I know this place isn’t for me, and not to ruin anyone’s fun, but just to add actual facts to the discussion, let me leave these here.
Scrub away what Kobe did off the bench as a teenager, and last year (6 games) and this year, and just view Kobe’s career from the day he became a starter, to the day he tore his Achilles, you have 15 years to view.
From 1999 to 2013, 15 full seasons, as a starter, Kobe’s numbers look like this……
In 1,089 GMS
27.4 PPG
5.7 RPG
5.1 APG
In 200 Playoff GMS
27.3 PPG
5.4 RPG
5.1 APG
Shooting?
46% FG%
36% 3%
84% FT%
For 15 seasons. 27/5.5/5. On 46/36/84 percent.
MJ, gave us 11 total seasons, not including Wizards and 18 game broken ankle year and final month comeback year. 11 full seasons as “MJ”
Bron is still 3 years away from 15 years, but pretty clear he will get there, and he will be in 27/6/6 range himself.
Jerry West gave 14 years like that, so he can be considered as likely to have gotten a 15th in there.
Those 2 are it, in terms of comparisons for Kobe. 27/5/5 for a 15 year career is not done, by anyone else, with MJ West, and LeBron being the obvious (would/will be matches)
Factoring in all games played, everything, rookie 18 year old Kobe off the bench, 6 games last year injured Kobe, 36 year old gunner Kobe today, everything, all totaled, combined playoff and regular season, he’s at 1,475 games played, his averages?
25.5 PPG
5.2 RPG
4.7 APG
19 years.
Slice it however you want to slice it, the NBA is almost 70 years old. There are tens of thousands of NBA players in history. There are not more than 2-3 guys in the entire world that have matched that 15 year stretch, ever. The 3 allowable comparisons, are MJ, West and LeBron.
That doesn’t mean Kobe is the 4th greatest of all time, or any of that. Certainly there are a couple Centers that want in on that action. I’m not even using stuff like All NBA voting, or Titles, or anything else, just he, himself, on the floor, like every other player that has played before him, no one else is matching that 15 year stretch. Not Paul Pierce, not Jason Kidd, not Ray Allen, not AI, not Vince, not TMac, not Wade, not Nique, none of them.
When it’s done and said, everything added up, sliced and divided however you want, Kobe has had one of the 7-10 greatest careers in NBA history, not even counting anything vote related (popularity contests) or Team related, just sheer on the court production. He’s easily had one of the best careers in NBA History. So if that’s overrated, then you better have an amazing resume to provide ahead of this one. And after MJ, Bron, and West, you’re gonna have a hard time.
