Did Kobe & the Warriors combine for the greatest regular season NBA night ever?

This was the biggest cultural event in So Cal since Michael Jackson's funeral. We are awesome in So Cal.

 

Yeah, and I just don't get it.

I'd like to be able to tell my grandkid, "I struck out Derek Jeter in an All-Star Game."

Adam Wainwright will tell his grandkid, "Yeah, I grooved one to Derek Jeter so he could get a hit in his final All-Star Game."

I just don't get it. But I am old.

And if I'm the GM, I file that away till the next contract negotiation. "We're not paying you to be the Washington Generals. We're paying you to make the other guys look like the Washington Generals."

 

NBA teams either out of the playoffs or locked into their spot fail to show up for their last regular season games as a matter of course. Hell, the Hawks were playing for seeding and their effort against the Wizards made the Jazz look like Pat Riley's Knicks on defense. At least Utab had an excuse for treating it as an exhibition game.
Songbird, Kobe was a very great player, but saying he's one of the top five is an insupportable claim. Top 15 is reasonable.

 

To me, Kobe Bryant is kind of a "transition superstar" on the NBA timeline, the guy who carried the league's water between the end of the Jordan Era and the beginning of the LeBron-Curry-Durant/Westbrook Era. LeBron and Curry make the game interesting because they are playing the game in ways that we haven't really seen it played before. Kobe won five titles and ended up as the third-leading scorer in league history. But he basically had Michael Jordan's skill set, just not quite as good. Outside of L.A., he's just not beloved and I don't think people even find him particularly interesting as a player.

 

No eye testing ...

11 times All-NBA 1st Team
9 times All-NBA 1st Team Defense

29th all time in assists
100th all time in rebounds
5th all time free throw attempts
14th all time in steals

3rd all time in points

MVP and 11 times in the top 5 voting

5 titles

The question, @Michael_ Gee, is you wouldn't want this kind of historic talent in your starting 5?

 

I suppose. But at what point do the Utahs of the league get tired of being the foils for everyone else's grand moments?

The question is, "Can you find five better to comprise your starting five?"

Probably

 

Are you going by position or just top five players?

 

The question is not whether you would want him in your starting five. The question is whether you can find five people you'd RATHER have in your starting five. Jordan, James, E. Johnson, Russell and Robertson are the ones who occur to me off the top of my head. I agree with Gee: Bryant is top 15, for sure, but not in my first five.

 

Not sure I like the question framed that way. I like mine better. Your question allows for too much subjectivity.

 

Not if I have Magic and Michael in the backcourt, I don't. Setting aside the ultra-dominant role of centers in the 20th century (would you rate him above Russell, Wilt and Kareem?) I also have Karl Maione and Bird as my forwards. Kobe is in the rotation at best, which is nothing to sneeze at.

 

I guess I'd go Magic, Michael, Kobe, LeBron and the 5th is difficult between Malone or Bird, probably Malone. That's plenty enough size.

Yes, I know I'm leaving out Kareem and Russell and Wilt. They'd be nice off the bench when Malone and Lebron need a rest.

 

If I can have those three on my team, or any two, I will fill out my starting five with schlubs like Jerry West, Oscar, Isiah, Bird. Kevin McHale, and Charles Barkley and I like my chances. You have just given me the two greatest offensive threats in history.