Will Kobe have a similar fate to Iverson?

[jstern]

In terms of how people who never saw him play perceive him? Iverson gets underrated because of his career .425 shooting. And while Kobe's is a little higher, is still lower than other great guards.

Note: Iverson became an around 44+% shooter immediately after the rule changes at age 30, so that's something to take into consideration when comparing him to the guards that came after.

[tpols]

Iverson gets really underrated by FG whores that don't understand the game right.. Kobe has the hardware to overcome the hate though. Most casual fans only know

Jordan
Kobe
Lebron

Bird
Magic

Shaq

Maybe wilt

.. So that's who will continue to be really remembered in future generations.

[LeFraud James]

Who the hell is this clown?

Seriously, how stupid do you have to be to not take into account Kobe's longevity?

Please stop posting.

[AlphaWolf24]

I don't think so...looking at the top SG's from what I've seen...

Kobe's career TS% .555. Michael Jordan career TS% is .562 Wade's TS%: .567 Iverson TS%: .508

That's such a HUGE drop off in efficiency for AI....and considering Kobe takes more shots, and has been playing much longer than everyone. Kobe's TS% is actually better than Wade's TS% right now also.

[tmacattack33]

Well he has the rings so he'll get more of a benefit of the doubt.

But up to a point, yeah, many people glance at the FG% and wave off Iverson and i'd bet some might do the same for Kobe.

And it's ridiculous, because TS% is so much better. Imagine if TS% were on the back of basketball trading cards and were listed in sports illustrated magazines and stuff in the 90's . And imagine if they showed TS% during games on TNT, ESPN, NBC, and ABC instead of FG%. There'd be a big difference in how people view some players.

[TheMarkMadsen]

Iversons high fg % after the rule change speaks volumes to how great he actually was.

Imagine already be severely undersized yet defenders are able to hand check and push you around.

Now days if you slap the ball to hard it's a foul

[tmacattack33]

I don't think so...looking at the top SG's from what I've seen...

Kobe's career TS% .555. Michael Jordan career TS% is .562 Wade's TS%: .567 Iverson TS%: .508

That's such a HUGE drop off in efficiency for AI....and considering Kobe takes more shots, and has been playing much longer than everyone. Kobe's TS% is actually better than Wade's TS% right now also.

MJ had a .580 TS%...it drops to .562 when you included his Wizards years...which is pretty unfair and kinda a ridiculous thing to do.

[jstern]

Who the hell is this clown?

Seriously, how stupid do you have to be to not take into account Kobe's longevity?

Please stop posting.

Why are you saying how stupid I have to be when I'm talking about how future generations might perceive Kobe. They're not going to give a S about his longevity, just like they're not going to give an S about Bill Russell's rings or Kareem Abdul Jabbar's logevity.

[AlphaWolf24]

MJ had a .580 TS%...it drops to .562 when you included his Wizards years...which is pretty unfair and kinda a ridiculous thing to do.


- can we take off Kobe's teenage years too then? ( his lowest TS% seasons when he barely played)

- still would marginal %:confusedshrug:

[blablabla]

MJ had a .580 TS%...it drops to .562 when you included his Wizards years...which is pretty unfair and kinda a ridiculous thing to do.
why?

[red1]

No. Kobe has two things that AI never had. 5 rings and 81 points.

[tmacattack33]

- can we take off Kobe's teenage years too then? ( his lowest TS% seasons when he barely played)

- still would marginal %:confusedshrug:

Yeah fine, take away Kobe's teenage years.

[TheMarkMadsen]

MJ had a .580 TS%...it drops to .562 when you included his Wizards years...which is pretty unfair and kinda a ridiculous thing to do.

So you can cherry pick and not include the years which you deem to be "unfair"

[red1]

So you can cherry pick and not include the years which you deem to be "unfair"
:facepalm read his next post

[tmacattack33]

why?

Because he was 40 and were 4 years removed from the rest of MJ's career and as such are obviously not representative of prime MJ.

But fine, regardless, when we speak of primes those years obviously aren't what we'd be looking at.

[AlphaWolf24]

Why are you saying how stupid I have to be when I'm talking about how future generations might perceive Kobe. They're not going to give a S about his longevity, just like they're not going to give an S about Bill Russell's rings or Kareem Abdul Jabbar's logevity.


- actually believe it's his longevity that will make his legacy even greater, a premiere player for so long wieghs alot...especially in this era

- No one gives a S about Russell because , much like Duncan ( who most fans put Lebron and Shaq above) his game doesn't have the flash excitement as some of the other greats

- I think Kareem holds up very well....Most older Fans have him ranked 1 - 2 alltime...he's always in the top 5 in most lists

- Kobe has it all...the flash , the substance , and a legendary work ethic that allows him to play at a premiere level for 17 seasons...in fact he will be viewed as a legend by so many generations ( due to his longevity) he will be praised for a long...long time.

how great is that?

[jstern]

I think it would be fair to just include the years that the two players were at their best, so yeah, take off Jordan's Wizards years and Kobe's teenage years. That would give a better representation of the players.

[The Iron Fist]

:facepalm
Well he has the rings so he'll get more of a benefit of the doubt.

But up to a point, yeah, many people glance at the FG% and wave off Iverson and i'd bet some might do the same for Kobe.

And it's ridiculous, because TS% is so much better. Imagine if TS% were on the back of basketball trading cards and were listed in sports illustrated magazines and stuff in the 90's . And imagine if they showed TS% during games on TNT, ESPN, NBC, and ABC instead of FG%. There'd be a big difference in how people view some players.
Nobody but you lame net geeks even looks at fg%. Stop acting like its some important stat.

[red1]

:facepalm
Nobody but you lame net geeks even looks at fg%. Stop acting like its some important stat.
:kobe: dumb post

[AlphaWolf24]

Because he was 40 and were 4 years removed from the rest of MJ's career and as such are obviously not representative of prime MJ.

But fine, regardless, when we speak of primes those years obviously aren't what we'd be looking at.


I'm guessing in a 3 year peak...MJ's has to be around 59 - 60%TS

Kobe's prolly around 57% - 58%TS...

again though....2 completley different era's...

[gengiskhan]

Kobes future is even bleaker.

He will have even WORSE faith than AI.

AI was never as stubborn as Kobe is. AI never saw himself as MJ reincarnation. Kobe mentally believes that he is at the level of MJ & this is a practical joke.

AI knew his limitation & Kobe lives in denial. Kobe is the LAL franchise destruction mode. When you add talent like Dwight & Nash, its clear that the offense should be run off PG + C combination to get max number of easy pts.

Kobe believes Dwight + Nash were recruited so that they will be obedient 2nd fiddle to Kobe's MJ like legacy.

[jstern]

- actually believe it's his longevity that will make his legacy even greater, a premiere player for so long wieghs alot...especially in this era

- No one gives a S about Russell because , much like Duncan ( who most fans put Lebron and Shaq above) his game doesn't have the flash excitement as some of the other greats

- I think Kareem holds up very well....Most older Fans have him ranked 1 - 2 alltime...he's always in the top 5 in most lists

- Kobe has it all...the flash , the substance , and a legendary work ethic that allows him to play at a premiere level for 17 seasons...in fact he will be viewed as a legend by so many generations ( due to his longevity) he will be praised for a long...long time.

how great is that?


But Kobe is not liked by a huge percentage of the basketball fans who have seen him play, so he's not going to get as many people as you think. Lebron is constantly mentioned as the best player in the game, with Kobe in the league. He just has a lot of things going against him that take away from the many people you talk about. My cousin's kid who was born in 2002 doesn't know much about Kobe's accomplishments, he just knows that Lebron is considered the best in the world. Kobe has a lot of things going against him, which makes your job harder. Jordan right now has a higher Q rating and he's almost 50, and he also gets more Google searches. Don't forget his performances in the Finals compared to other greats.

[AlphaWolf24]

I think it would be fair to just include the years that the two players were at their best, so yeah, take off Jordan's Wizards years and Kobe's teenage years. That would give a better representation of the players.


so if we take off years...can we also adjust for leaue wide Diffrence's also?...

example...the league averages for all the years MJ shot over 50%.

88' - 48%
89' - 47.7%
90' - 47.6%
91' - 47.4%
92' - 47.2%

And here are the league averages in the post-MJ era.

00' - 44.9%
01' - 44.3%
02' - 44.5%
03' - 44.2%
04' - 43.9%
05' - 44.7%
06' - 45.4%
07' - 45.8%
08' - 45.7%
09' - 45.9%
10' - 46.1%


the game is played diffrent....can we also adjust for that?

[Heavincent]

Iverson was one of the most popular players of his generation :confusedshrug: Only stat geeks nitpick about his FG%. The rest of us know how good he was.

[AlphaWolf24]

But Kobe is not liked by a huge percentage of the basketball fans who have seen him play, so he's not going to get as many people as you think. Lebron is constantly mentioned as the best player in the game, with Kobe in the league. He just has a lot of things going against him that take away from the many people you talk about. My cousin's kid who was born in 2002 doesn't know much about Kobe's accomplishments, he just knows that Lebron is considered the best in the world. Kobe has a lot of things going against him, which makes your job harder. Jordan right now has a higher Q rating and he's almost 50, and he also gets more Google searches. Don't forget his performances in the Finals compared to other greats.


He's not?

- He is NBA .com/store #2 alltime jersay sales of the past decade behind only Michael Jordan..http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/blog/ball_dont_lie/post/Top-10-most-and-least-popular-jerseys-from-the?urn=nba,73743

- TNT took a basketball poll of over 150, 000 fans.....Kobe was voted as the greatest player of the 00's by a huge margin ( it wasn't even close)

- he is by far the most popular player in ASIA ( they got quite a few people?)

- he was the most popular player in the olympics....

- Just because your cousin (who was born in 02':facepalm ) doesn't follow BBALL doesn't mean the rest of world can't recognize greatness...

[tpols]

But Kobe is not liked by a huge percentage of the basketball fans who have seen him play, so he's not going to get as many people as you think.
This is not true at all.. Kobe's casual fan base in the u. S. Plus china is bigger than anyone not named Jordan.

[TheMarkMadsen]

But Kobe is not liked by a huge percentage of the basketball fans who have seen him play, so he's not going to get as many people as you think. Lebron is constantly mentioned as the best player in the game, with Kobe in the league. He just has a lot of things going against him that take away from the many people you talk about. My cousin's kid who was born in 2002 doesn't know much about Kobe's accomplishments, he just knows that Lebron is considered the best in the world. Kobe has a lot of things going against him, which makes your job harder. Jordan right now has a higher Q rating and he's almost 50, and he also gets more Google searches. Don't forget his performances in the Finals compared to other greats.

must be why past and present NBA players & coaches drool over Kobe's game.

you're not a bad poster but that' one of the dumbest things i've ever read.

[jstern]

He's not?

- He is NBA .com/store #2 alltime jersay sales of the past decade behind only Michael Jordan..http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/blog/ball_dont_lie/post/Top-10-most-and-least-popular-jerseys-from-the?urn=nba,73743

- TNT took a basketball poll of over 150, 000 fans.....Kobe was voted as the greatest player of the 00's by a huge margin ( it wasn't even close)

- he is by far the most popular player in ASIA ( they got quite a few people?)

- he was the most popular player in the olympics....

- Just because your cousin (who was born in 02':facepalm ) doesn't follow BBALL doesn't mean the rest of world can't recognize greatness...

Let me make it clearer, he's still not liked by a huge percentage compared to the other greats. And a large percentage who don't like him like to loudly point out his flaws. That's why I said that his longevity doesn't give him that advantage of more people seeing him play, compared to someone like Jabbar. And of course he's going to win those types of poll that only teenagers who didn't even see Shaq play are going to be voting on. Those are the types of people who vote on those internet polls. I don't even think Lebron was included in that poll.

And I used my cousin's son as an example of how people are not born caring about things they don't know about and are more influenced by what's going on at the moment.

[jstern]

must be why past and present NBA players & coaches drool over Kobe's game.

you're not a bad poster but that' one of the dumbest things i've ever read.

You're on ISH, you see how polarizing Kobe is. Past greats didn't have that many people talking up their flaws. That's who I'm talking about, since my conversation with the other poster was about the amount of fans who saw him play vs other greats.

[Cali Syndicate]

But Kobe is not liked by a huge percentage of the basketball fans who have seen him play, so he's not going to get as many people as you think. Lebron is constantly mentioned as the best player in the game, with Kobe in the league. He just has a lot of things going against him that take away from the many people you talk about. My cousin's kid who was born in 2002 doesn't know much about Kobe's accomplishments, he just knows that Lebron is considered the best in the world. Kobe has a lot of things going against him, which makes your job harder. Jordan right now has a higher Q rating and he's almost 50, and he also gets more Google searches. Don't forget his performances in the Finals compared to other greats.

Most people who don't like him still respect his game. People who don't like him not respect his game are nothing but haters. Really doesn't matter what a hater thinks.

[Deuce Bigalow]

MJ had a .580 TS%...it drops to .562 when you included his Wizards years...which is pretty unfair and kinda a ridiculous thing to do.
I don't know where you and Alpha are getting your stats. MJ's TS% is .569

[AlphaWolf24]

Let me make it clearer, he's still not liked by a huge percentage compared to the other greats. And a large percentage who don't like him like to loudly point out his flaws. That's why I said that his longevity doesn't give him that advantage of more people seeing him play, compared to someone like Jabbar. And of course he's going to win those types of poll that only teenagers who didn't even see Shaq play are going to be voting on. Those are the types of people who vote on those internet polls. I don't even think Lebron was included in that poll.


- I've been watching basketball since the 80's....Kobe is just as popular as any player ever ( outside maybe MJ).

- of course he is hated by some fans....During the Magic / Bird era.....we hated Bird out here....Magic was despised on the east coast.....

- Kobe plays for the Lakers...of course many fans hate the Lakers/Kobe

- Jordan had Haters before he won Titles...( many tenagers/kids liked him...but many older fans hated his selfish style of play also)

- Kobe has been hated by many because of his over confidence persona....but I guarantee you as his career enters his twighlight....respect for him willonly grow stronger..just as it did with the other past greats.

- and the poll had Shaq, Duncan , Garnett and Lebron....and why are conserned about teenagers...you just referenced a 11 year old not knowing Kobe acomp-lishments as proof :confusedshrug: :lol

of course kids who never seen Dr.J or Baylor or Russell or Chamberlain will say Lebron is better.

[AlphaWolf24]

I don't know where you and Alpha are getting your stats. MJ's TS% is .569


my fault....I actually was getting his stats from my head.... sorry I was .004 off, I will adjust the loose screw later.

[TheMarkMadsen]

You're on ISH, you see how polarizing Kobe is. Past greats didn't have that many people talking up their flaws. That's who I'm talking about, since my conversation with the other poster was about the amount of fans who saw him play vs other greats.


sure they did, it happened.. just not over the internet.

[Deuce Bigalow]

so if we take off years...can we also adjust for leaue wide Diffrence's also?...

example...the league averages for all the years MJ shot over 50%.

88' - 48%
89' - 47.7%
90' - 47.6%
91' - 47.4%
92' - 47.2%

And here are the league averages in the post-MJ era.

00' - 44.9%
01' - 44.3%
02' - 44.5%
03' - 44.2%
04' - 43.9%
05' - 44.7%
06' - 45.4%
07' - 45.8%
08' - 45.7%
09' - 45.9%
10' - 46.1%


the game is played diffrent....can we also adjust for that?
Both league average efficiencies are basically the same. This era takes much more 3-pointers so the FG% goes down, but the efficiency is still the same since 3s are being made.

1984-85 NBA Season
TS%: .543
eFG%: .496
PPS: 1.244
FT/FGA: .252

2009-10 NBA Season
TS%: .543
eFG: .501
PPS: 1.229
FT/FGA: .228

[AlphaWolf24]

sure they did, it happened.. just not over the internet.


excellent point!...

Now all BBALL fans/anyone around the world can log on and talk trash 24/7.....can you imagine all the hate past greats would have had if we had the webz???

when I was a kid it restricted to the courts....maybe an occasional Radio show.

[Deuce Bigalow]

2007-08 NBA Season
TS%: .540
eFG%: .497
PPS: 1.226
FT/FGA: .231

[Mr. Jabbar]

reported

[kuniva_dAMiGhTy]

my fault....I actually was getting his stats from my head.... sorry I was .004 off, I will adjust the loose screw later.

In what world is 59% and 56.9% a .004% difference? WTF. :oldlol:

[blablabla]

Because he was 40 and were 4 years removed from the rest of MJ's career and as such are obviously not representative of prime MJ.


so

[The Iron Fist]

:kobe: dumb post
How many times has it been talked about at any hall of fame speech?

[Bandito]

MJ had a .580 TS%...it drops to .562 when you included his Wizards years...which is pretty unfair and kinda a ridiculous thing to do.
:facepalm

You have to include the whole career, not his best years. That's like kobe stans not including Kobe early start as a bench player man. :biggums:


In what world is 59% and 56.9% a .004% difference? WTF. :oldlol:
He never said he was good at math:roll:

[Jacks3]

Except Kobe consistently put up excellent efficiency numbers.

A.I was consistently terrible.

Big difference.

[Kiddlovesnets]

Overrated as Kobe is, hes never a cancer on any team. I mean, at least your team does not get worse by having Kobe Bryant.

[longtime lurker]

:oldlol: What a ridiculous thread. Iverson is criminally underrated and the only people that consider him a chucker are FG% loving nerds. As for Kobe he'll be regarded as one of the greatest players to ever play the game. The only people that will remember him as a chucker are butt hurt fans on the internet. To the casual fan he'll be mentioned in the same breath as Jordan....

:coleman:

[Kiddlovesnets]

:oldlol: What a ridiculous thread. Iverson is criminally underrated and the only people that consider him a chucker are FG% loving nerds. As for Kobe he'll be regarded as one of the greatest players to ever play the game. The only people that will remember him as a chucker are butt hurt fans on the internet. To the casual fan he'll be mentioned in the same breath as Jordan....

:coleman:

Well if you could shoot 39% and won scoring title, you know how detrimental you are to your team.

[kuniva_dAMiGhTy]

:oldlol: What a ridiculous thread. Iverson is criminally underrated and the only people that consider him a chucker are FG% loving nerds. As for Kobe he'll be regarded as one of the greatest players to ever play the game. The only people that will remember him as a chucker are butt hurt fans on the internet. To the casual fan he'll be mentioned in the same breath as Jordan....

:coleman:

Who cares what the casual fan thinks? People who know the game would laugh at that notion. :oldlol:

[longtime lurker]

Who cares what the casual fan thinks? People who know the game would laugh at that notion. :oldlol:

The topic is about people who never saw Kobe play perceive him :confusedshrug:

[TheMarkMadsen]

Who cares what the casual fan thinks? People who know the game would laugh at that notion. :oldlol:


good job reading the OP

[Shepseskaf]

Overrated as Kobe is, hes never a cancer on any team. I mean, at least your team does not get worse by having Kobe Bryant.
Some would beg to differ.

[kuniva_dAMiGhTy]

good job reading the OP

:confusedshrug:

[Heavincent]

Some would beg to differ.

Yeah, extremely stupid people.

[tmacattack33]

so

Well it wasn't representative of his prime at all. So in discussing someones prime you obviously won't look at Jordan in Washington in 2002.

But yeah, i don't even know what we were talking about here...prime or longevity or what.

It seems like we're talking about how someone will be remembered to a casual fan...and so the casual fan is not going to be talking about the Wizards Jordan in a bar. I bet there are some casual fans who would even need to be reminded that Jordan came back and played for Washington.

[jstern]

Well it wasn't representative of his prime at all. So in discussing someones prime you obviously won't look at Jordan in Washington in 2002.

But yeah, i don't even know what we were talking about here...prime or longevity or what.

It seems like we're talking about how someone will be remembered to a casual fan...and so the casual fan is not going to be talking about the Wizards Jordan in a bar. I bet there are some casual fans who would even need to be reminded that Jordan came back and played for Washington.

Actually what I meant wasn't casual fans, but future NBA fans who barely saw Kobe play or never saw him play. Similar to us on ISH and how we have a perception of players we never saw and how sometimes a player might get underrated based on how people might read stats.

[Allstar24]

What is it with you trolls starting these DUMB topics?

Kobe has 5 championships, 2 FMVPs, regular season MVP, 81 points, multiple All-NBA and All-D 1st teams, multiple all-star appearances, making history every other night, breaking every Laker record, top 5 all-time in points already. Not to mention he will retire a Laker and have his jersey(s) retired and get a statue outside the Staples center. He is a sports icon worldwide, not just in the US. He is respected for his work ethic, talent and success. He's a legend.

Iverson is not even in the same atmosphere as Kobe.

And nobody gives a shit about FG% except internet trolls. 20 years from now, no one will remember or talk about his FG% lol. Y'all are pathetic if you think anyone cares about that. They will remember him as a winner who broke all kinds of records, a super competitive and cold-blooded killer on the court...especially since he's a part of a dying breed. Today's players lack that killer instinct.

[Money 23]

Why would Kobe have a similar fate? Iverson balled so hard, partied WAY too hard, and then at complete random, over night, like it does to anyone who drinks and parties way too much burning the candle at both ends, just like THAT Iverson was a shell of himself. Kobe takes care of himself, and longevity wise has completely outlasted Iverson. Meanwhile even at their peaks, was probably the better player as well. Kobe is EASILY a top five guard of all-time

[Ne 1]

What is it with you trolls starting these DUMB topics?

Kobe has 5 championships, 2 FMVPs, regular season MVP, 81 points, multiple All-NBA and All-D 1st teams, multiple all-star appearances, making history every other night, breaking every Laker record, top 5 all-time in points already. Not to mention he will retire a Laker and have his jersey(s) retired and get a statue outside the Staples center. He is a sports icon worldwide, not just in the US. He is respected for his work ethic, talent and success. He's a legend.

Iverson is not even in the same atmosphere as Kobe.

And nobody gives a shit about FG% except internet trolls. 20 years from now, no one will remember or talk about his FG% lol. Y'all are pathetic if you think anyone cares about that. They will remember him as a winner who broke all kinds of records, a super competitive and cold-blooded killer on the court...especially since he's a part of a dying breed. Today's players lack that killer instinct.

/thread

Especially the bold. Seriously, does anyone outside of ISH and similar internet sites comprised of a tiny fraction of hardcore, elitist fans harp on FG%? This is a rhetorical question. No one does.

Anyway hate him or love him, Kobe's legacy is already cemented as a legend. He'll be remembered with Jordan, Magic and Bird in terms of importance, popularity, respect, dominance and as a winner from the modern era of basketball. Iverson will be remembered with T-Mac/Vince Carter/Steve Francis/Stephon Marbury

http://oi50.tinypic.com/2e6a8fm.jpg

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-95Wo3dYxU4g/UH5lbZa6AbI/AAAAAAAAABw/CfbeADvGqSQ/s640/practice.png

Huge difference.

[kuniva_dAMiGhTy]

What is it with you trolls starting these DUMB topics?

Kobe has 5 championships, 2 FMVPs, regular season MVP, 81 points, multiple All-NBA and All-D 1st teams, multiple all-star appearances, making history every other night, breaking every Laker record, top 5 all-time in points already. Not to mention he will retire a Laker and have his jersey(s) retired and get a statue outside the Staples center. He is a sports icon worldwide, not just in the US. He is respected for his work ethic, talent and success. He's a legend.

Iverson is not even in the same atmosphere as Kobe.

And nobody gives a shit about FG% except internet trolls. 20 years from now, no one will remember or talk about his FG% lol. Y'all are pathetic if you think anyone cares about that. They will remember him as a winner who broke all kinds of records, a super competitive and cold-blooded killer on the court...especially since he's a part of a dying breed. Today's players lack that killer instinct.

But when you look at it, Michael shot a higher percentage. Michael shot 49-50%. Kobe hasn't been able to do that. There's a big difference when you compare those two; the shooting percentages were quite a bit different. -PJax (www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_WNTx3gG_s#t=2m04s)

[Jasper]

Kobe won't hav similar fate as Iverson :


Kobe will force a trade to a championship team to get his tieing 6th ring with MJ :D

[lpublic_enemyl]

kobe is jordan lite basically lol

[Ne 1]

But when you look at it, Michael shot a higher percentage. Michael shot 49-50%. Kobe hasn't been able to do that. There's a big difference when you compare those two; the shooting percentages were quite a bit different. -PJax (www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_WNTx3gG_s#t=2m04s)

Technically what Phil said is true, but you have to put things into perspective/proper context. It should definitely be noted that in the 80s and 90s everyone shot a higher FG%


Since Chris Mullin in the early 90s, LeBron was the first perimeter player to average 25+ ppg on 50+%

Reggie Miller who was a jump shoter 98% of the time had 4 seasons shooting 50 FG%.

Drazen Petrovic had 2 seasons.

Jeff Hornacek had 5 seasons.

Even Ricky Pierce had 6 seasons shooting over 50 FG% from the field in the 80's/90s.

Those type of seasons in the mid 80s to early 90s happened all the time. List of other guys who accomplished that feat: Kiki V, Dantley, Aguirre, Dale Ellis, Drexler, Mullin, English, King, Jordan, Bird, Gervin, Worthy, Stockton, Magic, Dr. J, Thompson, Kelly Tripucka and a couple of others came close and I'm sure I am forgetting some names too (stopped happening around mid-late 90s when help defense improved, overall commitment to defense by teams was greater and also perimeter talent was crap) Now if you compare that to the last 15 years, it has been a rarity for a high scoring perimeter player to shoot 50+%. This isn't meant to belittle Jordan or any of the other players I named at all, but it was a different era and the fact of that matter is that the 80s/early 90s was a more wide open game with a lot less defense.

Purvis Short was putting up 26 ppg on near 50%, and I'm to think Kobe is going to have problems shooting a higher percentage than his usual 45-47% average in that era? Especially with him getting a million semi-transition looks all game long, with horrible help defense (which didn't improve until the Pistons showed how), amongst several other factors.

My second all-time favorite player (Magic) comes from that era, and I've had to stop watching games from back then because the defense was that bad. Like no one ever going 10 feet within guys shooting just because they wanted to get the ball ASAP to start a break. I will gladly upload random regular season games from late 80s and let you see for yourselves.

[jstern]

Technically what Phil said is true, but you have to put things into perspective/proper context. It should definitely be noted that in the 80s and 90s everyone shot a higher FG%


Since Chris Mullin in the early 90s, LeBron was the first perimeter player to average 25+ ppg on 50+%

Reggie Miller who was a jump shoter 98% of the time had 4 seasons shooting 50 FG%.

Drazen Petrovic had 2 seasons.

Jeff Hornacek had 5 seasons.

Even Ricky Pierce had 6 seasons shooting over 50 FG% from the field in the 80's/90s.

Those type of seasons in the mid 80s to early 90s happened all the time. List of other guys who accomplished that feat: Kiki V, Dantley, Aguirre, Dale Ellis, Drexler, Mullin, English, King, Jordan, Bird, Gervin, Worthy, Stockton, Magic, Dr. J, Thompson, Kelly Tripucka and a couple of others came close and I'm sure I am forgetting some names too (stopped happening around mid-late 90s when help defense improved, overall commitment to defense by teams was greater and also perimeter talent was crap) Now if you compare that to the last 15 years, it has been a rarity for a high scoring perimeter player to shoot 50+%. This isn't meant to belittle Jordan or any of the other players I named at all, but it was a different era and the fact of that matter is that the 80s/early 90s was a more wide open game with a lot less defense.

Purvis Short was putting up 26 ppg on near 50%, and I'm to think Kobe is going to have problems shooting a higher percentage than his usual 45-47% average in that era? Especially with him getting a million semi-transition looks all game long, with horrible help defense (which didn't improve until the Pistons showed how), amongst several other factors.

My second all-time favorite player (Magic) comes from that era, and I've had to stop watching games from back then because the defense was that bad. Like no one ever going 10 feet within guys shooting just because they wanted to get the ball ASAP to start a break. I will gladly upload random regular season games from late 80s and let you see for yourselves.

I made a thread showing the 2 point percentage for each year since 1979, and the percentage was pretty much identical from then to the present. Only difference that they shoot more 3 pointers now, and back then the centers brought the percentage higher.


EFG%:

2012:.485
2011..498
2010:.501
2009:.500
2008:.497
2007:.496
2006:.490
2005:.482
2004:.471
2003:.474
2002:.477
2001:.473
2000:.478
1999:.466
1998:.478
1997:.493
1996:.499
1995:.500
1994:.485
1993:.491
1992:.487
1991:.487
1990:.489
1989:.489
1988:.489
1987:.488
1986:.493
1985:.496
1984:.495
1983:.488
1982:.495
1981:.489
1980:.486

2010s:.492
2000s:.484
1990s:.488
1980s:.491

So, yeah, there hasn't been any significant change in scoring efficiency, over the last few decades. The difference in FG% is due to the popularity of the 3 point shot, and the lower ppg is due to pace.

[immatell]

Anyway hate him or love him, Kobe's legacy is already cemented as a legend. He'll be remembered with Jordan, Magic and Bird in terms of importance, popularity, respect, dominance and as a winner from the modern era of basketball. Iverson will be remembered with T-Mac/Vince Carter/Steve Francis/Stephon Marbury



Allen had more of an impact on the game than anybody you listed above, minus Jordan. No way in hell any respectful fan puts him in with those last guys, either.