2002-03 Kobe Bryant vs. 2005-06 Kobe Bryant

[Lebron23]

Who's the better Kobe??

2002-03 Kobe Bryant

http://img386.imageshack.us/img386/732/kbryantultimate750dd8.jpg

Kobe finished 3rd in MVP Voting in the 2002-03 NBA Season after he averaged 30.0 ppg, 6.9 rpg, 5.9 apg, 2.2 spg, and 0.8 bpg.

His playoffs stats were 32.2 ppg on 43.3 FG%,5.1 rpg, 5.3 apg, 1.2 bpg, and 0.1 bpg.

2005-06 Kobe Bryant

http://s3.amazonaws.com/nk_wp_media/uploads/2013/08/bryant-1.jpg

Kobe finished in 4th place in MVP Voting after he averaged 35.4 ppg on 45 FG%, 4.3 rpg, 4.5 apg. 1.8 spg, 0.1 bpg in the regular season.

His playoffs numbers were 27.9 ppg on 49.7 FG%, 6.3 rpg, 5.1 apg, 1.1 spg, 0.4 bpg.

[T_L_P]

If we look at both the regular season and the Playoffs, I think '02-'03 was a better season.

Too lazy to look it up, but who came second in MVP voting that year? It must have been either Kidd (might have been the season before now that I think about it), or KG?

Edit, it was KG/

[kc16]

I really enjoyed his 2002-03 season, especially that 9 game 40+ pts streak but it is hard to go against his 2005-06 season. He lead the league in scoring by a large margin and some of his games were unimaginable, the 62pts in 3qtrs., and of course the 81 point game to name a few. I enjoyed both seasons but I'll give the edge to the 05-06 season, I feel Kobe was more in his prime then.

[KobesFinger]

I think he was exactly the same player in those seasons. The difference was not having Shaq in '06 so he had to be the teams best defender as well as not having someone else to share the load offensively. Yes, he had Odom but if Odom scored a bit more (say 18ppg instead of 15) the Lakers would've been a better team.

I do like watching the Lakers-Magic game from '03 where Kobe and T-Mac both scored 38 though

[Magic 32]

He was asked to do to much in both seasons.

03 played defense.

[JohnMax]

the year he retires

[Lebron23]

If we look at both the regular season and the Playoffs, I think '02-'03 was a better season.

Too lazy to look it up, but who came second in MVP voting that year? It must have been either Kidd (might have been the season before now that I think about it), or KG?

Edit, it was KG/


KG was beasting during that season. 23 ppg, 13 rpg, 6.0 apg, 1.6 spg, and 1.4 bpg.

27/15/5 on 51.4 FG% in the playoffs

[T_L_P]

KG was beasting during that season. 23 ppg, 13 rpg, 6.0 apg, 1.6 spg, and 1.4 bpg.

I just saw that. His stats were better than Tim's that season :eek:

Let's just say the basketball Gods knew what Tim was about to do that post-season and give him an early award :bowdown:

[GoranDragon]

05-06 Kobe one of the most impressive scoring displays of all time.

[swagga]

2002-2003 kobe and it isn't even close, he was still playing within a team concept, whereas 2005 kobe is just the very definition of chucker on a pathetic team.

Maybe he had better stats and great games by casual fan opinion but from a basketball pov he played a selfish game which is inferior to his 2002-2003 game by quite a margin.

[scm5]

05-06 Kobe one of the most impressive scoring displays of all time.

He had two of the most impressive scoring displays of all time.

I am of the opinion that 62 in 3 Quarters > 81.

[longtime lurker]

They're essentially the same player just a different set of circumstances. 05-06 Kobe was just flat out dominant. Dude was just flat out unstoppable, it was almost as if anything under 40 pts was a ho hum game. It's crazy that he only came 3rd and 4th in MVP voting. Either of these guys would be challenging for the best player in the league right now

[jstern]

I really enjoyed his 2002-03 season, especially that 9 game 40+ pts streak but it is hard to go against his 2005-06 season. He lead the league in scoring by a large margin and some of his games were unimaginable, the 62pts in 3qtrs., and of course the 81 point game to name a few. I enjoyed both seasons but I'll give the edge to the 05-06 season, I feel Kobe was more in his prime then.

I don't think it was a large margin, because of the rule changes.

[IGOTGAME]

People here tend to focus too much on all around stats and overrate them. As is the case here. 03 Kobe had better all around stats but 06 Kobe was up to 30 % better. Just a total different level of dominance despite perhaps inferior all around stats. Few rebounds and few assists a game really don't mean that much. 06 Kobe was dominant skill wise, physically and mentally. 03 Kobe just wasn't there yet. It's like comparing 05 LeBron to 2013LeBron. Stats may be the same but if you follow the guy closely, you know he was just on another level in 2013 and you know there is no comparison. Same with Kobe. Hate the expression but it's not even close IMO.

Great post. He was on a different level. Stats don't show the whole picture.

Oh and that series against Phx was one of the BEST I've ever seen him play besides the second half of game seven. Absolute best. The way he managed the games and did exactly what his team needed at all times...the way he forced Kwame to step up or go home. It was a great performance that would have been his best if Odom didn't have a brainfart in Game 6.

[SexSymbol]

01 Kobe was the coolest Kobe ever.
03 was the most all-around dominant Kobe ever
08 was the best Kobe ever
13 was the reincarnation on the coolest Kobe ever

[Mr Feeny]

I think he was better in 2003. Not only was he a better playmaker but defender. In his later years, he lost a lot of lateral quickness really fast. If you watch full games you'll have noticed the same thing. He was only a shadow of his 2003 self in 2006. And you could see it against the Suns in the first round. He lost a lot of his explosiveness, the Lakers became the 8th team in history to blow a 3-1 series lead and got blown out by 30 in game 7 where Barbosa (!) outplayed Kobe badly. That wouldn't have happened with 2003 Kobe Bryant. No chance. He wouldn't have gotten embarassed by a bench player.

It sad because I hinestly think he peaked at 24. After the 2003 season, I remember thinking this guy has a legitamte and realistic shot of surpassing Jordan. For some reason he regressed afterwards in my opinion. Maybe the rape trial. Maybe al loss of athleticism. I dont know but im left to wonder what might have been. Nontheless, he'll go down as top 10-15 player and he has to be hapy with that.

[9erempiree]

2002-2003 kobe and it isn't even close, he was still playing within a team concept, whereas 2005 kobe is just the very definition of chucker on a pathetic team.

Maybe he had better stats and great games by casual fan opinion but from a basketball pov he played a selfish game which is inferior to his 2002-2003 game by quite a margin.

05 Kobe was playing within the team and the offense.

It wasn't till Phil went to the media and said he was giving Kobe the green light, in which he went on a tear and a winning streak.

[moe94]

I think he was better in 2003. Not only was he a better playmaker but defender. In his later years, he lost a lot of lateral quickness really fast. If you watch full games you'll have noticed the same thing. He was only a shadow of his 2003 self in 2006. And you could see it against the Suns in the first round. He lost a lot of his explosiveness, the Lakers became the 8th team in history to blow a 3-1 series lead and got blown out by 30 in game 7 where Barbosa (!) outplayed Kobe badly. That wouldn't have happened with 2003 Kobe Bryant. No chance. He wouldn't have gotten embarassed by a bench player.

Barbosa was good, though. He wasn't a scrub.:facepalm

[ImKobe]

05-06 Kobe was the better scorer by a slight margin
02-03 Kobe was a beast on the defense and a triple double threat every other night, he was a better version of 2013-14 KD.

[Mr Feeny]

05 Kobe was playing within the team and the offense.

It wasn't till Phil went to the media and said he was giving Kobe the green light, in which he went on a tear and a winning streak.

Phil didnt coach the lakers in 2005. They brought him in for the 2006 season.

[Dragonyeuw]

2003 season across the board was better aside from the scoring, and its not like 2003 Kobe was a slouch on that front. This was the first season where I recall the 'next Jordan' thing reaching a fever pitch.... and then the rape trial. For the NBA they were fortunate that Lebron and Wade came along the next year and began to heavily pitch them as 'next Jordans' while Kobe's public image as a face of the league lay in tatters. He recovered and rebuilt that image nicely, though.

[Mr Feeny]

2003 season across the board was better aside from the scoring, and its not like 2003 Kobe was a slouch on that front. This was the first season where I recall the 'next Jordan' thing reaching a fever pitch.... and then the rape trial. For the NBA they were fortunate that Lebron and Wade came along the next year and began to heavily pitch them as 'next Jordans' while Kobe's public image as a face of the league lay in tatters. He recovered and rebuilt that image nicely, though.

This man has pretty much got it spot on.

[9erempiree]

2003 season across the board was better aside from the scoring, and its not like 2003 Kobe was a slouch on that front. This was the first season where I recall the 'next Jordan' thing reaching a fever pitch.... and then the rape trial. For the NBA they were fortunate that Lebron and Wade came along the next year and began to heavily pitch them as 'next Jordans' while Kobe's public image as a face of the league lay in tatters. He recovered and rebuilt that image nicely, though.

His image was so clean. Everyone loved him and right when the accusations came out, it was downhill from there.

Not saying, the comparison to MJ wasn't deserved, but the haters came out in full force the next year and destroyed him.

If it wasn't for that trial....he would be easily top 2 player with MJ. Sadly, only the real fans have him there and you can't say that about the casuals or haters. If it wasn't for that trial, he would be MJ of our era and we wouldn't have seen the Lebron hype train.

[Lebron23]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IS3iJ20Q4bg

I have to go with 2003 Kobe Bryant. Kobe was still an elite defensive player during that time.

[WhiteKyrie]

I really enjoyed his 2002-03 season, especially that 9 game 40+ pts streak but it is hard to go against his 2005-06 season. He lead the league in scoring by a large margin and some of his games were unimaginable, the 62pts in 3qtrs., and of course the 81 point game to name a few. I enjoyed both seasons but I'll give the edge to the 05-06 season, I feel Kobe was more in his prime then.
Large margin? Kobe averaged 35 a game and Iverson averaged 33 a game? I agree with what you’re saying but umm

[WhiteKyrie]

I think he was better in 2003. Not only was he a better playmaker but defender. In his later years, he lost a lot of lateral quickness really fast. If you watch full games you'll have noticed the same thing. He was only a shadow of his 2003 self in 2006. And you could see it against the Suns in the first round. He lost a lot of his explosiveness, the Lakers became the 8th team in history to blow a 3-1 series lead and got blown out by 30 in game 7 where Barbosa (!) outplayed Kobe badly. That wouldn't have happened with 2003 Kobe Bryant. No chance. He wouldn't have gotten embarassed by a bench player.

It sad because I hinestly think he peaked at 24. After the 2003 season, I remember thinking this guy has a legitamte and realistic shot of surpassing Jordan. For some reason he regressed afterwards in my opinion. Maybe the rape trial. Maybe al loss of athleticism. I dont know but im left to wonder what might have been. Nontheless, he'll go down as top 10-15 player and he has to be hapy with that.
The hell are you smoking?

Barbosa - 13 ppg 1 rpg 2 apg on 52%

Kobe - 28 ppg 6 rpg 5 apg on 50%

Outplayed?

Badly?

[ArbitraryWater]

The hell are you smoking?

Barbosa - 13 ppg 1 rpg 2 apg on 52%

Kobe - 28 ppg 6 rpg 5 apg on 50%

Outplayed?

Badly?


He is talking about game 7.

Which is funny because Kobe had a terrible 2nd half in the '03 elimination game also.

[WhiteKyrie]

He is talking about game 7.

Which is funny because Kobe had a terrible 2nd half in the '03 elimination game also.

Well his 2nd half was an eff you to Phil and the Front Office showcasing the severe lack of reliable talent around him.

Phil wanted him to continue to play decoy and facilitator.

Kobe checked out of that in game 6 with his 50 piece that was a fluky and lucky Phoenix long rebound away from winning the series.

And by that point, Kobe playing facilitator wasn’t working and had been adapted to by Phoenix.

To start the game he scored like 21 or 23 in the first half, bro. SMH.

[3ba11]

Who's the better Kobe??

2002-03 Kobe Bryant

http://img386.imageshack.us/img386/732/kbryantultimate750dd8.jpg

Kobe finished 3rd in MVP Voting in the 2002-03 NBA Season after he averaged 30.0 ppg, 6.9 rpg, 5.9 apg, 2.2 spg, and 0.8 bpg.

His playoffs stats were 32.2 ppg on 43.3 FG%,5.1 rpg, 5.3 apg, 1.2 bpg, and 0.1 bpg.

2005-06 Kobe Bryant

http://s3.amazonaws.com/nk_wp_media/uploads/2013/08/bryant-1.jpg

Kobe finished in 4th place in MVP Voting after he averaged 35.4 ppg on 45 FG%, 4.3 rpg, 4.5 apg. 1.8 spg, 0.1 bpg in the regular season.

His playoffs numbers were 27.9 ppg on 49.7 FG%, 6.3 rpg, 5.1 apg, 1.1 spg, 0.4 bpg.


The 06' playoff numbers confirm how hard it is to face maximum defensive attention (carry scoring load - no equal-scoring partner to attract equal defensive attention)

[Hey Yo]

The 06' playoff numbers confirm how hard it is to face maximum defensive attention (carry scoring load - no equal-scoring partner to attract equal defensive attention)

Yep.... see the 09 ECF where James outscored his 2nd option by an avg of 20ppg.

[WhiteKyrie]

Yep.... see the 09 ECF where James outscored his 2nd option by an avg of 20ppg.

It’s a shame he didn’t try to play some defense on Hedo Turkoglu