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

[Lebron23]

Who's the better Kobe??

2002-03 Kobe Bryant



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



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

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

[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