Kobe Bryant the most overrated player in NBA History?

Wow great video

People who claim Defense is tougher in todays era. IS A FOOL

 

WOW great video

anybody who claims Defense is better in today's game, is a clown. Dwight Howard is a great help defender, but Tim Duncan and KG are better overall defenders

 

damn double post lol

 

Lol you cant win with everyone, fact of life. Haterz gonna hate

 

Kobe's in my top 17. When I think of Kobe as a top 10 player, I can't help but think of the media and ESPN hyping things too much (like Eli Manning this year). I don't only judge by titles. I factor in how they got them, individual accomplishments, best player on the team...

Penny Hardaway & Grant Hill were 2 of my favorite players, considering those 2 and others, it amazes me how durable Kobe is. Despite the mileage on his body, he also had advantages others don't. Many of his playoff numbers came when playoff series were extended. Coming out of high school also helped him get to an earlier start than most. Him and Wade are nearly the same age.

Yes, great stars had other stars. I always felt Michael Jordan's supporting cast during his second 3-peat was very underrated. However, teams were deeper in the 80s and 90s. It's just that the Celtics, Pistons, Lakers, Bulls and Rockets stood out the most in those decades. Numerous players back then probably should be in the HOF, lack of titles might be a reason why they are not. For the majority of the past 12 years, only 2-3 teams had enough depth or stars to compete for titles. Kobe had very good role players. Glen Rice was a former star. Horry had 2 rings and his best years in Houston. Artest is a great defender and could still be a high scorer if not for taking a smaller role. Fox and Fisher were good. Ron Harper, Brian Shaw & AC Green were older but decent. Odom was good enough to be an all star and he one of the most versatile. The Lakers were winning around 50 games before Kobe got there. Early in his career, he had Nick Van Exel, Eddie Jones and decent role players. I don't fault Kobe nor Del Harris for those early years because Kobe had to develop.

It's likely already been stated, but Kobe might not have been the best player on any of his best teams. Gasol has always been underrated. He deserved more all star appearances in Memphis. His brother hasn't surpassed him. Marc making the all star team is probably why people say otherwise. There's much more competition at the PF position than there is at center. Pau usually shot a good percentage and had to guard Dwight and the front court of the Celtics in the finals. When the Lakers lost, Pau got blamed the most. It's surprising Pau averaged the amount assists he did in the finals because of how much Kobe dominated the ball. Kobe didn't need to have a great game for the Lakers to win, players like Lebron & Dirk usually did. The Lakers success usually comes down to the production of Gasol. Since 2009, I've felt the offense should have ran through Gasol.

Kobe had numerous undeserved all defensive team selections. He got selected when he wasn't even the best defender on his team. I think he's a good defender and he tries. It's arguable that Wade should have been on the All NBA first team over Kobe 2-3 times. Paul Pierce won the finals MVP the last Kobe guarded him in the finals.

I like Chris Broussard and I usually agree with him. An example of how biased the media can be is Chris putting Kobe over Shaq because of the officiating in the 2002 WCF. In game 7 of the 2010 finals, the Lakers shot 21 free throws in the 4th quarter because of lopsided calls. Skip Bayless and ESPN only mentioned 2, there were at least a dozen. In the 2008 playoffs, Utah got cheated out of a couple games. In game 6, the Lakers got at least 5 crucial calls late in the game, the game ended up being very close. In game 5, there were around a dozen questionable calls favoring the Lakers in the 4th quarter. With the exception of game 4, the Lakers shot between 13 and 27 more free throws in 4 games, they shot 9 more in game 3. I watched the series so I'm not just going by free throws. Jay Mariotti said the series was fair because Utah shot more free throws in one game. In the 2009 playoffs, Utah made a comeback until a no call (where I think Ronnie Price was fouled). I think the Lakers would have won in 2009 anyway.

Kobe struggled against a depleted Hornets team yet got all of the praise due to one shot over an undersized player. Skip Bayless & one other analyst were the main ones mentioning how Bynum and Gasol were not getting enough touches (especially late), despite how good they were and how teams couldn't guard them. Commentators said that too. When Bynum took a late shot against Boston, the media tried to turn it into a Jordan/Kerr moment. Kobe's shooting percentage and assist in closeout games get glossed over. Not to mention being blown out in 2003, 2004, 2006, 2008 and 2011. The Lakers had a 3-1 lead over the Suns who weren't at full strength, and they missed Raja Bell for one game.

 

The sad part about all this is that, Kobe is a GREAT player, but hasnt been the single best player in the league at one time in his career. He was always called the best player in the game( but the facts/stats showed otherwise)

their was always Duncan, KG, Shaq, and LeBron( who were better) and LeBron in my opinion has been the best player in the league since 2008-2009(imo he should have 4 straight MVP's)

Kobe is overrated because of what the guy in the opening vid stated clearly from the 3:45 mark to the 4:10 mark ( that sums it up in a nutshell). That guy has more knowledge in his pinky that Stephen A, Skip Bayless and any of the wackos over on First Take combined


Put it to you like this, you put Lebron on those Lakers teams with a prime Shaq, and they dont lose to the Pistons. Conversely you Kobe( regardless of age) on any of the Cavs teams, and does Kobe outperform LeBron( i dont think so)

Kobe has played with some insane talent, i also like how to Kobe Fans try and dismiss Bynum and Gasol as soft, and bums. Bynum and Gasol are legit all-star players( who unfornately dont get the touches they deserve). You would think at this stage in Kobe's career he would consider defering a bit more to his dominant bigs.


Back to last night's game, the Lakers were ahead by 13 points with freakin Metta World Peace playing lead dog in the 4th quarter. They bring in Kobe (he goes 1-9 down the stretch), and they lose the game. Now why didnt Kobe feed Gasol or Bynum down the stretch. Kobe let his ego get in the way of the team, because he was being upstaged by Kevin Durant, and tried to go mono-e-mono with him.

Im not saying the Lakers should blame Kobe for the Lakers being down 1-3, but i can say that Mike Brown is irionically not the problem with the Lakers

 

Just want to point out that Kobe is 3 1/2 years older... that's a big age gap in the NBA.

 

Just gonna add that during Jordan's era there were alot less double teaming, which basically concedes that you can't guard your man one-on-one.

While the perimeter defenders were much much worse in those days, they still in a way had "the balls" to match up single coverage for entire game. Hand checking would for sure limit player's who base their game on beating people off the dribble, like Drose, Lebron, etc.

Barring injury caused by pissed off oldschool players, Kobe would've still dominate in Jordan's era, which was more an era of big men than guards, even with MJ.

 

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uh dont know your but there it is, hes better than MJ then, CROWN HIM!

 

how much shots that MJ made are tougher than kobe?

you understand the degree of difficulity of kobe's shots?



for now, only the number of rings will speak for kobe if you want to compare kobe with MJ.

 

Jordan was smart enough to not have to rely on difficult shots. You don't get extra points for a tough shot.

 

Michael Jordan was much much much more efficient which is the goal

A tough shot need not be if you're using the offense correctly, but once you start ball pounding and over isoing thats what you get, and as you can see... it cost the Lakers far more games than it won them

 

Do you mean tougher as in more physical or more difficult?

The game was certainly more physical in thr 80s and 90s, but you could argue that in todays game, defending a player relying soley on your instincts, foot work and positioning could be more difficult than having your hand on them and dictating where said player goes (as best you can).

 

Today's era defense is tougher than the 80s and 90s which contribute to Kobe's low shooting percentage????

WHY is it other top scorers today like Durant, Lebron, Wade etc continue to shoot at high percentage 48%-50%???

 

Kobe = Larry Holmes

 

Came in after the greatest!

 

Kobe is easily a top 10 player all-time, but he CANNOT touch MJ! No one can touch MJ.

 

Top 15

 

Wht I don't get is people talking about running the offense through bynum...the several games kobe was out and bynum was the no 1 option, his percentage dipped to closer to 40 percent....so doesn't that show that this notion that bc he shots 50-60 while shooting less shots and with kobe there doesn't translate over?