Will Kobe be considered the greatest Laker of all time?

Baylor, Mikan, Kareem, Magic, and Wilt Chamberlain, were better than kobe.

Shaq is right now a better laker than kobe, but if he wins more rings without him, so maybe he will surpassed him.

I didnt see Jerry West play, but IMO the style of both was similar, so I dont know, maybe West, because he was better all-around.

So, another question when Kobe retires, which number are going to retire
¿8 or 24?

Thats a good question, and very debateable, but I dont want to make another kobe thread, because he is a ballhogger in the game, now he is a threadhogger in here

 

Basically if your aim is to be the greatest in a franchise's history don't go to the Lakers, because their bar is set almost impossibly too high. Its to Kobe's credit he's even getting mention as being the greatest Laker.

 

he'll never catch magic, kareem, or baylor. Magic put the Lakers, and the NBA for that matter, on the national map.... you've answered your own idiotic question, why start a poll?

 

Yes.... the current one!

 

Actually, that has never been Kobe's aim. From day one his goal has been to be the greatest in NBA history. Go figure.

 

magic imo is the greatest laker of all time followed by kareem and jerry west.

kobe does have a long way to go to establishing himself as one of the lakers greats let alone the greatest laker.

yes he has 3 rings but it can be debated that it was shaq not kobe who was more responsible to getting those rings.

take magic from any year in the 1980s and he would easily be the best player in the nba right now no question, in fact with today's rules i dont know how anyone would stop him to be honest.

 

I would say Magic is #1, he won from the get go regardless of the talent around him, he always drove the lakers to the top. Though I must add the tidbit of magic demanding a trade and had westhead fired. On jerry west, I have never seen him play but I bet that is pretty much everyone in this thread, and many stats were only beginning to be recorded well into his career. So it's difficult to compare him to kobe, adding the fact that the game was obviously entirely different. Comparing different positions also becomes difficult because a good big man is going to win-out most of the time considering the position, ie kareem/shaq vs kobe. I wouldn't trivialize kobe's championships with shaq, I feel anything he did gets eclipsed considering shaq was in his prime and he is one of the most dominant big man to ever play the game in addition to being a focal of the offense. Kobe was what 21-24 during those 3 years. Then there also is the personal aspect people allow to bias themselves about kobe's game/use it as ad hominem attacks about people picking sides in the kobe/shaq situation, who kicked out who, did he rape that girl, he's an MJ wannabe, etc.

 

I saw West play many many times. Amazing player! I cannot imagine the number he would have put up with a 3pt line. That's why comparing different eras and.or positions is practically impossible. Mostly, its a popularity thing.

 

agreed.

 

He really should be, but he won't

 

Depends on if he wins a championship this year, next year...

 

I know damn where he didn't say that.

 

yes he will be by far. the competition wasnt even close back then

 

No contest.

Kobe has a refined game... Magic had a revolutionary game.

As a 20 yo rookie, Magic led his team to the championship over the Sixers and Dr. J... and became the only PG in NBA history to start a Finals game as a Center.

As a 20 yo 3rd year player, Kobe (playing with Shaq) was swept in the 2nd round by the Jazz.

 

You can really see how some experience in college can make such a difference.

 

Guys, Kobe is only 29 years of age and has a team that has a plausible chance for a run at a dynasty especially when Bynum comes back. If Kobe can win another 2 or 3 rings with this team which is certainly plausible, I can definitely see Kobe being the best Laker ever.

 

He probably will never be considered the best Laker, even though he is.


A better question would be: Is Kobe the greatest Laker of all time?

Also you have to define greatest... Is he the best Laker? I say yes. Is he the greatest? No, I say Magic is.

 

Finally the argument is closed, magic would not have kept taking stupid shots to attain 7/22 FGs. Magic would involve his teammates and not lose by 40 pts in an elimination game in the finals.

I like Kobe but Kobe fans are the most annoying creatures on the face of the earth. I don't know how many people i had to argue with about Jordan being better than Kobe

 

actually, Shaq's team (with all-NBA PG Penny Hardaway) went to the finals once. ....

Shaq absolutely needed Kobe, and vise versa, to win the 3 rings.

that's because Shaq was never on a team with the likes of "hands of stone" Kwame and "NBA skill-challenged Smush Parker

the team had an-all NBA PG, where Kobe's team has Smush PArker