IGOTGAME
10-21-2014, 07:30 PM
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That's what the video is called, and it is, of course, majestic.
The first two are amazing. The dunk 1:43 in, in the open court, is worth watching again and again. The dunk 1:15 into the video, on an alley-oop pass from Brian Shaw, against the Sixers, is one of my favorite dunks ever, by anybody.
But allow me a moment to also totally miss the point of the whole video.
Yes, it's perfect, as a snapshot of athletic and creative greatness. But I know I wasn't the only one who was struck by all the open big men in this short video. The pattern plays itself out three times in just ten dunks.
In the third highlight, 20 seconds in, we see Bryant beat his man on the perimeter. Tim Duncan shuffles over to help, leaving Shaquille O'Neal wide open under the hoop.
The basketball gods, and Tex Winter, all want Bryant to hit O'Neal with a pass for the dunk.
When people talking about making the right basketball play, that's what they're talking about.
Duncan will be either absent or late in trying to stop it, and may well get himself a foul. But there's no way the Lakers aren't getting two points.
Instead, Bryant elevates over Duncan and makes a very tough shot (and video highlight history). It's great! But if you run that play 1,000 times, it's better for the Lakers if Bryant passes.
About a minute into the video, Bryant is approaching the hoop and Steve Nash runs over in an attempt to take the charge. Yes, Bryant can jump over a man that size. But Kwame Brown could not be more alone under the hoop. Rather than dishing, however, Bryant scales the little Canadian infomercial celebrity.
Near the end of the video, just before the two-minute mark (in a Wizards game against the Wizards in Las Vegas!) Bryant draws three defenders, creating two open teammates ... neither of whom he seems to notice.
It's not like Bryant doesn't understand basketball. You could come up with as many highlights or more where he does make this pass. He gets it. Bryant knows what he's doing. There's value -- in intimidation of opponents, in firing up teammates the the crowd, in leadership, in sneaker sales, in living your dreams and in a zillion other things -- in dunking the hell out of the ball. Sometimes, even when you have an open teammate.
But those whispers about Bryant being selfish, that have simmered throughout his career ... they don't come from nowhere.
http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop/post/_/id/6966/kobe-bryant-s-best-all-time-dunks
0
7
COMMENTS0
That's what the video is called, and it is, of course, majestic.
The first two are amazing. The dunk 1:43 in, in the open court, is worth watching again and again. The dunk 1:15 into the video, on an alley-oop pass from Brian Shaw, against the Sixers, is one of my favorite dunks ever, by anybody.
But allow me a moment to also totally miss the point of the whole video.
Yes, it's perfect, as a snapshot of athletic and creative greatness. But I know I wasn't the only one who was struck by all the open big men in this short video. The pattern plays itself out three times in just ten dunks.
In the third highlight, 20 seconds in, we see Bryant beat his man on the perimeter. Tim Duncan shuffles over to help, leaving Shaquille O'Neal wide open under the hoop.
The basketball gods, and Tex Winter, all want Bryant to hit O'Neal with a pass for the dunk.
When people talking about making the right basketball play, that's what they're talking about.
Duncan will be either absent or late in trying to stop it, and may well get himself a foul. But there's no way the Lakers aren't getting two points.
Instead, Bryant elevates over Duncan and makes a very tough shot (and video highlight history). It's great! But if you run that play 1,000 times, it's better for the Lakers if Bryant passes.
About a minute into the video, Bryant is approaching the hoop and Steve Nash runs over in an attempt to take the charge. Yes, Bryant can jump over a man that size. But Kwame Brown could not be more alone under the hoop. Rather than dishing, however, Bryant scales the little Canadian infomercial celebrity.
Near the end of the video, just before the two-minute mark (in a Wizards game against the Wizards in Las Vegas!) Bryant draws three defenders, creating two open teammates ... neither of whom he seems to notice.
It's not like Bryant doesn't understand basketball. You could come up with as many highlights or more where he does make this pass. He gets it. Bryant knows what he's doing. There's value -- in intimidation of opponents, in firing up teammates the the crowd, in leadership, in sneaker sales, in living your dreams and in a zillion other things -- in dunking the hell out of the ball. Sometimes, even when you have an open teammate.
But those whispers about Bryant being selfish, that have simmered throughout his career ... they don't come from nowhere.
http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop/post/_/id/6966/kobe-bryant-s-best-all-time-dunks