ItWasWritten
Superstar
Breh
No he’s not
Kobe is my favorite player, I’ve followed him since high school
He’s not a top tier athlete freak of nature like a Jordan or Bron
he was athletic but not as anybody in nba history
Kobe Bryant's true peak was from 2000-2003...
- Thread starter Swagnificent
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Breh
No he’s not
Kobe is my favorite player, I’ve followed him since high school
He’s not a top tier athlete freak of nature like a Jordan or Bron
he was athletic but not as anybody in nba history
Get those eyes checked then. There's a reason Kobe's in-game dunk montage is more impressive than Jordan and LeBron. He was as athletic as them. His strengths were just different.
For example, you prolly think Jordan and LeBron are better athletes than Kobe because they were faster and could jump higher. I would agree with that. But raw speed and vertical leap are but just two elements of overall athleticism. There's still agility, quickness, body control, and lateral mobility to account for. All areas Kobe excelled in. For one, Kobe has much faster first step than LeBron, superior body control, and agility. Its why he has significantly more types of dunks in his repotaiore than LeBron (who literally recycled the same 2-3 dunks his entire career).
There's more to athleticism than end to end speed and leaping ability.
LexDiamonds
Superstar
02-03 was Kobe’s best season. Him and McGrady played at an incredible level that year. Their head to head matchups were special
ItWasWritten
Superstar
He had a great first step but that’s where it stops
You’re not going to sit here and try and convince me his athleticism was on par with Jordan breh
Again I’m not saying Kobe was some slow bum, he was great athlete in his day , but bron and Jordan were legendary
Those that watched kobe's earlier years know that he was the most athletic player in the league.
he might've been at that time but overall he wasnt a freak like MJ/Bron thats why he worked so hard to get those skills on point
Yes.
Go watch the tape for yourself. That's what I did.
What you'll notice is there are areas where Jordan is better and areas where Kobe is better. For example, Jordan is a far better ONE LEGGED jumper than Kobe. Its why he's able to do things like the free throw line dunk which Kobe could never match. Jumping off one leg allows you to take off from further away and cover more space. Its also why Jordan looks to have superior hangtime. Same with LeBron who might be the most explosive player ever jumping off one foot.
Where Kobe has them both beat is as a TWO LEGGED jumper. He could jump higher off two legs than both Jordan and LeBron. Its why his in-game dunk catalouge is more impressive. Cause jumping off two legs creates more power and allows for more in your face dunks. Its also why Kobe has way more impressive alley-oops on his resume than Jordan. You wanna see Jordan look akward athletically (relatively speaking), then go find the rare times he catching alley-oops. Because he's so much more comfortable jumping off one leg than two, it leads to oops that don't look quite as clean as someone who jumps off two legs and catches the oop with both hands.
And this is just off them jumping off one leg or two. There's also the matter of left/right versus right/left two legged takeoffs which Kobe was superior at. Then there's the matter of a right leg takeoff versus left leg takeoff. And then you have body control in the air which is an area Kobe bests Jordan and totally dominates LeBron. And so on.
I could keep going on and on. There's more to athleticism than a pure vertical. Watch the tape more closely and you'll see everything I'm talking about.
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Stop it. LeBron first step was always subpar compared to the rest of his athletic gifts. Its why he was always called a runaway locamotive. He might have been slow at the start but once he got going he was difficult to stop.
I remember hearing how players feared Melo's first step more than LeBron during that time.
Bron's game in the half court was based on power not speed. His elite speed only showed up when it from one baseline to the other.
STYLE = / = FREAK ATHLETE
Find me a highlight tape with as many spectacular dunks and finishes near the basket as Afro Kobe.
There isn't any because nobody had the full spectrum of athletic gifts as Kobe. Many could jump higher or run faster. But nobody put it all together like him. Except Jordan circa 1988-1991.
ISO
Pass me the rock nikka
bullshyt
And btw a lot of the stuff you’re talking about is biomechanics not athleticism.