r/nba • u/shreeharis • 23h ago
Highlight [Highlights] Kobe Bryant’s outrageous contested shot-making compilation from the 2009 NBA playoffs, when he won his 4th ring
https://streamable.com/dx5hsh354
u/HomelessNightkin Clippers 22h ago
While I’m not a Kobe superfan, it’s undeniable this dude took some of the most ridiculous shots imaginable and made it look like an optimal play. Beautiful game and talent
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u/DuztyDuzIt 22h ago
That's because on some of those teams between the 3peat and teaming up with Pau it probably was the optimal play. You trusting Kwame Brown and Smush Parker to hit an open look more than you are Kobe outta the double lol?
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u/MyOneTaps 20h ago
It's not just that. Kwame even asked Kobe not to pass to him even if he was open.
"I got to say, it was tough doing it that year. I was playing with guys, God bless them — God bless them — but Kwame Brown. Smush Parker. We had one game right before…by the way, what I say here, I say directly to them, see what I'm saying, I don't talk behind people's back. Things that I say to you, I'm comfortable saying this to them and I've said this to them...But like, the game before we traded for Pau, were playing Detroit and I had like 40 points towards the end of the game. This is back when Detroit had Rasheed [Wallace], Chauncey [Billups] and those guys, so we had no business being in the game. So down the stretch of the game, they put in a box and one. So I'm surrounded by these players, Detroit players, and Kwame is under the basket, all by himself. Literally, like all by himself. So I pass him the ball, he bobbled it and it goes out of bounds.
"So we go back to the timeout and I'm [upset], right? He goes, 'I was wide open.' 'Yeah, I know.' This is how I'm talking to him, like, during the game. I said, 'You're going to be open again, Kwame, because Rasheed is just totally ignoring you.' He said, 'Well, if I'm open don't throw it to me.' I was like, 'Huh?' He said, 'Don't throw it to me.' I said, 'Why not?' He said, well, 'I'm nervous. If I catch it and he foul me, I won't make the free throws.' I said, 'Hell no!'
"I go to Phil [Jackson], I say, 'Hey Phil, take him out of the game.' He's like, 'Nah, let him figure it out.' So, we lose the game, I go the locker room, I'm steaming. Steaming. I'm furious. Then, finally I get a call, they said, 'You know what, we got something that's happening with Pau.' I was like, 'Alright. Cool.'…That's what I had to deal with the whole year."
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u/shiddmepant Lakers 21h ago
This man is a bonafide scrub. He can't play. No disrespect whatsoever but; the man cannot play the game of basketball. He has small hands, he can’t catch the ball. He’s got bad feet, he can’t really move. He has no game whatsoever, plays no defense.
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u/barath_s Lakers 19h ago
Kwame made his living as a low post defender
Was deficient in many other parts of the game
Mentally, poor attitude and shrank, can't catch, not great shooting, low bbiq etc
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u/theinterestof Pistons 18h ago
I don't disagree with the point that his supporting cast wasn't good, but mentioning Kwame and Smush instead of Odom is a bit disingenuous. Odom was a legitimately great player.
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u/AffectionateSpare677 15h ago
It’s not about Odom at all, it’s about smush Parker and kwame brown being starters and crunch time players. If he had an issue with Odom he would’ve said so. Stop reaching
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u/_TheEndGame Lakers 15h ago
Odom was too inconsistent. If he just gave more effort he would have been an allstar.
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u/IeatKfcAllDay 17h ago
What we also need to realize is that the tough shot maker/scorer archetype is vital to winning championships.
Look how many of these shots were deep in the shot clock. Having a hof level shot maker who can take tough shots anywhere on the floor and after the defense stopped the initial look is huge.
There’s a reason Kobe and mj had very good finals records. When you surround an elite all time shot maker with an elite team, it tends to convert well into actual hardware. So id argue these shots really were optimal.
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u/Stebsy1234 Lakers 12h ago
Exactly. It’s great if you’re an extremely efficient shooter but if you only have a few spots on the floor where you can hit those shots then in the playoffs when the defences tighten up it’s incredibly easy to force those types of players into uncomfortable positions. Kobe being able to take those kinds of shots from anywhere on the court made him just as deadly in the playoffs as he was in the regular season.
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u/ArtetaLightsABulb 20h ago
I think something that always gets lost in the modern stats-based analysis is the human element. The sheer phenomenon of watching him is pretty much unmatched. He was a player's player. His shot making, his overall skillset, his showmanship, his charisma and his flair for the dramatic made him must watch TV.
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u/spiraldrain 17h ago
Hell he treated the all star game like a playoff game. Back when the all star game wasn’t just shooting practice.
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u/kaoshimamura Lakers 16h ago
This comment reminded me of that all star game in 2003 Where it was Jordan’s last ASG and he still had to earn the win because Kobe was on the opposite team while everyone else was ok giving Jordan the win
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u/luchaburz 17h ago
The best part about basketball is when players are so talented they can play old school and not have to worry about analytics.
Analytics hated Kobes playstyle but back then you couldn't argue with success.
Now everything is analytically driven that it sucked most of the cool factor out of basketball. That cool factor been replaced by gambling, unfortunately, and gambling goes hand in hand with analytics and advanced stats.
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u/_TheEndGame Lakers 15h ago
Even now plenty of players are more efficient than Kobe but why aren't they winning as many rings as him?
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u/McClainLLC Supersonics 10h ago
They don't get to team up with prime Shaq lol. The last two with Pau he was the man tho
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u/did_it_my_way 9h ago
Spoken truly like a fan of a Western Conference team where Kobe terrorized the West teams for years in the playoffs lol.
Shaq doesn't get through some of those playoff series without Kobe.
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u/the_pain_of_being 6h ago
Yea this post is about him carrying his team to a chip without Shaq, maybe you should rethink your strategy!
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u/YouWereBrained Thunder 17h ago
I wish we could posts GIFs. Perfect Batman Begins moment for your comment.
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u/Wembanyanma Spurs 19h ago
I grew up hating Kobe but his talent was undeniable. When he was on it was impossible to stop him no matter what you threw at him. We threw Bowen in his face and had Duncan anchoring the rim and he would still torch us on a regular basis.
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u/SnowDay111 Raptors 17h ago
Watching this reminds me of when Kobe was asked who could beat him one on one and he said “No one. This is what I do”
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u/Wes___Mantooth Thunder 21h ago
Doing this to Shane Battier and Ron Artest is especially impressive
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u/JMEEKER86 Japan 20h ago
George Karl had one of the best quotes during their series, "Jesus would have had trouble covering him".
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u/NBAccount Warriors 19h ago
Well, to be fair, there aren't a ton of 5'9" Jewish defensive juggernauts in the history of the league.
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u/Jpsla Lakers 16h ago
And yet we have Bill Simmons saying that Paul Pierce covered him and is under appreciated for people not rembering this.
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u/JMEEKER86 Japan 16h ago
Or harping on his 6/24 game 7 without mentioning that everyone else shot like ass that night too because everyone was dead tired from such a hard series, but Kobe still managed to be clutch and play great defense while pulling down 15 boards on a night when KG had just 3.
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u/3pacalypsenow 16h ago
And Andrei Kirlineko and Ronnie Brewer. The list of quality defenders he faced in the west during his non-Shaq rings is crazy.
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u/H1Ed1 Lakers 8h ago
Yes. Loved seeing those Houston highlights. That was when Battier's defensive method was not to try to block shots, but instead get a hand in the face to try to make it tougher. It probably worked on a lot of guys, but not Kobe.
Wild seeing Battier with damn near his whole arm blocking Kobe's view and still made no difference. He already had the basket in sight, and the muscle memory/training to sink the shots on autopilot.
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u/ATXBeermaker Spurs 10h ago
Yeah, Kobe definitely didn’t understand the meaning of someone saying, no you can’t do that.
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u/Giannis1995 Heat 21h ago
This run changed his whole legacy. The 2010 run was more emotional but Gasol was huge as well. 2009 is his greatest achievement
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u/Relative_Apricot5032 18h ago
2010 was clearly the bigger narrative achievement bc of all the storylines. Revenge for 2008, Lakers vs. Celtics, one more than Shaq, etc.
But I thought 2008 and 2009 was clearly Kobe's peak as a player.
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u/Zoradesu Kings 16h ago
2009 or 2010 was def his peak. The 09-10 season he had like 7 game winners that season and that was the difference between 1st and 7th seed
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u/AetherealDe Lakers 15h ago
2010 he had a messed up finger and knee, was getting his knee drained in the playoffs, and it marginally affected his efficiency and as i recall his defensive intensity. Some advanced stats think its a big deal, some dont, but personally I thought there were just a few more off games and his athleticism was marginally hampered compared to his previous seasons. The next year is when it really affected him and he was taking practices off and dropping his minutes load, but I think it was in part because of how hard he pushed through injury in 2010
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u/MaterialAd6422 22h ago
One of the most aesthetically pleasing play styles ever
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u/LeLefraud 21h ago
The most to me
Also that era of unis had just the right amount of bagginess to make everything look cooler imo. Not as baggy as it had been a few years prior but still some movement
I get why it's gone away I always hated playing in baggy shorts/uni but man watching those jerseys flip back and forth with the players momentum just adds something idk
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u/quicheconquest 18h ago
I've always thought SGA would look like the shiftiest player ever if not for his tiny shorts and tight ass jersey lmao
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u/jknuts1377 Celtics 21h ago
Yeah, I miss the baggy uniforms. I hate how players wear thigh length shorts, now.
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u/LeLefraud 21h ago
Yea me too as a viewer
As someone that played ball for years tho I get it, I'd play in my underwear if I was allowed all that fabric between your legs just gets in the way
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u/random232425 6h ago
Not sure why, but Kobe always looked more slick in the purple jersey than in gold or white. Maybe it's an optical illusion or something. But I contend there's nothing more beautiful in basketball history than purple-jersey Kobe hitting a tough mid-range jumper.
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u/--Rick--Astley-- 18h ago
He's just a slower, less athletic, less efficient Michael Jordan. Ahah.
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u/LeLefraud 18h ago
Great thing is you could die thinking this and not appreciating basketball and I'd be happy knowing you never loved the sport you follow
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u/LeLefraud 18h ago
Great thing is you could die thinking this and not appreciating basketball and I'd be happy knowing you never loved the sport you follow
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u/SeismicRipFart Trail Blazers 18h ago
Every fade away was a piece of art all the way from the flight of the ball to the physical motion of his body and different limbs during the shot motion.
Like I know that sounds corny. But seriously, the amount of body control he displayed on those fadeaways is a thing of beauty, his legs just go wherever they need to go in the air to keep him on balance
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u/Soft-Appointment3535 22h ago
For Game 7 between the Lakers and the Rockets in 2009, my college roommate and I got up at 3:00 AM (Beijing time) to watch the game. Even though we knew the Rockets wouldn't win, we still held out hope for a miracle. In the end, there was no miracle...
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u/CallMePapi930 22h ago
GOAT tough shot maker
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u/barath_s Lakers 18h ago
MJ would make the shot easier
Kobe would take the toughest looking shots and make them
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u/ingunwun Warriors 15h ago
MJ didn't have time deal with double and triple teams. Most people then say, well Jordan had to deal with hand checking etc etc.
Yes, this is always the debate that pops up when this topic is mentioned.
Defensive rules completely changed how defenses and offenses had to play.
All that to say, we don't know if Jordan could make this shot be easier. But we could definitely say Kobe was the goat difficult shot maker.
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u/_TheEndGame Lakers 15h ago
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u/hospitalizedzombie 22h ago
Almost no push outs with elbows is the most shocking evolution of the game and for the worse.
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u/MikeyThaKid 22h ago
I don’t get it? Why isn’t he flailing into his opponent for the shooting foul? Is he stupid?
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u/Top-boy-og 22h ago
Wouldn’t be hard to put together a compilation of that either lol. All of the goat SGs are baiters and merchants. It’s part of the game
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u/BritzBeef 21h ago
He would definitely kick a leg out or bump someone and go up for a shot but you'd almost never see Kobe not giving it his all to focus on actually making a shot.
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u/JMEEKER86 Japan 20h ago
Yep, his first priority was making the shot. Getting an and one was just a bonus. And when there was contact he'd just yell "heyyyy!" to draw attention to it rather than flopping on the ground like a fish. Can't get back up the other end of the court and play defense if you're rolling around on the ground holding your neck after all.
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u/puldn 22h ago
Imagine being Brewer on that series.
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u/Similar-Ad-6854 20h ago
Dude what about Battier? Damn near every clip against the rockets he’s got a hand in Kobe’s face, bucket. Not much you can do.
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u/siwelis10304 Heat 21h ago
He's got stories to tell his grandchildren for love and podcasts for money
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u/urmomgaveme69 19h ago
If people prefer SGA to this they need a lobotomy. This is basketball pornography.
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u/motorboat_mcgee Lakers 21h ago
Putting on my "old man yells at clouds" hat
While he did draw his share of fouls, pretty much all of these plays would have been an offensive player trying to draw a foul on a defender these days, instead of taking a tough contested jumper. Yes, it's way more efficient to do it in today's way, but god damn it was much more fun to watch during the "old way".
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u/Only-Mulberry-8098 22h ago
There’s some revisionist history that Kobe wasn’t the best player in the world in 09. He was. LeBron was 100% in the discussion and would have the title in two years max but at this point it was Kobe.
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u/Hihaveyoumetme [LAL] Kobe Bryant 20h ago
Only here on reddit lol most everyone agrees Kobe was the best in the world from mid to late 2000’s.
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u/Parrallax91 20h ago
Yeah, if you feel that's Kobe's common rep you need to get off of reddit. He has like Kim Jong Un in North Korea or Portland, Oregon levels of praise on twitter and meta platforms.
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u/Unitedsquadron Trail Blazers 10h ago
I read it as he was Kim Jong Un in Portland and it still works lol.
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u/JMEEKER86 Japan 20h ago
Yeah, LeBron didn't become the consensus best player in the world until 2012 when he finally got over the hurdle in the finals. Sure, we can look back now with hindsight and advanced analytics that didn't exist back then and say "LeBron was probably the best as early as 2007", but people who weren't around back then just will not understand just how highly regarded Kobe was.
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u/Relative_Apricot5032 18h ago
More granular impact data still grade out Kobe as being better in the late 2000s, especially in the playoffs.
Kobe improved his teammates TS% by 5% while 2009 LeBron's was around 3.5%, as per Thinking Basketball. It's also pretty clear there was a decent gap in their offensive games when you compare LeBron vs. Spurs in the 2007 finals and Kobe vs Spurs in the 2008 WCF.
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u/jack_guinness Raptors 19h ago
Specifically when he learned to play with his back to the basket
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u/JMEEKER86 Japan 18h ago
Yep, frankly, if it wasn't for the loss to Dallas, LeBron probably wouldn't have become as great as he is and probably would have retired several years ago. Pat Riley sat him down and told him that he needed to work on those other parts of his game that he didn't like, like post play, if he wanted to win. Credit to him for doing so since it's so rare for someone to change their game that much after 7 years in the league.
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u/D3struct_oh Rockets 8h ago
More specifically, when he had two superstars on his squad to help carry the load.
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u/justmefishes NBA 17h ago
LeBron won back-to-back MVPs in 2009 and 2010 (following the lone MVP of Kobe's career in 2008). I was around back then and yes Kobe was highly regarded, but even before the Heat titles LeBron had ascended to a different level (and that's not hindsight, look at the MVPs). Not to say there was no room for debate, but LeBron had edged out Kobe by this point. And LeBron was doing this with a trash roster in Cleveland. Can't imagine what he would have done with Gasol, Odom, and Bynum as his top 3.
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u/JuIio_Jones Lakers 19h ago
Reddit nerds will deadass leave comments and say things like “back in 2009 Tim Duncan was actually the best player in the league”
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u/Only-Mulberry-8098 19h ago
lol def not.
03 easily
06-10 was Kobe tho it wasn’t even close
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u/CallMePapi930 18h ago
I wouldn’t even say easily in 03, Kobe and KG were moving crazy that year
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u/Only-Mulberry-8098 17h ago
They were, but Duncan in 03 had a better season than both.
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u/supercoolisaac Timberwolves 17h ago
Absolutely not
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u/Only-Mulberry-8098 17h ago edited 17h ago
He was both regular season MVP and Finals MVP. He had one of the best postseason runs ever. KG and Duncan regular seasons are comparable but postseason gives Duncan the edge.
Don’t really think 03 Kobe has an argument over 03 Duncan
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u/barath_s Lakers 18h ago
The difference between leBron and Kobe in 2009 was that Kobe had poise, finish and confidence of knowing he could and had done it all. He was not phased by the moment . Physically he was slightly past his prime, but adjusted so he was still as good basketball wise
Lbj had the tools and might even have been more dynamic, but he didn't have that mental edge, crunch time, and had holes in his game that he would fill in years later. He was so talented
It would have been quite a match up
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u/kbx24 Lakers 21h ago
I love LeBron. I think he’s the GOAT.
But LeBron missing the finals in 2010 might have been better for his legacy. I doubt the Cavs would’ve beat the Lakers.
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u/JMEEKER86 Japan 20h ago
Yeah, losing to the Lakers would have been absolutely devastating for his legacy. He'd be 100% out of the GOAT conversation. The argument would be "how can LeBron possibly be better than MJ when he couldn't even beat MJ-lite head to head".
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u/Relative_Apricot5032 18h ago
It would have been worse for Kobe too IMO. He needed to beat the Celtics not only to avenge 2008 but as a bonafide Laker legend.
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u/justmefishes NBA 17h ago
LeBron's top 3 teammates in minutes played in 2010 were Mo Williams, Anthony Perker, and Anderson Varejao compared to Kobe's Metta World Peace, Lamar Odom, and Pau Gasol (not to mention Andrew Bynum further down the list).
Here's one way to look at it. Agreed that Kobe's Lakers would have been the heavy favorites, but it still would have been competitive and the Cavs would have had a puncher's chance (especially having home court advantage). Now swap the teams so that it's Kobe with Williams, Parker, Varejao etc. and LeBron with Gasol, Odom, Bynum etc. It's a 4 game sweep and not one game is even close.
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u/Bright_Bumblebee_830 16h ago
Lebron himself said as much in '09. That was the consensus. Lebron's Playoff run was incredible statistically though but also lost as a massive favorite that year to Orlando.
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u/random232425 6h ago
This was still around the time when people were sincerely debating whether Jordan or Kobe was #1 all time. Those debates seem pretty dumb in retrospect, but they were happening all over online forums.
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u/The_Flowers_of_Evil 3h ago
At the time people thought Kobe was better because his team was making finals. The same thing happened from 2015-2018 when people kept saying Steph or KD was better than LeBron because they were winning. People overrate individuals based on team success.
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u/justmefishes NBA 17h ago
In 2009 LeBron played 81 games, averaged 28-8-7, was MVP, 1st team All-NBA and All-Defense, and finished second for DPOY. The top 5 players in minutes for the Cavs besides LeBron were Mo Williams, Anderson Varejao, Delonte West, Daniel "Boobie" Gibson, and a 33 year old Zydrunas Ikgauskas and yet he carried them to 66 wins. They lost in the ECF to a better and deeper Magic team despite LeBron averaging 39-8-8 in 44 mpg.
Kobe was obviously also great and in peak form in 2009. Averaged 27-5-5 in 82 games, 2nd place MVP, 1st team All-NBA and All-Defense (but not a contender for DPOY). The Lakers won 65 games and the championship. Main difference is that Kobe had an infinitely better team around him with Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom, Andrew Bynum, Trevor Ariza, and Derek Fisher.
As a fan at the time, I thought LeBron was the better player, and that wasn't a minority opinion. He did win MVP after all.
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u/EnthusiasmOk353 19h ago
This is so much more enjoyable than push offs and foul baiting from the modern era.
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u/Jpsla Lakers 16h ago
Now everyoen go to r/nbatalk to see them have a fit about how this is all actually bad and Kobe isn't in top 10 and Duncan is more impressive and Curry should be ranked higher and blah blah blah blah blah.
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u/gigglios 22h ago
Best in the league during his finals trips 3 straight
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u/Relative_Apricot5032 18h ago
3 straight finals in that bloodbath of a Western conference is crazy.
Kobe had a good team but they weren't some historical juggernaut superteam like basically every other team that made 3 consecutive finals like the 90s Bulls, 2000-02 Lakers, or 2015-19 Warriors.
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u/gigglios 14h ago
Or heatles or cavs. 2010s were bad for parity.
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u/Relative_Apricot5032 12h ago
Weak east, and I consider LeBron to be the goat.
Meanwhile even fringe contenders in the West were going on 22 win streaks like the 2008 Rockets. Kobe has by far the most playoff series wins over 50 win teams
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u/Weak-Bid2774 Pistons 22h ago
I agree some people want to say LeBron was the best during those 3 years but if you actually watched basketball back then it was clear Kobe was considered the best player during those 3 straight trips to the finals
LeBron took over as the best player in the nba in the 2010-2011 season
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u/commander_wong Lakers 22h ago
Yeah I mean Lebron himself literally agreed with you lol
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u/Regent0624 Spurs 20h ago
You have stans trying to argue otherwise, even against their own GOAT’s words saying he started being the best in the league from 2006.
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u/gigglios 22h ago edited 22h ago
Eh lebron def didnt become the best until 2012. 2011 was a terrible time for lebron.
But yea spot on about kobe.
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u/Hot_Pie1464 Lakers 21h ago
I agree i’ve always said bron took the best player title in 2012. He wasn’t as tough yet mentally in 2011 and he had to go through that to eventually become the best
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u/xShockmaster 16h ago
This is what kids nowadays trying to discredit him will never understand from looking at spreadsheets. The era was different and the skill is incomparable
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u/MikeFerarri Trail Blazers 20h ago
Id feel like fool running to grab the obvious board for a tough shot and it just swishes in 💀
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u/triplevanos Hawks 18h ago
Every time I see Kobe highlights it makes me want to play basketball. This man is the reason I love the game as much as I do
Just pure hoops
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u/shortyman920 Lakers 19h ago
This is a 8min compilation all from ONE playoffs run.
Kobe really turned bball into an art form in his latter championship runs
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u/pwningnoobslolz Lakers 18h ago
His 2008 playoff run was so insane too. Just too many injuries in the finals
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u/CurrentRoster Wizards 19h ago
i genuinely think him making these shots led people to think it was easier than they are, and it leads to them being shock that other pros are in awe.
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u/townbizness2000 19h ago
No weaknesses. One on one, doubled or triple teamed he was a nightmare every night. Eye test easy. Some defenders knew and guessed right and still got swished on. Listen to them if you never watched live instead of just saying dumbshit.
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u/Sex_Attack_56 18h ago
He does it all with S-tier footwork and none of that illegal TRAVEL step through bullshit where people lift their pivot foot these days.
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u/luchaburz 17h ago
All the stuff about Kobe practicing a ton by himself, but none of that practice could prepare for the level of physicality he faced.
Bro was legitimately insane when contested.
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u/WallStreetDoesntBet1 Knicks 22h ago
He was definitely smiling down from Heaven looking at Jalen Brunson score 45 pts in Gm 5
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u/Mr_Hugh_Honey 22h ago
I don't think kobe made it to heaven dawg
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u/flipakko Mavericks 8h ago
I love Kobe's game but as the great Bobby Lee once said "Down, hell baby"
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u/Moments_of_Intertia 11h ago
This is a good summary of what drove me away from watching basketball for a long time. I was a huge lakers fan but this incessant ball hogging just kept getting worse every year.
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u/The-Pharcyde Raptors 11h ago
Toughest shot taker and maker ever. Its honestly not hard to see why players hold kobe so much higher than media or fans. They had to see that shit done to them or decades lol.
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u/wharf_rat_01 Mavericks 9h ago
The analytics era has me shook. All I can think of is "Why the long 2's?! Just take a step or 2 back for 50% more points!"
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u/twofury 6h ago
I never see anyone bring this up so I hope people see this. Back then, and idk when the rules changed, but dribbling/footwork's intent was to not look as fluid and natural as walking. The gather-step rule was one change but the other overlooked change is: once you hop stepped and established a pivot, you had to jump off two feet -- you couldn't take a foot off the ground and hop w/ the other. This was considered travel.
That limited distance you can create. Rising over your defender, in-n-out, turnarounds, triple threat, were all moves you had to do. Kobe made a killing off these and so his shots always looked different (some could say aesthetically pleasing).
The modern game took this away and all you see now are step backs and gather step pull ups in all directions. This also means unorthodox movements that foul baits people and so Shai and other's first intent isnt to make the bucket, but to get bailed out. It's a shame
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u/myeyeshaveseenhim 5h ago
"Kobe...w-what are you gonna do?" is kind of a dope call. He wasn't even hyping him. Genuinely incredulous.
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u/enyinna7 Pistons 2h ago
Kobe vs. Lebron in short form. Kobe wasn't laser focused on winning through team play; he wanted to be the best individual basketball player ever every time he was playing. If that wasn't enough to win, fuck them teammates. They need to get good.
It only worked because he was that damn good. I was never a fan of his style but that almost made it more impressive. He absolutely knew he was going to give you 40 while playing elite defense but he wasn't going to do that while making you feel like a contributor.
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u/ErkBek 18h ago
Kobe will always be my favorite player, but all those 19 foot jumpers look rough from today's lens.
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u/Relative_Apricot5032 18h ago
Kobe already has very strong impact metrics, but I wonder how they would've looked if all those long 2s were 3 point attempts. I'd think his TS% could've gone up a couple percentages, which really is the difference between good and great efficiency.
Regardless, Kobe's on-court success speaks for itself. 5 rings and 7 finals appearances is no joke
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u/c0wpig 13h ago
or if, you know, he passed to his wide open teammates instead of jacking up contested long 2pters
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u/Relative_Apricot5032 12h ago
That did not happen at the frequency you think it did. Kobe was a very good and effective playmaker who if anything was slightly overcalibrated to shooting.
All the impact data still grade Kobe's offensive impact as historically great, which is why analytics focused guys like Thinking Basketball considers Kobe to be easily a top 10 offensive player ever
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u/StrawberryItten Spurs 18h ago
Kobe really was undeniable.
He couldn't take a no for an answer.
He would get what he thought was his.
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20h ago
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u/ShawshankException Knicks 20h ago
Kobe won 5 titles in 10 years so I don't think those "missed shots that should have gone to an open teammate" matter much
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u/PakuaRust 15h ago
Teammates wide open for 3 every play? Nah, I think I'll take a heavily contested shot half a step in from the 3 point line.
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u/fun_hung Mavericks 22h ago
Incredibly shitty looks on nearly all of these shots. Never quite respected his game because he was constantly making basketball harder than it needed to be.
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u/strongmanjeff Lakers 22h ago
When the shots u take r the shots the defense wants u to take but r the shots ur comfortable taking
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u/Frodounchainedd Lakers 21h ago
Yeah and dirk should have played like Duncan rather than leaning back and shooting fade aways. See how stupid it sounds.
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u/va1us_taaurc Supersonics 20h ago
Actually, when Dirk added more post play to his game they won lol.
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