At the end of the 2015-2016, one of the NBA’s best gunslingers, and a future Hall of Famer, will ride off into the sunset and retire from the game of basketball.
Kobe Bryant, 37, the Los Angeles Lakers superstar shooting guard, put it all on the line every time he set foot on the basketball court. He is a 5 time NBA Champion, 2 time NBA Finals MVP and an 18 time NBA All-Star. And he is considered by many as one of greatest players ever to set foot on an NBA court.
Unfortunately, Kobe won’t get a chance to go out a champion this time around, considering the Lakers hold the worst record in the Western Conference. So, as “The Black Mamba” prepares to lace up his sneakers for the final games of this regular season, the question that so many fans, journalists, reporters, and players are mulling over is simple: “How good was Kobe Bryant?”
(Notice the use of the word “was” instead of “is.” The choice of verbiage revolves around the undeniable truth that the Kobe Bryant people are watching today is a shadow of the NBA champion we were accustomed to watching over the span of his illustrious career. Nevertheless, the numbers don’t lie and in this case, will help us put Kobe’s accomplishments into clear perspective.)
But first let’s quickly establish 2 important rules. Firstly, comparing Bryant to players at different positions is unfair: each player and the position they step into on the court has different responsibilities.
Former Lakers point guard Magic Johnson, who led his team to 5 championships in the 1980s, wcould dazzle crowds with the team’s “Showtime” style of basketball: a mix of fast paced scoring and uncanny passing and assisting his teammates. Conversely, Bill Russell, former center for the Boston Celtics, is considered the greatest champion of all time (he won a staggering 11 championships in 13 seasons) but his low-post, methodical smash and grab style of play — which included a stalwart style of defense, blocking of shots and interior, high percentage scoring — is a complete opposite of Johnson’s. Nevertheless, they are both all-time greats and legendary champions.
Secondly, shooting guards like Bryant are put on the court to score. The greatest player of all time, Chicago Bulls shooting guard Michael Jordan, led his team to 6 championships in 8 years, holding the record for highest career scoring average of any player. Kobe Bryant is no exception to the notion that shooting guards need to score if they are going to be successful in the NBA.
But, there are times when shooting guards need to find the open man. And Kobe was a master at supporting his teammates for the greater goal of winning. Here’s a prime example of Bryant at work during Game 7 of the 2000 Western Conference Finals:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLOMEmRQ40U
Granted Bryant has been accused of shooting too much, which he did do at times but you couldn’t really blame him given his supporting cast he had certain seasons. From 2004-2005 season to the 2006-2007 season Bryant attempted a staggering 23 shots per game, the most over any 3 year stretch in his career. Not surprising that he is third on the most shots attempted of all time list but he also is third on the most points of all time list. Here are the top 4 of both lists.
Most attempted shots of all time Most points all time
1. Kareem Abdul-Jabar (Lakers) 1. Kareem Abdul-Jabar (Lakers)
2. Karl Malone (Jazz) 2. Karl Malone (Jazz)
3. Kobe Bryant (Lakers) 3. Kobe Bryant (Lakers)
4. Michael Jordan (Bulls) 4. Michael Jordan (Bulls)
The conclusion here is clear: players who score the most points are the ones who take the most shots. A difficult shot that Bryant might take may be a better shot than say a wide open look for Kwame Brown (one of Bryant’s teammate from 2005-2008). Listen to ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith’s take on Bryant’s situation when he played with Kwame Brown:
Understandably Bryant was forced to shoot more during those tough seasons. Even with the main focus of the opposing defense on him, he would still score in a multitude of ways. He’d use superb footwork and a lighting crossover to shake his defender and eventually slam it down with authority:
He also was deadly from 3-point range. He had an act for staring right at his defender and then before you knew it, like a Bugatti passing you by on the streets, he’d just launch a 30 footer which would hit nothing but net.
And to mix it up a bit (and to lengthen his career I’d imagine) Bryant also developed a killer fadeaway jumper, highly similar to that of Jordan. Both players understood and realized the shot was great way to create space and that it is a move that is nearly impossible to defend.
In fact, it is believed that Bryant actually adopted the move from Jordan. Compare and contrast the two using the same tactic in the videos below:
Despite being known for his scoring, Bryant also excelled on the defensive side of the ball. He is tied for first with Jordan with 9 NBA All Defensive First Team selections. If you were to break down the game of basketball into 2 categories, it would make the most sense to break it down by offense and defense, both areas were Bryant truly excelled.
Check out Kobe’s defensive work below:
Even without his 5 championships he would make a strong case for the second best shooting guard of all time behind Jordan. With his 5 rings and 2 NBA Finals MVP’s, he solidifies his spot there. If you want to say he only won his first 3 titles because of the dominant force that was Shaquille O’Neal, that’s fine. But remember after he left for the warm Miami sun, Bryant took the Lakers to three consecutive NBA finals from 2008 to 2010, winning two of them. Shaq only won one more championship with Miami Heat in 2006. And after a long and heated feud between the two, Shaq put his ego aside and called Kobe “the greatest Laker of all time.”
So, after it is all said and done just how good was Kobe Bryant? Let’s allow Kobe to have the final word (via Business Insider):
