Professor Emeritus: "Kobe was never clearly the best in any season of his career"

[Ozymandeas]

Nah not really he was just on better teams then which lead to chips, he wasn't a better player than Bron. Bron was more consistent, efficient, and a better defender by '09. Also a lot of talk of people saying oh at that time people were saying Kobe was better but a lot of peers in 2021 were still saying Bron was the best but was he better than Giannias that year? Hell nah

How you the better player when you lost three years in a row from 2008-2010, had no jump shot, wasn’t considered the leader of the Olympics team y’all were both on and the guy you’re saying he was better than was winning rings. In 2010, people were wondering if Kobe would get win Ring #6 and catch Jordan. Virtually no one back then was saying “well, I know Kobe just beat the Celtics and got ring #5. He’s still only the second or third best player in the league. LeBron is the real GOAT.” None of those sports casters covering the Finals were saying this. Y’all living in a fantasy world.

 

[Professor Emeritus]

Wade in 2006:

27-6-5 on 50/17 in the regular season, 28-6-6 on 50/38 in the playoffs, 35-8-4 on 47/27 in the Finals

According to some of you, Wade has no argument whatsoever for best player in 2006 even though he had an amazing Finals and decent regular season / playoff numbers, because someone else scored 35ppg in the regular season. His incredible Finals wasn't good enough to get any "best player" case at all that year cause 27-5-5 on 50% just wasn't a good enough regular season.



Kobe in 2010:

27-5-5 on 46/33 regular season, 29-6-6 on 46/37 playoffs, 29-8-4 on 41/32 Finals

2010 Kobe's regular season/playoff performances were pretty much the same as 2006 Wade's (and both were similarly out of the running in the MVP race, with 0 first-place votes), but his Finals was significantly inferior. He never really exerted his will on the Finals, had awful 4th quarters all series long, and would have come out on the losing end if Ray/Perkins didn't get injured and Fisher/Pau/Artest hadn't come up with some big shots in the clutch.

Even though Kobe didn't have a particularly impressive playoff run or Finals, and even though he had a significantly worse regular season than another player that year, the fact that he was Finals MVP was enough to make him "clearly the best" player that year in some posters' minds.



hmmmm......

 

[Professor Emeritus]

Lebron in 2010:

30-7-9 on 50/33 shooting, leads a shytty roster to 66 wins, nearly unanimous MVP, gets multiple votes for DPOY, lost to a superior Celtics team in the 2nd round while putting up 29-9-8 on 50/40 splits in the playoffs.

According to many of you, Lebron has zero case for best player in 2010, even though he had by far the best regular season, because he didn't advance past the 2nd round in the playoffs (despite Boston having 4 of the best 5 players on the court that series).



Kobe in 2006:

35-5-5 on 45/35 shooting, leads a shytty roster to 45 wins, distant 4th in MVP race, no DPOY votes, lost to a superior Suns team in the 1st round while putting up 28-6-6 on 50/40 splits in the playoffs.

According to those same people, Kobe is clearly the best player in 2006 because of his regular season performance alone, even though he didn't do anything in the playoffs, because despite not winning MVP that 35ppg carry job in the regular season was just so impressive that it stands on its own.



hmmm......



It's fascinating to me that once you take away the "narratives", Wade in 2006 and Kobe in 2010 had almost identical numbers, accolades, and accomplishments, only Wade had a far superior Finals, but supposedly 2010 Kobe stands alone as the best player in the world and 2006 Wade had no case whatsoever.

And in the same way, Lebron in 2010 and Kobe in 2006 had pretty much the same season (Bron had better playoffs #'s and got an extra round further, Kobe had a few more regular season points while Bron had better passing/defense impact and more wins, both carried a weak lineup then lost to a superior squad), but Bron with his MVP win has "zero" case for the best player in the world while Kobe with his 4th-place finish was "clearly" the best player in the world.


It's almost as if a certain stanbase will arbitrarily change their argument from season to season just to fit their man.

 

[Professor Emeritus]

How you the better player when you lost three years in a row from 2008-2010

lol - how many people here just said that Kobe was "clearly" the best player in the league from 2006-2008....when he lost 3 years in a row?

, had no jump shot,

2010 Bron shot 33.3% from 3pt on 5 attempts regular season, 40.0% on 5 attempts playoffs
2010 Kobe shot 32.9% from 3pt on 4 attempts regular season, 37.4% on 6 attempts playoffs


But Bron can't be the best player in 2010 cause he has "no jump shot".

wasn’t considered the leader of the Olympics team y’all were both on

2008 Bron was just 23yo, Kobe was nearly 30yo. Of course Kobe was going to be seen as the leader. But leader doesn't mean best player.

Bron averaged 16-5-4 on 60% shooting, 46% from 3pt, with the best defense on the team.
Kobe averaged 15-3-2 on 46% shooting, 32% from 3pt

Y'all are letting one 4th quarter in one game carry a LOT of the narrative.

In 2010, people were wondering if Kobe get win Ring #6 and catch Jordan. Virtually no one back then was saying “well, I know Kobe just beat the Celtics and got ring #5. He’s still only the second or third best player in the league. LeBron is the real GOAT.” None of those sports casters covering the Finals were saying this. Y’all living in a fantasy world.

You just proved with that sentence that your image of Kobe in 2010 was based on his legacy, team success, and career accomplishments to that point, not on whether he was actually the best player in the game that particular season.




The whole question the OP is based on is whether Kobe had an undisputed "best player in the league" case for any particular year in isolation. Not "best legacy" or "best player over a stretch of seasons" like so many people are trying to answer. That's why every Kobestan keeps arguing for a range of seasons, but hardly anyone defending him is able to talk about one particular season in isolation. They have to keep adding together career accomplishments from multiple years combined to build a "best player over that particular stretch" case.


It's funny cause if y'all were really trying to win this argument competently, you'd argue for 2008. That's the year he came closest to having an undisputed case - he was the MVP (Chris Paul got a lot of 1st-place votes too, but there was some separation and CP3 only made the 2nd round of the playoffs) and he made the Finals (lost there and Paul Pierce was Finals MVP, but no one really thinks that Pierce was the best player that year). And Bron was dealing with back problems in the 2008 regular season so his #'s and win totals weren't as good as in other years, he had an amazing Game 7 against the Celtics and otherwise it wasn't a memorable year for him. But y'all are reluctant to argue for 2008 alone cause you know it's not a slam dunk. So you're arguing for these "range" of years and missing the actual question in the OP completely.

 

[GreatestLaker]

Anyone who uses media awards and team success to rank individual players is a fool and shouldn't be taken seriously.

 

[Professor Emeritus]

Anyone who uses media awards and team success to rank individual players is a fool and shouldn't be taken seriously.

Are individual stats and subjective opinions better? It's all part of the data.

But you just made me realize.....we have the GM Surveys from those years.

Here is the 2006-07 GM survey from before the season, when Kobe was "Clearly the best" player in the league according to some here.

NBA GM Survey: 2006-07 edition | NBA.com

Look back at how NBA GMs viewed the league prior to the 2006-07 season.

www.nba.com

Who will win the 2006-07 MVP?

1. LeBron James, Cleveland – 39.3%
2. Dwyane Wade, Miami – 28.6%
3. Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas – 17.9%



If you were starting a franchise today and could sign any player in the NBA, who would it be?

1. LeBron James, Cleveland – 71.4%
2. Dwyane Wade, Miami – 10.7%

> Also receiving votes: Kobe Bryant, L.A. Lakers, Tim Duncan, San Antonio, Dwight Howard, Orlando



Who is the best point guard in the NBA?

1. Steve Nash, Phoenix – 96.4%
2. Jason Kidd, New Jersey – 3.6%

Who is the best shooting guard in the NBA?

1. Kobe Bryant, L.A. Lakers – 71.4%
2. Dwyane Wade, Miami – 21.4%
3. Tracy McGrady, Houston – 3.6%
3. Michael Redd, Milwaukee – 3.6%

Who is the best small forward in the NBA?

1. LeBron James, Cleveland – 78.6%
2. Carmelo Anthony, Denver – 7.1%



According to the GMs, Kobe wasn't even considered "clearly the best shooting guard" in the NBA after the 2006 season. And even though he had just turned 28yo, hardly anyone would start a franchise with him if they had to pick.

But according to certain people in the Coli, that's the best year to insist he was "clearly the best" player in the entire league and there was no debate.

 

[stepbackj34spud]

At no point was he in the conversation. Only dumbass 14 years who liked his crossovers rated him that high.

Multiple years leading the league in scoring and winning the mvp doesnt lut you in the conversation? He was definitely in the conversation back then whether you like it or not.

 

[stepbackj34spud]

Anyone who uses media awards and team success to rank individual players is a fool and shouldn't be taken seriously.

This is where we agree tho.

 

[GreatestLaker]

Are individual stats and subjective opinions better? It's all part of the data.

I've always said who has the biggest impact on the game is the best.

This year Jokic is clearly the best player. Is he winning the title?

18 Bron was clearly the best player. Was he on a team that won the title?

 

[GreatestLaker]

Multiple years leading the league in scoring and winning the mvp doesnt lut you in the conversation? He was definitely in the conversation back then whether you like it or not.

Okay was Nash in the conversation when he was leading the league in assits and was winning MVPs?

No one besides AI stans and 14 year old who loved his crossover thought he was better than Shaq in 2001. No one.

 

[ABlackMan]

Things Fags Say for $1000 Alex

HE GAY?!?

 

[stepbackj34spud]

Okay was Nash in the conversation when he was leading the league in assits and was winning MVPs?

No one besides AI stans and 14 year old who loved his crossover thought he was better than Shaq in 2001. No one.

If Nash doesnt go to Phoenix he probably never makes another all star team, let alone wins mvp. Two different circumstances. Nash is more overrated than Iverson for me.

Again, this is your opinion. Leading the league in scoring & leading a team to the finals. He was in the best player in the league conversation.

 

[GreatestLaker]

If Nash doesnt go to Phoenix he probably never makes another all star team, let alone wins mvp. Two different circumstances. Nash is more overrated than Iverson for me.

Again, this is your opinion. Leading the league in scoring & leading a team to the finals. He was in the best player in the league conversation.

Did your account get hacked? you're the one poster who knows how overrated AI was.

 

[Sccit]

You would give Kobe your anal cavity if he asked for it

Cheeks would be WIDE OPEN

KOBE IS DEAD FOO

WHAT KINDA SICK CAC SHIIT U ON??

 

[Sccit]

This site would be vastly improved if we stopped engaging with worst poster of the year award winners. He won that award for a reason.

SAYS THE RACIST CAC WHO WAS BANNED FOR AN ENTIRE YEAR