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[BballTim]

I don't know how I wind up defending Kobe...

I would put Kobe's career against Magic and Bird.  He has 5 rings, and he will probably finish being either the first or second most prolific scorer in the history of the game.

  You might put his career against Magic and Bird considering their careers were sidetracked by injuries while they were still in their primes. He certainly doesn't measure up to them as a player.

[LooseCannon]

He's not top 5 on my list.

At this moment, he's not even in the Top 50 in the All-Time ELO rankings (a community-based ranking of players) at basketball-reference.com.

EDIT: And not even Top 10 among active players.

[aporel#18]

Well, this season says Kobe is the same ballhog, me first and "the blame is on anyone else" spoiled brat.

He's always been that way, so no surprise. When the Lakers signed Nash I was afraid Kobe would use his brain and allow Nash to be the playmaker, feeding the big men and thus creating a lot of space for Kobe to make easy shots. But he refuses to share the ball, so Nash is useless.

He's had Shaq and Pau to bring the rings, without a quality big man he's useless, as we did learn when the Lakers team before signing Pau.

He might be a great scorer, but so is Carmelo Anthony. He's been hyped and favored by the League and the refs (like Lebron, he never fouls, never travels) because he embraced the Jordan disgusting character (I'm business, clutch and incredible) as a little NBA dictator. I hate the Lakers, but you can see some qualities in other faker players. In Kobe's case, I can't see any... well, at least he's not Wade, so that counts as a positive.

Lakers will be better than this, they'll figure it out eventually, but I love to see them struggling while it lasts.

Go Celtics

[soap07]

I don't know how I wind up defending Kobe...

I would put Kobe's career against Magic and Bird.  He has 5 rings, and he will probably finish being either the first or second most prolific scorer in the history of the game.

  You might put his career against Magic and Bird considering their careers were sidetracked by injuries while they were still in their primes. He certainly doesn't measure up to them as a player.

While this is true, I think there's something to be said for Kobe's durability and his ability to maintain a high level of play through all these years.

He's always been that way, so no surprise. When the Lakers signed Nash I was afraid Kobe would use his brain and allow Nash to be the playmaker, feeding the big men and thus creating a lot of space for Kobe to make easy shots. But he refuses to share the ball, so Nash is useless.

You seem to imply that the Lakers problem this year is on the offensive end. Kobe is having one of the best seasons of his life (offensively) - and the Lakers have one of the best offenses in the league, while missing key players for long stretches. So...whatever negative adjectives you throw Kobe's way - on the offensive end at least, whatever he's doing is working just fine.

[soap07]

Well to say that in a season with a such a star-studded lineup, Kobe fails to lead or pick up the slack when Dwight and Gasol are injured.   
Kobe's deficiencies come to light, to show in his career, he never had leadership qualities. And if you lack that, theres no way you can be in the top 15 all time list

He's not an elite defender, rebounder, or passer. The only elite skills is his scoring. If people are giving him passes for his scoring, then we should add George Gervin, Alex English, David Thompson, and Bob Mcadoo in the top 15 all time list

Kobe is the only one who has picked up the slack while Dwight/Gasol have been injured. I don't see how you can't see that.

How do you win 5 rings without any leadership qualities? 2 of those 5 rings, he was the best player on the team.

And please get your facts straight - Kobe is an elite rebounder for a 2 guard.

[OsirusCeltics]

Well to say that in a season with a such a star-studded lineup, Kobe fails to lead or pick up the slack when Dwight and Gasol are injured.   
Kobe's deficiencies come to light, to show in his career, he never had leadership qualities. And if you lack that, theres no way you can be in the top 15 all time list

He's not an elite defender, rebounder, or passer. The only elite skills is his scoring. If people are giving him passes for his scoring, then we should add George Gervin, Alex English, David Thompson, and Bob Mcadoo in the top 15 all time list

Kobe is the only one who has picked up the slack while Dwight/Gasol have been injured. I don't see how you can't see that.

How do you win 5 rings without any leadership qualities? 2 of those 5 rings, he was the best player on the team.

And please get your facts straight - Kobe is an elite rebounder for a 2 guard.

2009 is the only year he barely edged out Gasol as being the best player. And Gasol was the reason they won in 2010

Why bring the numerous titles he won like that makes him a better player? No one brags that Robert Horry or Derek Fisher are such great players

[pearljammer10]

This season screams that Kobe is a top notch ballhog. hard to deal with and is a coach and chemistry killer.


i don't know if any player wants to play with him. Very difficult to deal with and is a diva.

Tell that to the 5 championship rings he has.

[BASS_THUMPER]

What this Laker season says about Kobe Bryant

kobe can only win another ring with 4 other kobes on the floor with him

[greg683x]

No guard has averaged 15ppg in his 17th season in the history of the NBA.  Kobe is averaging 30ppg.  47/35/84 are his percentages.  He's playing 40 min a game at his age and averaging 5 rebounds and 5 assists.  He's pretty awful at defending the young athletic guys, but he's also getting 1.5 steals a game.

I did not know this.  Amazing.

how many guards were as young as Kobe is in his 17th season?  People often forget Kobe had a 4 year head start on the other players in NBA history his stats are compared to.

Instead of saying Kobes in his 17th season, lets just look at his age.  At 34 hes averaging 30 points a game, when Jordan was 34 he was also averaging 30 points a game.

Still impressive, and Kobe is a great players, but im sick of these stats that are thrown out there that inflate the truth

[Who]

No guard has averaged 15ppg in his 17th season in the history of the NBA.  Kobe is averaging 30ppg.  47/35/84 are his percentages.  He's playing 40 min a game at his age and averaging 5 rebounds and 5 assists.  He's pretty awful at defending the young athletic guys, but he's also getting 1.5 steals a game.

I did not know this.  Amazing.

how many guards were as young as Kobe is in his 17th season?  People often forget Kobe had a 4 year head start on the other players in NBA history his stats are compared to.

Instead of saying Kobes in his 17th season, lets just look at his age.  At 34 hes averaging 30 points a game, when Jordan was 34 he was also averaging 30 points a game.

Still impressive, and Kobe is a great players, but im sick of these stats that are thrown out there that inflate the truth

So I looked it up on basketball-reference.com -- looking for age instead of seasons played -- and apparently 5 players have scored more than 25ppg at 34+ years of age.

Two players did so twice, Karl Malone (34, 36 years old) and Alex English (34, 35). Everybody else on the list was 34 years of age. K.Malone was therefore the oldest player to do so at 36 years of age in 1999-2000. The other players were Michael Jordan (1998), Bernard King (1991) and Dominique Wilkins (1994).

If Kobe can maintain his current scoring rate (29.8ppg), he would be the most prolific scorer of the group. Michael Jordan is the current high scorer at 28.7ppg. Bernard King had 28.4. The rest are between 25.0ppg and 27.0ppg. So Kobe only has two peers in terms how prolific he has been and is currently ahead of both of them.

If Kobe can maintain his current true shooting percentage (58.5%), he would rank 2nd best sandwiched in between Karl Malone's two seasons (59.7% and 58.2%). Nobody else managed to get higher than 53.5%. So it is pretty special what Karl Malone did and what Kobe Bryant is doing now efficiency wise.

[BballTim]

I don't know how I wind up defending Kobe...

I would put Kobe's career against Magic and Bird.  He has 5 rings, and he will probably finish being either the first or second most prolific scorer in the history of the game.

  You might put his career against Magic and Bird considering their careers were sidetracked by injuries while they were still in their primes. He certainly doesn't measure up to them as a player.

While this is true, I think there's something to be said for Kobe's durability and his ability to maintain a high level of play through all these years.

  Yes, but the thing to say is that he's been durable, not that he is as good of a player as they were.

[CelticsFan9]

Kobe's having a great season so far.  He's been scoring at a very efficient rate.

Bryant has even said that he might start chasing Kareem's scoring record than the sixth chip, so if that's what he's trying ti accomplish, then he's doing what he has to do to get it.

[bfrombleacher]

Kobe's having a great season so far.  He's been scoring at a very efficient rate.

Bryant has even said that he might start chasing Kareem's scoring record than the sixth chip, so if that's what he's trying ti accomplish, then he's doing what he has to do to get it.

I think that's where people have a problem...maybe?

Rondo would sacrifice his assist totals for sure. Garnett and Pierce would both sacrifice individual glory in the same position.

Hell, as much as I hate using LeBron James as an example, he sacrificed to get a championship.

But I think the loyalty our guys and a few other guys in the league have makes their desire that much sweeter. It's like they're doing it for the franchise whereas the aforementioned 2 were doing things for personal glory.

[Moranis]

Kobe's having a great season so far.  He's been scoring at a very efficient rate.

Bryant has even said that he might start chasing Kareem's scoring record than the sixth chip, so if that's what he's trying ti accomplish, then he's doing what he has to do to get it.

I think that's where people have a problem...maybe?

Rondo would sacrifice his assist totals for sure. Garnett and Pierce would both sacrifice individual glory in the same position.

Hell, as much as I hate using LeBron James as an example, he sacrificed to get a championship.

But I think the loyalty our guys and a few other guys in the league have makes their desire that much sweeter. It's like they're doing it for the franchise whereas the aforementioned 2 were doing things for personal glory.

sacrifice what?  Without Kobe scoring that team would get destroyed.  I mean have you actually looked at the Lakers lineup.  I mean the Lakers starting lineup against the Thunder (2 games ago) was: Earl Clark, Metta World Peace, Robert Sacre, Kobe Bryant, and Steve Nash.  The bench consists of Antawn Jamison, Chris Duhon, Jodie Meeks, Darius Morris, and Devan Ebanks.  Who exactly is Kobe supposed to sacrifice for?  I mean seriously.  If Kobe wasn't scoring the Lakers would be far far worse than they actually are. 

Dwight came back for their last game, but they are still starting Earl Clark.  The reality is the Lakers have absolutely no bench, any injury cripples them, and they have had a lot of injuries, which isn't surprising given the players and their ages and injury issues.  Everyone has always said, that the Lakers just need to get to the playoffs healthy to be a threat.  It looks like they might not be able to do it.  They need depth and a lot of it.

[pearljammer10]

No guard has averaged 15ppg in his 17th season in the history of the NBA.  Kobe is averaging 30ppg.  47/35/84 are his percentages.  He's playing 40 min a game at his age and averaging 5 rebounds and 5 assists.  He's pretty awful at defending the young athletic guys, but he's also getting 1.5 steals a game.

I did not know this.  Amazing.

how many guards were as young as Kobe is in his 17th season?  People often forget Kobe had a 4 year head start on the other players in NBA history his stats are compared to.

Instead of saying Kobes in his 17th season, lets just look at his age.  At 34 hes averaging 30 points a game, when Jordan was 34 he was also averaging 30 points a game.

Still impressive, and Kobe is a great players, but im sick of these stats that are thrown out there that inflate the truth

I do agree that age plays a factor but you can't take away the 17 seasons part of the argument. When Jordan was 34 he was only in his 13th season.

Kobe is in his 17th season and even though he is 34 as well, those 4 extra years of 82 games, pre season, playoffs, olympics, whatever definitely have the same effect and could make Kobe's body seem even older.

None the less impressive however way you want to look at it, is basically what it come down to.