NBA players with the biggest connection to Kobe

[Im Still Ballin]

1. Shaq -- his greatest teammate
2. Mike -- his greatest inspiration
3. LeBron -- his greatest rival


These 3, man. They felt this more than most. Particularly more than the Kawhi/Devin Booker/Kyrie crowd -- those who never played against Ko-peak/prime. The NBA is a brotherhood, so regardless of when they played... Every player felt it. From the days of Naismith, to the times of Trae.

BUT those 3 names, they had a SPECIAL connection to the black mamba.

[red1]

shaq and mike killed the speech yesterday.


the crying meme joke from mj :roll:

[SouBeachTalents]

It didn't get 1/100th of the hype, but Duncan was truly his rival. They met 6 times in the playoffs, with each matchup having huge implications on who would win the title

[Im Still Ballin]

It didn't get 1/100th of the hype, but Duncan was truly his rival. They met 6 times in the playoffs, with each matchup having huge implications on who would win the title

Blame that on Duncan, I spose'.

[LostCause]

LeBron really wasn’t Kobe’s rival. They never played each other when it mattered, so they were never in each other’s way to build a rivalry. They were just contemporaries

Duncan was definitely his greatest rival

[Bosnian Sajo]

Yea, Lebron definitely wasn't his greatest rival.


You could have put Duncan, Nash, Bruce Bowen, Shaq...but Lebron? They never had any kind of beef, any big battles in the playoffs...none of that.


They were fun to watch going head to head in the regular season, but greatest rival? It's expected from you to somehow throw Lebron's name in every discussion, so I'm not surprised.

[Phoenix]

It didn't get 1/100th of the hype, but Duncan was truly his rival. They met 6 times in the playoffs, with each matchup having huge implications on who would win the title

This. 99, 01, 02, 03. 4 times they met and whoever won went on to win the title. The other two times LA lost in the finals (04,08). Duncan was too understated and under hyped so nobody looks at him the way they do Lebron, who never played Kobe when it mattered.

[SamuraiSWISH]

shaq and mike killed the speech yesterday.


the crying meme joke from mj :roll:
Jordan’s was an actual speech bro. With timing, comedic timing, cadence, dramatic pauses. Flow.

Shaq seemed nervous as ****. Just got up there and read off a sheet of paper as quickly as possible. The me in team MFer part was funny though

[Bosnian Sajo]

This. 99, 01, 02, 03. 4 times they met and whoever won went on to win the title.

Don't forget 2004 & 2008. Lakers didn't win the title, but they had to get past the Spurs in the semis and the conf finals (respectively) in order to reach the NBA finals those years.

[TheMan]

It's a beautiful thing to see, the Kobe, MJ and Bran fam together if only for a fleeting moment, sucks that a legend had to lose his life so tragically though :(

Rather we still be at it and Kobe and his kid here amongst us...

[Phoenix]

Don't forget 2004 & 2008. Lakers didn't win the title, but they had to get past the Spurs in the semis and the conf finals (respectively) in order to reach the NBA finals

Yes I edited that in my post....

[SamuraiSWISH]

It's a beautiful thing to see, the Kobe, MJ and Bran fam together if only for a fleeting moment, sucks that a legend had to lose his life so tragically though :(

Rather we still be at it and Kobe and his kid here amongst us...
No. Three 6 Mafia kids aren’t a part of this scenario bro.

These are the same crazy kids that relentlessly hated on Kobe, for all intensive purposes Jordan’s earned heir to the basketball throne and apprentice. For basically inadequacy issues.

Then they hated on Michael, the actual GOAT because they know LeBron is never going to be better or eclipse his greatness.

Hell, they even hated on Shaquille for the 2010 Cavs, even though it was there own boy who quit in the middle of a winnable playoff series.

Jordan and Shaq gave emotional, resonant, adult speeches on Kobe the man, the father, the player, and his legacy.

LeBron gave a narcissistic, delusional, egotistical, speech that essentially patted himself on the back.

It was literally one of the most narcissistic and creepy things I’ve ever seen. Totally lacking in self awareness. He used another man’s death, a sport legend, to literally complement himself and prop himself up more.

The people he surrounds himself with, and the media have turned this guy into a egotistical narcissistic monster. With a god complex. Literally LeThanos. You’ve got idiots in the media suggesting that this buffoon who didn’t even go to college could be president. And he is an absolute self-serving moron.

[RRR3]

Coach needs to be banned, this is getting sad.

[RRR3]

It's a beautiful thing to see, the Kobe, MJ and Bran fam together if only for a fleeting moment, sucks that a legend had to lose his life so tragically though :(

Rather we still be at it and Kobe and his kid here amongst us...
We all miss Kobe except for that idiot lambruh.

[SamuraiSWISH]

Coach needs to be banned, this is getting sad.
:roll: pathetically triggered by reality.

[hiphopanonymous]

1. Shaq -- his greatest teammate
2. Mike -- his greatest inspiration
3. LeBron -- his greatest rival


These 3, man. They felt this more than most. Particularly more than the Kawhi/Devin Booker/Kyrie crowd -- those who never played against Ko-peak/prime. The NBA is a brotherhood, so regardless of when they played... Every player felt it. From the days of Naismith, to the times of Trae.

BUT those 3 names, they had a SPECIAL connection to the black mamba.
I think Tim Duncan was Kobe’s biggest name ‘rival’ - he never even played LeBron in a big game or series where as the Duncan era Spurs were perhaps Kobe’s most hyped and frequent matchup - both the Kobe era Lakers and Duncan era Spurs played and won many titles in the same era in the same conference

[Im Still Ballin]

I think Tim Duncan was Kobe’s biggest name ‘rival’ - he never even played LeBron in a big game or series where as the Duncan era Spurs were perhaps Kobe’s most hyped and frequent matchup - both the Kobe era Lakers and Duncan era Spurs played and won many titles in the same era in the same conference

On paper, sure... But nobody talked about the "epic rivalry of Kobe Bryant and Tim Duncan." The discussion was always LeBron vs. Kobe.

[red1]

Coach needs to be banned, this is getting sad.

you're probably stronger than him too - I bet he cant even bench one plate but he wants to coach out there :oldlol:

[SouBeachTalents]

No. Three 6 Mafia kids aren’t a part of this scenario bro.

These are the same crazy kids that relentlessly hated on Kobe, for all intensive purposes Jordan’s earned heir to the basketball throne and apprentice. For basically inadequacy issues.

Then they hated on Michael, the actual GOAT because they know LeBron is never going to be better or eclipse his greatness.

Hell, they even hated on Shaquille for the 2010 Cavs, even though it was there own boy who quit in the middle of a winnable playoff series.

Jordan and Shaq gave emotional, resonant, adult speeches on Kobe the man, the father, the player, and his legacy.

LeBron gave a narcissistic, delusional, egotistical, speech that essentially patted himself on the back.

It was literally one of the most narcissistic and creepy things I’ve ever seen. Totally lacking in self awareness. He used another man’s death, a sport legend, to literally complement himself and prop himself up more.

The people he surrounds himself with, and the media have turned this guy into a egotistical narcissistic monster. With a god complex. Literally LeThanos. You’ve got idiots in the media suggesting that this buffoon who didn’t even go to college could be president. And he is an absolute self-serving moron.
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[ImKobe]

On paper, sure... But nobody talked about the "epic rivalry of Kobe Bryant and Tim Duncan." The discussion was always LeBron vs. Kobe.

???

[KD7]

Kyrie - Kobe's student

[Turbo Slayer]

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ASSASSINS. Legends!