Kobe and Shaq Longevity?

[Mr Feeny]

You suppose to have better longevity if you're a big. How many guards you see playing well that long as Kobe did?

Not when you're Shaq's size and weight. Giants (in all sports) tend to break down with a myriad of injuries (especially at the joints) as they age.

[ImKobe]

I set a higher standard, and Kobe lost out to a 30 year old Lebron... So I guess his longevity is overrated.

What? How did he lose out? Lebron came into the league 7 years after Kobe.

Kobe's numbers in 2013 pretty much identical to Bron's this season and he played 9 more games despite suffering a serious ankle sprain mid-season and tearing his achilles a couple games before the end of the year.

[Quickening]

What? How did he lose out? Lebron came into the league 7 years after Kobe.

Kobe's numbers in 2013 pretty much identical to Bron's this season and he played 9 more games despite suffering a serious ankle sprain mid-season and tearing his achilles a couple games before the end of the year.

I stated as an elite player- top ten in the league.

It was until his 4th season that Kobe became an elite player, and he has been irrelevant for the last 2 years = 6 years not being elite.

Lebron came into the league as a superstar and has sustained elite level play every year since, therefore there longevity as elite players is already a wash and Lebron is only 30.

[Mr Feeny]

I stated as an elite player- top ten in the league.

It was until his 4th season that Kobe became an elite player, and he has been irrelevant for the last 2 years = 6 years not being elite.

Lebron came into the league as a superstar and has sustained elite level play every year since, therefore there longevity as elite players is already a wash and Lebron is only 30.

I don't think it's accurate to say that rookie Lebron is elite tbf. That probably spanned 2006-2015. 10 seasons.

[iamgine]

Seasons scoring at least 20 ppg and playing 45 games.

Shaq= 14
Kobe = 14

Out of those 14 years Shaq played: 34,700 minutes. Kobe played: 40,300 minutes. That is 5,600 more minutes or 2-3 more season's worth.

Shaq had good longevity. Just not as good as Kobe.

[Quickening]

I don't think it's accurate to say that rookie Lebron is elite tbf. That probably spanned 2006-2015. 10 seasons.

In season 04-05, a second year Lebron put up 27, 7 and 7 on 47% shooting... so in my opinion he has had at least 11 elite seasons if you discount his first.

[SexSymbol]

Shaq has got some good longevity, yeah, but Kobe's is the best of all time.
Everybody forgets he's a guard, no guard has been as good for as long as Kobe, not even close.

[Prime_Shaq]

05 was definitely Shaq's last elite season. Too inconsistent, injured, and slow on defence, from 06 onwards.

Yet anchored the 06 championship team's defense

[Spurs5Rings2014]

Shaq has got some good longevity, yeah, but Kobe's is the best of all time.

[Cold soul]

Kobe longevity ranks right up there with best ever along aside of Kareem, Duncan, and Malone.

[kennethgriffin]

the reason people think of shaq as having bad longevity is because hes almost always been injured or overweight/missing games throughout his career asside from 1999-2000

also the fact that his prime didnt really start until 1999-2000


since he didnt put together the skill/brain/dominant body thing all together till then


before that he was raw. and after his 2nd ring he was already getting lazy


but shaq had a solid longevity in terms of talent level in comparison to the league average

[ArbitraryWater]

Shaq has got some good longevity, yeah, but Kobe's is the best of all time.
Everybody forgets he's a guard, no guard has been as good for as long as Kobe, not even close.

Kareem 1970-1986 shits on Kobe 2001-2013... Malone does, Shaq does. Lot of players have had more elite seasons than Kobe, mind you, nothing Kobe did in 2004, 2005, 2011-2012 was impressive talking all-time among ATG's.

[aj1987]

the reason people think of shaq as having bad longevity is because hes almost always been injured or overweight/missing games throughout his career asside from 1999-2000

also the fact that his prime didnt really start until 1999-2000


since he didnt put together the skill/brain/dominant body thing all together till then


before that he was raw. and after his 2nd ring he was already getting lazy


but shaq had a solid longevity in terms of talent level in comparison to the league average

[24-Inch_Chrome]

Shaq gets trashed by Kobe fans looking to prop up their idol. People forget that Shaq's career started in 1993, dude had a respectable degree of longevity despite the injuries. Too many posters seem to think that his career didn't start until he won the Lakers a ring in 2000.

[Cold soul]

Shaq longivity is underrated he never got praise he deserved for how long he was a good to great player for. In fact Shaq did miss some games during the regular season every season he could never play close to every regular season game each season never the most durable.