Similarly, Kobe's greatness wasn't simply that his game was pretty. His game was DOMINANT. Every time he stepped on the court he was an incredible difference maker. The best I've ever seen.
So don't get it twisted, Kobe's beautiful game is just a bonus. His dominance and impact is the #1 reason he's considered the best player of his era by almost everyone of his peers.
So explain why, in twelve seasons as team leader, Kobe was only able to win two rings. Hell, only got past the first round like five times in twelve years, and immediately lost in the 2nd round two of hose years.
And when he DID get those two titles as team leader, why was it his teammates who were making the vast majority of the big shots in nearly every close game?
That was the exact opposite of what you claimed your eye test had told you. You claimed that Kobe had taken every big shot, that he had NEVER let his team do it.
So why can't you admit now that your "eye test" is selective and faulty?
2009 Game 2 against the Nuggets: Lakers down three with 5 seconds left in the game, and it's Fisher, not Kobe, who attempts the game-tying three.
2009 Game 2 against the Magic. Lakers down two with 33 seconds left in the game and it's Pau, not Kobe, who makes the game-tying bucket to send it into overtime. Kobe misses the potential game-winner with two seconds left. In overtime Kobe only scores 2 of the Lakers' 13 points, with Pau pouring in 7 to put away the game.
2009 Game 3 against the Magic. Kobe only scores 5 of the Lakers' 29 points in the fourth in a tight game (and two of those five are a meaningless layup with half a second left that only cuts the lead to two). Odom (8) and Pau (6) both outscore Kobe in the fourth.
2009 Game 4 against the Magic. Kobe doesn't score in the final 4:45 of regulation - instead it's a game-tying three by Ariza, a layup by Pau, and a game-tying three with 4 seconds left by Fisher that sends the game into overtime. Pau is once again the leading scorer in overtime with 5 points to Kobe's 4, but it's Fisher's game-winning three with 31 seconds left that gives the Lakers the 3-1 series lead.
2010 Game 3 against the Thunder, Kobe only scores 2 of the last 19 points in a tight game. Pau (4), MWP (4), Bynum (3), Odom (3) and Fisher (3) all outscore Kobe late. Kobe's only basket is a layup when the Lakers were down four with 13 seconds left and needed three, not two (Durant made both free throws and Farmar and MWP, not Kobe, tried to hit the threes to get it back).
2010 Game 6 against the Thunder, Kobe only scores 2 of the last 22 points in a tight game. MWP (5), Fisher (5), Walton (5) and Brown (3) all outscore Kobe late. When Kobe misses the potential game-winner with two seconds left, it's Pau that saves the game with a game-winning putback that keeps the series from going 7 and saves the Lakers from a potential first-round exit.
2010 Game 5 against the Suns, Kobe only scores 2 of the last 15 points in a tight game. Fisher (5) and Pau (4) both outscore Kobe late. When Kobe misses the potential game-winner with three seconds left, it's MWP that saves the game with a game-winning putback that keeps the Lakers from going down 3 to 2 heading into Game 6.
2010 Game 7 against the Celtics, Kobe only scores 3 of the last 15 points in a tight game, and those were on intentional fouls. Pau (7 points) is the Laker go-to man down the stretch. Once again it's MWP who makes the shot of the game, a huge three with a minute left that doubles the Laker lead.
And that's JUST those last two championships when Kobe was "the man". Game after game after game, when the going got tough it was Pau's dominance on offense, the Lakers' team defense, and Pau/Fisher/MWP's clutch shots that made the difference for the Lakers.
Kobe was literally FOURTH on his own team in huge playoff shots during that 2009-2010 run.
