Bruce Bowen: Kobe 2nd best player of all-time, better than Duncan

[DAF86]

Ran Shaq out who is putting asterisk on your 1999 lehttp://https://www.essentiallysports...ship-wins/amp/

Dude picked a feud with so many including Robinson but yall hate Kobe more who gives so much respect to the Spurs, it's crazy

What does any of that have to do with the fact that Shaq > Kobe?

Also, now that Kobe is recently deceased, a lot of people will start doing history revisionism and start bumping him up the ranks forgetting the fact that they had him outside the top 10 not too far ago. It's just human nature, tbh.

[TDfan2007]

I am and that has nothing to do with what I said. In general, people like Perkins hate the Spurs because they view them as the Duke of the NBA.

In '02, Duncan handily outplayed Bryant with a terrible supporting cast. '04 was closer, though Duncan again had a significantly worse team. '08 the Spurs were out of gas from too many consecutive deep runs, while Bryant was well rested. In '99 and '03, Duncan destroyed the Lakers, with Bowen having a firsthand view of the latter.

Typical deferential Spur though. You'd never hear a former Lakers say the opposite, even if they were thinking it.

Bryant has no business in the Duncan-O'Neal discussion, let alone the Jordan-James one.

Imo the Spurs-Lakers and Kobe-Timmy rivalry breaks down like this:

1999 - Spurs win, Timmy outplays Kobe by a significant margin

2001 - Lakers win, Kobe obliterates us and Timmy has a very forgettable games 3 and 4

2002 - Lakers win despite the Spurs holding a lead in all but 1 fourth quarter. Timmy outplays Kobe, but Kobe takes over in the 4th quarter of almost every game while Timmy is passing out of double/triple teams to Antonio Daniels and Danny Ferry...

2003 - Spurs win and Timmy puts on a historic performance outplaying both Kobe and Shaq

2004 - Lakers win with a stacked team specifically designed to dethrone the Spurs. Kobe outplays Timmy, especially in games 4 and 6. Tony Parker infamously disappears after Phil Jackson closes the paint, and Hedo has one of the worst shooting performances in playoffs history.

2008 - Lakers win. Kobe outplays Timmy badly in the clinching game, but they more or less neutralize each other for the series. Manu was injured and struggled to score against Sasha ing Vujecic, and the Spurs decrepit role players weren't up to task.

Fun fact: Kobe's playoff averages against Bowen are 28.6 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 4.5 apg, 47% FG, 35% 3FG, and 3-1 series record. He destroyed Bruce, which is why I feel like Bruce is inflating his standing.

[i'm_still_beta]

But but players know the game better.
Don't want to listen to that ever again. When doctors talk about medicine you take notes, when lawyers talk about law you take notes. Basketball player are so dumb that even their opinion about their job is not worth listening

[Ed Helicopter Jones]

Sad, but not surprised since Kobe used to light his ass up he probably ranks dirk ahead of Duncan too

It's the opposite actually. Because Bruce defended Kobe pretty well it raises Bowen's legacy to say Kobe is #2 all-time.

[Ed Helicopter Jones]

Bowen is saying that because Kobe respected his D, it's just an ego trip

This.