Is Kobe Bryant still in his Prime?

[Mrofir]

thats why wade shot 9/24 vs kobe this year......

Fantastic argument. Apply for a job at ESPN immediately.

[rodman91]

He wont be better and he is slightly declining..so he is out of his prime. However, he is just 32, which was pretty good age for many stars so he is still good enough to be one of the best. He plays for same team,similar system,he is an icon for Lakers,he has good work ethics, coaching staff knows what he can do and how many minutes he can do,they know how to use him well.. When all those things comes together star players has better longevity.

If there won't be major injuries, he can play this game at high level.. until 35-36 years old.

Jordan & Malone shitting everyone at 35 years old and arguably they were best players in the league .Kobe started declining earlier than them so i say he will be still top 6 to 10 player at 35 years old.

He may not be in prime anymore but it doesn't mean he can't play at great level.Jordan wasn't in prime in his second threepeat.Rodman was out of his prime in Bulls.Malone was out of his prime in finals.

Olajuwon was 32 years old when he kicked young Shaq's ass in finals...

Even when best players start declining they still remain at least one of bests in league.

[whoartthou]

Exactly what gives you this idea that this guy is still in his prime???

Forget athleticism...

He went from one of the best ballhandlers in the league to mr.butterfingers in 1 season, he doesn't have as much lift on his jumpers as before which is why his midrange game isn't as smooth as before, and there are times where he looks lost on defense.

He has always looked lost on defense, post 2004.
Yes but he still is a decent ballhandler.... smh at losing ball handling skills LOL

Yea he doesn't have much lift on his jumpers i agree.... but he still is shooting a similar percent as his career average..

He is close to in his prime (minus the athletic ability)

[ImmortalD24]

Re: Is Kobe Bryant still in his Prime?


No.

[Eat Like A Bosh]

Nope, not in his prime anymore, but still an elite players.
Great players just don't get washed up easily after their prime.

[magmo68]

manu's prime>kobe's prime

[LA_Showtime]

He wont be better and he is slightly declining..so he is out of his prime. However, he is just 32, which was pretty good age for many stars so he is still good enough to be one of the best. He plays for same team,similar system,he is an icon for Lakers,he has good work ethics, coaching staff knows what he can do and how many minutes he can do,they know how to use him well.. When all those things comes together star players has better longevity.

If there won't be major injuries, he can play this game at high level.. until 35-36 years old.

Jordan & Malone shitting everyone at 35 years old and arguably they were best players in the league .Kobe started declining earlier than them so i say he will be still top 6 to 10 player at 35 years old.

He may not be in prime anymore but it doesn't mean he can't play at great level.Jordan wasn't in prime in his second threepeat.Rodman was out of his prime in Bulls.Malone was out of his prime in finals.

Olajuwon was 32 years old when he kicked young Shaq's ass in finals...

Even when best players start declining they still remain at least one of bests in league.

That's assuming you're projecting Kobe's next few seasons based on his age and not his mileage. I think this might be the last year where Kobe's regarded as an elite player. He'll still be an all-star caliber guy and one of the best closers in the league, but he's not as explosive anymore and lengthy players give him a lot of trouble. The only way Kobe can fight off age is by adjusting him game, becoming more of a distributor, and picking his spots. He hasn't shown the ability to do that on a consistent basis; however, you could argue if he does master that skill he'll be more effective than he has been this season.

[LA_Showtime]

He has always looked lost on defense, post 2004.
Yes but he still is a decent ballhandler.... smh at losing ball handling skills LOL

Yea he doesn't have much lift on his jumpers i agree.... but he still is shooting a similar percent as his career average..

He is close to in his prime (minus the athletic ability)

No, his ball handling has noticeably deteriorated. He can't even grip the ball; why else would he have those ridiculous turnovers where it just pops out of his hands?

Numbers don't tell half the story.

[amfirst]

Yes, Kobe is declining a lot has to do with mileage and his injuries.

[pauk]

u ppl are nuts.... he is still in his prime.... but you can see he is getting out of his prime.... he is on the start of decline process of his prime...... but yes he is still in his prime.... obviously not as athletic as he was as a 19 year old but anyways....

[Calabis]

What u'r observing is a strong fundamentally sound player, his athleticism is slipping away, but his fundamentals are still strong, which is why he still is at the top tier of the league.....longevity sir. I believe this is the biggest issue in today's game, not many guys with strong fundamentals and when their athleticism starts slipping they won't last as long as Kobe. Kobe last of a dying breed imo.