How valuable was Kobe to the championship Lakers....

[Kobay]

^^^Actually duncan back than was pretty horrible against double teams. Now he's got so much better. I remember that was reason other than 0.4sec shot that lakers beat the spurs. YD was turning that ball over when he was doubled. If they didn't double duncan they would have lost like in 03

[Nebroc]

This topic has been beaten to death...

No Kobe was the 2nd best player in the league at that time, all of those players you've listed don't even come close to Kobe's clutchness, defense, and competitiveness.

Yes that Kobe fellow who even in his prime can't take teams out of the first round was better then prime Duncan.

[yongaz]

Lets look at the guys Kobe had to defend those 1st 2 championships and lets see if T-Mac, Lebron, Wade could have guarded them also and won the battle on the offensive end.

2000 - Doug Christie, Penny Hardaway, Bonzi Well and Steve Smith

2001 - Steve Smith, Bonzi Wells, Antonio Daniels, Doug Christie and Bobby Jackson

I think it's fair to say Lebron, T-Mac and Wade could have contained these guys enough on defense and flat out destroyed them on the offensive end. Kobe had problems with Bonzi and Steve Smith when they took him to the low post in 2000. I think Lebron would have shut that down. No way is Steve Smith or Bonzi Wells posting up 260 pound Lebron james

On the offensive end Bron , Wade and T-mac could have destroyed these guys. I can picture 2006 D-Wade blowing by Doug Christie, Antonio Daniels, Steve Smith, Wells all day long.

And if you key on him,your leaving prime Shaq wide open or Fisher in the corner for a wide open 3 or Robert Horry.

bla bla bla bla bla Kobe sucks bla bla bla bla bla Bron / Wade / T-Mac >>>>> Kobe in efficiency, free throw shooting, scoring, defense, burrito-eating capability.

i can see the vailidity of the arguments posted here but to say that Bron / Wade / T-Mac will contain these guys enough and then flat out destroy them on the offensive end while Kobe will struggle on both ends? No I don't think its fair to say that at all. If you take the current Bron / Wade / T-Mac and compare it to the THEN - Kobe maybe... but you can take the current - Kobe and replace with any THEN - Bron / Wade / T-Mac (imagine Kobe and VC in Toronto!) and still come up with the same conclusion... especially if you're just intent of skewing things...

Fair enough its your opinion... and yes Kobe did struggle with some of the matchups for sure... but replacing Bron / T-Mac / Wade with Kobe and say that they'll automatically and definitely do better is a little... well... i dunno... momma always told me to be nice... you fill in the blank yourself. So again, No I don't think it's fair to say that at all.

Even though they're all wing players their games are all different... Kobe's game fit in with Shaq's so well that if their egos didn't clash they might have very well gone down as the best 1-2 inside-outside punch in the history of the game... IMO this was the only problem that they had... not the lack of skills on Kobe or Shaq's part so even if you replace Kobe or Shaq with a similar player, I doubt they would've fared any better.

You keep claiming you have Kobe as your MVP... and well.. gee i dunno... *scratches head*.

[LakerRings]

Lets look at the guys Kobe had to defend those 1st 2 championships and lets see if T-Mac, Lebron, Wade could have guarded them also and won the battle on the offensive end.

2000 - Doug Christie, Penny Hardaway, Bonzi Well and Steve Smith

2001 - Steve Smith, Bonzi Wells, Antonio Daniels, Doug Christie and Bobby Jackson

I think it's fair to say Lebron, T-Mac and Wade could have contained these guys enough on defense and flat out destroyed them on the offensive end. Kobe had problems with Bonzi and Steve Smith when they took him to the low post in 2000. I think Lebron would have shut that down. No way is Steve Smith or Bonzi Wells posting up 260 pound Lebron james

On the offensive end Bron , Wade and T-mac could have destroyed these guys. I can picture 2006 D-Wade blowing by Doug Christie, Antonio Daniels, Steve Smith, Wells all day long.

And if you key on him,your leaving prime Shaq wide open or Fisher in the corner for a wide open 3 or Robert Horry.

One of the more idiotic posts ever written. The only thing more consistent than your obvious hatred for kobe is the silliness of your arguments decrying him and his greatness as a basketball player.