Is Kobe Bryant an OVERRATED Defender?
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- Опубликовано: 13 окт 2023
- My breakdown of Kobe's abilities and legacy as a defensive player.
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Fill in the blank... Kobe Bryant was a ____ defender.
Great
glorified average
Jordan-esque 😮💨
Amazing but it does get overplayed at times. He was never the best defender in the league
Really good not great defender
Kobe's defensive prime was in the early 2000s, when he was as absolutely one of the best defenders in the game. However, after Shaq's departure, his offensive load was much higher, so he could not maintain the same level of defense, but still was getting reputation votes for All-Defensive Teams (similar to Kawhi Leonard in the last few seasons).
I feel like his defensive resume in general tells a wrong story. He was truly great in his prime, but, afterwards, there were definetly multiple guard defenders better than him during the middle to end of his career.
I’d say he was behind Ron Artest
I'd say you sum it up perfectly. I mean, i do feel kobe during his prime years, easily top 10 to 15 perimeter defender of all time. I mean there was several games I remember from 2000 to 2004 where kobe shut down the likes of Jason kidd, Iverson, tmac, Vince carter...prolific scorers and facilitators. So to me, kobe was certainly a great defender, but levels below mj as a defender
Kawhi's not a great athlete and wasn't on the same defensive level.
Kawhi has fallen off defensively since 2020
@@nicholashackie1407popoll
Kobe didn't "accept" the assignment of guarding the best player in the olympics. Kobe REQUESTED the assignment! What a beast!
The Olympics? Fr
Worse competition better teammates so better help on defense gtfoh
@@Birdface-gx2uf Bruh do some research on the topic before you spout some bullshit. Look how the US was doing in the FIBA World Cups. Birdface with a birdbrain lmfao
Yet lebum and Duncan won bronze 😅😅😅😅@@Birdface-gx2uf
The production of this guy! Crazy that u can deliver such great content on a regular basis🔥🔥
Keep it up my guy!
It's his literal job, and he uses an AI voice to read it for him, so that helps.
@user-cn8nu6lq4w It’s not an AI voice, genius 😂 go listen to my videos when I started 6 years ago (before AI voices were available to us) and I sound the same.
Finally listened to an older video. Your cadence, timing and breathing is radically different (much more natural), though that could be due to the mic and experience, I guess. @@jonnyarnett
I remember in 2011, when they got swept by the mavs in the playoffs, kobe's defense was a huge part of the reason why they got swept. He missed a lot of defensive rotations due to his lack of effort and defensive focus
He was over compensating for Pau not being able to cover Dirk. Games 1 and 2 his matchup with Stevenson tho efficient wasn't on the floor in crunchtime and Jason Terry wasn't doing that well at all. Game 3 Kobe got into foul trouble giving Terry the opportunity to figure it out and he did most of his damage when Kobe wasn't on the floor. Also in Game 3 Peja and Dirk did all the damage. Game 4 is the only game where he got absolutely cooked. The problem was Gasol getting raw dogged by Dirk the Lakers over compensating and then getting burned.
I appreciate such a level-headed and fair take from a Kobe fan about his defense. He really did have to be motivated; but when he was, he could really be the best wing defender in the league. He had all the tools
He was the best perimeter and one on one defender for awhile, that's how he was able to become part of the all defensive teams based on reputation alone
He even had moments of guarding LeBron effectively too and getting him.
@@Spider-Complexionin the fkn all star game lol who cares lebron cooks him in real games
@@nathanwhyte9048 It still happened lol. They used to try and take those all star games more seriously. It wasn’t just in all star games either. I’m just pointing that out too because LBJ would ideally be a mismatch, but Kobe managed to hold his own and even hunt for the matchup at times.
I really think this is a perfect assessment of Kobes defense throughout his career. Fans raved about his defensive abilities throughout his career but i always thought he was SELECTIVE in terms of when he wanted to turn it on
You really do got the best timing, just yesterday I was watching Kobe defensive highlights, that's crazy
i like how no ine has comsidered the amount of injuries he went thru and how they greatly hindered his ability to go all out in defense, Kobe us an all time great defensively no matter which way you try and spin it
That's because Kobe was fairly healthy until he blew his Achilles and stopped getting these All-Defense nods. Injuries weren't really a problem.
@@JonSmith-hk1bq he had multiple need surgeries and shoulder injuries throught the 2000s and won the 2009 championship with a splinted broken index finger on his shooting hand.he had a multitude of injuries
The problem when evaluatimg defenses is that most just relly on steals or blocks, and defense is beyond that, making the opponent have it tough to recive the ball and forcing to pass it or take difficult shots are not messured
Exactly! the only way you can really evaluate is by watching the game, for example if you watched the game you would know that Bruce Bowen was one of the best perimeter defenders in the game but didn’t average many steals or blocks. Just comparing stats would suggest that Vince Carter was a better defender than Bruce Bowen by far!
I agree with you on your comments. It's just playing defense is a (combination) of forcing your opponent into a bad shot or by making him pass the ball quite simply.
But playing defense is also about stealing the ball from the opponent or blocking the opponent's shot.
It's just that one of those don't show up on the statistics list.
You can look at the scoring of the defensive matchups. For example, Pistons Joe Dumars scored higher than his season average in some playoff series against the Bulls, when guarded by Jordan.
Yeah i noticed kobe was not very popular with the vote in awards like MVP and DPOY. They are still part of consideration in the topic, but because he was very unfairly disliked, i tend to not to put them at super high importance.
"Unfairly disliked" 🤡
Did you ever stop to think that the winning candidates were simply better choices ?
It's pretty easy to dismiss MVPs etc etc just because your boy came up short compared to the other Top 10 players who are ranked above him 💀
@@ultimateyagerman when there is constant criticism by the media toward kobe for copying MJ, being carried by shaq, then running him off the lakers, and being the main rival to king James, yeah that kind of puts the credibility of the critics into question, and the impartiality of the mvp vote.
Especially when lebron won MVP for 2009 and 2010 for subverting expectations and not meeting kobe in the finals, who ended up winning them back to back both years?
Yeah, I did in fact stop and think that maybe the winning candidates were the better options (Queue in steve nash memes). What bigger waste of time than playing Devil's advocate.
So yeah, as I said, I tend not to value MVP too much.
@@goosnavslakovic4908 "I tend not to value MVP too much 🤕🤥"
Well unfortunately for your standpoint, Mike is the Goat, he set the bar and he also has many MVPs/ Finals MVPs to pair with his 6 rings.
So uh yeah they kind of do matter, more than you would like to admit 💀
@@ultimateyagermanKobe hätte viel mehr MVPs verdient würde es nach dem wahren besten Spieler der Welt gehen.
@@goosnavslakovic4908Exactly if the award was given out how it should be then MJ, Lebron would clearly have the most MVPs ever and Kobe would probably have 4 MVPs 2005-2008 he was the best player in the world individually and not record wise
I think one of the reasons people say he’s one of the best defenders ever is because he’s given his best defensive effort against other superstar players and that’s usually when he got the most coverage, so that’s all people saw.
Literally one of my favorite RUclipsrs, watch a video or two before bed every night LOVE IT!!! Good content!!!!!
Kobe was definitely capable of being the best perimeter defender for like good 6-7 years we saw the clips where he locked up D-Wade full court but from like 2007/08 he kinda started to coast on defense as he got older same thing like Lebron around 2017/18
Wade locked his own ass up, that posession was hilarious.
Lebron started regressing defensively by late 2014 his return to Cleveland he was one of the worst defenders in the league in 2018
one possession and he's a great defender huh
@@Ryan-rp4yv Lebron finished tied with 5th place in the DPOY race in the 2016 - 2017 season, try again buddy
@@bachnguyenviet4289he finished tied for 5th with 1 2nd place vote from a guy who placed him higher than Kawhi Leonard. Of the players who finished in the top 8, Lebron was last in defensive win shares, 3rd to last in defense BPM, and had the worst defensive rating. Also Kawhi, who was 3rd in DPOY voting had 182 points while Robert Covington who was 4th place had 4 points. It was basically 3 ppl fighting for DPOY. Lebron literally got 5th place with 1 vote lmao
never led the league in **any** defensive category and was routinely a negative DBPM. I would argue even Vince Carter was better defensively.
but because he played in LA and was crowned 'the next Jordan' he was given all-defensive selections automatically.
Go on and fly your flag for Vince then lmao.. 🤣
@@coreyc2528 I'm not a fan of Wince either. that's the point.
I love your videos I look forward to them the most when I lay down at night I love the analytics because I'm a numbers guy
Good to see honesty. It's not easy when you're a fan of someone. A lot of comments are sidestepping the question, in fact, so props to you, sir.
The amount of underrating Kobe is very disturbing. He is definitely one of the GOATS. Let me tell you something, as a Kobe hater in 2000's. Each time Lakers faced my favoirite team at the time, I was always afraid of him. Not Shaq, him. And he proved me right each and every time. He was the most feard player through vast majority of his career.
During the 2000s I was worried about shaq's 35p 12r on 50% shooting Vs Kobe's 20p on 8-23 shooting with 2assists and 3tos
@@arizonaFIREentyou sound dumb
@@arizonaFIREent you're proving his point
@@arizonaFIREentwhere’d you even get those random ass numbers 😂😂
@@bosyogurtlightI think the original post is rather proving that Kobe's legacy is more mythology than actual performance. Shaq was definitely the better player for most, if not all the time they spent together.
It is videos like this that make me appreciate what Jordan did on the court so much more. He was the main offensive weapon on his team while also being a legendary all time defender and he kept this up throughout his career. That is just insane.
Kobe is an amazing defender though.
To be fair, most of his competition weren't perimeter shooters like the 2000s, and they were a lot LESS skilled
Great video! I think that as you are pretty great at analyzing things when it comes to basketball, you could explore in your channel FIBA and Euroleague content
Comparing him to MJ doesn't make Kobe look bad, it just shows how transcendent MJ was.
If Kobe keeps getting compared to all the best defenders in NBA history, that should mean he is at least an amazing defender. That's saying a lot, especially since that's not even his strongest part of his game. Great video, Jonny
That's silly. He's being compared to the best defenders in NBA history because that's where his supporters put him. But when you drill down even a little, it's obvious that he doesn't belong in that category.
@@JonSmith-hk1bq9 time All defensive first teams. Thats facts. Something you can search yourself. Bro is a kobe hater 💀
@@JonSmith-hk1bqYeah I’m sure RUclips 🧌knows more then the actual NBA coaches and executives that voted him all defense
@@jhawes8994 Many of those based on reputation. Kobe was nowhere near the top of the league in defense for all be a few seasons.
@@davis2k1234 For several years Kobe was routinely named by executives to be the player they'd most want to take the shot in the last possession.
A simple look at the stats shows that Kobe is all-time bad in the clutch.
Sometimes winning a popularity contest means nothing.
I notice that the vast majority of people who say he’s overrated are all young and didn’t start watching until after he retired.
@@GibranCamus-fh2wkI agree with you. People who actually watched him (not when they were children who didn’t understand the game) could see his limitations on that end of the floor. Newer fans. Or those who watched him when they were little kids, tend to overrate his defensive abilities
Kobe bryant was an overrated defender. he just was. Overrated does not mean bad. He should not have just as much all def 1st teams as duncan KG michael jordan and gary payton. He was a really good defender but not on that level and thats ok
@@dominicharris5489Gary Payton’s defensive impact is also sometimes oversold as well, it’s totally possible to have him on the team and they still be bottom 10 in defensive rating. Jordan is slightly better but his high risk high reward style also makes Pippen the one who is the actual cornerstone of Chicago’s stifling defense.
@@joshuachang5210 the bottom 10 in defensive rating thing is simply not a good point as to why GP may have been overrated defensively. Regardless of that he was always far more consistent effort wise and more technically sound and prolific of a defender than Kobe was. Kobe was an opportunistic defender who would show his effort and skill based on the impact of the moment like this video says
@@joshuachang5210Not many defenders are better than Pippen. What makes Kobe special is that he is a volume scorer that also has top notch defense.
Maybe not tbe best, but its a very big deal when a high scorer upwards of 30 points being top defender is a big deal.
I believe your assessment t is fair and accurate. If Kobe wanted to, he could defend tenaciously. But he never always wanted to. Also, there was a point where he would become exhausted trying to play well on both ends. He admitted that when he retired, saying he needed someone like Trevor Ariza and later Ron Artest to guard the other teams best offensive player so he could focus a it more on the offensive end. You can't tell me Kobe deserved a few of those 1st team defensive selections over Tony Allen. Tony was a menace defensively
Puts things into perspective and how good Michael Jordan really was then. Although Mike did get 1.5 year break from elite basketball
Your medium length videos come in clutch on my lunch breaks
Huge fan of your content bro!!
The thing about Kobe as a great defender is that he was not afraid to guard the best perimeter player on the other team.
Great video again
If steals and disrupting passing lanes matter so much why aren't we talking about Stockton as a GOAT defender. He was actually better about not giving up a good defensive position than MJ and Kobe.
Stop it! You're ruining the narrative with this. It only counts for Kobe, all of John Stockton's steals were because of Karl Malone or something....
Kobe played 20 seasons and is ranked like 17th all time in steals.
@@jacoblee5796 Always about ruining the narrative. Haliburton this year will probably improve Stockton's reputation. There will be a lot of not since Stockton results.
This is a great video and breakdown and i agree with almost all of your points. The 2008 Olympic run was the most dominant run by a perimeter defender ive ever seen. However i DISAGREE with your conclusion. Yes he was a better on ball defender than almost anyone besides Pippen to me .. but a guy like Jordan who was much better off ball(the measurables) but not as good on ball... think of all the times Jordan was crossed by small quick guards... that almost never happened to Kobe. But moving on 5:20
Basically when we get to the number 24 contender years. Yes Kobe was a selective defender. He was great in the playoffs and against superstar matchups but he was sometimes not motivated during games.. but Kobes goal was always to win the game and being that he had to do so much offensively it was necessary to pick times to rest in game. But what your evaluation misses is that he picked spots within games. So when gsmes came down to the final 6 minutes, he picked those times to be impactful... tbis is why he made those 2nd teams towards the end... their would be several gsmes in a season where hed be the best defender in the league...and when gsmes were on the line he stepped up and made big plays...coaches notice that
Dude well said. Legit game breakdown on kobes defense
Kobe was an excellent defender especially earlier on ! It’s hard going all out on defense every night in your absolute prime, when your the only option on offense
I agree.. Kobe had it in him to be elite. Just didn't have the motor.. And Mj obviously was a level up from Kobe. Now far but in away anyone can telö MJ was better im D.
@@johnsmith_1942didn’t have the motor? He’s the only guy who can score he needs to do everything
@@johnsmith_1942 Mj as gifted with big meaty claws
@@spoodyR3 Yeah, I mean no one has the motor to do consistently grade A defence and Superior scoring. Except for MJ I guess.
Kobe did rest at times and he looked either lazy or frustrated sometimes. He didn't give 100% like MJ
Some guys have what they call "motor" :) Like Curry when he is just constantly moving. Obviously Curry is not a great defender at all.. but in offense has motor(=stamina)
Waiting for my delayed tram in the cold, thank you jonny for this heat 🔥
you also have to keep in mind the era Jordan played in being able to handcheck like a beast will help you stay in front of the offensive player and allow you to get more steals and potentially more blocks. I still don't think Kobe if you put him in that era is Jordan defensively at all but his numbers would be closer.
It makes what Jordan did offensively back then so much more impressive.
yeah he was just so complete
So why didn't Kobe have more steals and blocks in that time because he was drafted in 96-97, started in 98-99 and hand checking wasn't outlawed until 04-05 regardless of era's Jordan would still be better at those two aspects of defense
@zogood3495 I mean homie I full out said I still don't think kobe would be Jordan's level but would be closer in those stats. Lol like literally said that
I love / agree with your take. RIP Mamba
Regarding Rodman the tennis stat "forced errors" would be very interesting :).
great perspective :)
Kobe was a leader, watching LaBronze and them from a few years prior knew he had to set the tone.
Kobe couldn't lead his own team after shaq got traded and LeBron was still coming into his own along with Dwade and everybody else
Kobe's last 2-3 All NBA Defensive Team selections were based on his reputation.
🗣️MORE THAN THAT .>🎤 🏀🗑️
More like last 4-5
@@xaviervega468 you're probably right. Same as LBJ too
Saying Phil Jackson was genuine in his assessment of Kobe in his book in 2004 is flawed
Phil admittedly stated that because his daughter had experienced being sexually assaulted that when Kobe went through his rape trial that it distorted his viewed Kobe during the 2003-2004 season and no matter what he did he couldn’t get rid of the anger ( I wish this was Facebook and I can post it in here but just go look it up)
If you go watch the break down of Jordan defense he literally gamble just as much as Kobe if not more but definitely in the same way as Kobe jumping passing lanes ,reaching for steals and coming up empty handed but Phil didn’t have disdain for Jordan like he did Kobe so Phil never commented anything negative on Jordan
I see people using Phil words against Kobe without applying the full context and the hypocrisy of Phil’s words when Jordan did the same thing
And it doesn’t make sense because I’m the 2004 finals the commentators were Marv Albert and doc rivers and they were raving about kobe lock up defense on rip Hamilton
Please don’t compare Jordan and Kobe because the competition they had to go against is miles different
Just look at who Kobe had to guard and Jordan had to guard
Number 8 kobe is underrated defensively he was clearly the best defender in his position during his prime and was the best shot blocker as a guard, he was so great defensively he was even a dpoy candidate in some years.
Was waiting for a video about this
He was often voted as a top 2-3 perimeter defender by his peers every year during his prime…
He was also voted the guy you wanted most with the last shot, despite the fact that he was average at best in the clutch.
@@hardwoodthought1213but ended up about 36 game winnings shots
@@slimsolo8171 How many playoff game winners he have?
Kobe Bryant was an all time great on ball defender.
He wasn’t a gambler on defense. But you could argue he’s the greatest Young Defender ever.
Put his numbers against;
Sidney Moncrief (83&84 DPOY)
Joe Dumars
Bruce Bowen
Micheal Cooper (87 DPOY)
All have similar numbers defensively. That was the kind of defender Kob was.
Great Content bro 💯
he was one of the greatest defenders ever when he wanted to be. i completely agree that he would turn it on when he was in the playoffs or against other superstars and definitely turned off frequently in less important games, especially more often as he got older. but i also think comparing him to Jordan is a bit harsh since Jordan is probably the greatest defensive guard ever. this video didn't make me think less of Kobe but it did remind me just how insane Jordan was.
Great video
The fact that you had to compare Kobe to the Goat of basketball to measure his defensive prowess just shows how good of a defender Kobe was.
So you saw he was much worse. A nice round +/- 0. Totally average, as average as u can get
This is pretty accurate. Players often have their best defensive seasons before getting the most recognition. Rodman, for example, should have won DPOY earlier, the year Eaton won it. KG and Duncan were both defensive beasts very early in their careers, but Mourning and Mutombo got all the DPOY love. Kobe was at his best from '97-'98 through the three-peat defensively. Then he started chasing steals stats, which just wasn't his best skill. Prime Kobe's defense was at its best as mixture of styles. He was great at the point of attack and as a one-on-one stopper against high-usage guys. He was also good running through screens and chasing off-ball guys, with his good stop-start ability and elite conditioning. He also was good at helping with blocks and deflections. He was generally good at position and team defense. But only part of that defensive skill-set shows in the stats. It was actually when he started chasing steals that his defense dipped slightly. Some guys from his era, like Jason Kidd and Eddie Jones were much more natural ballhawks than Kobe, even though a locked in Kobe was a better overall defender. Kobe was still pretty solid through those All-Defense seasons, though increasingly overrated over time. Closer to the end, he actually became a sub-par defender, even before the Achilles injury. In his last healthy season under D'Antoni, Kobe barely played any defense, often cherry picking offense by not even getting back or by lagging near halfcourt.
I do have to say, Kobe's early blocks numbers were impressive. Very few guards get those type of numbers, and he did it in an era where stats were deflated. That's another thing. Kobe played during a deflated stats era. Steals were simply harder to come by, so comparing his numbers to guys who played in the steals peak era of the 80's and early 90's won't give an accurate read. Again, his former teammate Jones was the better ballhawk, but even Jones' steals numbers were deflated some.
Yawn smooth brain
@@NoNameWillBeGiven-ii5hu stalking my comments eh. Should I be worried for my friends and family?
@@timl9724 learn what stalking is smooth brain
@@NoNameWillBeGiven-ii5hu if you come to my home, it won't end well for you.
We always forget to mention who Kobe was actually guarding compared to others , he was defending all world offensive juggernaut on a nightly basis while averaging 30 . He was great all around no question
No he wasn't lol
So was every other all time defender? What?
@@titankiller5287Really depends on matchups more than anything else
@@hustleman8797 you’re in denial . It’s okay get better
@@titankiller5287lol right becuz every other all time defender was top 3 in scoring in the same season right?🤣🤣 stfu man
I remember back in 2011 when someone critique Kobe Bryant for saying he wouldn't take a charge or avoided taking a charge as much as possible. I made the observation that even Michael Jordan with the Wizards would still play defense wholeheartedly when he was past his prime and in his twilight of his amazing career, he would still take a charge and wouldn't give up on defensive plays as much as Kobe. People were extremely upset that i said that. I have seen Michael Jordan play and thats always been my observation on his style of defense. Basketball players in the 80's and 90's were made of sturdier stuff.
Kobe was defintely a solid defender especially with on ball defense but not an all time great lockdown defender 💯 no slander to the mamba tho🖤🐍
in your opinon who are the 5 best?
No, he was a top defender throughout his careers, lacking support but still winning that defense.. not just 30+pg.. defense is just effort. He don't short effort. Plus he picks up the best offensive player. Stats ain't a great assessment of defense.. it's more than steal & blocks.. it's position.. that's why defensive rebounds are important but not the only reason. Inform the people.
Nahh kobe was legit. If he was defending the players jordan was hed have been a monster. The league had more versatile scorers in the 2000s therefore tougher games. Prime kobe was a menace and tenacious as hell. Kobe without a doubt is one of the best on ball defenders weve ever seen.
Great video Jonny, and Kobe is my greatest player of all time and Rodman is my favorite player.
Kobe goes through the process all greats go through after retirement where they get slowly mythologized until they are viewed as infallible. Oh god… I just imagined what’s going to happen to Lebron when he retires…
All greats do not go through this, no one views Charles Barkley as infallible but he's an unquestionable great
From what I’ve seen Kobe is one of the most disrespected all time greats
ESPN will not let that happen, lol
@@wm_9640 exactly
@@anonymousbastard5492 Blame his worshipers for overrating him. Kobe is NOT as good as his worshipers claim he is. Its facts.
What I don't like is how guys get credit for being great defenders when all they do is defend and give u next to nothing on offense its a lot more difficult to be elite on both ends and considering the era he played in and the lack of help defending the perimeter until he got artest late plus the fact that his position was stacked with way more talent then what mj faced ill say kobe was a great defender
It would be interesting to see opposing players shooting percentages for Rodman, etc… his smothering defence would result in players shooting lower than their averages I’d imagine
even Phil said this.
Like some of his All Star selections on the later part of his career, it was the same with some of his All Defense selections, more of a reputation selection instead of actual performance.
You are absolutely right, Kobe picked his spots. MJ did it too later on but he was just a better defensive player. Kobe to me was a little passed the the line between very good and great. Nothing wrong with that. Also to add, if MJ didn’t retire that first time, I think it’s safe to say he would at least have 11 first team defensive selections. It’s kind of crazy to think what his numbers would be like if he didn’t retire that first time.
Nah mj was overrated asf on D
@@jasonochoa7876 Nah, your understanding of defense is just lacking.
@@moety2 nah refs really jerked off mike and let him get away with calls + he was the face of the league so a lot of his defensive awards were due to popularity. Plus mike played in a time where there weren’t many offensive talents in HIS role. When he’d go against good offensive players like bird he wasn’t the one guarding him cuz they played different roles. Kobe would guard 1-3 if he had to, look at when he held iverson to 0 points in the second half of one of their games, or when he went against Melo… hell old Kobe locked kyrie Irving down who’s a much shifter player than anyone Jordan had to defend.
@@jasonochoa7876 offensive calls, yeah. He got away with a few in his day but he went through the fire first. Teams were always more physical with him. When he started winning, that’s when he was getting offensive calls. As far as defense, the man lead the league in steals several times and has the most blocks in a season for his position. Then there is lockdown D. He always went in on close games towards the end. Watching him and Scottie go into that mode was always fun to watch. I’ve seen those games. Hell even with his last shot with the bulls, the play before he stole the ball. And what most players say is his defense was so overlooked because of his offensive. There are vids on how he played defense. Where he ranks etc. so for someone to say he was overrated is ridiculous. The evidence clearly points the other way.
No one has ever called kobe one of the greatest defenders of all time not even kobe stans. At most an elite defender
100% agree as a Kobe fan I’ve never called Kobe one of the greatest defenders of all time just a great defender and other than Jordan he’s definitely the best defender amongst the top scorers of all time.
At his position he's in the convo, for sure.
I don’t call Payton or Jordan as one of the greatest defensive players either
He is one of the best defenders of all time though
Factoring in his offense as well as defense, would you say he was a top 10 two way player ever? That would be a very interesting video, guys like Jordan and Hakeem would be very high of course, as well as Duncan.
Yes I think so
9 first teams is crazy. He was one of the best for a while, but having as many as the Glove is asinine.
🗣️YEAH . 9 DEFENSIVE 1 ST TEAMS IS DEFINITELY , OVERATING KOBE ' S DEFENSE . KOBE DEFINITELY , RECEIVED THE POPULAR VOTE ON DEFENSIVE 1ST SELECTIONS FOR YRS >🎤 🏀🗑️
Didnt really deserve 9. Media overrated him
@@GABEMOORE533Yea he was cause i even think he some when it was by then another guard like Wade
Yeah actually he was hated by the media always love this dumb argument that he didn’t deserve his all defensive teams but you haters bring up his lack of MVPs which is also a popularity contest
@@davis2k1234 Thats a Kobe fanboy made up lie. Media loved Kobe. Name a media personality who hates Kobe the way Skip hates Lebron. Can you? Lmao
Kobe has one MVP cus its the harder to get one undeserving candidate selected for one spot, instead of getting one undeserving candidate selected in a 5 man lineup, duh
You got one thing wrong about the All Defense team voting. During Kobe's career, the All Defense team was voted on by the COACHES, not the media. Big difference... as the coaches have better insight into who affects their defensively (coaches could not vote for players on their own team). The media's opinion is far less trustworthy than NBA coaches.
If it was the media Kobe would've had less selections since they didn't like him rather than fairly evaluating Kobe compared to say Tony Allen or Dwyane Wade.
@@CrazyxEnigma Which is why I value All-NBA and All-Defense awards more than MVPs when comparing players (at least thru 2013). I believe in 2013, they switched and now the media votes for All-NBA awards. Not sure if the All-Defense award changed though. The media always has an agenda, and I just don't trust their ability or willingness to actually properly evaluate basketball players.
I agree with whay you said completely. And people who gush over kobe are the only ones who say otherwise. He was no where near the defensive player hes known by kobe fans to be
Kobe tore his Achilles on April 12, 2013. The night BEFORE the tear, he put up the following numbers at Portland: 47 pts, 8 rebs, 5 asts, 3 stls, 4 blks. Marc Stein reported the next day that no one had ever registered those numbers. By this time, Kobe was past his prime and trying to carry a team with an injured Steve Nash and an ineffective Dwight Howard... and yet, he showed that he could dominate both sides of the floor when he needed to.
To me, this is why Jordan is just so great. He not only had to carry the load on offense for bad teams early in his career, but also was going 100% on defense as well
yeah kobe needed to step up his game more
Wade and especially Tony Allen should have gotten a few of those selections instead of Kobe.
🗣️YUP . DWADE , BRUCE AND TONY OVER KOBE DEFENSIVELY .>🎤 🏀🗑️
Pffft
@@GABEMOORE533😒😒
wade's defense on ball is limited by his height being 6'4 is short for a SG.....he cant guard wing players such as carmello, lebron, tracy
the times wade played good defense on kobe was a version of kobe with multiple knee surgeries
@@JIX9ISLER1986 Tony Allen is 6'4 and is widely regarded as one of the best defenders ever and he's a SG..
It’s layers to this thang = it’s levels to this shit
What i remember is the coaches always put good defenders around him, so he doesnt needed put so much energy in that regard usually.
Kobe Bryant was a great defensive player. Maybe his stats don’t blow your mind but certainly the amount of responsibility he had to carry on a game by game basis didn’t allow him the opportunity to consistently be as elite on that end as he definitely could have. Outside of MJ, Kobe is probably the best 2-way player of all time.
🗣️NAH . HAKEEM OLAJUWON IS , AFTER MJ .>🎤 🏀🗑️
Kobe is great defensive player. He's just limited on his stamina. When he puts the effort he is the best perimeter defender on his prime together with D Wade. They're probably the most entertaining 2 way players of their time. He's preserving his stamina to last up to the last quarter of playing. For someone like me who can read opposing teams play but isn't athletic enough to intercept the ball and can only play honest defense and atleast put my body between the offensive player and basket, it will be really great to have those gifts.
To be really fair for Kobe…
MJ had Scottie,Dennis Rodman, & Ron Harper … I have nothing to say about Jordan’s DPOY year! It’s truly insane but he definitely on that list for Top defenders and top defensive guards. Phil has some points but I truly don’t care what he has to say atp I’ve watched enough tape. He was never a liability and was considered one of the best defensive guards at the time. MJ still was crazy tho😭
Underrated
Kobe is great defender however Phil Jackson said in the back half of the 2000s and early 2010s that Kobe was getting defensive team nods because of reputation. if Phil says it, i believe it. i didn’t coach Kobe…
You’re not factoring in that Phil coached through the media, he said that so Kobe would try even harder on defense
Not to mention that it worked too, look at his defense before and after that year
@@d3adyoutubeaccount what does coaching in the media have to do with what he said?
@@d3adyoutubeaccount why does what an athlete or coach speaking to the media needs to be factored in? are you factoring in the fact that what someone might say in the media isn’t as harsh as what they would say behind closed doors and off the record? come on bro. you’re arguing semantics and it’s not necessary…
It's like Jeter getting gold gloves, even though he didn't deserve it
He is one of the best all time.
Athletically, Kobe was very close to MJ except for one thing - MJ’s monstrous hands. I think MJs hands were the main attribute that made him a better rebounder and pick-pocket than Kobe. Kobe once talked about how MJs hands made him able to do some things on the court with less effort than Kobe had to expend to do the same thing.
But yeah, when Kobe wanted to play defense, he could be the best defender on the court.
Great breakdown. He was one of the best defenders for a perimeter player, but he was not as good as the absolute best, and certainly wasn't someone who should be in the conversation with the best defenders ever, who are all big men.
People calling Kobe's defense overrated are casuals who only watched Ben Taylor's analysis on Kobe's peak season analysis
anybody who disagrees with you is a casual?
@@josephvernon21because analytic nerds doesn't take into consideration that the 2000s era is the slowest pace and least efficient due to the midrange heavy shots + adjustment from the post-illegal defense rules. Slower pace = less stats from all around
I like Ben Taylor but he has his own biases, he heavily overrates Garnett's career.
He didn't have the same level of conditioning as Jordan, to give as much effort on defense, especially as he got older.
He had the same trainer as Mike and he didn't smoke cigars before games. His conditioning was probably better or on par with MJs.
The competition at the 2 guard position just improved. If you have guys capable of scoring 25 plus it's going to be tougher on D.
@@BlockbusterJon 🗣️KOBE ' S EFFORT OR CONDITIONING ON DEFENSE WASN ' T ON PAR WITH MIKE . MIKE HAD TO GUARD PLENTY OF GUARDS , WHO WERE CAPABLE OF SCORING 25 + PTS.>🎤 🏀🗑️
@@BlockbusterJonexactly...
The issue with Kobe's defense is it was more of an effort thing that lead to those Inconsistencies. He also was fast and athletic, but not crazy fast and athletic. I feel the most important thing to me is "potential." The fact that he had the potential to be the best defensive player on the court if he focused on it makes him one of the best defenders of all time in his given position in my opinion.
WHAT!? This could be said for about any player in the NBA. Defense is all about effort, did you ever play basketball?
The thing with Kobe's defense is we all know that if he wanted too he could be one the best defenders all time. If we're talking defensive legacy then he isn't one of the greatest but if we talk about ability there is an argument.
No matter how good you are in one area you are not going to do it every night and every game. That would be like expecting somebody to make every shot or free throw. The key is to do it way more and often than you don't. Consistency is the key.
Even if a few of his defensive selections may have been unwarranted, there's no question that he was a great defender.
I’m reminded of The Last Dance where Michael’s mentality is described as a switch that never got turned off. Kobe sometimes let his switch turn off, but when it was back on… watch out 🐍
in short, if kobe wanted to he is just the best. but if he wants to
I will agree with most of the video. I do have a slight take that you sorta spoke on.
I believe that Kobe is the best defender at the 2guard position. It is from my own eye test. Big Laker games were always on TV. The amount of SGs I watched him give massive fits to was impressive, especially who he was going against. I believe that Kobe went against the best 2s in history not named Jerry West.
After the video, I understand your spot in saying that he picked his moments. Since I only saw games on TV if it was shown, I only saw matchups that he wanted to defend for the masses.
The other 3 All Defensive Players invoked fear in everyone they defended. They rarely took a night off on defense.
As a huge Kobe Bryant I’ll say maybe his off ball presence/iq on defense is a bit “overrated” I do know he would get beat quite a few times from cuts or back doors. However his on ball defense is one of the best ever. As far as 1 on 1 defense goes it’s hard to find better defenders in that regard than Kobe Bryant.
I’ve heard some say he was a good defender who got his last few all defensive teams on reputation.
@@fortynights1513as a huge kobe fan this is def true.
@@dominicharris5489How does he compare to today’s star guards on defense?
@@fortynights1513 thats kind of off topic but if its just a random question, idk i think he would be a top 5 defender amongst SGs if a prime Kobe was in the nba right now
@@fortynights1513 I would say that’s somewhat true actually same way he kept making the all star team in his last couple of seasons based off reputation.
Idk if this is valid, but to judge a players on-ball defence, you could look at the stats of the player they guarded vs. The league average against that player. Then, you’d expect the number of forced errors/turnovers etc to increase? Just an idea
Kobe isn't overrated as a defender. Some of his accolades as a defender are undeserved, but his actual defensive abilities, when trying, are great. His rep in the media as a great defender got him those all-defense accolades. Rodman & MJ also kept guys from getting rebounds & shots, which aren't a countable stats, but they are very observable. Jrue Holiday does that (used to be the best at it) & I don't think he has ever led the league in any stats, but all of the players think he's the best defender in the game.
MJ is quite literally the best backcourt defender of all time. So comparing him to any other guard isn't really fair
It depends on what Kobe You are talking about. There was a stage in his career when he took Defense as part of his Weapon. Young Kobe was focused on scoring. When Kobe started studying Pippens defensive videos. Thats when he became a really good defender.
I was just looking this up and then of course you're the first video and of course I click it.... But yeah I was wondering about his defense. Really wasn't that level like for blocks or steals .. he did play passing lanes but he wasn't really locked down unless he wanted to. Of course he worked on that side too.. The game was going in a different direction at the time also
That's a fantastic distinction! Most "impressive" scorer! That title perfectly fits Kobe.
🗣️MIKE IS . THE SCORING ISN ' T IMPRESSIVE , IF Y👤U AREN ' T EFFICIENT . KOBE IS VOLUME SCORER . OVERALL HE IS N🚫T A EFFICIENT SCORER . >🎤 🏀🗑️
kobe is the most overrated player in nba history
No he’s not if he’s anything he’s slightly underrated. I would say he’s perfectly rated btw
All you have to look at on All defense teams is who he beat out. A lot of years the guard position during Kobe's time is a who's who of mid overall players and I think voters often voted for Kobe because he was the best all around player. Some of the guys he beat out for those spots are guys like Kirk Heinrich, Doug Christie, Eric Snow, and Raja Bell. Good defenders but mid overall players so voters no matter the category tend to lean toward household names
If you didn't wacth Kobe's career, you dont understand how spot on this video is. My dad was a Lakers fan and i watched more Kobe than i wanted to and this is EXACTLY my take. Kobe had to carry the offense heavily at later points in his career and would play defense in spurts. However, when he decided that he needed a stop, he'd lock in and everything got shot down. His defense was mostly denying his guy what he wanted and forcing him to give it up, pass it or try and score over his big. When you watch video of Kobe breaking down players, you'll notice he always is talking about what a player wants. "He wants this, he wants to go there, he wants this spot", thays how he viewed defense later on, denying that. Great breakdown man.
@donaldsimmons4526 I value defensive intangibles meaning his ability to hold all of his teammates to high standards. HIs offensive help in title runs were terrible meaning they're too depended on him to save them offensively.
Overrated in general
He was a better defender than Jordan to me
MJ fans - "But MJ was a way better defender than Kobe and he won defensive player of the year and was first team all defense 9 times.”
Well Kobe has also been selected on 9 first team all defense teams and though he didn’t win defensive player of the year there were many years throughout his career where he forsure should have. In 2010 Kobe locked up Russel Westbrook in the 2010 first round and completely shut him down. You can look up Russel’s stats when Kobe was on him but let me give you a hint: they were TERRIBLE. Kobe in 2010 was running on fumes, his body was slowly giving up on him and there is only so much injuries even the black mamba could take. Despite this Kobe locked up the fastest player with the ball we have ever seen and one of the top 5 most athletic players to ever play the game. Kobe and Jordan are both AMAZING defenders but I’d have to give Kobe the edge for his ability to play with multiple injuries and power through it.
Short answer yes he was an overrated defender but he was a good defender and one of the best defenders at his position in the league in his prime
Can you make a video about jason kidd defence.cause he is top 3 defensive guard to me and he is so underrated on that end
OVERRATED AS HELL
Nope
White boy!!!!
Underrated*
Anyone saying that this monster is overrated, is a LeBron fan trying to diminish Kobe. 12 times all defense means that he was shutting people down for over a decade.
Proving that not only did you not watch the video (because you are too salty), you also don’t know this channel well. 🤡
That doesn't "mean" that lol. All-Defenses are completely subjective awards. The actual facts prove that Kobe was at best, a solid defender. But almost every single year he got an All-Defense award, there were 2-3 guards that deserved it over him