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People don't realize that Kobe was basically playing on one knee from his mid 20's on. He had knee surgeries in the summers of 2003, 2006, and 2010 (Apparently on the same knee).

Jordan referred Kobe to Grover in the summer of 2007 because Kobe told him his knees were in extreme pain. Tim Grover talks about it here:

Oddly enough both Kobe (interview on youtube asking him about #8 vs #24) and Jordan (Kobe relating a story about Jordan talking about 03 Kobe vs 91 Jordan) thought 2003 Kobe was the peak version of Kobe (24 years old)

Ironically these problems all started when he bulked up in 2003 and 2005. I noticed the same thing happened to McGrady after bulking up when he went to Houston.

This is Kobe talking about the 2006 season when he averaged 35 ppg, but was clearly not performing at the same level of athleticism of prior seasons (just look at his dunks that season). 2004 even more of an exception when he didn't have a chance to rehab from knee and shoulder surgeries the summer before:

It was common knowledge that Bryant's knee bothered him last season, but apparently more than he let on.

"It took me 45 minutes to warm up for practice and games. It was crazy," he recalled. "It was very sore, you just played around it. I couldn't attack, put pressure on the defense the way I wanted to."

https://www.espn.com/nba/news/story?id=2597017

This is from the 2011 season, talking about the 2010 playoffs:

How did Kobe propose to pull that off, a Lakers’ legionnaire wondered, ‘when he hasn’t practiced the whole season (something no member of LA’s press has called him out on)?” Is that true, I asked Kobe? ‘Yeah.’ Why? ‘Because I have very little cartilage under my right knee cap, it’s almost bone on bone.’

Bryant has undergone three operations on that same knee, one this past offseason, after having it drained several times during last year’s playoffs. ”Until I got it drained the first time during the opening round against the Thunder I could not bend that knee at all,’ he revealed.

https://www.slamonline.com/archives/kobe-bryants-right-knee-is-almost-bone-on-bone/

https://www.nbcsports.com/nba/news/kobe-admits-his-knee-is-nearly-bone-on-bone

Especially when you look at Kobe from 2007 on, he was really a shell of what he was athletically in 2003. 2003 Kobe (24 years old) and prior was blowing by guys like Vince Carter and T-Mac like they weren't there.

This is 24 year old Kobe vs 24/25 year old Jordan (Kobe is probably about 20-25 lbs heavier. He actually seemed to lose some speed and leaping from prior seasons):





Similar discussion here:

https://www.reddit.com/r/nba/comments/8flo86/serioushow_did_kobes_2003_offseason_knee_surgery/

https://www.reddit.com/r/nba/comments/1fhzrqq/highlight_preknee_surgery_kobe_displays_his_full/

Oddly enough both Kobe (interview on youtube asking him about #8 vs #24) and Jordan (Kobe relating a story about Jordan talking about 03 Kobe vs 91 Jordan) thought 2003 Kobe was the peak version of Kobe (24 years old)

He was right. I watched a ton of 2003 games after Kobe passed and he was better in 2003 then he was in 2006-2008. The former could do everything the latter did offensively, while also being better defensively and better at attacking the basket.

Yank3525 wrote:

Oddly enough both Kobe (interview on youtube asking him about #8 vs #24) and Jordan (Kobe relating a story about Jordan talking about 03 Kobe vs 91 Jordan) thought 2003 Kobe was the peak version of Kobe (24 years old)

He was right. I watched a ton of 2003 games after Kobe passed and he was better in 2003 then he was in 2006-2008. The former could do everything the latter did offensively, while also being better defensively and better at attacking the basket.

2006 was pretty bad, he could barely elevate on dunks.

It always seemed to me like Kobe overtrained. Goggins mindstate.

I mean you might have had a few more 2003 like seasons but ultimately adding size and slowing down likely extended his prime years as he had the tools to play an old man game. Similar to how we all know Timmy blew his knee in 2000 and yet he played his best ball after despite having lost more than a step.

I predict that Kobe with bad knees would dramatically outperform Kobe with no knees. That is my assessment of his basketballation rizz.

Clay Davis wrote:I predict that Kobe with bad knees would dramatically outperform Kobe with no knees. That is my assessment of his basketballation rizz.

I'm not so sure. Having no knees would eliminate his knee problems.

I think the hand injuries were a bigger deal


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Yoshun wrote:

Clay Davis wrote:I predict that Kobe with bad knees would dramatically outperform Kobe with no knees. That is my assessment of his basketballation rizz.

I'm not so sure. Having no knees would eliminate his knee problems.

Not as goofy a statement as you might think, considering Kobe was basically playing on one leg for a big chunk of his career.

LakerLegend wrote:

Yoshun wrote:

Clay Davis wrote:I predict that Kobe with bad knees would dramatically outperform Kobe with no knees. That is my assessment of his basketballation rizz.

I'm not so sure. Having no knees would eliminate his knee problems.

Not as goofy a statement as you might think, considering Kobe was basically playing on one leg for a big chunk of his career.

Basically playing on one leg is a lot different than what people think when they say that, that's for sure.

*sad Brandon Roy noises*

LakerLegend wrote:

Yoshun wrote:

Clay Davis wrote:I predict that Kobe with bad knees would dramatically outperform Kobe with no knees. That is my assessment of his basketballation rizz.

I'm not so sure. Having no knees would eliminate his knee problems.

Not as goofy a statement as you might think, considering Kobe was basically playing on one leg for a big chunk of his career.

Yup, also one hand only for a few years. And he was legally blind in one eye as well which not too many knew about (can’t remember if it was right eye or left eye). GOAT

Onlytimewilltel wrote:

LakerLegend wrote:

Yoshun wrote:
I'm not so sure. Having no knees would eliminate his knee problems.

Not as goofy a statement as you might think, considering Kobe was basically playing on one leg for a big chunk of his career.

Yup, also one hand only for a few years. And he was legally blind in one eye as well which not too many knew about (can’t remember if it was right eye or left eye). GOAT

I heard he died shortly after the Lakers 3rd chip with Shaq but willed himself alive so he could prove to the world he wasn't a side kick. The GOAT of GOATS.

Good knees or bad knees Kobe's shot selection always left something to be desired and this always drags him down in the all-time lists.

He might’ve made Top 10 all time

His stats definitely would have benefited if he rested more. I remember he started off the 2007 season pretty badly after the knee surgery of 06, something like 24ppg for the first 20 games.

Yoshun wrote:

Onlytimewilltel wrote:

LakerLegend wrote:
Not as goofy a statement as you might think, considering Kobe was basically playing on one leg for a big chunk of his career.

Yup, also one hand only for a few years. And he was legally blind in one eye as well which not too many knew about (can’t remember if it was right eye or left eye). GOAT

I heard he died shortly after the Lakers 3rd chip with Shaq but willed himself alive so he could prove to the world he wasn't a side kick. The GOAT of GOATS.

Weird and disgusting comment.

I have the same question about Arvydas Sabonis.
40 years question.

His athleticism definitely took a hit after 2003 which was his best overall combination of quickness, strength, explosiveness and movement.

If all else stayed the same then he retires with 6, possibly 7 rings. A more physically dominant Kobe gets the Lakers over Boston in 08 meaning a 3 peat from 08-10. And it means that knee injury in 2011 wouldn't have been the death sentence for that Lakers dynasty that it ended up being, so the Lakers remain relevant for a few seasons more.

Those Smush Parker teams still wouldn't have been anything near contenders, there's only so much one man can do.