I know Kobe is a GREAT player (I hate saying that everytime because I hate the Lakers and I hate him). I was just wondering what you guys thought (obviously there is both to be as good as he is, but what do you think is the MAJOR reason he is as good as he is at this point): Is Kobe more: A) God given gifts: - He was drafted right out of HS @ #13. - Won a dunk contest - Sick athletic ability B) Work: - Guy got so much better with all the effort he puts in to be the greatest. - He was traded by Charlotte (Hornets at the time) for just an aging Vlade Divac - Guy puts in more effort at the gym that near anybody, and gets help (like calling up Dream to work on his post game), and year after year he seems to improve at least 1 aspect of his game. Obviously I believe it is B, I think he is an average gifted player, who just worked his butt off to become as good as he is, which is also why I don't think he is as good or will ever be as good as MJ. I honestly believe you put his work ethic into Tmac or his killer instinct into Lebron and you would have a player who may be as good or better than MJ and people would be in absolute awe of, because those guys have absolutely ridiculous amounts of god given talent. What do you guys think?
It's both, obviously you need athleticism to be a great player, but he is known to be the hardest worker in the league.
Where is the "both" option? While kobe may not be as gifted athletically and physically as Jordan (let's be honest, will anyone ever be?) saying that he is "average" is absurd. For his size he has point guard like handles, always great elevation on his shot and elite body control while in the air. Kobe is a result of 3 things, mental fortitude, god given talent and the work ethic of a mad man. Most NBA players get by with 2 out of 3. It's the hall of famers who always posses the three.
Obviously it's both. Kobe has lost a lot of his athleticism but his shooting touch more than makes up for it. He's one of the most dedicated players the NBA has ever seen. I'll add that work ethic and raw skill aren't the only elements of an NBA player. On-court mentality and toughness are also important. IMO, this is what puts Kobe on a different level from other superstars. He is so intensely competitive that he cannot be knocked off his game by ANY form of intimidation or physicality. It just makes him madder and more determined to rip the heart out of the opponent.
he isn't the most gifted athlete but he started with just enough to make it to the NBA. everything after that was 24/7 work. the guy is a work-a-holic. he rarely gets injured b/c he plays smart and is a nazi about his work-outs. same as MJ. except MJ was mad gifted.
"average gifted player" I hate defending Kobe, but he's not averaged gifted. His athleticism alone is good enough to be an above average player. His work ethic (ie. wanting to be MJ) is what separates him from other athletic wings.
T-Mac and Lebron do not have "rediculous amounts of god given talent". Those guys are losers who think they deserve more than what they are worth.
His competitiveness, work's attitude, ego, arrogant and will to win are what separated him from other players today. We have seen many players with the same god's gift and athleticism but they failed to bring their games and teams to the next level like kobe does. If Lebron can work on his game every summer like kobe instead of dreaming to be become billionaire, he will be far more better player than kobe!
Tmac may not be on the kobe level, but if you think he magically had that jump and dribbling abilities you are mistaken.
Fact that Tmac was THAT GOOD when he is like he is (aka lazy), shows how good he is. Lebron just has no killer instinct that is his major problem. ALSO People saying both, I WROTE obviously there is both, but I'm saying which is the MAJORITY.
I don't see too many 6'8/6'9 guys that have large hands, can jump through the roof, wingspan of a taller person, can pass and handle the ball like a PG, rebound like a big, have quickness like a guard, can play multiple positions, score inside and outside, etc. etc. Otherwise you could be in the NBA also.
I wouldn't call him an average gifted player but I don't think he's an exceptional athlete when compared to his peers. He's one of the two best players in the nba and I wouldn't even put him in my top 10 most gifted players. Sure, he has great athleticism but most wings have that these days. It's nothing like comparing MJ to his peers.
I would put T-Mac and Lebron as more of hard workers than talent. T-Mac worked hard to be noticed from the shadows of Vince. He carried that to Orlando. So he was talented, but to say he had a "rediculous amounts of god given talent" made it sound like he came in owning the league, which of course was not true. Lebron came into the league as the Cavalier's captian, so he was given a spotlight right from the start, not because he was so talented. I believe like T-Mac, Lebron works hard at his game to improve various aspects of his game throughout the years.
Let's get one thing straight here. 1st off... theres no one in the league that pisses me off more to watch put a dagger in my heart NIGHT AFTER NIGHT then Kobe. With that said, you have to respect the guy so much because of the work he puts in. you can tell by his techniques... hes just so polished and that has come from hours of working on little things... footwork on the offensive and defensive side. You just know at the end of the game its CLOSING TIME and Kobes the man to go to... its almost as if you know whats coming so its not a suprise anymore when he hits the game winner... hes obviously gifted, but my goodness...hes the real deal.
