Yes, I remember that game. I was secretly praying that he didn't break the 100 pt mark. The Kobe stans were so annoying back then that I wouldn't stand it. That being said he was a horrible dunker to me, he had no grace and his lift was limited.
What the fuck?? That's crazy talk. Kobe is easily a top 5-7 all time dunker. Lebron and Wade are the OVERRATED dunkers. Very overrated dunkers. If we're talking about strictly wing players, then Carter, Jordan, and Dr. J are the 3 best dunkers all time IMO. I'd put Clyde Drexler right after Dr. J. Drexler was a SICCCKKKK dunker. But right after Drexler, I'd have Kobe at 5. Saying Kobe's lift was limited is insanity. Yeah, his lift was limited if you compare him to Carter and Jordan. But watch dunks from the young Bryant. There were many when Kobe's head was damn near at the rim.
There's three reasons why Kobe lacked the dunking grace of Jordan. 1. Jordan had better hang time. Mike could just hang in the air for an eternity. Truly an amazing talent. Only one with comparable hang time to Mike was Dr. J. 2. Jordan had bigger hands and could fully palm the ball and do with it in the air as he pleased. Kobe's hands weren't freakishly big. 3. Jordan had better body control.
I didn't liked his sloppy landing. He dunked with strength but not with grace. His legs were all over the place when he dunked. His lift was above average but nothing impressive compared to his peers. Plus his hangtime was average.
I already stated in the below post that his hangtime was average. IF you compare Kobe to Vince, Mike, and Dr. J, then yeah his dunks look average. But what wing player of today has comparable lift and dunks?
Also agREED with the Wade and Bron comments. Bron is a POWER dunker, not a finesse one. Wade too, but both of them has (or had in the case of Wade) amazing hops. Bron could kiss the rim any day.
Wade did NOT have the same lift that prime Kobe had. What Wade did have is freakishly long arms. Kobe blows Wade away in terms of pure vertical though.
I can't sleep on a prime Grant Hill. Pre-injury Hill was an athletic phenom. Great hops and grace, and arguably one of the quickest first steps of all time.
Well, that's somewhat true. I just checked Kobe's vertical was 38, Wade was 35 but Wade's was at the draft combine, no idea about if Kobe's vertical was measured at the combine or maybe it was measured later. Vertical improves with muscle development. Here's Wade jumping onto a '42 platform: http://www.stack.com/video/2305668710001/dwyane-wade-jumps-onto-a-42-box Hell, Ricky Davis had a better Vertical than Kobe. Remember that Vertical Jumps are usually measured with no steps. Some players jump better while running and while their adrenaline is going wild.
Hill was Bron before Bron. He was an amazing talent and it pisses me off that he never realized his potential thanks to shitty doctors.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtfZeoFU0J0 Watch these. I think Kobe's life was better than you might remember it.
I hate Lebron with a passion, but Hill was NEVER gonna be as good as Lebron. Hill was essentially a rich man's Pippen. But Lebron, like him or not, is the undisputed best SF of all time at this point. HOWEVER, Hill was more fun to watch than Lebron. Those handles, that crossover, the grace, he was beautiful to watch. Lebron isn't as aesthetically pleasing as Hill.
Let's not forget, Hill couldn't drag that Pistons team past the 1st round. Replace him with Lebron, and you're looking at a title contender. In contrast, put Hill on that late 00's Cavs team, and they never see a finals. That was my problem with Hill. He didn't have the alpha attitude of a Jordan, Lebron, Kobe, or Wade. He was a first option talent with the mentality of a 2nd option. Which is WHY, he needed young T-Mac. T-Mac coulda been the first option scorer, and Hill coulda been his Pippen.
:: @ hills weak asss Detroit squad being a title contender with James. Different times in the east back then compared to now
Perhaps I was exaggerating on that. Even with Bron, that Pistons team doesn't get past the Bulls. They were too deep. Bron would definitely make them better though. I maintain that Hill lacked the alpha attitude. Penny had it though, which is why I'm more disappointed about Penny's career ending early. Penny woulda gone down as a top 3-5 all time PG, possibly a top 20 player overall. Watching him against the Heat in the 97 playoffs I was SURE we were watching a future atg. I think more highly of a young Hardaway than a young Hill, but Grant was a joy to watch as he was one of the smoothest players of all time.
McGrady Didn't Blossom Into an Alpha UNTIL Grant Hill's Injury...That was CLEARLY Going to Be Grant Hill's Squad... REED
REED's RELIEVED Kobe's Announced his Retirement...It's Been DIFFICULT Watching Dude this Season, Like Jordan w/the Wizards, Like an Old Boxer Hanging Around Toooooooooooooo Looooooooooooooong.... More Importantly, Kobe was Holding Back the LAKERS...They've GOT to Get D'Angelo Russell More CRUNCHTIME Minutes & Byron Scott Needs the FREEDOM to Do what's Best for the Team, as it's Coach... Kobe was a BEAST Though...2nd Best 2-Guard EVER & Probably a Top 10 Guy All Time, To Boot...People Focus on his 81 Point Game, but REED Recalls Dude Dropping 63 on the Mavs, IN ONLY 3 QUARTERS!!!!...THAT was Some Unbelievable Shit & To This Day, Phil Jackson REGRETS Benching Kobe & Not Seeing How MANY He Could've Wound Up w/That Night... Kobe's a DYING Breed...NBA'ers of Today are Toooooo Buddy-Buddy (Which is Because they've Known Each Other for YEARS, Playing AAU Ball), but Kobe was a Straight ASSHOLE....You NEVER Knew Who he was "Besties" w/in the League and he Went HARD on Everybody he Played Against...He was Ambitious, Cutthroat, Single Minded, EVERYTHING It Took to Be an All Time GREAT Basketball Player...REED's Actually WORRIED about How Dude will Occupy his Time, Moving Forward...Retirement is a HARD Fall from the Limelight...As Early as NEXT Season, Laker Fans Will have MOVEDthefuckON...Just Ask Magic, Kareem, Shaq and Other Laker Greats... As for Dunks, Brother X Called it...Kobe was a Top 7ish Dunker All Time...His Up and Under Dunks, Finishing on the OPPOSITE Side of the Rim, were RIDICULOUS...Kobe had 360's, Between the Legs, etc...He Actually Had the BALLS to Enter the Slam Dunk Contest, Something Virtually NONE of the Current Superstars can Claim, Save for Blake Griffin... Great Career Kobe...REED WASN'T a Fan Initially, but You EARNED his Respect Pretty Quicklyopcorn:... REED
G-State just Started a 7 Game Road Trip.... @ Utah, @ Charlotte @ Toronto, @ Brooklyn, @ Indiana, @ Boston and @ Milwaukee... Toronto and Indy have GOOD Chances of Taking the Warriors "O" from them, but REED's Flat Out PREDICTING Milwaukee will Be the 1st Team to Beat Them...WHY, Because Milwaukee has Size and they're the Loooooooooooooooooooongest, Most ATHLETIC Team in the League...More Importantly, they Play G-State on the 2nd Game of a Back to Back... REED
It doesn't help that they're facing Boston in the first game of the B to B. They're a young pesky challenger that will make you earn that W.
This version Kobe is far worse than Jordan with the Wizards. Jordan at 38 and 39 still averaged 22 and 20 ppg
James Harden CRAAAAAAASHING the defensive boards! alm: </object> <script src="http://player.espn.com/player.js?playerBrandingId=4ef8000cbaf34c1687a7d9a26fe0e89e&adSetCode=91cDU6NuXTGKz3OdjOxFdAgJVtQcKJnI&pcode=1kNG061cgaoolOncv54OAO1ceO-I&width=576&height=324&externalId=espn:14262869&thruParam_espn-ui[autoPlay]=false&thruParam_espn-ui[playRelatedExternally]=true"></script>
jordan at age 39 averaged 20, 6 and 3.8 assists on .445 FG bryant is averaging 15.5, 4 and 3.4 assists on .305 FGs at age 37
