Kobe announces retirement

[Neurotic Guy]

PLEASE don't make people have to defend Kobe and praise him by ranking him below inferior players.   

[moiso]

Kobe was twice as good as Iverson.  Kobe played both sides of the ball in his younger years.

[KeepRondo]

Pretty soon someone gonna say Caron Butler was better than Kobe.

[Eja117]

PLEASE don't make people have to defend Kobe and praise him by ranking him below inferior players.

There were some other guys I didn't really get around to.

Scottie Pippen
Karl Malone
John Stockton
Jason Kidd
Charles Barkley
Patrick Ewing
David Robinson

[PhoSita]

Kobe -- talent of a top 10 player, ultimately just a top 15 player because he didn't consistently make his team better.  I don't think a guy belongs in the top 10 when it's possible to say that about him.

[Who]

I have 14 of my top 15 decided with Kobe in one of those slots.

Five guards = Magic Johnson, Oscar Robertson, Jerry West, Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant
Two forwards = Larry Bird, LeBron James
Seven centers = Bill Russell, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Hakeem Olajuwon, Shaquille O'Neal, Wilt Chamberlain, Tim Duncan, Moses Malone

[MBunge]

Honestly, the analytics guys are going to have to go to work on where Kobe ranks among the all-time greats.  I mean, just look at this comparison.

Jerry West career averages - 47% shooting, 27 pts, 5.8 rebs, 6.7 asts, 2 stls, .7 blks.

Kobe Bryant career averages - 45% shooting, 25 pts, 5.3 Rebs, 4.8 asts, 1.1 stls, .5 blks.

Now, how do you fairly compare those two?  Kobe's averages are hurt by his teen years and his old man years, but take them away and his career totals take a significant dip.  West played in a faster paced era but Kobe played in a time where he was allowed to dominate the ball and jack up shots beyond anything in West's day.

Kobe is clearly not on Jordan's level but beyond that, it's going to take some time to fairly evaluate him.

Mike

[Eja117]

He was just another overhyped selfish player that happened to play with Shaq.

When he had a chance to lead a team it flopped.

Then they got him enough help to have a decent team again and he won one whole ring. Whoop de doo.

[tazzmaniac]

I have 14 of my top 15 decided with Kobe in one of those slots.

Five guards = Magic Johnson, Oscar Robertson, Jerry West, Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant
Two forwards = Larry Bird, LeBron James
Seven centers = Bill Russell, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Hakeem Olajuwon, Shaquille O'Neal, Wilt Chamberlain, Tim Duncan, Moses Malone

Now that's a good list.  I think I'd add Karl Malone as the 15th. 

[pearljammer10]

PLEASE don't make people have to defend Kobe and praise him by ranking him below inferior players.

There were some other guys I didn't really get around to.

Scottie Pippen
Karl Malone
John Stockton
Jason Kidd
Charles Barkley
Patrick Ewing
David Robinson

Now you're just reaching.

[86MaxwellSmart]

He was just another overhyped selfish player that happened to play with Shaq.

When he had a chance to lead a team it flopped.

Then they got him enough help to have a decent team again and he won one whole ring. Whoop de doo.

That BS Pau Gasol trade, Kept Kobe in L.A....he was WHINING for a trade prior to that GIFT from Memphis (ex-GM Jerry West Orchestrated that deal).

[Eja117]

PLEASE don't make people have to defend Kobe and praise him by ranking him below inferior players.

There were some other guys I didn't really get around to.

Scottie Pippen
Karl Malone
John Stockton
Jason Kidd
Charles Barkley
Patrick Ewing
David Robinson

Now you're just reaching.

I have a hard time imagining Kobe dragging the Nets to the finals twice or the Suns with Kevin Johnson and Dan Majerle.   

[tazzmaniac]

He was just another overhyped selfish player that happened to play with Shaq.

When he had a chance to lead a team it flopped.

Then they got him enough help to have a decent team again and he won one whole ring. Whoop de doo.

If you're going to spout nonsense, at least get the facts straight.  Kobe won 3 rings with Shaq and 2 rings after Shaq left.  Shaq won 3 rings with Kobe and only 1 ring without him.  I don't like Kobe but I respect what he accomplished.  He was drafted 13th and became one of the all-time greats. 

[alldaboston]

He was just another overhyped selfish player that happened to play with Shaq.

When he had a chance to lead a team it flopped.

Then they got him enough help to have a decent team again and he won one whole ring. Whoop de doo.

well, by your logic, the same can be applied to our own Paul Pierce.

when Pierce had a chance to lead a team it flopped.

Then they got Pierce enough help to have a decent team again and he won one whole ring. "whoop de doo".

stop the unnecessary hate on Kobe. it's making you look really stupid right now.

[Celtics4ever]

He should have retired a few years ago.   Now his legacy which is already tarnished as a guy with such a big ego, he ran off Shaq to a guy who stayed in the game too long.   The real thing is he should retire now, not at the end of the season perceptions will get even worse as it wears down.   You know he will get into an Allstar game he does not deserve, too.