Where does Kobe's 10yr prime (01-10) rate in historical rankings?

[therealbig3]

Depends on how you see Wilt. The majority of his career as a stat stuffing legend may very well be the biggest example of empty stats as far as actual impact goes. While it’s very clear that while he may have never been the best player in the league, Kobe was always in the top 5ish area and pretty much always measured well in terms of impact stats, while being one of the most resilient offensive anchors come playoff time in history. If you take him over Wilt, then you could have him at 10. But there’s a few players I consider around his level that also have a case (Dirk, Durant, Curry, Oscar, West, off the top of my head).

[70sFan]

Depends on how you see Wilt. The majority of his career as a stat stuffing legend may very well be the biggest example of empty stats as far as actual impact goes. While it’s very clear that while he may have never been the best player in the league, Kobe was always in the top 5ish area and pretty much always measured well in terms of impact stats, while being one of the most resilient offensive anchors come playoff time in history. If you take him over Wilt, then you could have him at 10. But there’s a few players I consider around his level that also have a case (Dirk, Durant, Curry, Oscar, West, off the top of my head).

The only season you can argue for "empty stats" is 1963 and it was a complete mess with the franchise changing city and players leaving the team because of that.

[OhayoKD]

Depends on how you see Wilt. The majority of his career as a stat stuffing legend may very well be the biggest example of empty stats as far as actual impact goes. While it’s very clear that while he may have never been the best player in the league, Kobe was always in the top 5ish area and pretty much always measured well in terms of impact stats, while being one of the most resilient offensive anchors come playoff time in history. If you take him over Wilt, then you could have him at 10. But there’s a few players I consider around his level that also have a case (Dirk, Durant, Curry, Oscar, West, off the top of my head).

The only season you can argue for "empty stats" is 1963 and it was a complete mess with the franchise changing city and players leaving the team because of that.

Wilt isn't really "empty stats" as much as he is "not-pace adjusted stats". His per 75 whatever probably undersells his impact if anything.

The whole idea he is a playoff faller is predicated on pretending he had nothing to do with his defenses getting better.

[MacGill]

If you have Kobe in your top 10, which most should have given his overall career and two-way play, then this 10 year prime should closely mirror to where you have him ranked as this was mostly the meat & potatoes placing him there. This board is becoming as terrible as the takes on ESPN or (enter your fav mainstream sports show) on trying to discredit Kobe and his accomplishments.

While prime/peak Kobe was playing, no one in sports media was stating that he wasn't at or near the top of the nba, especially at pretty much the lowest scoring margin in league history. There is nothing special about today's league, athletes, outside of a huge advancement in sports science, since around the 2010's, even wayyyyy more money, the deflection of leadership, and that the mid-range game is now called 'jack up 3's'.

What people miss in all of this is that basketball is a game of match-ups, meaning, that a certain team or player could perform better or worse against the same competitor(s). This version of Kobe was a two-way nightmare for almost all teams during this period, hence his success, and league reputation during this time. None of this nba was based on 'where are his impact stats against his peers' and that wasn't Kobe's mindset either. Kobe's hunger to win dwarfs anyone in this current league 'bar none' but this will never show up on the stat sheet and was only needed when the current group of vets/retirees needed guidance on how to actually obtain this mindset.

It doesn't matter if you liked him or not, but some here are vasting inflating more modern players on league advantages and player measurements that have only grown since Kobe's departure. Some of the players being mentioned who are stated to have being superior to Kobe is just plain ridiculous based on their reasons provided. Just my opinion.