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View Full Version : Reminder: Kobe was not athletically gifted


AirBonner
02-10-2019, 02:47 PM
And was average at best
https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Lcm0HXpaTEI/hqdefault.jpg
JohnMax
02-10-2019, 02:48 PM
A young Kobe would be most athletic SG in the NBA right now.
tpols
02-10-2019, 02:49 PM
he was probably an 8/10 maybe 8.5.

didnt have GOAT 10/10 athleticism though.
superduper
02-10-2019, 02:49 PM
A young Kobe would be most athletic SG in the NBA right now.

Guess you haven't seen Zach Lavine
AirBonner
02-10-2019, 02:49 PM
A young Kobe would be most athletic SG in the NBA right now.
Agree. I have heard from a number of posters on here that he had no physical advantages
andgar923
02-10-2019, 02:57 PM
Kobetards used to say he was more athletic than MJ until that got crushed and it didn
egokiller
02-10-2019, 03:05 PM
Reminder: Kobe was not athletically gifted. He had to work very hard to become as athletic as he was. He's an inspiration to me. More than LeBron could ever hope to be.

Earned, not given.

Thanks for sharing! :applause:
3ball
02-10-2019, 03:33 PM
I remember playing against Mike Robinson many times in Peoria and thinking he was pretty good

Then I saw video of an all-star game when HS Kobe was matched up with Robinson.. Kobe could do whatever he wanted - his athleticism was on another level.. he was absolutely an elite athlete.. below the goat MJ/lebron level of athleticism of course, but still very elite

Something you have to consider is the skill - i.e. Vince could dunk as good as MJ, but he got 1/2 of the dunks MJ did in games because of MJ's superior skill (and quickness)
ClipperRevival
02-10-2019, 03:36 PM
he was probably an 8/10 maybe 8.5.

didnt have GOAT 10/10 athleticism though.

About this. He was just a tier below GOAT tier guys like MJ/LeBron/Rose. But he was right below that and a true athletic freak too.
ImKobe
02-10-2019, 03:57 PM
He was above-average, but nothing special.

Not the biggest guy in the league
not the fastest first step
average vertical
average hands
injured often

His best attribute was his length and his wingspan, his game was aesthetic from a movement standpoint, but you never heard anyone say that he was the most athletic SG. He was pretty much all skill. Afro Kobe was a good athlete and had some hops, but he was constantly battling knee and/or shoulder injuries from 03-13.
FKAri
02-10-2019, 03:58 PM
He was a horrendous athlete even by everyday joe sixpack standards. But what he did have was the mamba mentality. And he used it to will himself to blow by his man or explode into the air for a thunderous finish. I've never seen anything like it. Kob-Ruce Lee
3ball
02-10-2019, 04:09 PM
He was above-average, but nothing special.

Not the biggest guy in the league
not the fastest first step
average vertical
average hands
injured often

.
:roll:

You don't even need to watch him explode by tmac or sprewell for dunks to see his first step

Watch him play 1-on-1 with that Asian kid at one of his camps - watch how he accelerates by him repeatedly with like, no room really to operate.. Kobe was fast as shit
Dray n Klay
02-10-2019, 04:09 PM
He was above-average, but nothing special.

Not the biggest guy in the league
not the fastest first step
average vertical
average hands
injured often

His best attribute was his length and his wingspan, his game was aesthetic from a movement standpoint, but you never heard anyone say that he was the most athletic SG. He was pretty much all skill. Afro Kobe was a good athlete and had some hops, but he was constantly battling knee and/or shoulder injuries from 03-13.


He had the same athleticism as LeBron


Why did LeBron shoot 57% from the field while Kobe shot 45%?
bison
02-10-2019, 04:13 PM
Goes to show how overrated athleticism is.
imdaman99
02-10-2019, 04:22 PM
He had good to great athleticism. I mean he was doing reverse dunks like it was nothing in his prime.

But he was no Vince Carter athletically. Now that guy could sky
eliteballer
02-10-2019, 04:22 PM
Oh the tangled web weave..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CvWy9liwC7U

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-tXvMriU0Y
Indian guy
02-10-2019, 04:41 PM
Kobe is easily one of the 5 best athletes to ever play at his position. And the only one who you can definitely put above him is MJ. Then you have Wade, VC, T-Mac and Drexler. Kobe's either better or right there with all of them.

The thing that instantly stands out about Kobe when I watch Laker games from the 00's is how he's always easily the quickest SG on the court (Wade aside). Watch his matchups with T-Mac/VC/Ray/Manu and so on....Kobe's blowing past the 1st line of defense and penetrating inside with ease none of those guys ever could. Quickness is by far the most important attribute of athleticism in basketball and Kobe possessed more of it than all but a couple of guys in NBA history at his position.

What Kobe didn't have is the tier 1 explosion of the absolute elites, particularly in the paint. MJ/LeBron/Dr. J/Giannis/Westbrook....they are better.
game3524
02-10-2019, 06:32 PM
I think "old" Kobe (2009-2016) has made us forget how athletic Kobe was.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ih8CsFZa2HE

I would love to see this version of Kobe in today's game.
game3524
02-10-2019, 06:35 PM
He had good to great athleticism. I mean he was doing reverse dunks like it was nothing in his prime.

But he was no Vince Carter athletically. Now that guy could sky

Kobe was a better overall athlete then Vince. Vince had bigger hands and could jump higher, but had no where near the first step or quickness Kobe had in his prime.
kennethgriffen
02-10-2019, 06:41 PM
[QUOTE=andgar923]Kobetards used to say he was more athletic than MJ until that got crushed and it didn
NBASTATMAN
02-10-2019, 06:54 PM
he was probably an 8/10 maybe 8.5.

didnt have GOAT 10/10 athleticism though.


He didnt have GOAT jumping ability but he was quicker than say a Vince Carter or even Tmac.. He is at least as fast as them in a foot race as well.. He was better laterally than either of those two guys as well..
ImKobe
02-10-2019, 06:54 PM
lol no


i dont think any kobe fan ever said that


we argued his in game dunks were more impressive due to difficulty. thats about it

Yeah, the only real argument I've seen here is that Kobe was a more aesthetic player to watch, which comes down do personal preference.
andgar923
02-10-2019, 06:55 PM
lol no


i dont think any kobe fan ever said that


we argued his in game dunks were more impressive due to difficulty. thats about it
You
eliteballer
02-10-2019, 06:57 PM
Vince had a ridiculous wingspan, so it gave the illusion he was jumping higher than he was...look at his head.
Round Mound
02-10-2019, 07:07 PM
I remember playing against Mike Robinson many times in Peoria and thinking he was pretty good

Then I saw video of an all-star game when HS Kobe was matched up with Robinson.. Kobe could do whatever he wanted - his athleticism was on another level.. he was absolutely an elite athlete.. below the goat MJ/lebron level of athleticism of course, but still very elite

Something you have to consider is the skill - i.e. Vince could dunk as good as MJ, but he got 1/2 of the dunks MJ did in games because of MJ's superior skill (and quickness)

This :applause:
kennethgriffen
02-10-2019, 07:11 PM
[QUOTE=andgar923]You
TheImmortal
02-10-2019, 09:00 PM
Kobe was a better overall athlete then Vince. Vince had bigger hands and could jump higher, but had no where near the first step or quickness Kobe had in his prime.
Yeah I agree.. Vince in a dunk contest will blow Kobe out of the water.. as would Jason Richardson.. but Kobe's first step along with quickness and the sheer ability to get from point A to point B allowed him to create opportunities to display his athletic ability. Sure in a high jump contest he wouldn't even come close.. but there's more to the game than just jumping high and Kobe possesses a lot of it.


Youngbe:

https://media.giphy.com/media/2ZYKQ1gSJXfu0OsQkI/giphy.gif


Oldbe:

https://media.giphy.com/media/8crIuqbGhkQmv6E5ky/giphy.gif