If Tmac or Vince Carter replaces Kobe during the Shaq Championship years do the Lakers end up with four Championships instead of three? It's a valid question considering Kobe pretty much torpedoed the Lakers vs the Pistons and wasn't exactly a world beater during the other three Championship runs.
I don't like that he has become a chucker and what that does to the rest of his teammates. But when he was here in the Philippines 2 years ago, I was surprised he was quite personable and humble when he was interacting with fans and the media. So I don't know who the real Kobe is.
I really respect Kobe for his extreme selfishness the past few seasons. Kobe simply sacrifices the franchise, the team and his teammates' success and future just to accomplish his personal goal. I really respect that.
Just keep shooting Kobe. 21 points on 24 shots. The guy is shooting and missing on historical pace. No team can win games with one guy playing like this.
you really have to admire his balls when it comes to chucking away this season, and still throwing his teammates under the bus. I don't think even MJ would have gone there. Now as the lakers get stomped , we'll see "Lakers fall to the pacers despite Kobe's 28."
Does not matter what Tmac or Carter would do... Main thing is Kobe would not be a Laker and end up with a small market team for much of his career. World would be very different.
Offensively Kobe's prime peak was better than LeBron and Duncan have done. Of course you can play "Well if LeBron WOULD have taken 25-30 shots per game he could've put up back to back to back games of 50+ over and over again, blah blah" but he didn't. The only guy who was even close to sniffing Kobe's offensive arsenal from that era was Orlando T-Mac. Duncan is a better defensive option to have since he's a big man but prime Kobe was an above average defender, especially when challenge one on one. LeBron is the best do it all player, but he's mentally weaker than Duncan and Kobe. I remember back in his Cleveland days literally every time he drove the ball and just bullied into the paint he would either get a lay-up or 2 shots at the FT. Yet more often than not he's settling for a brick long 2. I don't even know how to explain 2011 against Dallas and Jason Terry / Shaun Marion. So no, I disagree. Prime Kobe / Peak Kobe = Prime LeBron / Prime Duncan in my opinion. It's arguable either way, but none of those 3 are perfect players that easily make the argument over the other from just a performance perspective.
This mentally weak stuff is weak. LeBron carried crappy teams to the Finals all the time. Kobe ran off Shaq, and when he couldn't carry the team afterwards, he demanded a trade. He's had several games where he doesn't shoot so he can prove a point. LeBron has a higher career scoring average with much higher efficiency. He's also a better passer, rebounder and defender. Kobe had a year where he scored 35 ppg, but overall LeBron has a higher scoring average. Compare the stats on peak years. LeBron was better. Would also put Duncan's peak higher because like LeBron he was also a 2-way player.
What? All the time? He carried ONE Cleveland team to the finals when the East was pretty damn weak. Even young raw Dwight Howard carried a Magic team to the finals. Unless you mean LeBron carried Bosh, Wade, and the rest of the Heat players to the finals? That's too much of a stretch imo. Bosh and Wade played below expectations at certain points throughout the playoffs but if we give LeBron a pass in 2011 why can't we give those guys a pass? Shaq and Kobe were never going to co-exist just like Jordan and Shaq wouldn't be able to. Both guys wanted to be alpha dog, but one was lazy and didn't show up to practice while the other at least worked hard. Kobe had ONE game where he didn't shoot to prove a point. Not trying to defend that at all, that was probably the mentally weakest I've seen Kobe. But I don't have a problem with Kobe demanding a trade. Would it have been different if he left LA like LeBron left Cleveland to go to a stacked team? Of course right now LeBron has a higher average. Kobe was drafted to a team behind Eddie Jones and didn't start immediately. There wasn't as much hype when Kobe came out compared to LeBron. Comparing prime to prime or peak to peak seasons, Kobe's offensive stats come out ahead. Sure if we only look at stats and compare an SG to an all around SF and PF/C then the other guys have higher rebounding and block averages. Using that logic then LeBron and Duncan are better than Jordan as well? I don't expect to change your mind, especially since I know how we tend to hate more on conference rivals, especially with the whole Dwight fiasco. But at the end of the day I have Kobe, Duncan, and LeBron all in the same tier below Magic and Bird.
I have Duncan and Lebron top 10 with Magic and Bird. I have Kobe top 15. Even if you don't want to count rebounds, you can look at defense. LeBron has been the better defender. And I don't see how Kobe's offensive stats come out ahead. LeBron shoots higher percentage and is about the same ppg wise. Much higher assists as well. Far superior ball-handler and decision maker. About the only thing you can say is maybe Kobe could create his own shot more. But LeBron is a volume scorer as well.
Kobe's prime peak was not better than what LeBron has done. LeBron did this offensively in Miami: 2011 - 27 ppg on 51%, 33% and 76% 2012 - 27 ppg on 53%, 36% and 77% 2013 - 27 ppg on 57%, 41% and 75% 2014 - 27 ppg on 57%, 38% and 75% Please list the years Kobe was a better offensive option than the above years. As far as Duncan goes, Kobe was better offensively but came nowhere close to matching Duncan's overall defensive impact. Additionally, Duncan can control the paint offensively which impacts the game more than what Kobe does offensively. It's why he doesn't need to be surrounded with as much help to win a title (see 2003). A game is 82 seasons, not a few select games. Over the course of an entire season, you can't list one year where Kobe was a better offensive option that the years I listed for LeBron. Your offensive arsenal takes a backseat to how much you put the ball in the basket and how efficient you are at doing it. Kobe's arsenal did not allow him to score as well as LeBron has over the course of his careeer. LeBron has better career and peak offensive numbers. Yet he has led his team to just as many Finals and titles as Kobe. Yet his numbers in the clutch are better than Kobe's. It's not really arguable when you look at tangible evidence.
I listed LeBron's peak seasons offensively. Kobe doesn't have any season that is remotely close to what LeBron did offensively his last two years in Miami. That's before we even get into rebounding or assists. Even if you remove all of the Shaq years where Kobe was a 2nd option, and the last two years after he blew his achilles, his average would still be 29 on 45%, 34% and 84%, on 22 shots a night. LeBron's career avg's to date are 28 on 50%, 34% and 75%, on 20 shots a night. LeBron also avg's a full 2 more assists. No facts support Kobe being a better offensive option than LeBron, who has the 3rd highest ppg average in league history.
Plus Kobe was never forced to change a team because he did not get that elite big guy playing with him. Your numbers will undergo changes when you go from one team to another one.
