Kobe Bryant is NOT a Top 10 Player.

[Kews1]

Did we really need another ranking concern of Bryant on an arbitrary list ? Going into this:



I don't care if you don't have the man Top 10, 20, 100, whatever... That's all up for debate.

But really... what kind of product of the media makes a 25/5/5 player on solid averages with his playoff production virtually identical, in a 17 year career ? That's not a product of the media, rather that's hard work. A product of the media is someone like Jeremy Lin.

As for marketing machines... they generally like to show flashy player because the NBA and sports in general are viewed by a young demographic, so it's obvious a host of player that play like Bryant will get more marketed more.

I didnt say he wasnt great. I said hes just not top 10. His probably around that 11 spot. But in terms of a product of the media his stature is just inflated more than it should be, for example things like the clutch thing. In the media hes blown up to be this mega clutch player..yet when people put the statistics together it was shown that that was in fact false yet a majority of people dont know that they take what the media says at fact which inflates his reputation and even though it is proven to be false the media still acts like its true. His averages yes are great, and yes he has staggering longevity, neither of those things make him better than the people i listed. The only people on that list who had as more media hype and support than Kobe was Michael Jordan but that was mainly warranted, mostly it wasnt just hype it was true.

[longtime lurker]

Difference is my thread is true, the threads that claim he is top 6 and whatever are clearly bullshit. Nobody can say with a straight face that Kobe is better than any of the ten guys i listed, everybody who is serious about basketball and is unbiased can tell you that those 10 are better.

Difference is you're a complete idiot and this thread is purely your opinion. There are 100's of people that know more about basketball than you do that say he's top 10 and you're just looking for attention.

[Kews1]

Difference is you're a complete idiot and this thread is purely your opinion. There are 100's of people that know more about basketball than you do that say he's top 10 and you're just looking for attention.

Difference is you're a complete idiot and thats purely your opinion. There are millions of people that know more about basketball than you do (including myself) that say he's not top 10 and you're just looking for attention.

[PrettyCool]

LOL @ Lebron James. Any unbiased fan would tell you that the 2011 finals disqualifies him from ever cracking the top 12.

[Kews1]

LOL @ Lebron James. Any unbiased fan would tell you that the 2011 finals disqualifies him from ever cracking the top 12.

Ridiculous. Any person with a brain would tell you that 4 MVP's guarantees him top 10 billing.

[K]

Denial.

He's clearly a top 10 player ever. People who say otherwise are delusional.

Since he's "clearly" a top 10 player ever, he has to be "clearly" better than at least one of these players in OP's list. So who is Kobe "clearly" better than?

Wilt > Kobe
Russell > Kobe
Jordan > Kobe
Magic > Kobe
Hakeem > Kobe
Duncan > Kobe
Bird > Kobe
Shaq > Kobe
Lebron > Kobe
Kareem > Kobe

IMO they are all better than Kobe.

If you agree with my opinion on them being better than Kobe or not, saying that he is "clearly" in the top 10 makes you the one who's delusional. He's not "clearly" better than any of them.

[0000000]

No player ever was more hated by the media than Kobr from 2004 to 2007. He was a villian like no one else was. He literally repressented evil during that time. Kobe forced the media to embrace him again. They had no choice.

First it was hype. Then hate. Then respect IMO.

[oh the horror]

[QUOTE=K

[Kews1]

No player ever was more hated by the media than Kobr from 2004 to 2007. He was a villian like no one else was. He literally repressented evil during that time. Kobe forced the media to embrace him again. They had no choice.

First it was hype. Then hate. Then respect IMO.

It's not like his reputation then was unwarranted and that dosnt change what the media representation was at all other times during his career. A 3 year window dosnt account for the other what 14-15 years of his career.

[TheBigVeto]

In no order these guys are all better.

Tim Duncan
Shaquille O'Neal
Wilt Chamberlain
Larry Bird
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Bill Russell
Magic Johnson
Michael Jordan
Hakeem Olajuwon
Lebron James

Kobe Bryant is a product of the media, the NBA marketing machine, circumstance, the accomplishments achieved primarily by others and the Lakers.

Will rep.

[Legends66NBA7]

I didnt say he wasnt great. I said hes just not top 10. His probably around that 11 spot.

Noted and I'm not going to debate your list.

We good here. Top 11 is still fantastic and quiet honestly IMO, isn't that far off to the players in terms of impact that you do view above him.

But in terms of a product of the media his stature is just inflated more than it should be, for example things like the clutch thing. In the media hes blown up to be this mega clutch player..yet when people put the statistics together it was shown that that was in fact false yet a majority of people dont know that they take what the media says at fact which inflates his reputation and even though it is proven to be false the media still acts like its true. His averages yes are great, and yes he has staggering longevity, neither of those things make him better than the people i listed. The only people on that list who had as more media hype and support than Kobe was Michael Jordan but that was mainly warranted, mostly it wasnt just hype it was true.

I get all that, especially the clutch part. He's like around the range of Vince Carter with make and attempts (I'd say he was good in clutch this year, IMO). He does have the most makes regarding active players, so he's a very capable player. Most players on those lists in the clutch are the best players that can create their own shot, so I'm not really mad at the misses. I do get your point about the media, they will try act like he can't do any wrong and the facts show otherwise.

I just thought the part where's he media creation was more in relevance to someone like Lin who gets hype for all the wrong reasons. You are right that there are some myths concerning Bryant, though.

[longtime lurker]

Difference is you're a complete idiot and thats purely your opinion. There are millions of people that know more about basketball than you do (including myself) that say he's not top 10 and you're just looking for attention.

Wow well thought out and coherent argument.

[Doranku]

Yes I'm still mad.

Ah yeah, that's what I figured.

[longtime lurker]

[QUOTE=K

[jstern]

The thing about Kobe being top ten is that a lot of people were not saying that after he won the 5th championship (except for his teenage fans who were convinced he was number one on the list.). Then after the Lakers got swept by Dallas, Kobe making many mistake, the Kobe stans went on a tear just casually saying, "Kobe, a top ten player of all time..." and constantly calling him that. And then it stuck, despite Kobe playing worse and worse compared to previous years, shooting 43%. So it's really interesting watching that.