Obviously Kobe thought he's fouled, and you'd shoot in the follow through. The whistle didn't happen.
from the gif it looks like the shot rose from beside the 'elbow' supporting the upper part of the backboard. So....per the discussion posted by Hayesfan...it was likely legal. It only went 'behind' the backboard after it has risen above the plane of the backboard. And he was driving for the basket and got bumped and boxed out. It would have been a helluva pass and court vision to throw it out for a three at that point through the two players guarding him while he was off balance. The two lakers at the three appeared 'open' because the Kobe had already committed to the basket. He would have had to go behind his back to Artest who had a guy on him, and Farmer (assuming he was the guy at the top of the arc) had two players between him and Kobe. Pause at 1:08 for a better view of the players between him and the three point shooters.
I don't hate kobe, I don't think it was that hard. sorry, kobe has done plenty more amazing stuff than that
I seem to recall that Horace Grant tried a shot like when he was on the Magic playing against the Rox which didn't count. According to Bill and Calvin, the rule against the behind the backboard shot was, as most rules are, designed to stop Wilt from shooting it. Apparently Wilt was so awesome with that shot he would regularly shoot hooks from behind the backboard that were impossible to defend. This is of course a 14 year old memory.
He did. I was going to post that it's impressive, but I'd be even more impressed if I hadn't gone "OMG" years ago when Bird did it. :grin:
[Obligatory "I don't like Kobe but..." declaration.] To me this was an amazing shot compared to typical behind the backboard shots you mess around with on the playground and definitely more so than Bird's. He takes contact, bumped to his right, jumps off one foot, also being his right foot, and releases the shot on the way down just before he lands. To me the degree of difficulty is pretty high, yet he makes it look like nothing with the way the ball rolls off his fingers and perfectly arcs over the backboard. *******.
Sure, it can be done in a pickup game, but it's very difficult and unlikely. And it's not the same as someone having a hand in your face, unless the person guarding you happens to be 14 feet tall.
Reading more, I can now accept the argument that the shot was not out of bounds. Still not that impressed with the shot itself. Kobe's does harder stuff than that on a regular basis.
Let me tell you this. Kobe's signature in the face fadeaway is more natural to him. I'm sure he practices those shots all the time. Whereas a behind-the-backboard shot he rarely practices.
That shot was probably not as hard as a desperation half-court shot. BTW, I still think Bird's shot was more difficult. He was facing the baseline when he got the ball. He had to turn around and shoot while jumping on one foot.
If Vujacic was the one that hit this same shot, what would everyone be saying? Great player? Huh, I guess he's got some skills? Lucky fluke? So, if I practice a flipping, spinning, reversing tomahawk jam all the time and neglect practicing my free throws, you'll be more impressed when I actually hit a free throw than you will be seeing my flipping, spinning, reversing tomahawk jam?
