The Top 10 Myths about Kobe Bryant/Lakers explained

[Eat Like A Bosh]

Intro:
No team has been as successful as the Lakers in professional sports over the past 30 years, and no NBA player has had as much success as Kobe has over the past decade.

Yet, it is funny how polarized many fans are when discussing Kobe Bryant. The amount of effort that some people use to try to bring down his legacy is simply incredible and laughable at the same time. Perhaps if this effort was used towards producing positive economic profit, this country would have already been out of the recession.

And the funny thing is that one doesn’t see this with other past NBA legends, such as Bill Russell, Michael Jordan, Larry Bird and Magic Johnson. They all had more than their share of imperfections and flaws, but no one questions their greatness.

Most of the myths and lies associated with the Lakers and Kobe are built around cherry-picked stats and by using double standards.

A friend once told me “If you tell a lie that's big enough, and you tell it often enough, people will believe you are telling the truth.” By retelling these lies over and over, many smart folks I know are even starting to believe them.

This a is meant to address the top myths about Kobe and the Lakers. I don’t expect to change the minds of Kobe/Lakers haters, like you, my friend, but hopefully this should make a difference among the rational folks, helping to stop the spread of these lies.

All right, shall we begin?

1. Kobe Is Not an Efficient Shooter
The argument that Kobe is not an efficient shooter is often brought up to show that he is overrated. In addition, many of the same people that use this argument state that efficiency is one of the main reasons that puts Michael Jordan into a class much higher than Kobe Bryant.

Even Phil Jackson made this distinction recently. And yet everyone who claims this is wrong.

Looking at the pure field goal statistics seems to lend credence to this argument. For instance, Kobe Bryant has a .455 career field goal percentage compared to .497 for Jordan. Part of the reason that Kobe’s shooting percentage is lower is due to the higher quantity and percentage of shots that are taken from beyond the three-point line. However, three-pointers contribute 50 percent more points than regular shots.When free throws and three-pointers are taken into account to form the true shooting percentage, Michael Jordan has a .569 percentage compared to Kobe Bryant’s .556. In other words, the numbers are very similar.

One has to also remember that most of the years that Jordan shot higher field goal percentages came during the 1980s when team defenses (despite the hand-checking) were much less tenacious than the 1990s or 2000s. Hence, teams in general shot much higher percentages and there were many guards who shot greater than 50 percent (compared to just a few today). Heck, there were whole teams that averaged over 50 percent on their field goal attempts.

There are a couple reasons why team defenses are more effective today. First, after the Detroit Pistons made use of the “Jordan Rules,” other teams took note that tough team defenses can slow down the best players in the game and lead to wins. Second, zone defenses encourage outside shooting more than dribble penetration, leading to a lower conversion rate.
If Jordan had played in today’s league, he would be forced to take and make more outside shots, which is something he wasn’t very effective at early in his career. While he would likely have improved his outside shot earlier in his career, his overall field goal percentage probably would have suffered.

Despite the difference in eras and true shooting percentage to compare Jordan and Bryant, let’s consider one final telling stat that indicates how efficiently the two players were able to score.

When one looks at points per field goal attempt, one will see nearly identical statistics for both players: Jordan scored 1.316 points per shot attempt while Bryant has scored 1.304.

So after this analysis, does it still seem that Jordan is in a class way above Bryant when it comes to efficiency?


2. The Lakers Are Better Off When Kobe Shoots Less
This season, quite a few have commented about how the Lakers seem to do better when Kobe Bryant shoots less in games. They have noted that many of the games LA has lost this year featured lots of shot attempts by Bryant.

However, there is a reason why this correlation could be made. Since Kobe already has a lot of mileage, coach Phil Jackson has tried to limit his playing time this season. In fact, Kobe’s playing time is down about five minutes per game compared to last season.

Jackson’s goal for every Lakers game this season is to have his team dominate through the first three quarters and rest Kobe Bryant in the fourth quarter. With all of the games that Kobe has sat out much of the fourth quarter this season, his average playing time in wins is lower than his playing time in losses.

When games are close in the fourth quarter, Jackson usually relies heavily on Kobe. Often times, Kobe is asked to take over the scoring load late in games because Pau Gasol and the other players were unable to have good scoring games themselves.

Sometimes Kobe is able to help get the wins for the Lakers and sometimes he is unable to do so. But the fact that in losses he is playing more minutes and taking more shots is the reason why his shot attempts are higher in losses.

Hence, claiming that the Lakers are “better off” when Kobe shoots less is simply a na

[Calabis]

[QUOTE=Eat Like A Bosh]
Intro:
No team has been as successful as the Lakers in professional sports over the past 30 years, and no NBA player has had as much success as Kobe has over the past decade.

Yet, it is funny how polarized many fans are when discussing Kobe Bryant. The amount of effort that some people use to try to bring down his legacy is simply incredible and laughable at the same time. Perhaps if this effort was used towards producing positive economic profit, this country would have already been out of the recession.

And the funny thing is that one doesn’t see this with other past NBA legends, such as Bill Russell, Michael Jordan, Larry Bird and Magic Johnson. They all had more than their share of imperfections and flaws, but no one questions their greatness.

Most of the myths and lies associated with the Lakers and Kobe are built around cherry-picked stats and by using double standards.

A friend once told me “If you tell a lie that's big enough, and you tell it often enough, people will believe you are telling the truth.” By retelling these lies over and over, many smart folks I know are even starting to believe them.

This a is meant to address the top myths about Kobe and the Lakers. I don’t expect to change the minds of Kobe/Lakers haters, like you, my friend, but hopefully this should make a difference among the rational folks, helping to stop the spread of these lies.

All right, shall we begin?

1. Kobe Is Not an Efficient Shooter
The argument that Kobe is not an efficient shooter is often brought up to show that he is overrated. In addition, many of the same people that use this argument state that efficiency is one of the main reasons that puts Michael Jordan into a class much higher than Kobe Bryant.

Even Phil Jackson made this distinction recently. And yet everyone who claims this is wrong.

Looking at the pure field goal statistics seems to lend credence to this argument. For instance, Kobe Bryant has a .455 career field goal percentage compared to .497 for Jordan. Part of the reason that Kobe’s shooting percentage is lower is due to the higher quantity and percentage of shots that are taken from beyond the three-point line. However, three-pointers contribute 50 percent more points than regular shots.When free throws and three-pointers are taken into account to form the true shooting percentage, Michael Jordan has a .569 percentage compared to Kobe Bryant’s .556. In other words, the numbers are very similar.

One has to also remember that most of the years that Jordan shot higher field goal percentages came during the 1980s when team defenses (despite the hand-checking) were much less tenacious than the 1990s or 2000s. Hence, teams in general shot much higher percentages and there were many guards who shot greater than 50 percent (compared to just a few today). Heck, there were whole teams that averaged over 50 percent on their field goal attempts.

There are a couple reasons why team defenses are more effective today. First, after the Detroit Pistons made use of the “Jordan Rules,” other teams took note that tough team defenses can slow down the best players in the game and lead to wins. Second, zone defenses encourage outside shooting more than dribble penetration, leading to a lower conversion rate.
If Jordan had played in today’s league, he would be forced to take and make more outside shots, which is something he wasn’t very effective at early in his career. While he would likely have improved his outside shot earlier in his career, his overall field goal percentage probably would have suffered.

Despite the difference in eras and true shooting percentage to compare Jordan and Bryant, let’s consider one final telling stat that indicates how efficiently the two players were able to score.


2. The Lakers Are Better Off When Kobe Shoots Less
This season, quite a few have commented about how the Lakers seem to do better when Kobe Bryant shoots less in games. They have noted that many of the games LA has lost this year featured lots of shot attempts by Bryant.

However, there is a reason why this correlation could be made. Since Kobe already has a lot of mileage, coach Phil Jackson has tried to limit his playing time this season. In fact, Kobe’s playing time is down about five minutes per game compared to last season.

Jackson’s goal for every Lakers game this season is to have his team dominate through the first three quarters and rest Kobe Bryant in the fourth quarter. With all of the games that Kobe has sat out much of the fourth quarter this season, his average playing time in wins is lower than his playing time in losses.

When games are close in the fourth quarter, Jackson usually relies heavily on Kobe. Often times, Kobe is asked to take over the scoring load late in games because Pau Gasol and the other players were unable to have good scoring games themselves.

Sometimes Kobe is able to help get the wins for the Lakers and sometimes he is unable to do so. But the fact that in losses he is playing more minutes and taking more shots is the reason why his shot attempts are higher in losses.

Hence, claiming that the Lakers are “better off” when Kobe shoots less is simply a na

[Eat Like A Bosh]

3. Kobe Played the Role of “Robin” in the First Three-Peat
A classic line used against Kobe Bryant is saying that he played second fiddle to Shaquille O’Neal during the Lakers’ three-peat from 2000-2002.

While this is certainly true for the 2000 championship season, it is not entirely accurate for the next two title years.

Even in 2000 playing the sidekick role, Kobe Bryant played a key a role in Game 4 of the Finals against the Indiana Pacers. After Shaq fouled out, Kobe Bryant led the Lakers with four clutch baskets to win the game in overtime—the team’s only win in Indiana.

Throughout the Kobe-Shaq era, it was common for the Lakers to run the offense through Shaq early in games. Then when the second half was played out and Shaq became a liability with his poor free throw shooting (remember Hack-a-Shaq?), Kobe was the go-to player as opposing team defenses clamped down.

How can Shaq be the clear-cut leader of the team when his own coach would bench him in fourth quarters because his play would actually hurt his team?

But let’s look at some stats since they tell the story in more detail.

During the 2000-2001 season, look at the averages:

Shaq: 28.7 ppg, 12.7 rpg, 3.7 apg, 2.8 bpg, 57% FG, 51% FT

Kobe: 28.5 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 5.0 apg, 1.7 spg, 46% FG, 85% FT

Both players made the All-Defensive and All-NBA teams.

Here are the averages for the 2001 playoffs:

Shaq: 30.4 ppg, 15.4 rpg, 3.2 apg, 2.4 bpg, 56% FG, 53% FT

Kobe: 29.4 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 6.1 apg, 1.6 spg, 47% FG, 82% FT

Just like in the regular season, both players’ numbers are very similar. Shaq had a dominating Finals series against the thin frontline of the Philadelphia 76ers and rightly earned the Finals MVP award.

But the toughest team LA faced en route to the Finals was the San Antonio Spurs—the team with the best record in the NBA. Most media analysts called this the “Real 2001 NBA Finals,” as whichever team survived would most certainly win the Larry O’Brien Trophy.

Let’s look at that series averages for the two players:

Shaq: 27 ppg, 13 rpg, 2.5 apg, 1.3 bpg, 54% FG, 52% FT

Kobe: 33.3 ppg, 7 rpg, 7 apg, 1.5 spg, 51% FG, 77% FT

More importantly, Kobe poured in 45 points in the most important game of the series: Game 1 played in San Antonio. Of what the media dubbed the “Real Finals,” that season, Kobe was the obvious MVP.

When discussing the 2000-2001 season, it becomes obvious that Shaq might have been option 1A and Kobe was option 1B, but it would be a stretch to say Kobe was a clear second option in a sidekick role.

Looking at the stats from the 2001-2002 season shows a similar trend:

Regular Season:

Shaq: 27.2 ppg, 10.7 rpg, 3.0 apg, 2.0 bpg, 58% FG, 56% FT

Kobe: 25.2 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 5.5 apg, 1.5 spg, 47% FG, 83% FT

Playoffs:

Shaq: 28.5 ppg, 12.6 rpg, 2.8 apg, 2.5 bpg, 53% FG, 65% FT

Kobe: 26.6 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 4.6 apg, 1.4 spg, 43% FG, 38% 3FG, 76% FT

Overall, Shaq edged Kobe in points and interior play and Kobe held the advantages in playmaking, outside shooting and clutch play. Also, during that season one should note that while both players made the All-NBA team, Kobe also made the All-Defensive team while Shaq did not.

Clearly, the coaches in the league thought Kobe was better at slowing down opponents than Shaq was. Being that defense is half of the game, this is a significant distinction.

The following season shows a new trend:

Shaq: 27.5 ppg, 11.1 rpg, 3.1 apg, 2.4 bpg, 57% FG, 62% FT

Kobe: 30.0 ppg, 6.9 rpg, 5.9 apg, 2.2 spg, 45% FG, 38% 3FG, 84% FT

Kobe’s numbers seem kind of Jordan-like, don’t they? It’s amazing he didn’t win the MVP that year, but it was clear that Kobe was starting to surpass Shaq. Had it not been for a few Robert Horry missed three-pointers in the playoffs, LA probably would have won a fourth championship in a row that season.

Now let’s compare a true Batman-and-Robin scenario in analyzing Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen. In the six championship seasons, Jordan averaged 30.5 ppg while Pippen averaged 19.4 ppg, a difference of 11.1 ppg. In the playoffs of those six seasons, Jordan averaged 32.6 ppg while Pippen only averaged 19.0 ppg, a whopping difference of 13.6 ppg.

See the difference between a player who plays “second fiddle” compared to a clear-cut leader?

Clearly, the Batman-Robin analogy does not hold up when looking at Kobe’s role with the Lakers starting with the 2000-2001 season.



4. Kobe was the reason Shaq left the Lakers
Kobe critics have pointed out consistently through the years that he was the reason that Shaq left the Los Angeles Lakers. They claim that Kobe forced Shaq out, telling owner Jerry Buss that he would have to choose which one of the two superstars he wanted to keep.

Over the years, much has come to light on this issue. In short, Buss made a sound business decision. Sure, Shaq would go on to help the Miami Heat win its first franchise championship in 2006, but where would the Lakers be today if they were centered around Shaq instead of Kobe?

After Shaq left the Lakers, he only averaged more than 20 ppg in a season once, while getting paid in the range of $20-$27 million in every season up until this year. Meanwhile, Kobe has averaged over 20 ppg in every season since Shaq left, won an MVP award and two Finals MVP awards, while making nearly half the salary that Shaq made in his first year in Miami.

From a business standpoint in saving the team money and getting the most productive player, it’s obvious that Buss made the right decision.

To further damage Shaq’s case, reports over the years have stated that he was a cancer in the Lakers locker room. This has been evident as Shaq has been an issue with every team he has played with since he left LA.

When O’Neal admitted to coming into the preseason camp each year out of shape and healing injuries “on company time” since he was injured while “on the job,” his true character became crystal clear. When it comes to motivation, leadership, hard work and determination, there is simply no comparison between Shaq and Kobe.

Although he has kept quiet about these issues through the years, Dr. Buss obviously factored in all of these intangibles to aid his decision-making. In short, anyone who blames Kobe for Shaq’s departure is not telling the whole story.

To be continued...

[Eat Like A Bosh]

Bleacher Report??

Yes LA Times Bleacher Report.

[Eat Like A Bosh]

5. Kobe Is Not a Great Defender
One of my favorite arguments used against Kobe Bryant is the claim that he is not a great defender. People will often compare his averages in steals and blocks to those of Michael Jordan and other players to downplay his impact on the defensive end of the court.

First, steals and blocks can be very important in helping a team win, but they are gambling moves. If a player goes for a steal and misses, often the opponent is wide open for a high-percentage shot. Similarly, if a player jumps up to block a shot, there is a significant chance that he will foul the other player.

Steals and blocks are good indicators of help defense, but not the best measurements for one-on-one defense. This is why players like Bruce Bowen, Shane Battier and Dennis Rodman were all considered elite defenders, despite having low averages in steals and blocks.

Kobe Bryant has learned to do more with sound defensive principles, using impeccable footwork in slowing down opponents. As games get closer to the end, Kobe’s effort on defense goes up to the highest notch. There’s not one player I’d rather put over Kobe on a perimeter scorer at the end of the game to stop a game-tying or winning shot.

Apparently, the NBA coaches and GMs have taken notice. Each year the GMs have rated Kobe as one of the top perimeter defenders in their annual NBA survey. Coaches vote for the All-Defensive teams, and one would think they know who can guard their own players the best in the NBA.

Until the Lakers got Ron Artest last season, Kobe Bryant was asked to carry the scoring load and guard the best perimeter defender each game. Not even Michael Jordan was asked to do so much, as Scottie Pippen was usually assigned to guard the top perimeter players to help conserve Jordan’s energy.

Regarding the All-Defensive awards, Kobe Bryant has made the First Team eight times and the Second Team twice over his career. Only Gary Payton and Michael Jordan have more First Team selections (nine each), but Kobe has more overall selections than both of them.

Only Tim Duncan (13) and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (11) have more overall selections than Kobe Bryant.



6.Kobe is the biggest ballhog
Many Kobe Bryant haters like to point out that he is the biggest ball hog the NBA has seen. Not only is this an untrue statement, but it is also a na

[Hulk Hogan]

You mean 10 fabricated reasons why I hate Kobe...

[Eat Like A Bosh]

[B][SIZE="3"]7. Kobe Doesn

[Eat Like A Bosh]

9.Pau Gasol Is the Best Player on the Lakers
This is perhaps the most comedic myth that’s thrown around in conversations about the Lakers. I already discussed why Kobe rightfully earned his two Finals MVP awards and why the team is not necessarily worse off when the offense goes through Kobe instead of Pau Gasol.

Regarding Gasol, he has the potential to be so much better than he is. He is the most skilled big man in the NBA with superior passing skills, countless moves in the low post, a consistent mid-range jump shot and a high basketball IQ.

In addition, Gasol has improved significantly on defense, rebounding and toughness over the last few years (which, by the way, he has accredited to Kobe’s influence).

If Gasol played with the same determination and work ethic that Bryant brings in every game, he could be the league’s MVP. However, he often gets worn out by physical play in the post, being outworked by numerous smaller opponents this season alone. And despite his improved aggression, he still gets labeled as being a “soft” player by many NBA analysts.

While Kobe for the past three years has made the All-NBA and All-Defensive first teams, Pau has only made the All-NBA Third Team and has failed to earn a spot on the All-Defensive Team. When the Lakers are in a close game at the end of regulation, more often than not the offense goes through Kobe Bryant.

Phil Jackson is one of the best coaches of all time, if not the best. The fact that he trusts Kobe more than Gasol to make the right plays in the clutch says a lot about the difference between the two players.

Once again, it appears that the claim that Gasol is the best player on the Lakers is just another attempt by some to diminish Kobe’s legacy.


10. Derek Fisher is the worst starting Point Guard
There is no doubt that Derek Fisher’s stats this season are not the most impressive. He is averaging just 6.6 ppg and 2.7 apg while shooting 39 percent from the field (although he is making about 40 percent of his three-pointers).

Many NBA pundits look at these stats and efficiency rating systems like PER to “prove” that Fisher is the worst starting point guard in the league.

There are a few rebuttals to this claim, however.

First, Fisher’s stats are indicative of the team’s offensive schemes. In trying to conserve him for the playoffs, Jackson has rested Fisher more this season. Thus, he has less time out on the court to pile up stats. Furthermore, the triangle offense dictates ball movement, so no player (point guard included) is likely to rack up tons of assists.

Second, stats and the PER system do not tell the whole story of how valuable a player is. If stats and player efficiency systems determined who played in the NBA, Derek Fisher and Bruce Bowen never would have made it very far, let alone win multiple championships.

There are many areas of the game that do not show up in the box scores. For instance, Fisher is one of the best players at setting up the triangle offense. When the Lakers tend to over-rely on Kobe Bryant on offense, he is the one player not afraid to pass the ball to someone else.

In addition, Fisher does little things like take charges and fighting through screens that are quite effective on the defensive end.

And everyone by now knows about how Fisher is one of the most clutch players in NBA history, from the “0.4 shot” against the Spurs in 2004 to clutch baskets in the 2009 and 2010 Finals. When the playoffs roll around, there are few players that will display better leadership and perform better in clutch situations than Derek Fisher.

[Calabis]

You mean 10 fabricated reasons why I hate Kobe...

No its actually praising him, surprised u don't have it saved and printed on u'r wall by now

[Eat Like A Bosh]

You mean 10 fabricated reasons why I hate Kobe...

Have you even finish reading this Hulk?

[whoartthou]

guys.. give hulk a break. Do we even know if he has basic reading skills?

Jeeze!

[Christofire]

The "when kobe shoots less" argument has always been the stupidest thing i've ever heard. When Bryant shoots less that means his teammates are playing a good game so he doesnt have to shoot alot of shots. That is true for almost any team. When your supporting cast is giving quality support then naturally you will take less shots. It's a pointless argument.



Jordan j*zzchuggers just love to ignore the fact that Bryant has shot over 2000 more 3s in his career than Michael Jordan. They also love to ignore that half of his career was played in the 80s to 93...where the league average for ppg was about 107 over that stretch with 90% of the teams atleast scoring 100 pts.


Jordan had absurd FG%s of 53% in the 80s back when he couldn't shoot rocks into the ocean, but yet we're supposed to believe he faced superior defenses and defensive players?...Especially when you take into account the FG%s of players and teams. Jordan stats are inflated due to significantly inferior defense and ridiculous pace of play.


Kobe>Jordan

[Hulk Hogan]

No its actually praising him, surprised u don't have it saved and printed on u'r wall by now

You mad... agitated with my trolling skills?

[Assassin]

You actually wrote all of this or did you copy and paste this from another website?

[Bandito]

You mad... agitated with my trolling skills?

Yeah right...