You obviously don't understand shot distributions...guys like MJ & LBJ attempted a higher # of shots near the basket, resulting in a higher FG %
Kobe had to play with post players that resulted in him having to take long range shots to space the floor...and those long range shots were almost always off the bounce
Idk why guys don't understand Kobe could've averaged 8 dimes easily if he chose to do so...look what he did playing PG in 2013...his role wasn't to be a PG most of his career...his role was to score and be a secondary facilitator bc the same way MJ did in Chicago
And back to the point at hand, shooting 45% is not inefficient when you operate primarily on the perimeter
Slashers shoot 50% bc their shot distribution lends to closer shots to the basket...LBJ is a career 35% shooter outside of 3 feet
Neither LBJ, MJ nor Magic would shoot 50% if their shot distribution was at the same range and volume of Kobe's shots
I understand shot distribution but I'll come back to that later...
Kobe was a career ~.400 shooter beyond 3ft on ~15.2 FGA, which improved to ~.411 on ~16.2 FGA beyond 3ft in the postseason; by comparison LeBron is a career ~.380 shooter beyond 3ft on ~12.6 FGA, which shrunk to ~.366 on ~13.3 FGA in the playoffs...
Both playoff and regular season shooting numbers are better than your 35%, and his shot attempts beyond 3ft increased in the playoffs which shows his aggression and confidence in his jump shooting. 38% and 36.6% on non-restricted area shooting are not bad numbers, by the way...
Kobe was a better shooter than LeBron, is that breaking news? Part of the issue with your comparison that hurts your own argument is you're comparing them as similar profiles of player...
LeBron is both the greatest transition scorer in NBA history, and the greatest rim-pressuring wing in NBA history. Guys will talk about Steph's gravity or Kobe's shot making or other characteristics but ignore the effects Bron's transcendent offense had on both his team offense and the opponent defense. Surely I don't need to explain the significance of rim pressure and transition scoring even for average NBA players, right? Let alone the absolute best at both skills in league history...
Kobe was a good shooter, but he wasn't a transcendent one, and he was smart enough to have seen the value in adding a stronger slash, or paint, or drive arsenal to his game. He had a tendency to take shots he didn't need to take, that weren't always the best for the team offense. He also was slight and didn't have the frame to add huge scoring punch outside jump shooting, especially once his athleticism waned, but that was within his control because Mike was also slight of frame...
If Kobe develops a little more interior presence to his game, the Lakers build around him differently and he doesn't play with post players who choke the spacing. How is it a demerit for Bron that he's found success with both a big and perimeter guys who were interior oriented, as well as shooters?
The points all count the same, my boy. If you score from right under the rim or nail a 14-footer, it's still 2 points. If you hit a where from outside the arc it's still 3 points. The gap between Bron's scoring at the rim (.737/.736), and Kobe's (.637/.602) is much more significant than Kobe's advantage at non-restricted area shooting (.400/.411 to Bron's .380/.366). Bron had a different physique to impose himself more physically but was also a smarter scorer...
All you had to do was be there.