Kobe's ability as a "closer" needs to be called out

There is no optimal way to compare two players in any team sport because the team is the main component of their success. The best we can do is go to the stats, which are imperfect, but are at least objective. By the numbers, Kobe is a terrible crunchtime performer. Now I personally don't think he folds in the clutch, but rather 1) defenses key in on him down the stretch and 2) he's more tired from having to carry the team earlier. Kobe is a fantastic player but his shot selection is terrible and that is highlighted in key moments. Of course, no one really remembers this because he'll hit a game winner one in five times and that makes the ESPN highlight reel.

Also, objectively speaking, goodbug is an ignorant chode.

 

Last time I checked, it's all about winning championships.
Kobe is too busy to count his jewelries and when LeBron fans boast stats.

 

Lebron's career is not over yet. However if he doesn't win a championship his career will not rate better than Kobe’s career in my book. Kobe is an amazing player. He was lucky during his first championships that he played with the most dominant player at that time. But during his last championship he proved he can lead a team to a championship.

Lebron does not some championships before he can measure himself with Kobe's career. Only time will tell if he will win Championships. But who currently is the better player is another discussion, Kobe does have a better team than Lebron has and that is the main reason Kobe is in the finals and Lebron isn’t. However that has nothing to do with the question if Kobe's clutch reputation is deserved or not.

 

Actually, stats can address their decision. The stats say that those guys would lose more games with KB taking their last shot than if Lebron or Carmelo took it instead.

 

You obviously didn't see the link to the Lakers forum that was posted in another thread. There were countless posts on there after game 5 complaining that the league was rigging the series in favor of Boston.

 

Luckily they also look at game tape and actually play against all those guys which is the reason they would answer Bryant.

 

Assists are not clutch. In fact they can be the opposite of clutch. You're relying on someone else to win the game or bail you out.

One of the best measures of clutchness is free throw percentage in critical moments. It's just you and the basket, no defense involved. Everyone is on equal footing; you don't have to question the stat at all. Now what player do you want at the line to decide your season? Where is Lebron James on that list?

 

Last time I checked, YOU created that "If Kobe wins his 5th ring, how is he not the greatest?!?!" thread when MJ still has 6,and Russell has more than 10. You're nothing but a hypocrite, so just shut up.

 

So by this measure Sasha Vujacic is more clutch than Kobe?

 

Most players are not writing detailed stats down as they are watching game tape. And relying on their memory of playing against Kobe is very unreliable.

 

Assists absolutely are clutch when you created a good, open look for your teammate. That's stepping up in the clutch. It's no coincidence that two of the most memorable clutch plays of MJ's career involve him passing the ball to wide open teammates for championship-clinching shots.

 

No man you got it all wrong, haven't you followed the logic in this thread.
It is better to take a shot when you are triple teamed and air ball it, than to pass it to an open player who makes the game winner. Since you took the shot and that is being a closer.

 

Rep please!

 

assuming you're talking about the paxson shot, while jordan's pass to pippen started the whole sequence, it actually was horace grant who threw the pass to paxson.

 

You are correct. I had forgotten the intermediate passes. The other shot was the pass to Kerr.

 

Probably one of the dumbest things I've read in this history of Clutchfans. Making game winning plays is clutch. It takes more balls for a superstar to trust his teammate with the last shot, than to shoot it themselves. Any superstar can shoot a jumper over 3 defenders. But how many of them can read the defense and find the open man with a few seconds remaining? Those plays are difficult to make.

Lebron shoots free throws at 80% in Clutch time (4th quarter or overtime, less than 5 minutes left, neither team ahead by more than 5 points) and Kobe is a 82%.

 

Clutch means making winning plays, not just making shots in crunch time. Perfect example was a game two years ago when Yao hit a cutting scola to the basket in the last seconds of the game to win it.

 

Neither Kobe or Lebron care.

 

Taking the last shot is not what makes you a closer, it's making the right decisions, willing your team to a victory, never backing down and always wanting to take the last shot. And the championships, rings and trophies is what sets you apart from the wannabes.

The closer is the guy who has the ball in his hands with the shot clock running down. The guy that is your number #1 option, is the guy that makes the offense what it is. If he hits the open man and that man makes the shot, he is still the "closer", while the guy that shot the ball was "clutch" for making the shot.

The thing that all closers have that others might not is that they ultimately "want" to take the last shot(but if the defense doesn't allow it), He has to be able to make the right decision.

As Hakeem would say, "Mario give me the ball!", Sometimes he would go over, around or threw the defense. Other times he passed out to Mario, Kenny, Sam, Horry, Maxwell, and Cylde but he was always clutch and always the closer.

Would you say he was not clutch as Lebron because he had such good teammates?

 

yep, like lebrons gave winning block on durrant

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or kobe's game saving steal on tyreke evans

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