Dajadeed wrote:^^ Someone clearly didn't watch the early Lakers teams. Kobe was a second banana in year 1, definitely. Year 2? Go back and watch that. Kobe's numbers were insane. That team went 15-1 and played the best basketball I have ever seen a team play. 15-1.
Lol @ early Lakers teams. Calling the '99-02 Lakers, "The Early Lakers" teams, reveals quite a bit more about your age than you think.
From year 2 on Kobe was on par with Shaq. Ask Spurs, Kings, and TWolves fans about the WC playoffs. Kobe killed on the road, Shaq killed at home. It was ridiculous.
"Early Lakers Year 2"
Better playoff numbers: Shaq
Finals MVP: Shaq
"Early Lakers Year 3"
Better playoff numbers: Shaq
Finals MVP: Shaq
Case closed.
Your first sentence should actually have been, "Someone didn't clearly watch the early Lakers teams", and you should have directed it at yourself.
It's crazy how 2 people can watch the same game, 1 an objective basketball fan, and 1 a Kobe nut-hugger, and how differently they see things.
Kobe was fortunate to play with a guy who demanded so much attention, that teams had to build entire defensive strategies to slow him down. The amount of easy opportunities that Kobe was afforded playing with Shaq, is something that Kobe should spend every day of his life thanking Shaq for.
On the contrary, he starting taking more and more shots each year, at a significantly lower percentage than the most dominant player in the game, and eventually single handedly destroyed the Shaq Laker dynasty; only to then beg for another Superstar to be traded to the Lakers because he so grossly overestimated his ability to lead a team.
Anyways, numbers people hate Kobe. They can't fathom someone shooting under 50% leading a team. They say he had Pau, yet Lebron and Shaq and Duncan went out there with the ball boy and the bus driver to win their titles.
He's not just a below 50% shooter, he's a career 45% shooter, and a volume chucker.
