Kobe Bryant: "Nobody has won more championships than me in my entire generation."

[Yao Ming's Foot]

No, I'm not. You're saying Kobe showed he was a better leader by changing his style of play for the betterment of the team in the first 3-peat. How so? At that point in his career he didn't know any better. Through the 3-peat, although Kobe significantly closed the gap by 2002, he had always been the second best player on his team. Up until that point in his career he had never "led" a team. Nothing about how he played through the 3-peat showed how versatile and willing to change as a leader.

Yes, Kobe's roles from 2000-2002 and 2008-2010 were different, but that doesn't mean he "changed his colors" so to speak as a leader. He wasn't the leader or best player from 2000-2002.

No, he did it one less to be honest. Duncan was the "lead dog", "alpha male", best player, etc. on four championship teams. I know Parker was the 2007 Finals MVP but Duncan played better in the entire playoffs and was still the team's best player. Kobe was only the clear-cut best player/lead-dog on two championship teams.

And, like rmt pointed out, Duncan played with more different players on his four championship teams than Kobe did on his five championship teams. So this notion that Kobe was more willing to change and was better at adjusting to different supporting casts than Duncan is a wash, at best.


Oh, and as for legacies, I have no problem with someone ranking Kobe ahead of Duncan. I personally would put Duncan at #8 and Kobe at #9, but if someone wants to put Kobe higher, I can live with that and see where they're coming from. However, if I was forced to pick one of those players to build around, I'd pick Duncan.

What relevance does best player on the team status have on the following conversation? It's completely irrelevant to the topic.

On those who say it won

[Money 23]

jordan to this day is the biggest self promoter

LOL no he isn't ... his legend spoke for itself as his promotion. Even before his 1st retirement he was a living legend. Guy got a statue after only 8 years in the league.

Kobe's the one who always has to pump himself up in interviews, as if he's almost insecure about his status among the game's great.

He was always this way ... in an interview with SLAM in 2003, when T-Mac was starting to get more hype than him, he felt the need to interject he could average 30 ppg if he wanted to

Which he could, but it wasn't the point. Shameless and self indulgent self promotion.

Constantly articulating that six rings puts him at Jordan's level. As if we're supposed to ignore the fact he wasn't the best player on his team for the first three championships, and if he were to win this season, he would have done it on the most STACKED roster in the league.

[Deuce Bigalow]

LOL no he isn't ... his legend spoke for itself as his promotion. Even before his 1st retirement he was a living legend. Guy got a statue after only 8 years in the league.

Kobe's the one who always has to pump himself up in interviews, as if he's almost insecure about his status among the game's great.

He was always this way ... in an interview with SLAM in 2003, when T-Mac was starting to get more hype than him, he felt the need to interject he could average 30 ppg if he wanted to

Which he could, but it wasn't the point. Shameless and self indulgent self promotion.

Constantly articulating that six rings puts him at Jordan's level. As if we're supposed to ignore the fact he wasn't the best player on his team for the first three championships, and if he were to win this season, he would have done it on the most STACKED roster in the league.

Because Jordan never won with the most stacked team in the league. I hear that some of his bulls teams were the best in NBA history, let alone the league for that year.

[Yao Ming's Foot]

LOL no he isn't ... his legend spoke for itself as his promotion. Even before his 1st retirement he was a living legend. Guy got a statue after only 8 years in the league.

Kobe's the one who always has to pump himself up in interviews, as if he's almost insecure about his status among the game's great.

He was always this way ... in an interview with SLAM in 2003, when T-Mac was starting to get more hype than him, he felt the need to interject he could average 30 ppg if he wanted to

Which he could, but it wasn't the point. Shameless and self indulgent self promotion.

Constantly articulating that six rings puts him at Jordan's level. As if we're supposed to ignore the fact he wasn't the best player on his team for the first three championships, and if he were to win this season, he would have done it on the most STACKED roster in the league.

Since Kobe is constantly articulating that 6 rings would put him on Jordan's level surely you could find a single link backing up that statement right?

[MiamiThrice]

Kobe has never once won a playoff series in his career as an underdog. Not one. He has only won when he has the more stacked team which is a testament to the Lakers front office more so than Kobe.

[daily]

Kobe has never once won a playoff series in his career as an underdog. Not one. He has only won when he has the more stacked team which is a testament to the Lakers front office more so than Kobe.

^Oh look who found the Billy Mays button, that's cute

[KG215]

Being a hater does not mean you can't be knowledgeable but please he is as objective as a conspiracy nutjob on a White House public tour.

How so? How is he being a hater and how isn't he being objective in this thread?

[eliteballer]

[QUOTE]

[Money 23]

Because Jordan never won with the most stacked team in the league. I hear that some of his bulls teams were the best in NBA history, let alone the league for that year.

No, his roster never was as stacked as 2004, 2010, and 2013 Lakers.

His Bulls teams are some of the best in history because of their performance, not the content of their rosters.

Since Kobe is constantly articulating that 6 rings would put him on Jordan's level surely you could find a single link backing up that statement right?

Maybe not articulated on the surface, but he has been expressing how bad he wants that 6th ring for 3 years now.

Given Kobe's nature and the way he clearly has tried to fit himself into the Jordan mold.

It's more than insinuated that it's probably a MAJOR motivating factor for him to get that 6th ring to be in the same sentence as MJ.

Is there a bit of assumption there? Sure, but it's based profoundly in the context of Kobe for his entire career chasing Jordan.

[PJR]

InsecureBe

[Yao Ming's Foot]

Maybe not articulated on the surface, but he has been expressing how bad he wants that 6th ring for 3 years now.

Given Kobe's nature and the way he clearly has tried to fit himself into the Jordan mold.

It's more than insinuated that it's probably a MAJOR motivating factor for him to get that 6th ring to be in the same sentence as MJ.

Is there a bit of assumption there? Sure, but it's based profoundly in the context of Kobe for his entire career chasing Jordan.

That is a lot of words to say no. He never actually said such a thing.

The mythology about Kobe from the Jordanites is almost as funny as their mythology about Jordan. I'm sorry Kobe doesn't match Jordan's christ like levels of humbleness.

[DJ Leon Smith]

That is a lot of words to say no. He never actually said such a thing.

The mythology about Kobe from the Jordanites is almost as funny as their mythology about Jordan. I'm sorry Kobe doesn't match Jordan's christ like levels of humbleness.

No one is saying Jordan is humble, but then again he didn't lose NBA Finals games at home after being up 24 points at half-time and lose deciding NBA Finals games by 39 points. He also never missed the playoffs in his prime, or raped your sister in Colorado.

[BlackVVaves]

Is there really 5 pages on this? Really?

Kobe's a cocky person...WHOA. What a revelation I've never net a cocky person before. I've never heard of a egotistic artist of his craft...not Michaelangelo, not Socrates, not Hugo, not Tom Ford, not Mel Gibson, not Jordan, not Kanye West....no, I've never, ever heard of arrogance in sports, entertainment, or the arts.

Cotdamn, you people need to get a day job or new hobby. It's one thing to dissect his game to the very fine thread, but to criticize his personality as if all of you walk with the most humble, righteous way of thought. As if extreme humility is a common theme in professional sports. As if you didn't know Kobe is confident in the career he created for himself.

Grow up.

[Vertical-24]

The truth is the truth. He lied about nothing

[Yao Ming's Foot]

No one is saying Jordan is humble, but then again he didn't lose NBA Finals games at home after being up 24 points at half-time and lose deciding NBA Finals games by 39 points. He also never missed the playoffs in his prime, or raped your sister in Colorado.

He did look pretty fly sitting the bench for the Birmingham Barons too.



Who needs Jordan to hype up himself when his legions of cockroaches craft the mythology so well on their own.