Kobe: Top 10 best?

Bigger and stronger that wilt?
True statement: there are more people listed at 6'10" / 235 or bigger on the Portland Trail Blazers roster right now (4) than were in the entire league in 1965 (3: Wilt, Joe Strawder and Mel Counts).
 
True statement: there are more people listed at 6'10" / 235 or bigger on the Portland Trail Blazers roster right now (4) than were in the entire league in 1965 (3: Wilt, Joe Strawder and Mel Counts).

I would also add that more teams "fib" about heights now than ever before. There is no question players are taller now in the league, without a doubt, but the heights vs actual heights are pretty funny. Barkley had a big thing on it just a few weeks ago.

Dennis Rodman showed that height is still not a huge factor and technique is what caused defense and rebounding more than anything else.
 
Not Kobe, and definitely not top 10, but funny what they can get away with.

[video=youtube;e-Egm98VjVI]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-Egm98VjVI[/video]

I love that video, 10 steps, 2 of them he dribbled.
 
They just had the Kobe Top 10 debate on First Take. Both said he was Top 10 . Stephen A. Said between 5-10, Skip said #10
 
I need to see his stats against what I have viewed as the greatest of all time. I know has scored a ton and is ranked high there but I need to see the rest of the stats.
 
My knee jerk reaction was "Yes" but like a few others have said, I lost interest in the NBA years ago.
3rd all-time in scoring and 5 Championships is pretty impressive.
His game and mannerisms always reminded me a lot of Michael Jordan.
 
I wouldn't say Top 10, Top 20 maybe. I've never really liked him but can't deny he was a talented basketball player. I think he could have done much more if he were a better person, personally. I am looking forward to what the future holds for the Lakers. I have been waiting for his retirement so the team can rebuild for a while now. hehe
 
What's interesting is Kobe's evolution as a player. Early in his career he was a slasher. He won a dunk contest and the threw air balls up in the playoffs. He was a starter in an all star game even though Eddie Jones and Nick Van Exel were starters on the Lakers. Later on Kobe became more of a perimeter shooter. Interesting to me anyways.
 
I'm asking this honestly as I'm pretty ignorant to recent basketball.

Did Kobe do anything without Shaq?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
I'm asking this honestly as I'm pretty ignorant to recent basketball.

Did Kobe do anything without Shaq?


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Win 2 rings and go to 3 straight finals. Had Pau Gasol
 
I'm asking this honestly as I'm pretty ignorant to recent basketball.

Did Kobe do anything without Shaq?


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Won an MVP and two NBA Finals
 
Lakers are planning meetings on which number for Kobe to retire. I feel like you retire both. Thoughts?
 
Lakers are planning meetings on which number for Kobe to retire. I feel like you retire both. Thoughts?

Tosh summed it up best. The first 55 seconds

 
Tosh summed it up best. The first 55 seconds


I could actually see this as someone's point in the meetings
 
No, I can't say top 10 he needed to win 2 more MVP awards.
 
No, I can't say top 10 he needed to win 2 more MVP awards.


What's crazy, by that same logic, Shaq wasn't that good either
 
I would probably put him in my top 10 and right at #10 at best. Kobe was a beast in his prime, and virtually unguardable. He did have help winning his rings but who hasn't had help winning championships. The main downfall in my opinion of ranking him is his selfishness. Being at the top or near the top in misses and shot attempts leaves him falling short in a major way IMO.
 
Only 8 guys have won 3+ NBA MVP awards (12 have won 2+), but I don't think that is a good measure of being a top 10 player. Nash, Bob Pettit, Moses Malone, and Karl Malone have all won multiple MVPs. Sure-fire hall of fame players, but not top 10 great. An weak argument could be made for Moses, I guess, but not the other three.

I think finals MVP is a better qualifier as there have been 10 multiple award winners. All of them could have an argument to be in the top 10, except for Willis Reed. It still relies on having a great team, though, which definitely helps an individual's legacy.
 
Being at the top or near the top in misses and shot attempts leaves him falling short in a major way IMO.

Kobe wouldn't be in my top 10, but he definitely is in good company when it comes to shots missed in the NBA.

In order:
Bryant
Havlicek
Hayes
Karl Malone
KAJ
Jordan
Wilkins
Baylor
AI
Dirk

I think the total missed shots stats skews negatively towards longevity and being a 1, 2, or 3 as they take more outside (lower percentage) shots. Don't get me wrong, Kobe was far from efficient, but I don't believe that missed shots is a great parameter for arguing against being a top-10 player.
 
Kobe wouldn't be in my top 10, but he definitely is in good company when it comes to shots missed in the NBA.

In order:
Bryant
Havlicek
Hayes
Karl Malone
KAJ
Jordan
Wilkins
Baylor
AI
Dirk

I think the total missed shots stats skews negatively towards longevity and being a 1, 2, or 3 as they take more outside (lower percentage) shots. Don't get me wrong, Kobe was far from efficient, but I don't believe that missed shots is a great parameter for arguing against being a top-10 player.

Yet its really no different than using total points scored is it?
If someone is getting in based on that merit, they should get the same penalty for the opposite.
And I would still bet he would be closer to the bottom of FG percentage in that list, although AI and Hondo would probably take the cake.
 
We may have a disagreement there, hahah.

that's why I like lists, they cause good sports debates. Shaq was a dominate player, but he's outside of the top 10 for me. To be really honest, he might be the 5th best center of all time in my book. I'd have to think about it more. It's good company though in that group.
 
that's why I like lists, they cause good sports debates. Shaq was a dominate player, but he's outside of the top 10 for me. To be really honest, he might be the 5th best center of all time in my book. I'd have to think about it more. It's good company though in that group.

And that might be kind in my opinion. It depends what is measured. Does college count? Shortened NBA career? Only NBA, does ABA count? The assumption is that its NBA/ABA combined and no college, otherwise Bill Walton would get a look.
 
And that might be kind in my opinion. It depends what is measured. Does college count? Shortened NBA career? Only NBA, does ABA count? The assumption is that its NBA/ABA combined and no college, otherwise Bill Walton would get a look.

I'm looking NBA only for this thread, but you have a point on Walton. Also, when Duncan finishes his career do you include him in the list of centers?
Look at this list of centers(in no order) if I throw Shaq at 5. Russel, Wilt, Kareem, Olajuwon.
 
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