If Kobe gets his ring this year, how is he not the GREATEST?

Shaq, as dominant as he was, could not be depended upon---sub-55% FT%---to be the closer, that role was the exclusive domain of Kobe, the cold-blooded assasin.

it took the tandem of Kobe and Shaq to win the ring. without a closer on the team, Shaq's Laker teams would not have won a ring, just like LBJ's current Cavs team.

• likewise, Kobe could not have won the ring without Shaq

 

I know that Shaq needs a guy to help him in the final minutes. That is one fo the reasons why I believe Hakeem was a better player. Most players need another good player to win a championship (except for Hakeem in 1994).
Regardsless I would much rather have him on my team than Pippen. Shaq was a monster. And clearly the best player on that Lakers team.

 

he needed Horry making those 3-pt shots.

Shaq clearly was NOT the best closer on the team, far from it.

 

I didn't say closer, I said best player. Horry was a great closer, Reggie Miller was a great closer. But they were not great players. Do you see the difference.

Would you rather have kobe (with the skils he had during the threepeat) or would you rather have Shaq in your team? it is not even close. because of Shaqs dominance other player had it much easier and had much more room to operate. that team would not have won a single championship without Shaq and with another center, without Kobe they might have won one or two (depending on who would replace him).

 

REGGIE MILLER WAS OBVIOUSLY A GREAT PLAYER AND A SUPERSTAR!!!!

 

That's not necessarily true that Shaq needed Kobe to be the closer. In the 2001 playoffs, the Lakers won almost all of their playoff games by double digits. Those games weren't coming down to free throws in the final minutes.

 

This deserves to be quoted on every page until rock4ever acknowledges and rebuts this argument. Every major objective comparison between Jordan and Kobe is laid out in this post, and Jordan is superior in nearly every objective category.

 

It depends on you definition of a great player. Miller was a very good player and a star.

I do not rate a player great easily. Great players in my mind are players like Hakeem, Duncan, O'neal, Magic, Bird etc. Miller is not in that range.

 

That's exactly what Fisher does for Kobe....

Because of his athleticism and frame, Shaq had no problems getting the ball. If you insist on using this argument, keep in mind it can be used against Kobe as well:

Kobe always depended on someone getting him the ball.

 

If you label the title as Greatest in this ERA? Maybe.......Greatest player of this ERA in his position - yes.

But every great player needs a great supporting cast to win it...Jordan and Kobe are blessed in that area and the man behind all those championships.....Phil Jackson....haha

 

Tim Duncan won 4 rings, all as the main option, and there was a 100% roster overhaul from his first and last title. I asked you about this earlier but you seemed to ignore that post. Since you are arguing that Kobe is GOAT based on this, Russell won more rings and also had completely different teams from his first to last title, and coached. Since you are crying for folks to respond to your posts, I would appreciate you not ignoring this one. So.....

 

It's pretty obvious now that he is just a troll looking to get reactions. Not answering to any of the stats and constantly changing his position.

 

Gasol and Odom were pretty good last night.

 

Nope, in the 2007 finals Duncan won a championship with Parker as the MVP. You can put a big asterisk to the 1999 finals. Lockout season with 50 games played and no Patrick Ewing in the finals lol. And do you see Russell winning 11 rings in today's NBA...nothing to dismiss what the man did but competing with 14-15 other teams is definitely easier than 30

 

29 other*

 

If Final's MVP's matter, then the accomplishment is still the same because Kobe didn't win the Finals MVP on either of the 3-peat teams. If injuries matter, then the accomplishment is still the same because half of the Lakers foes were not at full strength last season, including the team they played in the Finals.

Next......

 

How many playoff games were lost in the 1999 season? Did they do all 5-game series, or did they have the same amount of playoff games in the lockout season as they did in all other seasons?