Was Kobe Bryant ever the best player in the league?

[MannyRam99]

He also had an excellent all around player in Lamar Odom playing with him os it was a 2 man team with role players and not a one man team with role players. Say what you will about Kwame Brown but for a time there he was actually a pretty good defensive minded role player despite being a complete bust as a number 1 pick.

The other Laker role players weren't really good but they weren't D leaguers either.

[MannyRam99]

I can't even directly reply to that post because quite frankly it's insulting to me as a Laker fan.

Odom was always a 3rd option at best, it was apparent from the time he stepped foot in LAL, to credit him as a viable side kick to anyone is laughable.

No wait, that's not laughable when compared to what you wrote next... you attempted to prop up Kwame Brown to make it seem as though Kobe had more help than what is perceived to be. After that you made a half effort attempt to prop up the rest of the cast ... guys like Tierre Brown and Smush who were LITERALLY d-league players.

why did you do that ?

[RatherUnique]

I'd say from the 2005-06 season until the 2008-09 season, Bryant was tops.

So he was only the best player in the league for 3 years out of 16 (and counting)?

[pross]

I can't even directly reply to that post because quite frankly it's insulting to me as a Laker fan.

Odom was always a 3rd option at best, it was apparent from the time he stepped foot in LAL, to credit him as a viable side kick to anyone is laughable.

No wait, that's not laughable when compared to what you wrote next... you attempted to prop up Kwame Brown to make it seem as though Kobe had more help than what is perceived to be. After that you made a half effort attempt to prop up the rest of the cast ... guys like Tierre Brown and Smush who were LITERALLY d-league players.

why did you do that ?

I hate this excuse. Guys like T-mac and Vince had these type of teams their WHOLE career and get put down constantly. Kobe has a bad team for 2 years and can't perform and all the excuses in the world come out to defend him.

He was arguably the best player in 08. That's about all I'll give him

[clipocketurs]

Kobe PER
05-06 3rd
06-07 5th
07-08 8th
08-09 6th

Some people have low standards for "the best" player in the NBA.
Kobe's best season was 05-06.
The unbiased stats say that Dirk was the best that year.
Dirk was 1st in PER, 1st in Win Shares, and 1st Win Shares per 48.
Kobe was 3rd in PER, 4th in Win Shares, and 8th Win Shares per 48.

Try to be objective and unbiased.

Many people are trolling.

Many know Kobe has never been the best yet keep saying he was in hopes that gullible, uneducated people will believe them.

LeBron PER
07-08 1st
08-09 1st
09-10 1st
10-11 1st
11-12 1st

Shaq PER
97-98 1st
98-99 1st
99-00 1st
00-01 1st
01-02 1st

Jordan PER
86-87 1st
87-88 1st
88-89 1st
89-90 1st
90-91 1st
91-92 1st
92-93 1st

[HighFlyer23]

Kobe in 05-06 and maybe 07-08

2002-2003 was his best year but Duncan was probably better

[Black Feet]

IMO, Kobe was the best from 06-08, but you could easily make arguments for other players in those years.

06: You could argue Wade, LeBron, or Nash
07: You could argue LeBron, Nash, or Duncan
08: You could argue LeBron, KG, or Paul

Before or after those years, Kobe doesn't have an argument, imo.

Actually there is no argument during those years, it was clear as day Kobe was the best player. Everyone from coaches to players to gm's knew this and preached it.

[MannyRam99]

I hate this excuse. Guys like T-mac and Vince had these type of teams their WHOLE career

another guy who doesn't know his basketball history, tsk tsk tsk.

VC and T-Mac got help waaay before Kobe got help and they did jack **** with it.

VC played along side Kidd and prime RJ, about as good of trio as you could ever form, and VC couldn't get out the east.

T-Mac's story is even more shameful, he was a pretender from the get go. Yao Ming, Dikembe as a BACKUP CENTER lol, Battier, a potent Rafer Alston at PG, Carl Landry, Luis Scola etc.



dude ... gimme a break, you're offending me.

[pross]

I hate this excuse. Guys like T-mac and Vince had these type of teams their WHOLE career

another guy who doesn't know his basketball history, tsk tsk tsk.

VC and T-Mac got help waaay before Kobe got help and they did jack **** with it.

VC played along side Kidd and prime RJ, about as good of trio as you could ever form, and VC couldn't get out the east.

T-Mac's story is even more shameful, he was a pretender from the get go. Yao Ming, Dikembe as a BACKUP CENTER lol, Battier, a potent Rafer Alston at PG, Carl Landry, Luis Scola etc.



dude ... gimme a break, you're offending me.

Guarantee I know about my basketball history than you.

Alston/Landry/Washed up Dikembe/RJ? haha nice argument.

[therealbig3]

I hate this excuse. Guys like T-mac and Vince had these type of teams their WHOLE career

another guy who doesn't know his basketball history, tsk tsk tsk.

VC and T-Mac got help waaay before Kobe got help and they did jack **** with it.

VC played along side Kidd and prime RJ, about as good of trio as you could ever form, and VC couldn't get out the east.

T-Mac's story is even more shameful, he was a pretender from the get go. Yao Ming, Dikembe as a BACKUP CENTER lol, Battier, a potent Rafer Alston at PG, Carl Landry, Luis Scola etc.



dude ... gimme a break, you're offending me.

Come on, you're twisting the story.

You're overrating the Nets and Rockets cast, while downplaying how much help Kobe had. Prime RJ was not that great of a player, and Kidd was on his last legs. They also had a weak front line and a weak bench. You're not winning anything with a lineup like that. The Rockets had nobody who could create their own shot outside of T-Mac and an oft-injured and inconsistent Yao. And did you really call Rafer Alston "potent", especially after being offended that Smush Parker was mentioned as legitimate support? Come on.

T-Mac and Carter also labored on some horrible Orlando and Toronto teams at first, while Kobe teamed up with prime Shaq immediately. Kobe's Lakers from 05-07 are similar to those Orlando and Toronto squads, while Carter's NJ teams and T-Mac's Houston teams weren't anywhere close to the teams Kobe had in his other years.

[soxfan2003]

Kobe PER
05-06 3rd
06-07 5th
07-08 8th
08-09 6th

Some people have low standards for "the best" player in the NBA.
Kobe's best season was 05-06.
The unbiased stats say that Dirk was the best that year.
Dirk was 1st in PER, 1st in Win Shares, and 1st Win Shares per 48.
Kobe was 3rd in PER, 4th in Win Shares, and 8th Win Shares per 48.

Try to be objective and unbiased.

Many people are trolling.

Many know Kobe has never been the best yet keep saying he was in hopes that gullible, uneducated people will believe them.

LeBron PER
07-08 1st
08-09 1st
09-10 1st
10-11 1st
11-12 1st

Shaq PER
97-98 1st
98-99 1st
99-00 1st
00-01 1st
01-02 1st

Jordan PER
86-87 1st
87-88 1st
88-89 1st
89-90 1st
90-91 1st
91-92 1st
92-93 1st

PER is a pretty good stat but it still rewards mediocre volume shooting a little bit too much in my eyes. So, it a bit more likely to reward Jordan, Kobe, Iverson on a relative basis then players like Lebron, KG, and Duncan. And it doesn't reward great defense unless it results directly in a steal or block.

The fact that Kobe was never a little higher in PER surprises me. I never once considered him the top player in the game for a given season but I would have thought a stat like PER would have him in the top 3 more often then just one year

[MannyRam99]

Come on, you're twisting the story.

I stopped reading there.

have you seen the bull**** that some of these dudes try to pass off as facts just to diminish Kobe ? but if the other side of the spectrum uses slight hyperbole everybody goes up in arms.

and how is Raefer Alston not potent ? whaaa ?

even Alston on his route to being out of the league was one of the best players on a Dwight lead Magic team that went to the finals, trust me, I witnessed first hand that Alston was a damn good PG.

[MannyRam99]

I hate this excuse. Guys like T-mac and Vince had these type of teams their WHOLE career

another guy who doesn't know his basketball history, tsk tsk tsk.

VC and T-Mac got help waaay before Kobe got help and they did jack **** with it.

VC played along side Kidd and prime RJ, about as good of trio as you could ever form, and VC couldn't get out the east.

T-Mac's story is even more shameful, he was a pretender from the get go. Yao Ming, Dikembe as a BACKUP CENTER lol, Battier, a potent Rafer Alston at PG, Carl Landry, Luis Scola etc.



dude ... gimme a break, you're offending me.

Guarantee I know about my basketball history than you.

Alston/Landry/Washed up Dikembe/RJ? haha nice argument.

I like how you only reflected on the role players and rightfully accepted the fact that they hadd Kidd/Yao and won nothing.

good, move on then.

[RatherUnique]

even Alston on his route to being out of the league was one of the best players on a Dwight lead Magic team that went to the finals

12 pts, 4 assists 38% FG, 32% from downtown.

If that's "one of the best players" on the team, then it's a testament to how great Howard was that season.

[GetItDone]

Never.

Not a single year he's been in the league.

None.

[MannyRam99]

even Alston on his route to being out of the league was one of the best players on a Dwight lead Magic team that went to the finals

12 pts, 4 assists 38% FG, 32% from downtown.

If that's "one of the best players" on the team, then it's a testament to how great Howard was that season.

another case of stats not telling the whole story.

when Jameer went down, Alston came in and filled in nicely. Jameer was able to return during the finals and Alston slipped out of the lineup, lost rythm etc. We're just arguing semantics at this point.

[RatherUnique]

even Alston on his route to being out of the league was one of the best players on a Dwight lead Magic team that went to the finals

12 pts, 4 assists 38% FG, 32% from downtown.

If that's "one of the best players" on the team, then it's a testament to how great Howard was that season.

another case of stats not telling the whole story.

when Jameer went down, Alston came in and filled in nicely. Jameer was able to return during the finals and Alston slipped out of the lineup, lost rythm etc. We're just arguing semantics at this point.

"filled in nicely" = not turning the ball over, because that's the only thing he did "nicely"

Point being, if he's one of the best players of your supporting cast, then the supporting cast isn't that good.

[MannyRam99]

"filled in nicely" = not turning the ball over, because that's the only thing he did a good job at.

Point being, if he's one of the best players of your supporting cast, then the supporting cast isn't that good.

Thats true. Funny thing is that 2009 cast is the best cast Dwight has had.

it has been corrected though, Otis Smith is out of a job. Should have been the minute he traded Courtney Lee for a regressed Carter imo.

[KiDeezy]

06-09.

[RatherUnique]

Thats true. Funny thing is that 2009 cast is the best cast Dwight has had.

it has been corrected though, Otis Smith is out of a job. Should have been the minute he traded Courtney Lee for a regressed Carter imo.

Agreed