How many titles would Prime Kobe win in place of Jordan?

[Chick Stern]

Kobe would win 8 because he wouldn’t quit, or be suspended.

[Axe]

Imagine posting up weak smaller sg's/pg's on an island everytime because of that illegal defense rule. Kobe did it against much better competition, with lesser physical gifts than MJ. Not saying kobe ranks higher.. but it is what it is.

So how many rings did he have without the zen master?

[HoopsNY]

Imagine posting up weak smaller sg's/pg's on an island everytime because of that illegal defense rule. Kobe did it against much better competition, with lesser physical gifts than MJ. Not saying kobe ranks higher.. but it is what it is.

Imagine being a lazy sack of lard to not even investigate your own presuppositions before you post them as assertions. I mean, Kobe faced off against guys like

Ray Allen - 6'4"-6'5" (2x)
Reggie Miller - 6'7"
Allen Iverson - 6'0"-6'1"
Kerry Kittles - 6'5"
Rip Hamilton - 6'5"-6'6"
Lee/Reddick - 6'4"-6'5" & 6'3"-6'4"

The only one here that matches Kobe's size is Miller. And Reggie weighed 177 lbs to Kobe's 200 lbs in 2000. Kittles was 175 lbs at the time in 2002 to Kobe's 210.

[LAL]

Imagine being a lazy sack of lard to not even investigate your own presuppositions before you post them as assertions. I mean, Kobe faced off against guys like

Ray Allen - 6'4"-6'5" (2x)
Reggie Miller - 6'7"
Allen Iverson - 6'0"-6'1"
Kerry Kittles - 6'5"
Rip Hamilton - 6'5"-6'6"
Lee/Reddick - 6'4"-6'5" & 6'3"-6'4"

The only one here that matches Kobe's size is Miller. And Reggie weighed 177 lbs to Kobe's 200 lbs in 2000. Kittles was 175 lbs at the time in 2002 to Kobe's 210.

You think Kobe was only guarded by SG's or? I wasn't talking about the finals only, even tough you didn't mention guys like Posey, Pierce, Pietrus, Rose, Prince, Tony Allen etc. for some reason. Kobe had to face more challenges from defense than Mike, imo.

[G0ATbe]

At least 7. Kobe isn’t taking baseball hiatuses and he’d eat that illegal defense expansion league alive. Not to mention you’re giving a guy that won multiple championships with just Gasoft , the most stacked team of the decade.

[light]

Kobe would win 8 because he wouldn’t quit, or be suspended.

But he's a lot worse than Jordan so he wouldn't win 8. He'd win something like 3 or 4 even if he didn't quit or wasn't suspended because he's not anywhere near as good, or as efficient or as productive.

[3ball]

Kobe's playing style (less efficiency, more Iverson-like) and leadership style doesn't fit with a perimeter player like Pippen.

so Pippen doesn't develop like he did under Jordan or play as well - he'd be more like he was in houston if he played with kobe

Furthermore, there were many times where Kobe needed his sidekick to dominate down the stretch, like Gasol did in the 10' Finals, or Shaq many times..

But Pippen never dominated... Ever... He simply isn't nearly the help that Kobe needed, or anyone else for that matter

Pippen's peak of 22 ppg is 6 to 10 points less than elite 1st options like Wade, AD, Kobe, Curry, etc - so he was a true 2nd option, and therefore inferior to elite 1st option sidekicks that every other top 10 player enjoyed.. Only Jordan lacked an elite 1st option sidekick - he was stuck with Pippen and an inferior team defense (bulls had the #7 defense during the 1st three-peat, or inferior to 2 of 3 Finals opponents, and 2 of 3 ECF opponents)

[8Ball]

6 rings.

[3ball]

6 rings.

Kobe is like everyone else

Everyone in history needed an equal-scoring partner (1b) for half of their rings except the goat, who won 6 rings with a true 2nd option that averaged far less in every playoffs.

Teammate scoring matters because equal-scoring teammates attract equal defensive attention, so only MJ faced "1-man team" defensive attention for his entire career, (thus giving maximum integrity to his stats and rings).. Kenny Smith talks about MJ being the only 1-man show here.

Ultimately, Pippen's peak of 22 ppg is 6 to 10 points less than elite 1st options like Wade, AD, Kobe, Curry, etc - so he was a true 2nd option, and therefore inferior to the elite 1st option sidekicks, equal-scoring partners and FMVP teammates that every other top 10 player enjoyed.. Only Jordan lacked an elite 1st option as sidekick - he was stuck with Pippen and an inferior team defense (#7 defense during 1st three-peat - inferior to ECF and Finals opponents).

everyone that won 3 Finals needed a teammate to win FMVP or average 25 ppg for at least 1 of the Finals.. But Pippen is 0/6 in FMVP and peaked at 21 ppg, so only MJ could win 3 or 3-peat with Pippen.

[8Ball]

Kobe is like everyone else

Everyone in history needed an equal-scoring partner (1b) for half of their rings except the goat, who won 6 rings with a true 2nd option that averaged far less in every playoffs.

Teammate scoring matters because equal-scoring teammates attract equal defensive attention, so only MJ faced "1-man team" defensive attention for his entire career, (thus giving maximum integrity to his stats and rings).. Kenny Smith talks about MJ being the only 1-man show here.

Ultimately, Pippen's peak of 22 ppg is 6 to 10 points less than elite 1st options like Wade, AD, Kobe, Curry, etc - so he was a true 2nd option, and therefore inferior to the elite 1st option sidekicks, equal-scoring partners and FMVP teammates that every other top 10 player enjoyed.. Only Jordan lacked an elite 1st option as sidekick - he was stuck with Pippen and an inferior team defense (#7 defense during 1st three-peat - inferior to ECF and Finals opponents).

everyone that won 3 Finals needed a teammate to win FMVP or average 25 ppg for at least 1 of the Finals.. But Pippen is 0/6 in FMVP and peaked at 21 ppg, so only MJ could win 3 or 3-peat with Pippen.

Wrong.

Kobe is mentally tougher than Jordan ever was and would not have retired because he was mentally tired, or give up basketball because he didn't have Pippen or Phil Jackson anymore. Imagine Kobe retiring in 2004 because Shaq left and Phil Jackson left?


Kobe is mentally tough like LeBron. Kobe would probably win more than 6 rings in you replaced Jordan with Kobe.

[3ball]

Wrong.

Kobe is mentally tougher than Jordan ever was and would not have retired because he was mentally tired, or give up basketball because he didn't have Pippen or Phil Jackson anymore. Imagine Kobe retiring in 2004 because Shaq left and Phil Jackson left?


Kobe is mentally tough like LeBron. Kobe would probably win more than 6 rings in you replaced Jordan with Kobe.

Only Jordan's unprecedented dominance and winning allowed him to retire in 1993.

If he failed to 3-peat and lost to Barkley, he would never have retired

He would've had to trudge forward like when Kobe/Wade failed to 3-peat in 11' and 14'

[BarberSchool]

2-3
Keep in mind hand checking a perimeter player at all times, even during his drive, was completely legal back then. Also paint defense was allowed to be much much more brutal. Kobe would likely have several more injuries thru the attempted title run.

[Doranku]

Only Jordan's unprecedented dominance and winning allowed him to retire in 1993.

If he failed to 3-peat and lost to Barkley, he would never have retired

He would've had to trudge forward like when Kobe/Wade failed to 3-peat in 11' and 14'

Why didn't Shaq retire after 2002?

[BarberSchool]

wrong.

Kobe is mentally tougher than jordan ever was and would not have retired because he was mentally tired.

kobe is mentally tough like lebron. Kobe would probably win more than 6 rings in you replaced jordan with kobe.

lmmfao

[3ball]

Why didn't Shaq retire after 2002?

His dad wasn't murdered and he didn't have unprecedented dominance all 3 years (only in 00'), or earlier in his career (no 63 points.. no 37 ppg... no scoring champ & dpoy)

So Mike's situation was entirely unique to him

When did anyone average 41 in the Finals or 36/7/8 in the 3 Finals - it sounds fake

so it was obvious that the 3-peat was the best anyone had ever seen and when his dad got murdered, he felt like he could retire.. he actually wasn't planning on coming back.. he was done because there was nothing else to accomplish (his 3-peat was considered better than any accomplishment of Bird or Magic)