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On Kobe...
Kobe is one of the most difficult athletes to have a rational discussion about in large part due to the ever present pack of raging Laker fans who lie in wait ready to turn every argument into complete chaos, but in spite of that I'll try anyways.
Nobody can deny his greatness, but debate about his place among the elite still lies in question. Nobody since Micheal has ever displayed such a maniacal desire to compete and claim victory over who dare challenged them, the desire to utterly destroy anything that stood in his path to victory. The man is killer in every sense of the word and you cannot ask any more of him as far as his devotion to his craft (as evidence by the late career transformation to his game) and his willingness to take big shots.
Unfortunately with Kobe's greatest trait, the trait that his admirers love to praise, all of that comes one gigantic qualifier and the reason why, in my opinion I can never put him in my top 10, and why there are players who played in his era who I would rather have. Kobe has a manically desire to compete...on his own terms, Kobe wishes to destroy his challengers...on his own terms and within his greatest strength lies his greatest flaw. Kobe has the tendency to cannibalize his teammates in the pursuit of his own personal glory, the sneering at teammates, the hero shots at the buzzer, the constant need to validate his own greatness to the critics real and imaginary. The Shaq-Kobe duo was bound to implode because simply winning was not enough and would never be, so he sabotaged it, whether consciously or unconsciously. Fortunately the Lakers have been have strong usually has a Pau or a Shaq to save him from himself, but when he doesn't have that; a player who's ability he respects then you are in for a long season of sneering, pouting and cannibalism. Kobe's devotion is to winning in a vaccum but winning in the way that most credits him with glory.
If you have a healthy prime Shaq, Duncan, or Dirk you almost gureteed to win 50 games, I can't say the same about Kobe and thus why I would take those guys over him.
Disclaimer: Please remember that we are splitting hairs, that while I may say that I would rather have Dirk you must remember we are dealing on a scale of greatness, this does not mean I hate Kobe or think he sucks, and neither does it mean I think the two players I mentioned previously are some significant amount better. The way I look at basketball and the way I think it should be played simply dictates to me that I would rather have Dirk, this does not mean I think there is some gigantic difference between the two..IMO the difference is minimal...
On comparisons to Micheal....
They are not valid, no matter how many championship he wins, no matter how many other awards an accolades he gets, It's blasphemy it's unholy so please stop. Micheal while similar to Kobe in demeanor, attitude, competitiveness, skill set, style of play but Micheal was simply better, in every measurable way. There is no plausible argument to make that Kobe is Micheal's equal argument, Micheal operates in a rarefied air with the likes of Russel, Wilt, Magic, Oscar, Bird...but Kobe? no. no. no. Not now not ever, so please let it go.
Kobe is one of the most difficult athletes to have a rational discussion about in large part due to the ever present pack of raging Laker fans who lie in wait ready to turn every argument into complete chaos, but in spite of that I'll try anyways.
Nobody can deny his greatness, but debate about his place among the elite still lies in question. Nobody since Micheal has ever displayed such a maniacal desire to compete and claim victory over who dare challenged them, the desire to utterly destroy anything that stood in his path to victory. The man is killer in every sense of the word and you cannot ask any more of him as far as his devotion to his craft (as evidence by the late career transformation to his game) and his willingness to take big shots.
Unfortunately with Kobe's greatest trait, the trait that his admirers love to praise, all of that comes one gigantic qualifier and the reason why, in my opinion I can never put him in my top 10, and why there are players who played in his era who I would rather have. Kobe has a manically desire to compete...on his own terms, Kobe wishes to destroy his challengers...on his own terms and within his greatest strength lies his greatest flaw. Kobe has the tendency to cannibalize his teammates in the pursuit of his own personal glory, the sneering at teammates, the hero shots at the buzzer, the constant need to validate his own greatness to the critics real and imaginary. The Shaq-Kobe duo was bound to implode because simply winning was not enough and would never be, so he sabotaged it, whether consciously or unconsciously. Fortunately the Lakers have been have strong usually has a Pau or a Shaq to save him from himself, but when he doesn't have that; a player who's ability he respects then you are in for a long season of sneering, pouting and cannibalism. Kobe's devotion is to winning in a vaccum but winning in the way that most credits him with glory.
If you have a healthy prime Shaq, Duncan, or Dirk you almost gureteed to win 50 games, I can't say the same about Kobe and thus why I would take those guys over him.
Disclaimer: Please remember that we are splitting hairs, that while I may say that I would rather have Dirk you must remember we are dealing on a scale of greatness, this does not mean I hate Kobe or think he sucks, and neither does it mean I think the two players I mentioned previously are some significant amount better. The way I look at basketball and the way I think it should be played simply dictates to me that I would rather have Dirk, this does not mean I think there is some gigantic difference between the two..IMO the difference is minimal...
On comparisons to Micheal....
They are not valid, no matter how many championship he wins, no matter how many other awards an accolades he gets, It's blasphemy it's unholy so please stop. Micheal while similar to Kobe in demeanor, attitude, competitiveness, skill set, style of play but Micheal was simply better, in every measurable way. There is no plausible argument to make that Kobe is Micheal's equal argument, Micheal operates in a rarefied air with the likes of Russel, Wilt, Magic, Oscar, Bird...but Kobe? no. no. no. Not now not ever, so please let it go.
