Jason Whitlock: Kobe's narcissism ruined Lakers

[Knicks411]

I can't put him in over Kobe.

That's cool, it's all subjective and i did it off the top of my head. But to say you watched him and never thought he was an all time great; well, I disagree.

 

[Briancuse]

That's cool, it's all subjective and i did it off the top of my head. But to say you watched him and never thought he was an all time great; well, I disagree.

I never watched him and said this guy is up there with Wilt or Mj, great player, not in my top ten.

 

[two3zone]

I never watched him and said this guy is up there with Wilt or Mj, great player, not in my top ten.

That's what's tough about basketball, there have been SOOOOOOOOOO many great players that it's so subjective where one person could have Hakeem in the top 10 and another have him outside the top 20.

 

[Newhouser]

Because all other things being equal(meaning, money) high profile players want to win. The Lakers roster is trash.

If they didn't have the rug pulled out from under them with the Chris Paul trade, they probably would've had no problem bringing in FA's in recent years. Nobody is going there to play with a washed up Kobe and a bunch of scrubs.

Russell, Randle, and Clarkson have promise. As they get more competitive, they'll be able to sign better players in free agency.

True but Kobe insisting on thank me for what I have done dollars certainly didn't help them free up $ to land players. Great player but I just never felt he was being his own person. He was always trying to be what he thought MJ was, good, bad and ugly.

 

[Shawn91111]

Have a tough time putting a shooting guard in the top ten who was a poor three point shooter and can't win without a HOF big.

Kobe was a great great player who played in a large market and it magnified everything he did times 10.

Again, great player and not disputing that, but very overrated.

Jordan's 3pt % is lower and couldn't win without a HOF wing

 

[Knicks411]

Jordan's 3pt % is lower and couldn't win without a HOF wing

If "win" means "win a title" how many teams have won a title without a HOF big period?

 

[Cusefan0307]

If "win" means "win a title" how many teams have won a title without a HOF big period?

Golden State, Chicago, and Detroit are the only three I can think of...Unless you think Rodman and Green are big's.

 

[Shawn91111]

If "win" means "win a title" how many teams have won a title without a HOF big period?

How about another HOF or very good to great player (s) around them

 

[Knicks411]

Golden State, Chicago, and Detroit are the only three I can think of...Unless you think Rodman and Green are big's.

Rodman is kind of a cheat, but I guess he counts. Green for sure does, but he's a ways away from the HOF.

 

[Cusefan0307]

Jordan's 3pt % is lower and couldn't win without a HOF wing

Jordan had 10 seasons better than Kobe's best season.

Jordan shot 50% from 2 for his career. Kobe shot 48%.

 

[Doc5120]

Golden State, Chicago, and Detroit are the only three I can think of...Unless you think Rodman and Green are big's.

Miami as well. Bosh is good, but he's no HOF'er.

 

[Shawn91111]

Jordan had 10 seasons better than Kobe's best season.

Jordan shot 50% from 2 for his career. Kobe shot 48%.

Wasn't the point of the post

 

[two3zone]

Golden State, Chicago, and Detroit are the only three I can think of...Unless you think Rodman and Green are big's.

And that Detroit team had probably the best defensive big in the modern era.

 

[two3zone]

Jordan's 3pt % is lower and couldn't win without a HOF wing

The only thing burning is Kobe's rape victim.

 

[Knicks411]

Miami as well. Bosh is good, but he's no HOF'er.

Bosh is pretty much a lock to go into the HOF I think. (I guess unless he has to retire now). 2 time champ, 11 time all star.

 

[CorduroyG]

lol so the kobe haters go from "he cant win without shaq" to "he cant win without a hof big"

gimme a break. you know how many playoff series pau gasol has won without playing with kobe? ONE!!!!! lets not act like hes on the level of a shaq or kareem or hakeem or duncan. the '08 lakers had the best record in league before bynum got hurt and they traded for gasol so its not like he completely changed that team around.

kobe was the best player on the planet in the mid 2000s, he should have won at least 2 more mvps but he played on bad teams so they gave it to nash twice. 2006 he averaged 35 5 and 5 and made the playoffs in stacked west and almost beat the 1 seed suns in 1st round with smush parker and kwame brown and brian cook, come on.

shaq titles without kobe - 1
kobe titles without shaq - 2

shaq was the best player on the 3peat teams but kobe was very close to his equal, he was much more than a "sidekick". he had the ball in his hands in crunch time during that run, not shaq. 2001 he averaged 29 6 and 5 in regular season and 29 7 and 6 in playoffs.

and to the guy that would take chris paul, dirk, steph curry, and wade over kobe thats laughable. karl malone too. kobe was a killer.

 

[Cusefan0307]

Bosh is an HOF lock.

Joe Dumars averaged 16 points a game for his career, was never the best player on his team (Isiah and Hill), only averaged over 20 three times, scored less points than Bosh currently has and in the HOF cause he won 2 titles.

 

[two3zone]

Miami as well. Bosh is good, but he's no HOF'er.

May want to check the numbers.

 

[Cusefan0307]

lol so the kobe haters go from "he cant win without shaq" to "he cant win without a hof big"

gimme a break. you know how many playoff series pau gasol has won without playing with kobe? ONE!!!!! lets not act like hes on the level of a shaq or kareem or hakeem or duncan. the '08 lakers had the best record in league before bynum got hurt and they traded for gasol so its not like he completely changed that team around.

kobe was the best player on the planet in the mid 2000s, he should have won at least 2 more mvps but he played on bad teams so they gave it to nash twice. 2006 he averaged 35 5 and 5 and made the playoffs in stacked west and almost beat the 1 seed suns in 1st round with smush parker and kwame brown and brian cook, come on.

shaq titles without kobe - 1
kobe titles without shaq - 2

shaq was the best player on the 3peat teams but kobe was very close to his equal, he was much more than a "sidekick". he had the ball in his hands in crunch time during that run, not shaq. 2001 he averaged 29 6 and 5 in regular season and 29 7 and 6 in playoffs.

and to the guy that would take chris paul, dirk, steph curry, and wade over kobe thats laughable. karl malone too. kobe was a killer.

I wouldn't take all those guys over Kobe, but i definately would take Steph. Kobe never was as good as Steph has been the past two years.

 

[two3zone]

lol so the kobe haters go from "he cant win without shaq" to "he cant win without a hof big"

gimme a break. you know how many playoff series pau gasol has won without playing with kobe? ONE!!!!! lets not act like hes on the level of a shaq or kareem or hakeem or duncan. the '08 lakers had the best record in league before bynum got hurt and they traded for gasol so its not like he completely changed that team around.

kobe was the best player on the planet in the mid 2000s, he should have won at least 2 more mvps but he played on bad teams so they gave it to nash twice. 2006 he averaged 35 5 and 5 and made the playoffs in stacked west and almost beat the 1 seed suns in 1st round with smush parker and kwame brown and brian cook, come on.

shaq titles without kobe - 1
kobe titles without shaq - 2

shaq was the best player on the 3peat teams but kobe was very close to his equal, he was much more than a "sidekick". he had the ball in his hands in crunch time during that run, not shaq. 2001 he averaged 29 6 and 5 in regular season and 29 7 and 6 in playoffs.

and to the guy that would take chris paul, dirk, steph curry, and wade over kobe thats laughable. karl malone too. kobe was a killer.

Best player on the planet in the mid 2000s? He's won one MVP and that year he beat a guy who almost averaged a triple double while averaging 30 points a game.

I don't think there was even a year he was in the league where Bryant was the best player.

 

[CorduroyG]

mamba!

 

[Cusefan0307]

Best player on the planet in the mid 2000s? He's won one MVP and that year he beat a guy who almost averaged a triple double while averaging 30 points a game.

I don't think there was even a year he was in the league where Bryant was the best player.

Agreed. He never led the league in Win Shares. Jordan did 9 times, Lebron 5. The best players between Jordan and Lebron were Duncan, Shaq, and Garnett.

 

[CorduroyG]

Best player on the planet in the mid 2000s? He's won one MVP and that year he beat a guy who almost averaged a triple double while averaging 30 points a game.

I don't think there was even a year he was in the league where Bryant was the best player.

he won 1 mvp cuz the mid 2000 lakers werent any good. you really think steve nash was a better player than kobe when he won back to back mvps? kobe averaged 35 a game !!! and if not for tim thomas hitting a 3 to force ot in game 5 thaat 06 lakers team with kobe and a bunch of scrubs would have beat nash and his 1 seed suns.

 

[CorduroyG]

48 and 16 on the road '01 playoffs, there goes that man again!

 

[Cusefan0307]

he won 1 mvp cuz the mid 2000 lakers werent any good. you really think steve nash was a better player than kobe when he won back to back mvps? kobe averaged 35 a game !!! and if not for tim thomas hitting a 3 to force ot in game 5 thaat 06 lakers team with kobe and a bunch of scrubs would have beat nash and his 1 seed suns.

That was the year Phoenix lost Stoudamire to injury. The Suns were the two seed. Dallas was the one and lost to Miami with Shaq/Wade in the finals. If anyone had an argument to win the MVP that year it was Dirk.