If it wasn't for Kobe, Duncan would have at least 2 or 3 more chips + FMVPs

[superduper]

2001
2004
2008

Duncan could've possibly had 5 or 6 FMVPs, the only person in history who would have been remotely comparable to the GOAT in that regard.

Absolutely incredible how Kobe single handedly prevented that from happening. THE only Spurs killer in history.

Incredible.

[RRR3]

Yeah Kobe was totally the best player on his team in 2001 and 2004 :rolleyes:

[Kiddlovesnets]

Replace Kobe by an any all-star SG and the Lakers would've 3-peat, and won in 2004 against Spurs anyway. Kobe only became absolutely better than the rest of SGs since 2008, and that Spurs team aint beating Celtics in the Finals anyway. So Kobe had not prevent Duncan from winning anything, hes role was insignificant.

[superduper]

Replace Kobe by an any all-star SG and the Lakers would've 3-peat, and won in 2004 against Spurs anyway. Kobe only became absolutely better than the rest of SGs since 2008, and that Spurs team aint beating Celtics in the Finals anyway. So Kobe had not prevent Duncan from winning anything, hes role was insignificant.

Delusionally cringe

[Kiddlovesnets]

Delusionally cringe

You sound mad, refusal to accept truth will not change what the truth is. Duncan is arguably a top 5 player of all time, while Kobe is the consensus 12th greatest player of all time. Its not even close, Kobe aint on Duncan's level when it comes to all time ranking, Duncan is at least a tier higher.
:rolleyes:

[PickernRoller]

Yeah Kobe was totally the best player on his team in 2001 and 2004 :rolleyes:

But he was on both of those years.

You could argue 2001... but by 2004, it was already Kobe's team.

The only series that mattered in 2001 was the Spurs WCF. You don't want to go down memory lane on that.

[RRR3]

Pickernbraindead

[PickernRoller]

2001
2004
2008

Duncan could've possibly had 5 or 6 FMVPs, the only person in history who would have been remotely comparable to the GOAT in that regard.

Absolutely incredible how Kobe single handedly prevented that from happening. THE only Spurs killer in history.

Incredible.


With the exception of 2003, Duncan's Spurs were, for all intent and purposes, an opportunistic team. Down Laker years they thrived (except the year they beat us soundly - albeit Kobe was semi-injured, and coming off a 3-peat but still, I'm give Duncan that one.)

When you consider that Kobe was in the Finals for 7 years from 2000-2010, that left Duncan with 2 chances - the other one being Dirk's Mavs. He kept one of the most competitive, and stacked with talent conferences on lockdown. It wasn't the weak ass East of Bran 2010-2018.

[SouBeachTalents]

I don’t think they beat the Pistons or Celtics. The one year they lost before the Finals I think they’d win the title would be ‘06

[superduper]

The all time top 3 rankings would've been:

Jordan
Duncan
Kareem

Amazing how Kobe completely altered basketball history.

Unmatched skill :bowdown:

[RRR3]

Kobe sure proved he was better than Shaq in the 2004 finals












:yaohappy:

[PickernRoller]

Kobe carried that team to the Finals while going to court in all those series.

Kinda hard to concentrate on a complex task when your marriage is falling apart, you're getting called out throughout the nation as a rapist, you're unsure if you're going to see jail-time or not..... you're having beef with your out-of-shape co-star, you're having to carry old and injured, past expiration date starters riding on your back for a ring........... all of that against the best defensive team of the 2000-2010s.

It was actually a herculean effort by Kobe to carry all them bums to the Finals given all that he had going on at the time. We know Bran would have collapsed in the WCSF or WCF at best - certainly not getting past the Spurs with all of that shit on his back - guaranteed, any version of Bran.

[Hey Yo]

But he was on both of those years.

You could argue 2001... but by 2004, it was already Kobe's team.

The only series that mattered in 2001 was the Spurs WCF. You don't want to go down memory lane on that.
37yr old Terry Porter
35yr old midget Avery Johnson
35yr old Steve Kerr
34 year old Danny Ferry
Injured Derek Anderson
Useless Sean Elliott

pathetic

:roll:

[RRR3]

Kobe carried that team to the Finals while going to court in all those series.

Kinda hard to concentrate on a complex task when your marriage is falling apart, you're getting called out throughout the nation as a rapist, you're unsure if you're going to see jail-time or not..... you're having beef with your out-of-shape co-star, you're having to carry old and injured, past expiration date starters riding on your back for a ring........... all of that against the best defensive team of the 2000-2010s.

It was actually a herculean effort by Kobe to carry all them bums to the Finals given all that he had going on at the time. We know Bran would have collapsed in the WCSF or WCF at best - certainly not getting past the Spurs with all of that shit on his back - guaranteed, any version of Bran.
LeBron wouldn

[PickernRoller]

Those Spurs would have taken out any of Bran's teams, either 2012, 2013 Heat or 2016 Cavs.

Y'all know it deep down. Which is why y'all are here pressed.

[RRR3]

LeBron LeBron LeBron.





OBSESSED.

[PickernRoller]

LeBron wouldn’t have gotten himself into that Colorado situation in the first place, and LeBron wouldn’t have chucked up a bunch of shots instead of feeding Shaq. Bad argument.

True... he would have probably had Shaq traded much earlier, or made a decision to leave the Lakers. No way he would have shared glory decently like Kobe did.

Bran can't feed Shaq... otherwise he wouldn't be Bran. There is no version of Bran that will take the ball half court, and lobby it to Shaq, sit in a corner or run a screen and roll as deflection.

No. Bran would get the ball half court, ask Shaq to set a pick, and ram the basket.

It's the ****ing reason he froze and lost in 2011. He only plays his way or the highway. Almost 17 years now nikka...

He ain't no Kobe.

[SouBeachTalents]

Those Spurs would have taken out any of Bran's teams, either 2012, 2013 Heat or 2016 Cavs.

Y'all know it deep down. Which is why y'all are here pressed.
The

[PickernRoller]

Lol if any of y'all think Bran is getting even half of his points at the rim vs. those Spurs y'all are tripping. He would be turned into what he's never been, a jumpshooter. Easy money. If y'all think the 2014 or 2007 Spurs were great defensively compared to earlier Spurs squads.... :roll: :roll: :roll:

[RRR3]

Kobe shot a blistering 25% on 3s in 2002, making an astounding 0.4 3s per game. LeBron couldn’t do that doe :yaohappy:

[PickernRoller]

Lebron could shoot 8 pts in a Finals game, while being guarded by J.J Berea, while having a FMVP in Wade, having a FMVP run, taking up all the attention.

I think we're pretty aware of what Bran can do...

[RRR3]

25% on 3s. 33 3s made the whole year.

Kobe was a shoota doe :yaohappy:

[superduper]

https://media.tenor.com/images/1e425f0991c66cd840f78b389e84f5c9/tenor.gif

..

[Stringer Bell]

Replace Kobe by an any all-star SG and the Lakers would've 3-peat, and won in 2004 against Spurs anyway. Kobe only became absolutely better than the rest of SGs since 2008, and that Spurs team aint beating Celtics in the Finals anyway. So Kobe had not prevent Duncan from winning anything, hes role was insignificant.

The Lakers barely won in 2000 and 2002, and Kobe came up big in staving them off from elimination. He also probably had the best series out of anyone in the 01

[NBAGOAT]

I would say 08 spurs are clear underdogs vs Boston. I lean pistons over spurs in 04 too. A worse pistons team and better spurs team went 7 in 05.

1 ring is the safest assumption and it makes sense considering the lakers didn’t win either year. 01s not even close to a guarantee however, the sixers are the only team to take a game off the lakers in 01.

[SpaceJam]

If it wasn’t for Shaq, Kobe would have.....well y’all can figure that one

[LAmbruh]

Kobe guarding Duncan?



https://media3.giphy.com/media/1PgPvWLfXGkCY/source.gif

https://i.postimg.cc/kX0YSCPH/pau-gasol-nba-chicago-bulls-denver-nuggets-850x560.jpg

[72-10]

I don't know how you could quote 2001 as one for Kobe when you consider that the only team he played like an All-Star against WAS the Spurs. Kobe shot paltry the rest of that playoffs, and that's with wide open shots from mid-range due to the triple teams that Shaq drew. Shaq would just kick the ball out to him and he'd still miss. You could just as easily say if it weren't for Shaq, Kobe would have two rings.

[PickernRoller]

Lol what... if Shaq was never a Laker the Lakers would have built around Kobe much earlier and he would have become the man much earlier.

That drought with a shitty team during his prime in 06 and in 07 might have never happened.

Legit Kobe gets a ring in 06 or 07 with any all-star by his side. As soon as he got a soft euro in nobody's radar he went to 3 straight and won 2. Please...

Both Bran and Jordan were gifted to enter their prime with teams tailor made to their liking. Kobe got his mid-way through his prime. Things do balance out with Shaq early on.

[SouBeachTalents]

I don't know how you could quote 2001 as one for Kobe when you consider that the only team he played like an All-Star against WAS the Spurs. Kobe shot paltry the rest of that playoffs, and that's with wide open shots from mid-range due to the triple teams that Shaq drew. Shaq would just kick the ball out to him and he'd still miss. You could just as easily say if it weren't for Shaq, Kobe would have two rings.
Kobe averaged 35 ppg on 59TS% against the Kings, on what planet is that not playing like an all star or shooting "paltry :lol

[72-10]

I've never seen someone try so desperately to score tons of points to the detriment of his own team and fail so many times. Shaq's efficiency saved the team in many games.

[72-10]

Kobe averaged 35 ppg on 59TS% against the Kings, on what planet is that not playing like an all star or shooting "paltry :lol


he shot a bunch of free throws

they gifted him free throws

[superduper]

Kobe haters are so damn insecure it's hilarious :oldlol:

[72-10]

of course there's some degree of hyperbole, but Kobe reached for things he didn't yet have the skill for

there's four other people on the court on his own team

[SpaceJam]

Kobe averaged 35 ppg on 59TS% against the Kings, on what planet is that not playing like an all star or shooting "paltry :lol

LMAO got em, what a tard

[Bankaii]

2004 Pistons destroyed the Lakers who beat the Spurs.
2008 Celtics destroyed the Lakers who beat the Spurs.

I understand basketball is about matchups but just from deductive reasoning you have to assume the East wins 2004 and 2008 regardless of Kobe (although he played a key role for the East winning in 2004 lmao).

Superduperdumbass at it again.

[superduper]

https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/516925079/tard.jpg

"I understand basketball is completely about matchups so saying the team that beat the Lakers will also beat the Spurs because the Lakers beat them is stupid but I'm going to ignore all sensical reasoning to disregard reality and say sUpErDuMbAsS LoL hurrrrr!!1!".

[PickernRoller]

"I understand basketball is completely about matchups so saying the team that beat the Lakers will also beat the Spurs because the Lakers beat them is stupid but I'm going to ignore all sensical reasoning to disregard reality and say sUpErDuMbAsS LoL hurrrrr!!1!".

Having it both ways is the new hot item. Bankaii clearly aboard that train. :lol

[rmt]

I like to think of it as: if not for 2 dumb Manu mistakes ('06 Dirk foul and '13 racing into bunch of Heat players and drawing offensive foul instead of running down the clock), Duncan could have had 2 more rings and FMVPs.

[SouBeachTalents]

I like to think of it as: if not for 2 dumb Manu mistakes ('06 Dirk foul and '13 racing into bunch of Heat players and drawing offensive foul instead of running down the clock), Duncan could have had 2 more rings and FMVPs.
You can't pin '13 just on Manu. Kawhi missed a huge FT, Pop benched Duncan, the Spurs failed TWICE to get a rebound off a Miami miss, and then Duncan missed a layup at the end of Game 7. That was a collective team loss

[rmt]

2004
2008


2004 - Derek Fisher
2008 - well, (weak excuse as [imo] they would not have beaten 08 Celtics) - Manu did have surgery 08 summer.

[rmt]

You can't pin '13 just on Manu. Kawhi missed a huge FT, Pop benched Duncan, the Spurs failed TWICE to get a rebound off a Miami miss, and then Duncan missed a layup at the end of Game 7. That was a collective team loss

Iirc, I'm referring to game 6 (when he could have just run down the shot clock mid-court instead of trying to be heroic and score) - not game 7 - and I'm not blaming it just on Manu - it's just a play on the thread title.

[superduper]

The all time rankings should be:

Jordan
Duncan
Kareem

GawdBe single handedly prevented this.

The History Mamba :bowdown:

[guy]

Iirc, I'm referring to game 6 (when he could have just run down the shot clock mid-court instead of trying to be heroic and score) - not game 7 - and I'm not blaming it just on Manu - it's just a play on the thread title.

Which play are you talking about? I remember making a number of mistakes that cost the game I.e. missing a free throw near the end of regulation and turning it over at the end of OT, but not this.