And he never had the luxury of playing with an all-star big man in an era that was loaded with great bigs. On the other hand, Kobe has been fed top tier, all-star talent the majority of his career.
Yes. If kobe rings without Dwight or Pau I will call him the best basketball player ever. Heck, I know for sure its not going to happen so I'll even concede he's the best football, hockey, and baseball player ever too if he rings without those guys this year
It's an important distinction to make that Jordan DID have good teams. Emphasis on GOOD. Not insane. Not stacked. Not loaded (with the exception of the 70+ win team). Just a very good team and a very good system around him that he took to 6 les. Jordan knew how to get the most out of role players. Kobe, on the other hand, routinely gets the least out of superstar players, because he doesn't know how to really lead.
Kobe is one of the most incredible individual players of all-time. But he isn't a leader. He never has been, and honestly it seems like from his behavior that he never thought it was important to do so. Kobe sees one thing. The ball going in the rim. That's all he pays heed to, like a player based purely on instinct. It's never really dawned on him that the mental aspect of basketball includes more than just putting yourself in position to score as much as possible. Even when he tried to change his role and be the assist man -- he's hogging that too. Nash has had one triple digit assist game in his last 11 games, and for four games straight had 5 or less. Steve Nash. It's unreal that Kobe could make even Nash that much less effective of a player. I didn't think that was possible, given Nash's knack for facilitating the game so well. But Kobe has managed to dominate even Steve Nash, while Nash is on the same team.
Of course he is challenging him, nice way to up his career and future contract and to keep the hand on the lakers
I'm not going to argue any of the above (I can't do it honestly). What I will say is that I am a big proponent of perimeter defense. Take those Bulls teams that MJ had. The common denominator for all 6 rangs? Elite perimeter defense. Perimeter defense allowed Pippen (best defender I've ever seen) and MJ (great defender) suffocate offenses that are dependent on their guards to get into their offenses. On offense, MJ stood 6'6" and Pippen stood 6'8" - so they were both lethal on the block.It's not nonsense. Kobe Bryant has never won a championship without a top 2 big man or the best overall frontline (as was the case with Gasol, Bynum, and Odom) in basketball.
Not hating here. It's a fact. For all but three years of his career, Kobe has had the luxury to play alongside the best bigs in the NBA.
- Shaq (best big in the league during the 3 peat. Other years he was either the best big or 2nd behind Duncan)
- Gasol (when he came to LA, he was probably the 2nd best low post PF in the league behind Duncan)
- Odom (one of the most versatile forwards in the NBA)
- Bynum (emerged as the 2nd best center in the league sometime around '10)
- Howard (sure, he's been disappointing and injured thus far, but he's pretty much the best center in the league by default. And if he resigns, and regains his athleticism, the Lakers will once again be a threat)
When you step back and consider the big men the Lakers have acquired over the past 20 years, it's kind of unfair
To put it somewhat in perspective, this would be like Duncan playing with Kobe (Shaq), then after Kobe declines (for the sake of the argument, let's say Kobe was 5 years older), he gets a healthy T-Mac (Gasol) in addition to Manu (Lamar Odom) and Tony Parker (Andrew Bynum). Then Tony Parker is traded for Kevin Durant (Dwight Howard). And yes, I know the last comparison seems silly as this point, but Howard was insanely hyped pre-season and considered the 3rd best player in the league.
Real talk. This is why the comparisons to Jordan are ridiculous. Throughout his career, Jordan played with one star and one star only. Scottie Pippen. And he never had the luxury of playing with an all-star big man in an era that was loaded with great bigs. On the other hand, Kobe has been fed top tier, all-star talent the majority of his career.
You may be saying that what about MJ keeping HOF bigs like Shaq, Ewing, Daughtery (HOF?), Mailman, and the Dream (until MJ retired at least), etc., etc. from winning chips while MJ was a Bull? By suffocating their offenses from the perimeter and they made it hard to get elite bigs the ball so that they can do their damage. And when they did do damage, they ended up wore down. How? The Bulls had around 18-24 "strategic" fouls to use on bigs like Shaq from doing too much damage. Also, MJ and Pip were oftens way better than their counterparts, so when they took their man off the dribble to the hole, it ended up in either a dunk (Pip's dunk on Ewing still makes me laugh out loud when I see it on YouTube), or an And-1, which means foul trouble for their bigs.
But back to Kobe. Again, what you said is true. He has been lucky to play with talented bigs. The Lakers' MO is to win chips with good or great bigs. One gripe with your post: Pau. When he was 0-12 in the playoffs, you and most Spur fans thought nothing of him. Pair him with Kobe, and all of a sudden you put him in the same category as Shaq. Before Kobe, Shaq was swept in the Finals. After Kobe, he won one rang in a fixed Finals with Wade. Before Kobe, Pau was 0-12 (many of them losses to your Spurs). Time will tell what Pau will be like after Kobe. So apparently, Kobe made Pau and Shaq better. Admit it.
Agreed with everything but the bold.
Lawl. That would be a of a game. XDAgreed with everything but the bold.
So Dwight is playing and Kirby didn't even have to call him a pussy (yet)?
Wasn't this whole sitting out about his career?
Watching first take this morning SAS was saying “He can’t fault Howard for not pushing it with this injury because he has 100 mil coming to him this summer” I will be amazed at any team that is stupid enough to give this clown that kind of commitment. He has been hurt this year, openly admitting his back injury is not healed, now he has a shoulder injury and oh yeah the Lakers have been awful all year long with Howard having a horrendous season. He was supposed to be the final piece to a championship puzzle instead he has whined and moaned through a dreadful injury filled season that may result in the Lakers missing the playoffs... Anyone that is dumb enough to committ big money to Howard you have my sympathies... Some people need to get their heads around that Howard is not a franchise player. He is mentally weak and too limited offensively to build a championship team around.
the strategy backfired on kobe
Mike D'Antoni also informed us on @TWCSportsNet that Dwight's been cleared to play for awhile...tonight he just decided to play...
"Is the season over yet"?Mike D'Antoni also informed us on @TWCSportsNet that Dwight's been cleared to play for awhile...tonight he just decided to play...
"Can i have my 100 mil now"?
So why is Howard wearing that black under his uniform?
Dude's on the court but mentally he already checked out.
It's disgusting news to see Howard has been cleared to play but refuses to. I guess when you have two locker room cancers playing on the same team and a cancerous owner this is what you get.
^damn i wonder what kind of bean caused, cholesterol ridden blood was pumping through your little brain whenever you decided to make that ass excuse of a troll and actually thought it would be a good idea.
pls add me as a beneficiary on your life insurance policy and proceed to choke yourself to death with kobe's mamba you piece of
WTF r u talking bout? Too many guys here that learned how to unlock the safe search on their parents computers.
i don't get the hate for jim buss? how do you hate buss but not hate kupchak?
so when the lakers make a trade its "kupchak will make them pay for basketball reasons" but when those moves bust "jim buss is a cancer" lmao
Mourning the death of the Lakers' season, tbh....
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