Saturday, October 23rd, 2010 at 2:00 pm  |  175 responses

Top 50: Kobe Bryant, no. 2

The definitive ranking of the NBA’s best players.

When Ryne built this Top 50 list and assigned writers, Ryne, Lang and I—relatively absent in this top 50 while our great cast of part-timers and freelancers held us down—decided it would be cool if we wrote the Kobe and LeBron entries. But Lang had to go out of town this week and we suddenly needed a Kobe writer. Obviously plenty of the SLAMonline regulars can write about Kobe, but I know that because they’ve all done it. So I decided to offer this slot to a non-professional writer. A friend of mine, a L.A. native, a former high school standout and DI player who happens to be the most loyal Kobe fan I know. Jason Rowley. And while I disagree with his view of Kobe as No. 1, as you can see in my LeBron write up, I think my man JR did a nice job with this piece. If you want more from Jason, follow him on Twitter @MixedProjects and leave some nice comments. Maybe he’ll be back…—Ben Osborne

by Jason Rowley

I am often amused when I hear people refer to LeBron James as The King. Of what? Cleveland? Have you ever heard of a King with no bling? He’s got no crown, and he moved to try and get a ring in someone else’s (Dwyane Wade’s) town. In my opinion, Kobe Bryant is way mKobe Bryantore deserving of the “King” moniker than LeBron.

There is no perfect way to define the best player in a team sport. For better or worse, in choosing the best player, we often look for the individual who combines top-level skill, has the best stats, and leads his team to the most championships.

You might recall that when Kobe Bryant was 25 he, too, was a free agent. Unlike the big names in the Class of 2010, he already had three (championship) rings. Perhaps he considered moving to the Clippers, but never a new town. When you’re the best player, they come to you.

The coaches go to you, too. Just like Coach K did in the final minutes for the final shots in the fourth quarter of the 2008 Olympic Gold Medal game against Spain. Players and fans know that if Kobe Bryant is on your team, especially when the game is on the line, the play gets drawn up for him. Why? Because he is the best player.

By the time he was 27, in 2005, Kobe had the best offensive skill set of any guard in the history of the League. I’d say it happened sometime before he dropped 81 on the Raptors, perhaps when he gave the Mavs 62 — in three quarters. At the beginning of the fourth quarter, Kobe had 62 and the Mavericks (team) had 61. This was when the Lakers boasted such “talents” as Smush Parker, Devean George, Kwame Brown, Brian Cook and Chris Mihm, when a common but unfair knock on Kobe was that he didn’t make his teammates better. Do you know where those guys are now (without Kobe)? He has made the Double Nickel and 63 in the Boston Garden almost insignificant.

Now, just recently turned 32, Kobe has five rings. He has become a great teammate. He uses every competitive advantage possible, including speaking to his teammates in Spanish (Pau) and in Italian (Sasha) during games. Since that Gold Medal Game, he has won two consecutive NBA Championships (with a broken finger on his shooting hand and a bum knee, no less) and two NBA Finals MVPs. He is the best player on the best team in the League. That is beyond comparison.

Some argue that he is getting old, but at the same age Jordan had only three rings. And I’m pretty sure Kobe isn’t taking a break to play baseball anytime soon. Because he’s so fundamentally sound, and constantly adding new aspects to his game, Kobe has been able to dominate and will continue to do so, even as his spring and athleticism begins to wane. Five consecutive years on the First Team All-NBA and First Team All-Defensive Team doesn’t scream geriatric to me.

This is all stuff you probably already know, but would rather not admit. Just like years ago, back when people laughably tried to tell me that guys like T-Mac, Iverson and Vince were as good or better than Kobe, before people were willing to break the groupthink and admit that his talents deserved to be compared only to Jordan’s. When Kobe wins his sixth championship and passes MJ on the all-time scoring list (likely less than four years from now), it’ll be easier to admit.

When I hear or see someone say that a player other than Kobe Bryant is the best in the League, I want to ask, what else does Kobe have to do? I think the reason people (detractors) say that has to do with a dislike of his attitude and personality, particularly when he was younger, and the misconception that he was the problem that led Shaq out of town. But keep in mind, this criticism came way before we had the time and perspective to watch Kobe mature and see how Shaq leaves every team — and no one ever wants him back.

While Kobe meets all of the objective measures, he is also a player who exceeds expectations everyday — not once in awhile, but hour after hour, day after day, and in the midst of high expectations. Kobe wants it more than anyone else and constantly proves people wrong.

Think about how and when you first saw or heard about Kobe, before you started hating. He might have been taking Brandy, an R&B Star at the time, to the prom. Flexing in the dunk contest. Shooting air balls against the Jazz in the Playoffs. Getting sucker punched by a grown man (32-year-old Chris Childs) when he was 21. On trial in Eagle County.

Kobe’s is the story of a 6-6 guard who never got cut from his high school team. Instead, he broke Wilt Chamberlain’s state high school scoring record by scoring a total of 2,883 points. He outplayed all of his contemporaries and has amassed more rings than any of the other top players of his generation. He is already considered by many to be the greatest Laker ever. His motivation, clearly, has always been to achieve and surpass what anyone thought was expected.

“To be the best, you have to win… and that’s what drives me.” — Kobe Bryant

Recently, Kobe was asked who would win in a game of one-on-one between him and LeBron. In case you missed it, here was his response: “I’d win.”

Seems like LeBron agrees with me. You might have heard his response to a similar question as heard in a soundbite on Weezy’s song, “Kobe Bryant”:

“I’ve been quoted as saying Kobe is definitely the best player in our league…to me, in my eyes, the best scorer in our league, there’s not another guy in the League that can accomplish what he is doing…”

My point is that if you measure the best player by who would win in one-on-one, who wins the most games or titles, who scores the most, what he has already accomplished, proving haters and doubters wrong, by what the best coaches and players show and say, or exceeding expectations, it is clear that Kobe Bryant is the best basketball player in the world. And it’s not even that close. (KD is on deck.)

Now, if you think the best player is simply the most dominant athlete — the guy who is the biggest, strongest and fastest — with the most future potential, then the best player in the League would be someone else: Dwight Howard.

Kobe’s unique drive and determination have taken him further than most people anticipated. Go ahead and compare him to, or rank him beneath someone else. Watch all the other All-Stars assembling like Voltron, come through to the Staples Center, see the guy who never left, and maybe kiss the real king’s rings.

To be the best player, you have to beat the best, and I think Kobe will be king for a while — no one has the combination of attributes to knock him off his throne anytime soon.

SLAMonline TOP 50 PLAYERS OVERALL RANK POSITION RANK
Player Team Position 2010 2009 2010 2009
Ray Allen Celtics SG 50 36 10 9
Gilbert Arenas Wizards SG 49 34 9 8
Lamar Odom Lakers PF 48 33 14 10
John Wall Wizards PG 47 NR 13 NR
OJ Mayo Grizzlies SG 46 46 8 12
Al Horford Hawks C 45 NR 6 NR
Jason Kidd Mavs PG 44 45 12 10
Joakim Noah Bulls C 43 NR 5 NR
LaMarcus Aldridge Blazers PF 42 39 13 12
David West Hornets PF 41 31 12 8
Monta Ellis Warriors SG 40 NR 7 NR
Andrew Bogut Bucks C 39 NR 4 NR
Yao Ming Rockets C 38 NR 3 NR
Brandon Jennings Bucks PG 37 NR 11 NR
Zach Randolph Grizzlies PF 36 NR 11 NR
Stephen Curry Warriors PG 35 NR 10 NR
David Lee Warriors PF 34 NR 10 NR
Brook Lopez Nets C 33 NR 2 NR
Gerald Wallace Bobcats SF 32 NR 7 NR
Manu Ginobili Spurs SG 31 29 6 7
Tony Parker Spurs PG 30 15 9 3
Kevin Garnett Celtics PF 29 13 9 3
Rudy Gay Grizzlies SF 28 44 6 9
Josh Smith Hawks PF 27 40 8 13
Andre Iguodala 76ers SG 26 26 5 6
Al Jefferson Jazz PF 25 23 7 7
Russell Westbrook Thunder PG 24 NR 8 NR
Chauncey Billups Nuggets PG 23 19 7 5
Tyreke Evans Kings PG 22 NR 6 NR
Danny Granger Pacers SF 21 21 5 5
Carlos Boozer Bulls PF 20 32 6 9
Paul Pierce Celtics SF 19 17 4 4
Joe Johnson Hawks SG 18 20 4 4
Rajon Rondo Celtics PG 17 27 5 8
Amar’e Stoudemire Knicks PF 16 16 5 6
Steve Nash Suns PG 15 22 4 6
Tim Duncan Spurs PF 14 6 4 1
Chris Bosh Heat PF 13 13 3 4
Derrick Rose Bulls PG 12 18 3 4
Brandon Roy Blazers SG 11 10 3 3
Pau Gasol Lakers PF 10 14 2 5
Dirk Nowiztki Mavs PF 9 9 1 2
Deron Williams Jazz PG 8 11 2 2
Chris Paul Hornets PG 7 4 1 1
Carmelo Anthony Nuggets SF 6 7 3 2
Dwight Howard Magic C 5 5 1 1
Dwyane Wade Heat SG 4 3 2 2
Kevin Durant Thunder SF 3 8 2 3
Kobe Bryant Lakers SG 2 2 1 1
LeBron James Heat SF 1 1 1 1

Notes
• Rankings are based solely on projected ’10-11 performance.
• Contributors to this list include: Jeremy Bauman, Maurice Bobb, Erildas Budraitis, Sean Ceglinsky, Ben Collins, Bryan Crawford, Sandy Dover, Adam Figman, Manny Maduakolam, Eddie Maisonet, Ryne Nelson, Doobie Okon, Ben Osborne, Charles Peach, Branden Peters, Quinn Peterson, David Schnur, Todd Spehr, Kyle Stack, Adam Sweeney, Dennis Tarwood, Tracy Weissenberg, Lang Whitaker, Eric Woodyard, and Nima Zarrabi.
• Want more of the SLAMonline Top 50? Check out the archive.

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  • http://slamonline.com marco27

    Coaches vote 4 all defensive team awards so 2 say dat kobe doesn’t deserve dem awards is ludicrous. N obviously coaches hold more information about defensive match ups. I personally believe kobe is a better onball defender den wade. Wade plays da pass n wile I cannot deny his blockin ability I jus simply believe dat kobe can keep a player in front of him way better den wade. Datz my opinion n everybody is entitled 2 dere on opinion.

  • AZ

    Kobes 81 is 81. Made 28-of-46 field goal attempts. 18-20 Ft. Jordan 63 in a double overtime loss he shot 22 of 41 field goals and 19 of 21 free throws.

    Kobe hit 62 i think against a mavs team that went to the finals that year…in 3 quarters.

  • reald1

    kobe never avged 30 points in a season shooting 50%, ever. Jordan did it 5 times and did it twice avging 49%.

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  • TrailBlazing&SportingLisbon

    dont compare kob to MJ, its stupid…bean´s right after the goat as a scoring guard though.

  • Jer Dawg

    Every generation someone has to challenge the throne. People challenged Dr. J and his amazing abilities, but now he’s only got 1 ring. Jordan challenged that. Bird and Magic challenged each other and attained heights never imagined. If only 1 conquered the 80s each player would’ve gotten like 6-7 Rings each. Isiah was busting his ass against the giants of the 80s and earned his rep. Jordan took the challenge and overcame that. Kobe is doing the same thing; taking challenges and breaking through. Until someone says otherwise, he’s still supreme. But, I’m glad he’s #2 BECAUSE ALL THIS WILL DO IS FUEL HIM COME POST SEASON. He’s gonna take SLAM’s slight and earn him a seat next to Jordan. NO he isn’t better than him, but he can at least earn his membership into Jordan’s exclusive GOAT club. Thanks SLAM! LA fans will love you! Kobe Fans will love you! Haters love you!

  • Michael Whyte

    @crnac Posted: Oct.23 at 2:19 pm
    The author is in love with Kobe, that’s obvious, and it is somewhat anticipated because of Ben’s intro, but the amount of hate for LeBron is absolutely ridiculous and completely unnecessary. You can praise your favorite player without hating on any other player, you know?

    Completely agree. What a bad decision by SLAM to get a hater to write up the number 2. Poor write up. Kobe deserves his due but leave the writing to the pro’s.

  • Michael Whyte

    How many times do we think this writer has beaten off over a Kobe poster? I’m going with a 3 figure sum.

  • The Philosopher

    @Bryan Crawford:
    “Turn your head and someone else pressed ‘submit’”.
    Classic.
    Now, in an attempt to clear some things up, I will say this;
    Kobe was an important “role player” in those titles with Shaq.
    It is just, when you have Shaq in the trenches, taking (and dishing) the punishment, dealing with rescuing guys who were humiliated off the dribble, rebounding, guarding guys STRAIGHT UP, etc., it is very difficult to discount.
    Now, say they lose any or all of those Finals series. Who would get the heat? Kobe?
    I beg to differ.
    Shaq is The Franchise Player.
    He will bare the blame for any and all failure within the team.
    THAT says who is “the man” on any particular championship team.

  • mopiwan

    Anyone who either looks at the numbers OR watches the actual games would be a damned liar if they could say that lebron IS the best basketball player in the world. In my opinion, has been for the last 3 years.
    All he is ever done is improve his game year to year. True, he is the best athlete but, the best athlete doesnt automatically ring up 8.6 ast a game.
    During “crunch time”, when Kobe does it best, there are a bunch of numbers that indicate otherwise. http://www.82games.com/0910/CSORT11.HTM

    There is nothing wrong with people declaring Kobe as top 5, but not 1. You dont get on that list by being a scrub. He had his time but that ended a few years ago.

  • mopiwan

    my bad, meant ISNT

  • ethan

    shouldnt even be in the top 50

  • B.Joe

    That’s ok. Kobe’s been passed over numerous times in the past. Remember when we all knew Vince was better than Kobe, when AI was considered the best in the Ass’n, when T-Mac was thought of as Kobe’s equal, when Tim Duncan was everything Kobe should be, when Shaq was miles ahead of Kobe – a place he seemingly would always be?, remember the world collectively scoffing at the Jordan comparisons 10 years ago, remember Jerry West telling reporters three years ago that James had surpassed Bryant as a player, remember when Magic said before last season Kobe had lost a step and was no longer the best?, remember the doubt, the hate, the negativity, the fued with Shaq, the trial in CO, the airballs versus Utah? You can rest assured that Kobe remembers all that. It’s tattooed in the deepest places of his soul and mind. I remember all that well. But I know this. Don’t ever bet against Kobe Bryant. Every one of his contemporaries has fallen by the wayside, everyone of those questions I posed above has seen a stronger, wiser, more mature, and better Kobe. He’s everything Lebron and KD and Carmelo and CP3 and everyone in the NBA wishes they were. A

  • IHaveADream

    @mopiwan
    LeBron’s game hasn’t really improved since last season or the season before. He’s just put on some more muscle. He needs to spend more time trying to get a consistent jumpshot and some post moves and less time in the weight room thinking that he will overpower his way to a championship. Kobe’s overall basketball skill is still head and shoulders above LeBron. Don’t need any stats from some website. Just watch the games. Who do teams fear the most? Kobe.

  • The Philosopher

    Well, there is at least two teams who will not be fearing him this year.
    There is one team who has not feared him since they beat him in The Finals not too long ago.

  • AZ

    @The Philosopher
    The team that just lost the recent finals?

  • The Philosopher

    Does not matter.
    They smelled blood.
    When you smell an opponent’s blood, there is no longer fear.

  • IHaveADream

    @The Philosopher
    The whole reason why LeBron, Wade and Bosh got together is because they feared the Lakers and they still do even if they won’t say it. The Celtics added Shaq and JO because they want to compete better with the Lakers. The Lakers, Celtics and Magic do not fear the Heat at all and are not worried a bit about the “Big 3″. Kobe could care less about the Heat lol. The only ones who are in panic mode…are the Heat which is why they put that team together. One or two D-Wade injuries away from a possible second round exit.

  • The Philosopher

    @IHaveADream:
    I like and respect your style.
    You bring up a passionate argument, but…
    Anyways, I shall retire for the night.
    Peace to all, brethren.

  • http://slamonline.com Ben Osborne

    Thanks for reading, everyone. This has been a very fun top 50. The real thing starts Tuesday!

  • http://thetroyblog.com Teddy-the-Bear

    ^ A YES YES YA’LL! FINALLY!

  • Chris

    Great job, Jason. Best piece of the entire top 50

  • KB8toSG8

    Damn……to think I missed all of this….and to a select person who thinks MJ finished better at the rim than a 27 year old Kobe…..dude, get a life and stop spewing BS all around. And you don’t seem to consider the fact that MJ had BIGGER hands. He could PALM the ball like DWade now can. Having bigger hands enables you to have more control while in the air with the ball in your hands. That makes adjusting the flight of the ball and its course waaay more easier. KB wasn’t blessed with jaw dropping physical attributes or a ridiculous ability to jump out of the gym. This becomes clear once you watch DWade, MJ and KB driving into the lane side by side. To think you couldn’t notice such an important thing is……..

  • emperor rob

    so who wants chips

  • http://www.need4sheed.com Tarzan Cooper

    NO ONE wants to see the spurs in the playoffs

  • feez22

    kobe more advanced offensive skillset than jordan? LOL. LOL. LOL. LOL. k after i got those LOL’s out of the way lets clarify something and lets do that right now. if you have even watched jordan play you would know that kobe’s game especially his perimeter game is almost an imitation of jordan’s. the ONLY thing that kobe is better offensively at than jordan was is the 3 point shot. Thats it. Other than that… its not even close. Jordan finished at the rim much better, scored better from the midrange, had an array of offensive moves that were actually EFFICIENT… he scored more, passed more, was more athletic offensively (and defensively), was more clutch, is probably the best Post up guard of ALL TIME… seriously MJ won 8 SCORING CHAMPIONSHIPS and shot 50% in 6 of them. Kobe hasn’t shot 50% in a single damn season. see you guys get caught up in kobe’s flash. guess what? look at his fg percentage. he has shot over 46% ONCE in his 14 year career. Not to mention that jordan did most of his work in an era of handchecking. so really… how is kobe a better offensive player than jordan again? answer= he’s NOT. so stop pushing that seriously this is why i HATE kobe fans. you overrate the guy to depths he doesn’t even want to be overrated to.

  • feez22

    @IHaveADream … i think you are wrong on that. I’m sure they all got toghether bc in wades/bosh’s perspective their teams were way too inferior. In lebron’s perspective i think he was tired of seeing his teammates play really well in season and dissapear in the playoffs. I dont see how any of them could fear the lakers when they didn’t even get to face the lakers in the playoffs… I think lebron feared the rondo/pierce/allen/garnett celtics or the dwight/rashard/vince/jameer magic more than the lakers cuz those 2 teams are who eliminated him the past 3 yrs. Everyone doesn’t fear the damn lakers. western conference playoff teams do… again unlike popular belief not everyone fears the dang lakers wade/bosh/lebron in season on their respective teams combined for a 4-2 record against them last yr. its about the celtics.

  • Jay

    Didn’t Kobe have that little hissy fit and basically quit when they were playing the suns a few years ago? Kobe’s great but he’s too much of a Prima-donna. So it doesn’t matter what he does, his pr is a big pile of crap. So he’ll never be mj. I’d guess Jordan’s still selling more shoes.

  • david

    Amen.
    thanks SLAM for giving Kobe motivation on not having him in front lebron. You just woke up a sleeping dragon, it’s over. Tell Lebron no chips this year.

  • KB8toSG8

    @Jay…..who the hell cares about who’s PR is better and who sells more shoes?!?! And KB atleast quit (according to you….) in the last game when every freaking pathetic starters (Luke,Vlad,Kwame,Smush) were already stinking the joint. They were down by halftime. You can’t expect KB to outscore the run and gun Suns right?! That would be the height of insanity. What good can Kb do when his team lets in an easy basket on the D just as soon as he scores?!And some guys here are getting confused about efficiency and skill. KB is more skilled than MJ. MJ is more effective within his own skill set because he posted up more. You guys can see why I defended KB’s FG% in a few other threads.

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  • rand33p

    this is clearly a regular season award… weak slam, weak… back to back and still lightin it up.. yah prolly number one for kobe

  • EJ

    That’s the real king! Lebron is still Kobe’s little brother. And JTaylos, I don’t think MJ really shoots better than Kobe, they are about even in shooting, cause Kobe’s better from deep, MJ only had like 3 good seasons from 3. And Kobe handles the ball better. They turn the ball over at about the same rate, but Kobe’s moves are better. Also Kobe’s foot work is a bit better I think. I’m pretty sure MJ himself would agree that Kobe belongs to the top spot. Lebron is the fantasy buff’s number 1.

  • Scully

    Who would win a 1-on-1?
    Kobe: me
    lebron: him
    conclusive proof Kobe is the better player!!!!
    (lebron should be number 1 as he’s waaaayyy more diplomatic than Kobe)
    and before anyone wants to argue any of this, turn on your sarcasm detectors.
    They’re both great players. Accept this.

  • JD

    I must say Kobe has come a long way in the last few years,he was a prima donna but now he fine. However, i dont really agree with how people compare him to Jordan, sure Kobe has 5 rings, but in 14 seasons(still pretty good) whilst Jordan had 6 rings in 13 seasons including the season when he only a few games he played when he came back from baseball.Furthermore, Mikes ego wasnt such a big factor and he was the guy the whole time. He always kept the Bulls in contention whilst Kobe spent three seasons in the wilderness with his Laker team. And Mike won the tree rings coming off of a comeback from Baseball.

  • scott

    I had the chance to watch both Kobe and Jordan in their prime years. So, i will shed some light for you all. Kobe is the more superior offensive player. Why? because he has stolen all the the previous greats bread and butter moves. He has a counter for everything you throw at him. So, a guy that has master all of Jordan’s moves plus other greats has less offensive skill set than Jordan? Stop smoking green stuff and go back to school.

  • http://hoopistani.blogspot.com hoopistani

    I agree with the argument in this article, but the writer is arguing the right point at the wrong place. If you are arguing for Kobe Bryant being number one under a heading that says Kobe Bryant, no. 2, then you’re wrong.

  • jc

    The fact that people have to debate whether Bryant is even the best player in his own generation says it all. No-one, including the players of the time, could say anyone other than Jordan was the best player. Lets not forget who Jordan beat to stay at the top – Barkley, Drexler, Malone, Isiah Thomas, Magic Johnson, Hakeem Olajuwon, David Robinson, Patrick Ewing to name but a few. All you kids out there who think you can argue based on stats please go and check Jordans again. He absolutely cleaned up year after year. Oh, and when Bryant wins a chip with Bill Wennington/Will Perdue/Luc Longley/Bill Cartwright as his center instead of Shaquille O Neal or Pau Gasol and uses his ‘superior’ offensive skill set to actually make 50% of his shots year after year come back and let us all know.

  • IHaveADream

    @feez22
    I’m not wrong at all. They got together because they want to take the championship away from the Lakers. Just because the Lakers are in the Western Conference..uh, eventually a team from the East has to play a team from the West to win a championship, don’t know if you were aware of that or not. You’ve proven yourself to be a Kobe hater long before this post. You’re clearly unable to be objective. You lack knowledge of basketball matters just like the others on here who are in love with a guy who has no intention of being a leader on a great team which is why he’s now playing with Dwyane Wade in Dwyane Wade’s city. Wade could have gotten Bosh and some shooters and he would have been ready to challenge the Magic and Celtics without LeBron.

  • KB8toSG8

    @JD…..he lost the first season he came back. MJ also never had to play with Shaq……and MJ’s ego was never a big factor?!?! Hell, he punched a team-mate in the face and is known widely for bad-mouthing his team in press-conferences LOL.

  • AT33

    Kobe is what MJ said: A top 10 player in his position. That means, out of all guards to ever play, Kobe ranks 10th in history. I think that statement is accurate.

  • IHaveADream

    @AT33
    Give it up. MJ said that because his ego won’t allow him to give Kobe that number two spot behind him.
    I like the picture of Kobe that is on here…he’s laughing with his trophies while more are to come…and LeBron can get all the regular season accolades he wants.

  • Overtime

    Personally one of my favourite write ups of this year. Straight to the point but with passion. Doesnt need to be gimmicky, just talk about the player you love, well done Jason

  • AT33

    @IHaveADream
    I think to value a great player you have to be a great player and MJ is the best to ever play. What he says speaks values. He sees things from the above. I don’t think Kobe is the best Laker ever, Magic is the best Laker ever. Let’s not forget, Kobe has six rings but on three championships he was not the reason why they won, he was just a role player. I even think Shaq is the 2nd best Laker ever. We all saw how far Kobe can take his team after Shaq left and before Gasol came in. Kobe is not a team player, he is a gifted selfish athlete. Kobe will never be in the conversation the best Laker ever let alone in his position or the whole NBA.

  • The Philosopher

    Shaq is better than Kareem?
    o.k.

  • http://www.kb24.com The Seed

    Great write up, way better than the years passed. For those who are not giving Kobe his credit for his first three rings, need to go watch all the games before the NBA Finals each year. Shaq always dominated the East in the NBA Finals, because he never had anyone that could guard him. The EAST centers were weak during that time playing the PACERS, SIXERS, NETS centers is not anything for Shaq to handle. Plus people need to understand against the Spurs which was the real NBA finals each year, Shaq would get in foul trouble and Timmy used to kill him. Kobe would step up always to get them to the NBA finals. Spurs coach would always say Kobe was the key to the Lakers, so for those who think Kobe just walked around and hit 4th qtr shots need to watch before NBA Finals. Also Kobe led the comeback in the Blazers game down by 15, saved the LAkers plenty of times in 4th qtrs when Shaq was in foul trouble or you knew he would miss free throws. Kobe has proven himself to be a KING with 5 rings. So anybody that thinks Kobe does not deserve to be consider one of the greats need to realize this kid worked himself from the bench behind a good player in Eddie Jones, with a dominate teammate in Shaq who had issues–ask his former teams, and a coach who had a problem with him. Kobe then had to go through a court trail, playing with Smush, Kwame and Walton in a starting lineup, to calling out Lakers management to becoming an all time great. Actions speak louder than words and Kobe actions on the court this year and years past prove that winning at all cost is a major thing for him. Kobe has proven everyone wrong for years, so Haters hate, but KOBE is going to BALL. BOOK IT!!

  • IHaveADream

    @AT33
    You are not taking into consideration the fact that MJ doesn’t want anyone to be mentioned in the same sentence with him especially the player who comes as close to him as anyone has or ever will. Kobe wasn’t a role player, as I have stated too many times, on those Laker teams. Get over it. Let the hate go. LeBron would have sucked with Smush Parker as his point guard and Kwame Brown as his center too. You just dislike Kobe so your comments about him are clearly just plain BS as is everything else you say on here.

  • Marvin

    Lovin’ the attitude and swag from this write-up that embodies Kobe as player. I don’t care what people say; Kobe is the best player in the world and the one I look up to.

  • http://www.youtube.com/user/Uncle05Sam Earl

    YOU IDIOTS!!!

  • Ragib

    The constant references to Jordan is a large part of why this piece lost all its credibility to me, as it shows the writer is really just crackers and is probably a teenager or in his young 20′s, because he definitely didn’t watch Jordan’s career, enough though he takes it upon himself to decide Kobe’s achievements make Jordan’s look “insignificant”. For example, he implies Kobe’s 81 point regular season game against the Raptors (back then, a mediocre team), or his 62 in 3 quarters against the Mavs, also regular season, are somehow more impressive than Jordan’s 63 in Boston Garden. Context is important. Jordan was only a sophomore, who was the sole talent on his team at the time. Pippen wasn’t drafted yet, and no big man to hold down the post like Kobe has had for all his rings. And Jordan’s 63 dropped in the PLAYOFFS. Playoffs and regular season are very very different, we all know that. The level of play gets higher, the opponents defend you tighter, they go all out. And Jordan still dropped 63. And the opponent? Raptors or Mavs? No, the 1986 Celtics, widely agreed to be the best year of Larry Birds career (Finals MVP and League MVP on ridiculous shooting percentages)and the best Celtics team since the Bill Russell era, 67-15 reg season record and eventual championships. So yes, Jordans 63 is somewhat a more difficult feat than dropped 81 against some Raptors club.

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