I think he is for he has been in the right place at the right time in his career? This year has been his best year but he came to the lakers when Shaq was in his prime along with Fox, Fisher, and Horry, Harper, and Grant. The team was loaded. Put any superstar swingman in that situation the Lakers would be winning championships. In particular Tracy Mcgrady, Lebron James, and Dwyane Wade. Shaq made everyone better and the chemistry was right offensively and defensively.
At the right place at the right time? He was on the Lakers before they were winning championships in 97, 98 and 99. Now if he would have been Drafted in 2000 and they would just won it that year then I would agree with this but he didn't. He came into the league as a average player who couldn't really do much but as the years went by he got better and eventually moved up to the starting line up. He's also one of the reasons why they won those 3 championships. Besides how is that his fault? A player can't choose where he wants to be Drafted or traded to in Kobe case...Well not if your the kind of player Kobe was entering the Draft anyway.
It's not his fault but he is given too much credit. Without Shaq he is just a scorer like Mcgrady, Wade, and Lebron. Shaq took a lot of the offensive pressure away from Kobe on offense. Fox and Fisher took a lot of the pressure from Kobe defensively as well. It's not his fault but it's the media for comparing him to Jordan which he is far from. This year he is worthy of being the best swingman but in the Shaq days he was not quite at that level.
He is not just a scorer, and don't say bron is just a scorer either (same for T-Mac and Wade). Kobe is at times overrated (by Laker fans), and sometimes underrated (by people who don't watch enough games or ar epure haters). It depends on who you talk to.
At that point in his carreer (in the threepeat) he was the best two way player in the game. He also took over in the playoffs in the times where Shaq couldnt.
Mcgrady was a better passer and scorer than Kobe. Mcgrady just didn't have the teammates in Orlando to take him far. Wade has the over the hill Shaq to deal with these days along with some chemistry killers in Walker and Williams.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Nitro1118 @ Apr 22 2006, 03:24 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>He is not just a scorer, and don't say bron is just a scorer either (same for T-Mac and Wade). Kobe is at times overrated (by Laker fans), and sometimes underrated (by people who don't watch enough games or ar epure haters). It depends on who you talk to.</div>Couldn't have said it better...
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (mavsfan1000 @ Apr 22 2006, 01:11 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Mcgrady was a better passer and scorer than Kobe. Mcgrady just didn't have the teammates in Orlando to take him far. Wade has the over the hill Shaq to deal with these days along with some chemistry killers in Walker and Williams.</div>How was McGrady a better passer? Orlando also won 20 games when the Eastern Conference was at its worst.The over the hill Shaq? He may be older, but this Shaq is in much better shape than the Shaq of 03-04. And those teams had SERIOUS chemistry problems. And even without Shaq Wade still has a top 5 team in the East, at worst. Those Laker teams (excluding 2004) had Kobe and Shaq with a bunch of mediocre role players around them. Look at their 2001 championship team that almost swept through the post season.Rick Fox Shaquille O'Neal Kobe Bryant Derek Fisher Robert Horry Ron Harper Tyronn Lue Brian Shaw Mark Madsen Devean George Greg Foster
He is definately overrated if people think he is top ten all time or better than Jordan. He has had a spectacular year so I wont downplay him.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (CB4AllStar @ Apr 22 2006, 01:33 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>He is definately overrated if people think he is top ten all time or better than Jordan. He has had a spectacular year so I wont downplay him.</div>Don't say a player's overrated because a bunch of bandwagoners who think Kobe averages 50 a game say he's better than MJ.
Mcgrady is the better passer and he has less turnovers than Kobe. Mcgrady had one of the worse teams of all time in Lue, Gooden, Declerq, and whoever else. It would be like Kobe without Odom this year. Mcgrady also having back problems was starting to happen. The year before Mcgrady was unbelieveable. Right now Lebron James is the best swingman.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (mavsfan1000 @ Apr 22 2006, 01:48 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Mcgrady is the better passer and he has less turnovers than Kobe. Mcgrady had one of the worse teams of all time in Lue, Gooden, Declerq, and whoever else. It would be like Kobe without Odom this year. Mcgrady also having back problems was starting to happen. The year before Mcgrady was unbelieveable. Right now Lebron James is the best swingman.</div>Take Lamar off that team and put the Lakers in the east, they're still in contention for the playoffs, I'd expect 30+ wins. And you keep on saying the same thing, Tracy's a better passer. How so? Because his assist numbers are better? First of all they're the same, second of all assist statistics mean nothing. Today watching Lebron in the first half, he stood at the top of the key passed the ball out to someone in the corner 7 times, he got 6 assists.
Read the Dear Kobe Bryant thread. There were a bunch of Laker fans trying to prove that Kobe will be better than Jordan. That right there is overrating him a ton.
Assist stats mean nothing only to lakers fans. Since that part is missing in Kobe's game it causes chemistry problems. Mcgrady's assist/turnover ratio was great and I believe he had half the turnovers as Kobe and slightly higher assist numbers. Teams are afraid to double team you if they know you have great court vision and can find the open player. That is what Lebron is doing right now and dominating.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (CB4AllStar @ Apr 22 2006, 02:03 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Read the Dear Kobe Bryant thread. There were a bunch of Laker fans trying to prove that Kobe will be better than Jordan. That right there is overrating him a ton.</div>And they were stupid, just like I said.<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (mavsfan1000 @ Apr 22 2006, 02:05 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Assist stats mean nothing only to lakers fans. Since that part is missing in Kobe's game it causes chemistry problems. Mcgrady's <Censored>/to ratio was great and I believe he had half the turnovers as Kobe and slightly higher assist numbers. Teams are afraid to double team you if they know you have great court vision and can find the open player. That is what Lebron is doing right now and dominating.</div>Assist stats mean nothing because you can draw 5 players into you and hit someone for a wide open dunk, if they miss it you don't get anything in the stat book.
Unfortunately that rarely happens in the nba. Kobe is just unable to give his teammates the shots they like to get unlike Lebron. Lebron is doing it all and therefore is my MVP choice.
Kobe Bryant is known as the best player in today's game, and as an arguable top 50 Player ever. Who's to argue? No one today has his offensive reputoire, and when he tries, Kobe is an All NBA Team defender. He's also won 3 rings, holds numerous records (81 Point game, 12 three pointers in a game) and numerous Laker records (Points in a season, game)He's known as a great player, who is the best in the league. Who's to argue?
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Lakaboy42 @ Apr 22 2006, 04:25 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>How was McGrady a better passer? Orlando also won 20 games when the Eastern Conference was at its worst.The over the hill Shaq? He may be older, but this Shaq is in much better shape than the Shaq of 03-04. And those teams had SERIOUS chemistry problems. And even without Shaq Wade still has a top 5 team in the East, at worst. Those Laker teams (excluding 2004) had Kobe and Shaq with a bunch of mediocre role players around them. Look at their 2001 championship team that almost swept through the post season.Rick Fox Shaquille O'Neal Kobe Bryant Derek Fisher Robert Horry Ron Harper Tyronn Lue Brian Shaw Mark Madsen Devean George Greg Foster</div>T-Mac was and is a better passer. He is a far better playmaker, better scorer, better rebounder, and his defense when he tries is stellar. T-Mac had Juwan Howard, Drew Gooden, and no one else on that <Censored> team, no one could have carried that team past 25 wins. As I have always said, T-Mac healthy>Kobe. Even last year T-Mac was the best SG in the league. 3 years ago he was the best SG in the league. He has never been blessed with good teams, and the one year he was, he was unfortunate enough to play a very tough and rejuvinated Mavs team 1st round, that they pushed to 7 games. As for Wade, Wade's team right now isn't very good. Shaq is not best center in league anymore IMO, the team has no chemistry, and there are no role players. last year's Heat team was very much like the 3 peat Lakers, and if Wade didn't get injured, they would have won the title.
When comparing TMac and Kobe, you gotta love looking at TMac against Dallas last year. Kobe has never had a series like that, ever. 30 PPG, 6 RPG, 6 APG, all well D-ing up Dirk Nowitzki 90% of the time and holding him to 33% shooting. That's clutch if I've ever seen it
Exactly. T-Mac also never had Shaq as a teammate. Imagine T-Mac's great playoff performances and add Shaq to the equation along with role players. Scary combo.
